Vol. 31 No.
5 MAY 2002
HIGHLIGHTS—IN
THIS ISSUE
COUNTY COMMISSIONER CANDIDATES
SUBDIVISIONS; COMPREHENSIVE PLANS
DIRECTORY CORRECTIONS
MONTANA HOSTS
NACo WESTERN
INTERSTATE REGION
National Association of Counties
Western Interstate Region (WIR) Conference is to be in Billings May 22 -
25. WIR Conferences provide county officials opportunities to
hear speakers, discuss legislation, network with other officials and exchange
information on issues of interest.
These interests include public lands (use and conservation), community
stability and economic development, and the promotion of the traditional
Western way of life. WIR membership consists of fifteen Western states (AK, HI,
WA, OR, CA, ID, NV, AZ, MT, WY, CO, NM, UT, ND, SD).
The WIR 2001 - 2002 Officers
are:
·
President: George
Enneking
Commissioner, Idaho County, ID
·
First Vice
President: John Howard
Commissioner, Union County, OR
·
Second Vice President:
Don Davis
Commissioner, Rio Blanco County, CO
Mission Statement
The Western Interstate
Region (WIR) exists to be the counties' advocate for public policy issues
affecting the West.
Goals
1) Actively promote responsible land management and
environmental policies
2) Actively
pursue equitable payment for county expenses associated with public lands not
subject to tax (PILT)
3) Sustain the Western quality of life
4) Actively promote county officials as
"convenors"
TENTATIVE AGENDA
Wednesday, May 22
Board of Directors Meeting
Pre-Conference Seminar on
Leadership
Combined Agriculture and
Rural Affairs
Steering Committees Meeting
Thursday, May 23
Opening Session Honorable Gale A. Norton
Secretary of the Interior
Workshops
Conference Event
Friday, May 24
General Session
Panel on Implementing
Wildland Fire Strategy
Kathleen Clarke, Director,
Bureau of Land Management
Dale Bosworth, Chief,
USDA/Forest Service
Jim Hubbard, State Forester,
Colorado
Lynne Jungworth, Watershed
Research & Training
Workshops
Awards Banquet
Saturday, May 25
Agriculture Tours
Environment
HOUSING WILL BE
VERY SHORT DURING THIS WEEK. THE MEN’S
NATIONAL BOWLING TOURNAMENT IS ALSO BEING HELD IN BILLINGS.
RESERVE YOUR ROOMS EARLY!!!
May
6 Association
of Planners; MACo Conf. Room; 11:00
9 CEP
Workforce Investment Board
10 District
Court Council
13-14 Governor’s
Conference on Future of Montana Forests
14 MACo
Executive Committee Conference Call
15-16 BOS Joint
Workforce Council
15-16 Elkhorn
Advisory Group; MACo Conference Room
17 State
Drought Advisory Committee; Capitol #152; 9:30
20-21 Mental Health
Oversight Committee; MACo; 1:00
22-25 NACo Western
Interstate Region (WIR); Billings
June
4 Primary
Election Day
6 MACo
Board of Directors; MACo Conference Room
11 Commissioner of Political Practices;
MACo; 9:00 am
11 Accounting
Training Seminar, Glasgow
12 Accounting Training Seminar, Miles City
13 Accounting
Training Seminar, Billings
18 Accounting
Training Seminar, Great Falls
19 Accounting
Training Seminar, Missoula
20
Accounting Training Seminar, Butte
FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
GORDON MORRIS
Spring
District meetings have been completed. I would like to thank the chairs for a
job well done in regard to the agendas and the attendance. I would add a personal
note that I enjoyed getting out and seeing everyone and I am already looking
forward to having meetings in the late summer prior to the Annual Conference. I
will be working with the chairs to develop schedules.
