CARTER COUNTY COMMISSION PROCEEDINGS

01-17-2023

The Board of Carter County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, in the Carter County Commission Board Meeting Room of the Carter County Courthouse at 214 Park Street in Ekalaka, Montana. Rod Tauck, Chairman; Mike Watkins, Vice Chairman; and Pamela Castleberry, member was present.

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

Shannon Hewson, Senior Engineer of Broz Engineering stepped into the meeting to visit about upcoming projects.

Gravel truck bid opening for 2023-2024 truck. Guest include Road Department supervisor Carl Knapp, Floyd Truck Center representative Martin Noll, and Clerk and Recorder Judy Wright.

*Tri State Truck Center- no bid *Black Hill Truck and Trailer - $186,820.90 *Floyds Truck Center­ - $192,694.00

Carl will review the bids and return to the meeting at 1 p.m. today for the bid award.

Old Hospital building, Brownfield Grant / Adaapta meeting. Online guests included Maggie Bellinger of K-Tab, Mary Hashem and Kate Lucas from Adaapta. Public Health manager Stefanie Harrington, Attorney Corbit Harrington joined the meeting. Bellinger, Hashem, and Lucas have reviewed the Old Hospital feasibility study by McKinstry Consultants in 2016.

They discussed numerous possible uses for the building, including demo of the Clinic area built in 1930’s. Other possible uses include a Senior Center, housing units, and office space. The next steps will be setting up community meetings in Alzada, Boyes and Ekalaka for community input. Maggie Bellinger with K-Tab will set up the advertising for the meetings to tentatively be set for May 22nd - 24th, 2023. K-Tab will prepare information for the meetings by February.

The ID-ME set up for the American Recovery Act Funding (ARPA) will be changed to Clerk and Recorder Judy Wright as per the Carter County Commissioners.

Commissioner Watkins made the motion to approve the application of Samantha Kanode as a member of the Fair Board. Commissioner Castleberry seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried.

The meeting broke for lunch at 11:53 a.m. and was called to order at 1:00 p.m.

Road Supervisor Carl Knapp joined the meeting to award the bids for the gravel truck. He didn’t find any difference or missing specifications in two bids the County received. Commissioner Watkins made the motion to accept the bid from Black Hills Truck and Trailer for a Kenworth Truck in the amount of $186,820.90. Commissioner Castleberry seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried.

Carl requested permission to sell or auction surplus Road Department property. The commission requested that he bring in a list of items to be approved at an upcoming meeting. Carl left the meeting.

There was discussion of sewer and heating at the old hospital building and the Senseth house with guest Phil Cook.

Commissioner Watkins made the motion to approve the minutes from January 09, 2023. Commissioner Castleberry seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried.

There was a meeting with the Public Health Board including Dana Eshelman, Sharon Carroll, Steve DeFord and Rona Meyer. Jessica Walker was absent. Other guests included County attorney Corbit Harrington, Clerk and Recorder Judy Wright, Public Health nurse Kirstie Nelson, and Public Health Manager Stefanie Harrington. The Health Board minutes were read and approved.

Rona Meyer reported that Department of Health and Human Services suggested that Carter County Public Health does a needs assessment survey. This would help facilitate acquiring grants to help fill those needs. DPHHS also has no issues with the two public health nurses sharing the duties of the Public Health Officer.

The Board reviewed the Public Health Officer appointment description and the draft proposal for PHO duties. Kirstie and the Trish submitted the draft overview of duties that would be shared by the two Public Health nurses. The Board discussed compensation, training, roles and responsibilities. The Board requested that the language in the draft be clarified to specify Carter County Board of Health throughout the document. There was a motion made by Sharon and seconded by Rona to recommend the draft to the Commissioners with the above changes.

There was a discussion regarding A Community Health Assessment and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program.

Immunization and Standing Orders will be provided by Dr. Darryl Espeland July, 2023 - June 30, 2024. Carter County Public Health as signed up with Rocky Mountain Health Network as the next step to provide billing Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance.

The next Public Health Board meeting will be held at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18th in the Dahl Memorial conference room. The Public Health Board meeting adjourned at 4:11 p.m.

There being no further business the Commissioners meeting adjourned at 4:20 p.m.

Board of County Commissioners

Carter County, Montana

/s/ Rod Tauck, Chairman

Attest:/s/ Judy Wright, Clerk of the Board

01-26-2023

The Board of Carter County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday January 26, 2023, in the Carter County Commission Board Meeting Room of the Carter County Courthouse at 214 Park Street in Ekalaka, Montana. Rod Tauck, Chairman; Mike Watkins, Vice Chairman; and Pamela Castleberry, member was present.

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

Commissioner Tauck signed a replacement Check that was presented by Deputy Treasurer Cecile Kuehn.

