March 24, 2016

COMMISSIONERS’ PROCEEDINGS        

          March 24, 2016

          Commissioners Doug Tucker, John Grewell, and John Prinkki were present.

8:30 Pledge of Allegiance

Commissioners received confirmation from Montana State Parks that funding has been approved for the Boyd Cooney Road Pavement Project grant.

8:45 DES Coord. / GIS Mgr. Tom Kohley met with Commissioners. There was a tire fire in the Cooney Dam area yesterday; the individual conducting the burn had purchased and activated a burn permit, but was in violation of the terms of the permit as he was burning material that cannot be legally burned. Tom asked for clarification on the County’s responsibility to suppress unauthorized fires in violation of Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Regulations. Commissioner Grewell noted he would rather suppress the fire than deal with potential repercussions from health issues. Sanitarian Josh Juarez joined the meeting. Josh spoke with DEQ and confirmed suppressing the fire was the correct action and that the landowner should be held accountable for cleanup; if necessary the issue could be escalated to DEQ for a citation, but Josh believe the County has the ability to address the issue on the local level first.

Commissioner Grewell moved approval of the Fairgrounds Keeper Job Description with changes noting the position reports to the Fair Board through the Board Chair; Commissioner Tucker seconded; motion carried.

9:30 John Husar and David McClain met with Commissioners regarding the Mud Springs Wind Project. Carbon County News Reporter Eleanor Guerrero was also present. Husar and McClain thought the meeting yesterday with Commissioner Prinkki and the Golden Eagle Working Group was beneficial and that it was good for the Group to see the County’s involvement in the project. EverPower is working to finalize power purchase agreements with Pacific Corp. The project’s eagle classification will need to be resolved for the purchase agreements to be finalized. They are also finalizing transmission line plans and working with landowners regarding proposed road improvements. EverPower is proposing an Impact Fee of $50,000/year for three years in addition to the work being completed on County Roads; McClain noted that he believes this amount is all the project can afford. EverPower’s legal counsel believes the Impact Fee applies to the construction cost and not the full project costs. Commissioner Grewell noted they would have to verify with the Department of Revenue what components of the project the Impact Fee would apply to. EverPower also plans to apply for a New and Expanding Industry Tax abatement. The Commissioners would like to see more detail on the road improvement plans to substantiate the $800,000 figure presented by EverPower. Commissioners also requested a breakdown on the projects expected return on investment with and without the impact fee.

 

10:40 Insurance Committee Meeting. Jane Swanson-Webb, Lola Ashby, and Pam Walling from the MACo Health Care Trust met with Commissioners regarding health insurance renewal rates. The Trust’s overall increase was 0%, however Carbon County’s experience resulted in a 5% increase for the County. The Insurance Committee is considering changing plan offerings for employees; employees will need to be notified of those changes by May 1. The Committee is considering offering the HD3000 plan and removing RM500 as there is only one employee on that plan. The Committee may also propose the County contribute the difference between the HD3000 plan premium and the County contribution into a Health Savings Account. The Committee noted it will have been five years since the County considered other insurance providers and they would like to shop for benefits for the 2017-2018 plan year.

12:00 Adjourned

 

 

Respectfully submitted: Angela Newell, Administrative Assistant