During the meetings, there was a discussion of the
Information Technology Committee’s recommendation to establish a Coordinator
position within the Association jointly funded by MACo and the State Department
of Administration. With apologies to the Chair, Teton County Commissioner Mary
Sexton, and the Committee members, I failed to note that the proposed dues
assessment would need to go to the membership for approval. Article VI, “Board
of Directors”, Section 3, “Duties and Responsibilities”, states that “The Board
shall have the power to present recommended dues increases and assessments, if
any, to the membership at the annual conference for approval and
adoption.” (See page 4)
As much as I believe that this is a proposal worth
recommending and implementing as quickly as possible, it cannot be done within
the current dues/revenue structure. I would qualify this to the extent that
projected revenue would not be able to sustain the position and cash reserves
would fall below required levels. So having said this, the Committee’s proposal
will have to go before the Conference in September for consideration and,
hopefully, adoption. I would restate the Committee’s intent that this position
would evolve into an enterprise (revenue generating function) of the
Association. If this does not appear to be possible, the position would have to
be terminated or the assessment continued indefinitely. This ultimately will be
decided by the membership.
In last month’s newsletter, there was an open letter from
Department of Revenue Director Kurt Alme addressing the Uniform Unclaimed
Property Act, (MCA 70-9-801, et seq). You should note that MACo and the
Treasurers’ Association (see Dolores Sramek’s short article on the next page)
have had a series of meetings with the Department representatives and at this
time have to admit that the Department’s interpretation of the law is on solid
legal ground.
It is the case that the only acceptable course of action
at this point is to comply with the audit procedures and their findings. There
are penalty provisions for noncompliance and I would hope it would not come to
that. In closing, I would note that during the district meetings a motion was
adopted to seek an exemption for local government. I will keep everyone posted.
Finally, the MACo/MDOT—GPS/GIS is
close to reality. The Department is in the process of acquiring the equipment
and I anticipate the training to occur mid-May. Work would commence immediately
thereafter. This project has taken a considerable amount of time to plan, but I
remain convinced that it is necessary and that it must be done. Thanks to
everyone for their cooperation.
ABANDONED
PROPERTY
by
Dolores Sramek
Fergus County
President
Montana County
Treasurers’
Association
There has been much
discussion among county treasurers, MACo officials and Department of Revenue
officials about the “Uniform Unclaimed Property Act”. The Act would require counties to remit to the Department of
Revenue all cancelled warrants or treasurer’s checks. After our meeting, it was agreed upon that we must follow the
laws of abandoned property and remit to the Department of Revenue.
Paulette DeHart and I, as treasurers, and Gordon Morris
and Harold Blattie, from MACo, all agreed that county warrants and treasurers’
checks are taxpayer dollars. The law
does state that “a check, draft, or similar instrument is prima facie evidence
of an obligation” and a warrant fits this category.
The remaining counties that have not
been audited will be in the near future.
The Department of Revenue will set a time line of when the monies will
need to be sent to the Department. The
notices sent to the county treasurers will state the amount of money that needs
to be sent, and a detail of the checks or warrants and the amounts that the auditor
is claiming as “Abandoned Property”.
LANDOWNER WINS BIG
PREVAILS IN “TAKING” CASE
An article from “The
Litigator”, a Mountain States Legal Foundation publication; Winter 2002
A long and hard fought battle
for a New Mexico landowner and for all property rights advocates nationwide
resulted in a stunning first stage victory for Mountain States Legal Foundation
(MSLF). On September 13, 2001, the U.S.
Court of Federal Claims ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
unconstitutionally took the property of Dr. Larry Squires, a rancher and
veterinarian, when the EPA issued a May 1992 cease and desist order barring
Squires’ use of his land. Squires had
sought to use his arid land, where the evaporation rate exceeds rainfall by
100” annually. The EPA said that, every
one or two hundred years, it rains hard enough in the area so that rain collects in the sinkholes
pocketing Squires’ land. When birds
land on the water, at least until the water evaporates, because the birds are
“engaged in interstate commerce,” the water becomes “waters of the United
States.”
Because the EPA order included a $100,000 a day fine,
Squires shut down his business use of the property, that is, disposing of
waters produced during oil and gas operations.
With MSLF as his attorney, Squires sought a court judgment that the EPA
order was unconstitutional. Both the
federal district court and the court of appeals ruled that the EPA’s order was
not “final” and could not be appealed.
The Supreme Court declined to hear the case.
Then, again with MSLF by his side, Squires demanded to be
provided “just compensation” for the EPA’s taking of his private property for
“public use.” EPA lawyers sought to
prevent Squires’ case from being heard, erecting one stonewall after another. Then, in January 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court
declared the very rule by which Squires’ property was taken from him, the
Migratory Bird Rule, unconstitutional.
