CARTER COUNTY COMMISSION PROCEEDINGS

07-05-2022

The Board of Carter County Commissioners met in regular session on Thursday, July 05, 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.

Road and Bridge Supervisor Carl Knapp joined the meeting to request the purchase of gravel from Wyrick Construction to be used on the North end of the Plevna Road. Commissioner Watkins made the motion to Purchase approximately 3,600 yards of gravel. Commissioner Tauck seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried.

Commissioner Watkins made the motion to purchase a Trail King belly dump gravel trailer and a booster axle for the low boy trailer. Commissioner Tauck seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried.

Jessie Scott, Weed Department Supervisor, joined the meeting to review the 2022-2023 Fiscal Year budget. There was discussion on starting wages for weed crew employees. The Weed Board approved the starting wage of $14.00 and the commission agreed.

Jessie would like to replace the 2015 side by side this year. She has added contract services line item to the budget. Jessie left the meeting.

Deputy Treasurer Cecile Kuehn stepped into the meeting to request the commission cancel two warrants from payroll that have not been cashed. Commissioner Tauck made the motion to cancel warrant# 22570 in the amount of $284.25 and warrant# 22953 in the amount of $167.37. Commissioner Watkins seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried.

Commissioner Tauck made the motion to approve the meeting minutes from June 13, 2022 and June 20, 2022. Commissioner Watkins seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried unanimously.

Commissioner Watkins made a motion to sign the alcohol tax designation form. Commissioner Tauck seconded the motion, there was no public comment and the motion passed.

Rodney Walker joined the meeting with questions regarding the South Cottonwood Road gravel haul bid. He would like to bid the job on a sliding scale to account for the rising cost of fuel. There was no decision made on the sliding scale bid. Rodney left the meeting.

The commissioners left for lunch at 12 p.m. and returned at 1 p.m.

The Commission did not receive bids to hay the old airport area and requested that the ad run another two weeks. The bid will be due July 18, 2022.

The commissioners tabled the predator control aerial hunting contract discussion until the July 12, 2022 meeting.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 1:40 p.m.

Board of County Commissioners

Carter County, Montana

/s/ Steve Rosencranz, Chairman

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

07-12-2022

The Board of Carter County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, July 12, 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.

Guests to the meeting included County Attorney Corbit Harrington, Road and Bridge Supervisor Carl Knapp, and Rick Fike of Fike Crushing Inc.

Bid openings for the Padden Pit Gravel Crushing contract and South Cottonwood Creek Road Gravel Haul Contract.

Cottonwood Creek gravel haul Contract bid: Walker Livestock in the amount of $103,200.00 for 6,000 yards of gravel. 20-yard loads, 300 loads at $344.00 per load. The bid included 2 additional bids based on the increasing cost of fuel. Commissioner Watkins made the motion to accept the Walker Livestock bid for $103,200.00 without scaled fuel cost differences. Commissioner Tauck seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried.

Padden Pit Gravel crushing contract bids: Fike Crushing Inc. 50,000 cu yd of 1” minus for $3.70 per cubic yard or $2.60 per ton. $185,000.00. Start date of August 15, 2022.

Wyrick Construction 50,000 cu yd of “1 minus for $3.80 per cubic yard. $190,000.00.

Commissioner Tauck made the motion to accept Fike Constructions bid for $185,000.00 to crush gravel at the Padden pit. Commissioner Watkins seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried. Carl and Rick left the meeting.

Predator Board representative Jeff Tauck joined the meeting to present the predator control contracts for approval. They discussed the warrant for payment of extra fuel cost as per the contract for the Husby aerial hunting agreement. Commissioner Watkins made the motion to approve the warrant to Husby Flying Service in the amount of $4,039.20. Commissioner Tauck seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried.

Commissioner Watkins made the motion to approve all predator control contracts as written for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. Contracts included are Mark Husby, Robbie Fix, Ethan Lyndell - Last Howl, and Chad Harrington. Commissioner Tauck seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried. Jeff left the meeting.

Commissioner Tauck made the motion to approve the meeting minutes for June 23, 2022 and June 30, 2022. Commissioner Watkins seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried unanimously.

The commissioners placed a call to Robie Culver, Regional Manager/Grant Administrator for Stahly Engineering requesting her assistance with the ARPA funding, and the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds grant. Robie recommends that the commission approve a resolution to transfer the management of the pot B funds of the State Allocations to the Town of Ekalaka for the water main project.

Robie agreed to prepare the quarterly report for DNRC and will send a copy of the Resolution to transfer the allocated funds to the Town of Ekalaka.

The commission reviewed the 2016- 2021 Capital Improvement Plan and discussed options for the updated plan.

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

Sabre Moore joined the meeting for the Museum storage building repair bid opening.

Picture Perfect bid of $27,157.78 for repair of the roof, with a deposit due before start of the project. The bid does not include the replacement of the insulation and ceiling.

Mark Wright Construction bid $49,600.00 including roof, ceiling including insulation.

Commissioner Tauck made the motion to accept Mark Wright Construction’s bid for $49,600.00 for the repair of the museum storage building. Commissioner Watkins seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried.

Carter County Treasurer Jesi Pierson joined the meeting to discuss the close out accounting for the fiscal year 2021-2022.

Deputy Treasurer Cecile Kuehn joined the meeting to review the starting salaries and probational period for new hires. Commissioner Watkins made the motion to eliminate the lower starting wages and start all employees at the final wage they would receive at the end of the probational period. The new hire would be required to complete the six-month probation to continue employment and receive insurance and leave benefits. Commissioner Tauck seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried.

The commission requested that County Attorney Corbit Harrington draft a letter requesting that Dahl Memorial provide a written report outlining the quarterly financial report and operations report.

Board of County Commissioners

Carter County, Montana

/s/ Steve Rosencranz, Chairman

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