Weed Supervisor Jesse Scott stepped into the meeting to schedule the Weed Board meeting with the commission. It will be held on February 13, 2023. She will set up a time after speaking with the board.

The Commission reviewed notes from the new hospital building warranty walk-through.

Comprehensive Capital Improvement Plan (CCIP) This is a 5-10-year financial budgeting tool used to help establish long term goals for maintaining, improving and building new public facilities.

Road and Bridge Supervisor Carl Knapp joined with the Road Departments CCIP list of improvements that include 2-way radios, road grader, gravel trailer, gravel haul trucks, v- plows, loader, building for trucks and plows, and pick-ups. The Department also included the repair or replacement of 3 bridges. Carl left the meeting.

Clerk and Recorder Judy Wright joined the meeting to present the Courthouse CCIP list. It includes a building or bay for County vehicles and maintenance shop, vault storage solutions, and re-finishing the trim in the old Courthouse area as well as update snow removal equipment for the Courthouse.

Treasurers office requests a dedicated room for the State driver’s license examiner.

Museum CCIP list: New building, 2 vehicles, upgrade of the HVAC system, repair or replacement of kitchen plumbing in current museum building. Warehouse window replace and repair.

Weed Department CCIP list: Replace side by side, replace pick-up truck, repair concrete in and outside main shop door. Set up a water source to fill spray equipment in Alzada, relocate the weed shop.

Sheriff Department CCIP: Vehicle replacement one every odd year and building for sheriffs’ and Fire Suppression vehicles.

Old hospital building project will be Part in the CCIP process.

Shared duties of the Public Health Officer. There was discussion of duties, and pay. Commissioner Watkins made the motion to split the duties of County Public Health Officer for 10 hours a month and share the amount of $500.00 split between the two Public Health nurses, Kirstie Nelson and Patricia Loughlin. Commissioner Castleberry seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried.

Public Health Nurse Kirstie Nelson joined the meeting where she described a portion of the duties that would be split between her and nurse Loughlin. They will present a document that outlines their roles and duties as Public Health Officer. The work force development grant would help funding for the Health Department but will not be available by the end of the fiscal year, June 2023. There was discussion regarding The Public Health Department budget, current and upcoming programs. Kirstie left the meeting.

Fair Board CCIP list: Additional lighting at the Event Center building, replace the 2 livestock barns with one larger modern barn.

The meeting broke for lunch at 12 p.m. and reconvened at 1 p.m. for the Airport Board meeting: Troy Fruit, Greg Harris, and Dane Castelberry. Justin Stieg Airport maintenance and Jessie Scott, Weed Supervisor. Clerk and Recorder Judy Wright and Attorney Harrington.

Troy called the meeting to order.

Judy requested that Justin provide the Southeast Electric meter readings to the Clerk and Recorders office each month.

The motion was made and seconded to approve the current Airport Board proceedings agenda.

Greg read the minutes from January 10, and October, 2022 regular meeting. The minutes were approved by a motion made Dane and seconded by Greg.

The letter of resignation from the Airport board was presented by Dane Castleberry. It was excepted by the Airport board.

The Board recommends Steven Summers to replace Dane Castleberry.

Commissioner Watkins made the motion to approve Steven Summers as an official member of the Carter County Airport Board. Commissioner Castleberry seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried.

The Board restructure: Troy Fruit as Chairman, Steven Summers as Vice-Chair and Greg Harris as secretary.

Terms are as follows: 3-year term: Steve, 2-year term: Troy, 1-year term: Greg. The members maybe nominated to serve reoccurring 3-year terms.

The was discussion of the Master Plan update. Old business included rerouting the drainage from the Bump and Run track.

New business: Set up meeting to develop a weed management plan for the airport with Weed Supervisor Jessie Scott.

The Airport board recommended the installation of a manual gate that would be used when the power is out. They presented a quote for the project from Bruski Fencing.

Commissioner Castleberry made the motion to accept the bid from Bruski Fencing in the amount of $3,650.00 to install a manual gate at the airport. Commissioner Watkins seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried.

The erosion around the asphalt was discussed. The Airport Board Meeting adjourned at 2 p.m..

(LATC) Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Funds: The Commission looked into the 1% payment of LATC funds for the formation of Public Land Resource organization set forth by The National Association of Counties. This was paid in November, 2022.

Attorney Harrington outlined the current issues facing the 3 County 911 system do to changing legislation and current equipment upgrade needs. He is also working to draft several documents of mutual aid/ MOU’s with Powder River County and Fallon County.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 3:15 p.m.

Board of County Commissioners

Carter County, Montana

/s/ Rod Tauck, Chairman

Attest:/s/ Judy Wright, Clerk of the Board