Shortly thereafter, Squires’ case went to trial.
The Court of Federal Claims held Squires’ property was
“rendered economically without value by the EPA’s cease and desist order.” Squires’ “legitimate, investment-backed
expectations were thwarted. No
economically viable uses remained. We
hold, therefore, that Squires’ property was ‘taken’ within the meaning of Fifth
Amendment and that the government must compensate Squires.” The court then ordered the parties to
prepare documentation for the court’s determination of the amount of “just
compensation” owed to Squires.
MSLF’s victory in this important case is huge. It may be
one of the first rulings in the country holding that a statute that protects
species and their habitat causes a taking.
“It holds promise for all of us in natural resources and agricultural
production,” said Roni Bell of LaSalle, Colorado. ____________________________________________________________________________
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
The need for assistance to counties
By Mary Sexton, MACo IT Committee Chair, Teton County
Computers
are here to stay… Help is on the way!
Advances in information
technology (IT) have substantially changed many aspects of county
government. From budgeting to weed
spraying, IT applications can help us to do our jobs better. Understanding and purchasing the technology
for county use, however, is often an exercise in frustration.
The MACo IT Committee assists counties with the
continuing increase in technology demands.
About two years ago, the Committee and the State Information Services
Division surveyed Montana counties regarding technology use – software
programs, purchasing, Internet, etc.
The survey indicated problems in standardization, service procurement
and training, as well as a lack of technical staffing. The technology professionals’ organization,
MACITA, also recognized such problems in counties both large and small and
offered to help with IT questions.
The MACo IT Committee, with support from MACITA and the
State Department of Administration, has developed a Local Government
Information Technology Coordinator position to be jointly funded by MACo
and the State. The Coordinator will
advise counties on planning, design, acquisition and use of software and
hardware, services and policies. The
proposal for the coordinator position has been presented to the MACo Board of
Directors and to all counties at the recent district meetings. Important elements of the proposal are:
▪ IT
Coordinator will be available to all counties
▪ IT
Coordinator position is jointly funded by MACo and the State
▪ MACo
portion of the position is intended to be self-funding after two years
▪ IT
Coordinator will act as a liaison between State and county government
▪ IT
Coordinator will help counties to be more efficient and spend less time and money on IT
related business
The proposal will be brought to the
full MACo membership either through a mail ballot or at the Fall
Conference. We need professional,
dependable advice in the increasingly complex arena of information
technology. Just as Jack Holstrom
provides invaluable advice on personnel matters, the IT Coordinator can help us
to use technology more efficiently and effectively. If you want a copy of the complete proposal for the IT
Coordinator, please contact the MACo office.
Board of Directors
Member
Representing
CLERKS OF DISTRICT COURTS
Dena Tippets
Hill County
Clerk of District Court
1990 to present
Prior Occupation Paralegal
Favorite Part of
the Job Variety of duties and being able to assist the public
Least Favorite Part Dealing
with pro se litigants because I can’t give legal advice, which is always exactly what they are looking for
Personal Husband Frank; two sons; one granddaughter; loves to
sing in four different groups
Motto “The hottest place in Hell is saved for those who at a
time of great moral crisis maintain their neutrality.” “Inferno”
by Dante
COUNTY NEWS
NEW OFFICIALS
FLATHEAD
COUNTY’s
new County Administrative Officer is Donald Avery, who was chosen from 27 applicants
and moved from Dayton, Washington, to serve.
He holds a Masters degree in Public Administration and fills the
position held by Earl Bennett for fifteen years.
DAWSON
COUNTY has
appointed Scott Herring as County Attorney, replacing Gerald Navratil.
AT-LARGE ELECTIONS
FEDERAL CHALLENGE
BLAINE COUNTY’s election process of nominations by district,
elections at large, was ruled discriminatory by U.S. District Judge Philip
Pro. Activists asked that the county
establish three single-member voting districts to allow Native Americans
concentrated in Harlem and Fort Belknap to elect an Indian representative. Blaine County, represented by Mountain
States Legal Foundation, protested being singled out for running elections
according to State law and argued that having a commissioner represent just
part of the county could lead to unproductive power struggles.
