South County Emergency Services Building Plan Lumbers Along
 | Author:
Nancy Marks, Reporter
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
South County Emergency Services Building Plan Lumbers Along
Nancy Marks
Reporter
A much-needed emergency services center was the focus of a meeting held May 31st at Bridger Brewing. The public meeting included representatives from Broadwater County Sheriff’s office, Billings Clinic Broadwater (BCB), Broadwater Fire Department, Road Department and several of the public who represented homeowners in the area.
Other organizations represented at the meeting were Intermountain Health of Butte, Three Forks Ambulance Service and Three Forks City and Rural Fire Departments.
Broadwater County Commissioners hosted the meeting at Bridger Brewing at the Three Forks Junction. Scott Cromwell of Slate Architecture, Helena, presented the preliminary architectural review (PAR) and answered questions. The PAR was paid for out of the Broadwater county Control General Project Fund, which is set aside for growth in the southern part of the county. The plan is very preliminary because of the many government hurdles that must be overcome, according to BCB Chief Executive Officer Jenny Clowes.
The plan is to acquire a 3 acre parcel to build a facility for Ambulance services, Sheriff office, Search and Rescue and Fire Department personnel along with equipment. The proposed lot is on the east side of Highway 287 near Wheatland Meadows Drive. The building would also include a county meeting room. The public scoping meeting is the first step in a long process of acquiring funds for the facility and getting support from the various public entities involved.
Barbara Mutter, organizer of the Three Forks Ambulance Service, lamented the length of time it will take to get this project up and running. “We are anticipating another 2,500 houses in this area in the next twenty years. It will take millions of dollars and many personnel to maintain such a facility. It will be a hard sell to people paying taxes, even if the counties are able to acquire grants and such. But it is imperative that we get moving forward on building the facility,” she said.
Broadwater County Undersheriff Brandon Harris attended the meeting. He emphasized the need for a space for deputies in South Broadwater. “We assign two deputies every day to the area. But we still must do all the case work here in Townsend because we have no building down there. We make every effort to have a night patrol in the area, especially with all the construction equipment working there.
Several people at the meeting lamented that South Broadwater County area growth has been happening for twenty years but the emergency services issue has never been addressed until now. Harris pointed out that when subdivisions began in 2004 and 2005, the original plan promoted by Rolling Glen Ranch subdivision developers included an emergency services substation, a post office and other ‘town’ amenities. “They even offered the sheriff’s office a house to rent while they were in the planning stages. I lived there for two years,” he said.
When the Rolling Glen Ranch subdivision began to falter with bankruptcy and legal problems, the idea of an emergency services substation went by the way side. “With the change of county commissioners and more and more issues around subdivisions, the idea was put on hold,” he said.
Next steps for the plan will take place at a public meeting to be held in July, according to County Commission Chair Debi Reynolds.
