South Broadwater Residents Ignore County Planning Talk
 | Author:
Nancy Marks
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
South Broadwater Residents Ignore County Planning Talk
MT 43 Staff Reporter
Only one couple from the southern end of Broadwater County attended a second county planning meeting held by county commissioners on October 11 at Bridger Brewery near Three Forks.
Old Town Road residents Steve and Bunny Kurk framed the reason residents did not attend the meeting: “They feel they have no power to change their situation. Ninety percent of the folks I talked to feel there is nothing they can do to impact change in our area. So why try,” Kurk said.
The couple listened as Jamie Erbacher, senior land planner for the WGM engineering firm, addressed the issues of the area and then explained the avenues for taking action. Erbacher acknowledged the suburban growth that has taken place in the Wheatland Meadows and Elk Ridge Estates subdivisions since 2020 when COVID hit the country. Many people moved to the area from nearby Bozeman but also from out of state, putting stress on water, emergency services, roads and schools.
Feedback from a survey sent out after the first county planning meeting on Aug. 31st indicated those concerns. Southern Broadwater residents want better communication with and transparency from, the county commissioners. They want real emergency services and less dependency on Three Forks schools. Water concerns is a huge issue. Sewer and broadband infrastructure rated high on their agenda. They indicated they wanted a quality of life without so much congestion on the I90-Highway 287 corridor without so much noise or so many lights.
Erbacher’s staff is working with the Montana Department of Commerce to formulate a plan for helping southern Broadwater County meet its immediate need for water, sewer and road infrastructure. The plan will include long-term goals of community services and schools. She emphasized that WGM Group and the Department of Commerce can only provide guidance for the residents and county officials.
Gus Byrum, Montana Department of Commerce outreach specialist, explained one avenue for a group of area residents to have a legal impact on infrastructure, agricultural land planning and subdivision planning is to form a district. The group needs to gather 40 percent of their neighbors’ signatures and submit it to their county commissioners. From there the petition goes through the county attorney’s office. Formation of the district also includes forming a board of directors with officers, thereby becoming a formal entity. “It is much the same idea as forming a school district,” he said.
Community Technical Assistance Program (CTAP) advisor Cody Ferguson of the Montana Department of Commerce elaborated on the various avenues for funding. Some are Community Development Block Grants (CBDG). Montana Coal Endowment and State Revitalization grants. “There are other options besides taxpayer dollars to help these folks meet their needs. That’s where our office comes in. We can help obtain the funding needed,” he emphasized.
At the August 31 meeting, Erbacher said she heard concerns from many Wheatland Meadows and Elk Ridge Estates subdivision homeowners about the lack of water. She plans to address that issue at the next meeting by inviting a water rights specialist from the Montana School of Mines and Geology to speak about how to obtain a preliminary design review of water availability in the area. The group will meet on November 8 at Bridger Brewing.
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PhotoCredit: Photo Credits: Nancy Marks
Image 1 Caption: Left to right: Senior Land Planner Jamie Erbacher, Montana Department of Commerce outreach specialist Gus Byrum, participants John Ingalls, Jack McCullough and Louis Ingalls.
Photo Credits: Nancy Marks