The
Commissioners have been under criticism for not compromising on proposed
settlements. The following are selected
parts from their letter to the Great Falls Tribune:
“...We
are in the process of complying with the order of the court by coming up with a
redistricting plan. We have been
working on a plan for a very long time.
We will soon have this plan committed to a map that people can look at
and see if we have applied logic, not emotion, to our plan. Various plans by various other groups will
also be ready for presentation to the court for consideration.
An
appeal cannot be considered until we know exactly what plan will be
accepted. For starters, then, we have
not filed an appeal. It is important
for people to realize that an appeal is simply one of many options available.
The
court order specifically pointed out that Blaine County officials have not done
anything wrong, but that the current at-large system of voting as prescribed by
the state statute for commissioners is in violation….
In
1999, we held one meeting with federal lawyers. At that first meeting we had prepared a series of questions we
thought needed answers. It was obvious
at the conclusion of that meeting that more questions needed answers. We anticipated further meetings and even
suggested public meetings to discuss this issue with the general populace. Instead the lawsuit was filed and that meant
silence has since prevailed in lieu of continued discussion….
In
spite of the cloud over this case, the Blaine County Commission and the Fort
Belknap Community Council has had success in working together over the last
years. We have worked out a compromise
on the procurement of license plates by streamlining the process of proving
residency; we have been involved in the transition of Human Services to Fort
Belknap; we stood in support of the
Community Council in its quest to secure the Montana National Guard Bombing
Range; we have managed to clear up a road issue in Hays and Lodgepole by
transferring county roads to the Community Council, something that has been
unresolved for close to 30 years…We stand with the Fort Belknap Community in
their attempts to clean up the devastation left by the Pegasus Gold
Corporation. We still want to figure
out a mechanism so that we can transfer gas-tax funds generated from roads on
Fort Belknap to Fort Belknap. (We have
been wrestling with this problem for at least 15 years.) And we believe that Fort Belknap residents
deserve to know how the sale of resources from the Snake Butte quarry during
the construction of Fort Peck Dam was arranged between the Bureau of Indian
Affairs and the Bureau of Reclamation, which resulted in very little, if any,
funds from that sale ever going to the rightful owners.
Counties are political
subdivisions of the State of Montana.
Fort Belknap Community Council is the governing body of the Fort Belknap
Reservation, a sovereign nation. We
have raised questions on how redistricting will impact sovereignty. Those questions remain unanswered…. Many people have questioned why we chose
court over compromise. The federal
government wanted a plan devised under the terms of a consent decree. In the simplest of terms, a consent decree
is an agreement with the federal government that lasts forever. As we understand the concept of treaties, it
also is an agreement between nations that lasts forever. To our simple way of thinking, a consent
decree sounded way too much like a treaty.
We chose to take our chances in the halls of justice.
...To close, some thoughts from
Theodore Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena”:
‘It is not the critic who counts, not
the man who points how the strong man stumbled; or where the doer of deeds
could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is
actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who
strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the
great enthusiasm, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause;
who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the
worst, if he fails, fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never
be with cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.’ ”
INDIRECT COSTS
25
COUNTIES
are still responsible for unpaid administrative fees assessed after budgets
were finalized. Counties had requested
that the state forgive the debt or at least hold off until the upcoming legislative
session. The dispute dates back to the
time DPHHS increased indirect costs from 9% to 14% after the budget process was
complete. State Budget Director Chuck
Swysgood agreed to come up with a repayment plan.
LEVY FOR NON-PROFITS
YELLOWSTONE COUNTY agreed to put a mill levy
on the ballot which would provide funds for twelve non-profit organizations in
the County.
