CARTER COUNTY COMMISSION PROCEEDINGS

01-10-2022

The Board of Carter County Commissioners met in regular session on Monday, January 10, 2022, in the Carter County Commission Board Meeting Room of the Carter County Courthouse at 214 Park Street in Ekalaka, Montana. Steve Rosencranz, Chairman; Rod Tauck, Vice Chair and Mike Watkins, Member; were present.

The meeting was called to order at 9 a.m.

There was no public comment

The board discussed the old hospital building’s mechanical and structural issues. These include issues with the boiler system. Water lines and water heater and the possibility of roof repairs.

Commissioner Watkins made the motion to approve the January 03, 2022 meeting minutes with corrections. Commissioner Tauck seconded the motion. The was no public comment and the motion carried.

FAA Grant – 97M NMG- 3-30-0025-2022 (DOT FA22NM-K 2181) In the amount of $22,000.00 is an American Rescue Plan Act Grant (ARPA). That the County applied by the funds to be used at the airport. County attorney Corbit Harrington and Clerk, Recorder Pam Castleberry and Airport Board president, Troy Fruit joined the meeting to review grant. Commissioner Rosencranz and Attorney Harrington signed the grant application. Troy left the meeting.

The Commission and Clerk and Recorder Pam Castleberry assessed the 2021-2022 budget. The went over the expenses and income for the past 6 months.

The meeting broke for lunch at 12 p.m. and reconvened at 1 p.m.

Old Hospital building use and needs from Dahl Memorial. Guests included Ryan Tooke, Dahl Memorial CEO, Charles Parks, and Georgia Bruski Dahl Memorial Board, and Pam Castleberry. Phone in: Steve McNeece CAH Solutions. Ryan and Dahl Memorial are requesting 6 months to a year to finish moving items from the old hospital building. They are currently storing beds, kitchen equipment, TVs and other items in the building.

The commissioners are concerned about continuing to provide utility services and complete insurance coverage to the building if it is not occupied. There are mechanical issues with the boiler system and waterlines.

Ryan agreed to the February 01, 2022 deadline to shut off utilities’ services. He will have an inventory of what is remaining in the building at that time.

Commissioner Watkins made the motion to turn off the utility services to the Old Hospital building by 02-01-2022. That inventory list compiled by Dahl Memorial, completed by 05-01-2022. They will complete the move by 06-30-2022. Commissioner Tauck seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried.

The guests left the meeting.

The commissioners discussed the option of hiring an engineer to evaluate the condition of the old hospital building to aid in the decision on remodeling the building or demolition.

Bob Jacobs, Carter County maintenance, joined the meeting with questions about generator annual inspection. The maintenance contractor would like to do the output testing every 2 years instead of yearly. The Commission agreed.

The commissioners discussed with Bob about the boilers that heat the old hospital and the plan to turn off the heat and water. It was mentioned to Bob that Ryan was looking into some items that would still need to have heat which included the x-ray machine. Bob stated that he had been told the x-ray machine was already removed from the building and he volunteered to go over and confirm it which he did and it had in fact already been removed.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 2:50 p.m.

Board of County Commissioners

Carter County, Montana

/s/: Rod Tauck, Vice-Chairman

Attest:/s: Pamela J Castleberry, Clerk of the Board