July 22, 2019

COMMISSIONERS’ PROCEEDINGS
July 22, 2019
Commissioners Robert ‘Pits’ DeArmond, Scott Blain, and Bill Bullock, and Administrative Officer Angela Newell were present.
8:30 Pledge of Allegiance
9:00 Public Hearing amend 2018-2019 Budget. Commissioner Bullock moved to approve Resolution 2019-10 Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Budget Amendment; Commissioner DeArmond seconded; motion carried.
Discussed Public Health Service Agreement. Commissioners agreed to an $8,000 increase and will present the revised Agreement to Beartooth Billings Clinic.
9:30 Deputy DES / Floodplain Admin Annie Gillespie met with Commissioners for her monthly update. They discussed an unpermitted rip rap project outside of Joliet, septic variances approved at last Thursday’s board of Health Meeting. Also discussed Army Corps permitting; Annie is happy to coordinate permitting and documentation with the Corps. for Road Department projects.
Commissioner Blain received an email from Mike Creeden regarding the naming of the old alignment of Highway 310/212 now known as Clarks River Road. Mr. Creeden was concerned the name was shortened from Clarks Fork River Road as suggested at a meeting with landowners in Joliet. Commissioner Blain responded to the email noting that the name was properly changed at a publicly noticed Commissioner meeting; the name had been shortened to avoid confusion as the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River is from Rockvale to Belfry not Rockvale to Laurel.
10:00 Emily Ringer, Charles Ringer, Amber Foechterle, Charlie Buechler, DES Coord. / GIS Mgr. Tom Kohley, and Floodplain Administrator Annie Gillespie met with Commissioners regarding a bank stabilization project. The Town of Joliet would like to make a joint Hazard Mitigation Grant application for a bank stabilization project to protect their sewer lagoon and the County bridge abutment and road. Tom noted a cost analysis needs to be done as part of application including a preliminary engineering report (PER); Joliet agreed to pay for the PER for the portion related to the lagoons. 10:20 Mayor Gary Gray joined the meeting. The grant application would be due late fall and requires a 25% match which can be in-kind work rather than cash. Tom will confer with State regarding submitting the project as one application vs two separate applications.
10:35 Jacque Papez met with Commissioners regarding the Burgen Settlement Agreement. Commissioner Bullock moved to approve the Burgen General Release and Settlement Agreement presented; Commissioner DeArmond seconded; motion carried.

Commissioner Bullock moved to approve employee time as submitted; Commissioner DeArmond seconded; motion carried.
11:00 Sheriff Josh McQuillan and JillAnn Knuston and Steve Simonson with Beartooth RC&D met with Commissioners to discuss planning for a County jail. Carbon County News reporter Eleanor Guerrero was also present. Commissioners requested assistance with seeking grant funding for planning as well as construction; they also noted they are looking at Courthouse renovation to provide ADA accessibility to District and Justice Court. There was a discussion regarding the number of jobs a jail would provide and pay scales and benefits for those positions. Sheriff McQuillan noted there may be about 30 full-time positions and currently dispatchers start at $18.02/hr. There was a discussion about applying for a Treasure State Endowment Program Planning Grant and a Community Development Block Grant for Public Facilities. There is also grant funding available for counties with a decline in oil/gas revenues. There was a discussion regarding public safety concerns with limited availability of jail beds and safety concerns with long prisoners transports. Sheriff McQuillan noted that 5 years ago the County did not have issues getting people in to the Yellowstone County Detention Facility, now it is almost impossible.
12:00 Lunch

1:00 Gary Horner Finley Engineering OSP Manager and Jim Tuell from Nemont met with Commissioners to discuss the construction of a Fiber Optic Project from Belfry to Red Lodge and Red Lodge to Roscoe. Jerry Guck Arvig General Manager, T Jay Schmitz Arvig Superintendent, Dan Wurzell Engineer Finley Engieering, Jim Bushnell Public Works Director City of Red Lodge, DES Coord. / GIS Mgr. Tom Kohley, Andrew Harman Montana Department of Transportation, and Jim Backman Nemont Engineering manager (via phone) were also in attendance. It was noted the majority of the work will be done on State Highway right-of-ways and in the City of Red Lodge. A small portion will affect County roads.

Respectfully submitted: Angela Newell, Administrative Officer