COUNTY COMMISSIONER CANDIDATE CONTESTS
* = Incumbent R
= Republican D = Democrat NP = Non-partisan
I = Independent G
= Green
Anaconda-Deer Lodge
* Paul Chirico NP
Connie Ternes Daniels NP
Beaverhead
* Donna Sevalstad R
Terry Terrill R
Blaine
* Victor Miller D
Alan Lee Brekke R
Broadwater
* James V. Hohn NP
Thomas Casswell NP
Timothy Ravndal NP
Cascade
* Gayle Morris D
John T. Rosenbaum D
Bill Thomas D
Lance Olson R
Dave Davis R
Paul Stephens G
Chouteau
* Harvey Worrall R
Don Jenkins R
Timothy L. Pegar D
Custer
#2 Curtis T. Almy NP
Milo Huber NP
Jewellene Johnson NP
Dawson
#1 * Kathleen A. Alley D
Lori Brooks R
Kathy Green R
Jim Skillestad R
#3 * Bill LaBree R
Ric Holden R
Fallon
* William Duffield R
Allen Rustad R
Martin "Marty" Nelson R
Deb Ranum R
Steve Gonsioroski D
Fergus
William D. Fry NP
Marla A. Martin NP
Kenneth W. Ronish NP
Jamie Spainhower NP
Flathead
* Dale Williams R
Carl G. Talsma R
Gary D. Hall R
Karen Reeves D
Dave Skinner D
Gallatin
* Bill Murdock R
Bill Montgomery R
Glacier
Marion L. Woldstad D
Brian Gallup D
John Wesley Ray D
Myrna J. Galbreath D
Bill E. Fenner D
Granite
* Allen (Scotty) Morrison R
Clifford G. Nelson R
Hill
* Douglas Kaercher D
Byron Welter R
Jefferson
Chuck Notbohm NP
David H. Kirsch NP
Judith Basin
Fern S. Kaiser R
Rory Gondeiro R
Jerome Kolar R
Lake
* Mike W. Hutchin R
Tom Greenwood R
Jeanne Windham R
Pat Erickson D
Lewis and Clark
* Karolin Loendorf R
David E. Modde R
Steve Mandeville R
Ed Tinsley D
Liberty
Pete A. Woods R
Kenneth J. Gagnon R
Rodney R. Keith R
Don Marble D
Lincoln
* Rita R. Windom R
Gary Huntsberger D
Madison
* C. Ted Coffman NP
Jerry Welsh NP
McCone
* Connie Eissinger D
Beryl Zahn R
Meagher
* Jamie Doggett R
Ben Hurwitz R
Mineral
* Judy A. Stang D
Anton "Tony" Pearson Jr. R
Missoula
* Barbara Evans R
Phoebe J. Patterson D
Musselshell
Larry G. Lekse R
Janice A. Dillon R
Tobias L. Dahl R
DuWayne R. Tannas R
Judith A. Stephenson D
Park
Sue A. Martin NP
Traci Isaly NP
Robert E. Brasier NP
Sean Murphy NP
Jack Dunn NP
Jack Swanson NP
John W. (Jack) Schuler NP
Jim Durgan NP
Mark Hartwig NP
Phillips
* Richard Dunbar R
Leonard Mingneau R
Pondera
* John W. (Bill) Rappold R
John L. Holden R
Joe Christiaens D
Powell
* Kay Beck R
Dwight O'Hara R
Ravalli
Kevin Schreier R
Greg Chilcott R
Candi Jerke D
Richland
* Henry T. Johnson D
Bryan Cummins R
Gene Foss R
Roosevelt
Maurice Gonitzke D
Jack Shanks D
Steven D. Baldwin D
James D. Carlisle D
Roger Bertelsen D
Jim Shanks D
Rosebud
* Gary Fjelstad D
Bob Pestreich D
Sanders
* Harold "Hank" Laws R
Jerry C. Shively R
Sheridan
* Robert Nikolaisen D
Archie Petersen R
Stillwater
* Larry Gee R
Maureen Davey R
Teton
* R. F. (Sam) Carlson R
Brad Dezort I
Toole
* Ben M. Ober D
Joseph P. Pehan R
Valley
Gene O. Hartsock D
Dave Pippin D
Duane Sibley D
Ron Reddig R
Donald Fast R
Wibaux
Wilbur "Buzz" Chaffee R
Larry "Mick" Nistler D
Glenn Hutchinson R
Walter S. Sott D
Yellowstone
* J. A. (Ziggy) Ziegler R
John Ostlund R
Janice Munsell D
UNCONTESTED COMMISSIONER CANDIDATES
Anaconda-Deer Lodge
* Wayne Ternes NP
Big Horn
* John Pretty On Top NP
Carbon
* Albert Brown NP
Carter
* John Kerr R
Custer
* Duane Mathison NP
Daniels
* C. William Tande R
Garfield
* Julie A. Jordan R
Golden Valley
David Paugh R
Madison
* Frank Nelson NP
Petroleum
* Lloyd N. Rowton R
Powder River
* Donald R. McDowell R
Prairie
* Ann Marie Davis I
Stillwater
* Chuck Egan D
Sweet Grass
* Lloyd Berg R
Treasure
Mack Cole R
Wheatland
* Richard Moe R
COMMISSIONERS NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION
Custer Dan Connors
Fergus Joe Spika
Glacier Allan Lowry
Golden Valley Edgar Lewis
Jefferson Sam Samson
Judith Basin Henry Vaskey
Liberty Loyd Boyer
Musselshell Kelly Gebhardt
Park Dan Gutebier
Ravalli Jack Atthowe
Roosevelt Dean Harmon
