November 30, 2021

COMMISSIONERS’ PROCEEDINGS
November 30, 2021
Commissioners Scott Miller, Scott Blain, and Bill Bullock; and Administrative Officer Angela Newell were present.
8:30 Pledge of Allegiance.
Meeting closed for HR issue
Meeting reopened
Commissioners discussed gravel crushing. Miller may want to crush in the Phillips pit before the end of the fiscal year. Would like to go out for bid to include the remainder of 21-22 and 22-23.
9:00 Blain moved to approve the agreement with Quadient Leasing for the Treasurer’s Postage Meter Rental; Miller seconded; motion carried.
9:30 Miller moved to approve Memorandum of Understanding with the Town of Joliet as an ARPA Subrecipient; Blain seconded; motion carried.

10:00 County Attorney Alex Nixon met for Reduction in Force. Nixon has revised Victim Witness Coordinator job description to include duties of Deputy County Attorney Assistant. Time would be split on a percentage between grant and county attorney budgets. Nixon requested to increase Brangers wage; Commissioners agreed to an immediate increase of half the gap between current wage and legal secretary wage. Blain moved to approve reduction in force for legal secretary position in the County Attorney’s Office and to combine those duties with the Victim Witness Coordinator; miller seconded; Bullock noted the combined position will continue VOCA grant duties, pursue future grants, and to provide legal secretary services. Nixon noted the individual taking on the duties is very driven and built the VOCA position from the ground up. Motion carried.

11:10 Geospatial Information Systems Coordinator / Fire Warden Tom Kohley met with Commissioners regarding Census data and Commissioner Districts. Data shows in increase in population of 410 people from the 2010 Census. All incorporated towns but Bearcreek lost population over the last year based on 2019 estimates. Discussion regarding the accuracy of the census with the COVID pandemic and the lack of in-person census takers.

11:30 Public Health Coordinator Erin Cross and Disaster and Public Health Officer Cyrina Allen met with Commissioners to discuss the contract with the South Central Mental Health Center (SCMHC). Cross noted the process to become a State approved provider is more complicated than originally thought. Cross also noted that Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements will be withheld from facilities that are not mandating vaccines. Blain would like to continue to evaluate the partnership with SCMHC. Bill moved to discontinue the SCMHC agreement; motion failed for lack of second. Bullock and Commissioners would like further investigation and negotiation with SCMHC to better align funding with the services provided. Commissioners would like to focus on hiring Crisis Care Coordinator to meet the requirements of the County Tribal Matching Grant.

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Red Lodge School Superintendent John Fitzgerald met with Commissioners. Discussed the need for workforce housing.

Alcohol Tax 4th quarter payment and plan. Public Health Officer Cyrina Allen and Public Health Coordinator Erin Cross. Blain moved to adopt Comprehensive county Plan for Substance Abuse Prevention, Rehabilitation and Trreatment; Bullock seconded; motion carried. Cross provided a general update for Public health.

Adjourned.

Respectfully submitted: Angela Newell, Administrative Officer