Treasure Charlotte Mackley
Valley Marlene Erickson
Wibaux Sam Scammon
SUBDIVISIONS and
COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
By Myra L. Shults and Norman H. Grosfield
Issues have been raised
recently as to whether certain subdivision regulations result in comprehensive
plans being interpreted as regulatory rather than advisory. A recent ruling from the First Judicial
District, Lewis and Clark County, held that the way subdivision regulations
referenced comprehensive plans required compliance with that plan. The Lewis and Clark County Subdivision
Regulations were adopted by following model regulations. Such regulations provided that subdivisions
must conform to an adopted comprehensive plan.
Because the Lewis and Clark County Planning Board and Planning Office
had stated the proposed subdivision at issue did not conform to the
Comprehensive Plan, and the Commissioners included this in their decision, the
Court stated it had no choice but to reverse a subdivision approval because,
clearly, the proposed subdivision did not conform to the Comprehensive
Plan. The Court further stated the
Commission did not have to require such conformance, but since the regulations
were written in such a way to require conformance, the Court had no choice but
to reverse the Commission’s approval of the subdivision.
MACo suggests the following
to address this:
Look at the Design and
Improvements Standards in your county’s subdivision regulations. If the section at the beginning entitled
’Conformance’ states “the design and development of the subdivision must
conform with any adopted comprehensive plans…”, or if this or similar language
is found in other parts of the county’s subdivision regulations,
EITHER:
1.
Repeal this provision
and all other provisions in the subdivision regulations which require
conformance of the subdivision with a comprehensive plan, in order to alleviate
any confusion about the role a comprehensive plan plays in subdivision review
for the time being;
OR:
2.
When making a decision
on a subdivision application, determine that the subdivision complies with the
plan; or deny any subdivision which does not comply with your present plan.
To avoid further confusion
about the role of a comprehensive plan in subdivision review, the county should
consider repealing any resolution adopted pursuant to MCA 76-1-606 as it
existed before the 2001 enactments.
Once
your county adopts a growth policy which complies with the 1999 law, and within
a year adopts subdivision regulations in accordance with that growth policy,
subdivision plats can again be reviewed for their compliance with the
philosophy of the planning document, through review of the plat’s compliance
with the subdivision regulations.
The Montana Natural Resource Information System (NRIS) and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announce the detailed NRCS soil survey data at http://nris.state.mt.us/nrcs/soils .
Visitors to the website can download mapping, data interpretation and reporting tools. “Now, by visiting this website, private landowners can easily access maps and reports to help them manage their lands,” said Jim Hill, NRIS Director. Due to coordinated national efforts, the NRCS has developed electronic data and access methods to encourage more widespread use of this valuable information. Soil maps can be used to determine the suitability for specific uses and for management.
The Montana Natural Resource Information System (NRIS) was established seventeen years ago by the Legislature. NRIS, a division of the State Library, acts as a clearinghouse for natural resource information. For more information about the soil survey website, contact Hill at (406) 444-5355, or Catherine Maynard, NRCS Resource Analyst at (406) 444-4546.
MACo
DIRECTORY
CHANGES
ADDITIONS
April 2002
ANACONDA-DEER LODGE
County e-mail address adlcceo@in-tch.com (not “aldcceo”)
BEAVERHEAD Phone Numbers
Commission 683-3750
Attorney 683-3730
Clerk/Recorder 683-3720
Clerk/District Court 683-3725
JP Hoerning 683-3755
Sup’t of Schools 683-3737
Sheriff 683-3700
FAX--Clerk/District Court 683-3728
FAX--Commissioners 683-3769
FAX--Sheriff 683-3705
Treasurer’s Address
102 N. Washington
DAWSON Attorney Scott Herring
FLATHEAD Administrative Officer Donald Avery
Page 52 Dorsey & Whitney Billings Office closed
STILLWATER Commissioner Larry Gee PO Box 95
WHEATLAND County e-mail address wccr@mtintouch.net
E-MAIL ADDRESSES page 82+
Chouteau County: Ken Evans jkevans@3rivers.net
Powder River County: use Clerk/Recorder address
NOTICE
Effective
May 1, 2002, Willis Adminstrative Services Corporation will become alternative
service concepts, LLC (asc). asc
will operate as a privately held organization under the leadership of a board
of directors. Current management,
claims service, office locations (including Helena), and personnel will remain
unchanged.
D.E.S. MITIGATION PLANS
By Larry Akers, DES SHMO
The new “Pre-Disaster Mitigation” (PDM) program is to assist
local jurisdictions in designing mitigation plans that account for risk and
capabilities of the individual communities. The Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Assistance and Emergency Relief Act requires local governments and Indian
tribal governments applying for PDM funds to have an approved local
mitigation plan prior to the approval of mitigation project grants. 2002 applications are to write “PDM Plans”
and not to do mitigation projects.
Applications
are due June 1, 2002, including an
accurate cost to write/complete the PDM Plan. Forty counties are applying for
grants. Two follow-up hosted workshops
are planned (one in the east and one in the west) for August and/or September
to assist with the technical aspects of writing the plans.
For information contact Bud Revious
(406-841-3967), Jerry Smithers (406-841-3979) or Larry Akers (406-841-3960).
BOATING
IMPROVEMENT GRANTS
Grant applications for
improvements at public boating sites are due June 14 to the Parks Division of
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP).
Funding is available for boat ramps, latrines, boat trailer parking
areas, docks and related facilities of direct benefit to boaters. The grant is 80% FWP funds and 20% local
government match.
For more information and
application forms, contact FWP at
444-3750
1420 East Sixth, Helena MT 59620-1701.
GAS AND OIL LEASES
The quarterly oil and gas lease sale conducted by the
Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) is scheduled
for June 4, 2002. The June sale
includes tracts in the following counties: Big Horn, Blaine, Carbon, Carter,
Fergus, Hill, Liberty, Musselshell, Phillips, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud,
Sheridan, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Toole, Valley, and Yellowstone.
According to Monte Mason, Minerals
Management Bureau Chief, the only action proposed at this time is issuing
leases for possible future exploration and production. “Before any activity
occurs, DNRC will prepare a site-specific environmental review,” he explained.
The state Board of Oil and Gas must also review and issue a permit before any
activity can occur.
A map and a detailed list of
tracts being considered by DNRC may be obtained by calling Mason in Helena at
(406) 444-2074. The information is also available on the Department’s Internet
site at: http://www.dnrc.state.mt.us/trust/mmb.htm .
QUALIFIED BALLOT
MEASURES
C-36 To
provide for the investment of assets from local government group self-insurance
programs
C-39 To remove
restriction on investment of public funds in private corporate capital stock
Deadline
for statewide ballot measures is July 19.
NACo HEALTH COMMITTEE
Bill Kennedy, Yellowstone County
I have been serving on the NACo Rural
Action Steering Committee for the last few years. This Committee met with ten Congressional and Senate offices
looking for support of the Farm Bill.
We had positive responses.
Montana will gain from rural development dollars and emergency disaster
assistance. Keep your fingers crossed
that the Conference Committee will approve the
Farm Bill soon.
I am currently serving as the vice
chair of the Health Steering committee.
The Committee met over two days.
Nationwide health care issues, the COP on intergovernmental transfers
and mental health services were the major topics. In every subcommittee, nursing shortages were also brought to the
forefront. Rural states and counties
struggle with the overall reimbursement formulas. Thank God we have the seniority from our Senators.
Health care will be a major topic on
the national scene for many years to come.
Hopefully, my input gives these committees a Montana flavor to the
national discussion.
Please feel free to call for a copy
of the NACo health resolution. Your
input would be greatly appreciated.