County Commissioners Meeting
 | Author:
Nancy Marks
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
County Commissioners Prepare to Hire County Surveyor
As more and more subdivisions divide up Broadwater County, county commissioners are tasked with using all the tools available to ensure subdivision rules are followed. Monday the commissioners learned the county must have a county surveyor on staff, according to acting County Attorney Jania Hatfield. The surveyor position can be consolidated into an existing county office. The commissioners passed a resolution of intent to consolidate the county surveyor position with the Clerk and Recorder’s office.
The commission made no decision on abandoning a section of road in Toston since county and state land may be involved.
Commissioners agreed to change the date for the Trident Solar Plan resolution from 2023 to 2025 so the company could apply for a tax abatement status with Montana Dept. of Revenue. The planned Trident Solar Site will be in Broadwater County across the river from the Trident Cement Plant.
Commissioners declined to decide about the Helsen Boundary Relocation in the Crimson Bluffs Subdivision. The commissioners asked questions about water storage and waste management as well as how fire and emergency services would be handled in the Headwaters Subsequent Minor Subdivision plat approval near the Headwaters Livestock Yards in Southern Broadwater County.
Community Development and Planning Director Nichole Brown asked the commissioners to clarify what defines a building versus a unit of a building. This concerns the Buildings for Lease or Rent (BLR) application process which is a much simpler process than applying for a subdivision designation. The BLR is necessary for developers to build large apartment units and storage unit properties. The commissioners moved to give clarity to the resolution by defining unit as a unit of a structure, not just a building. “This gives the county the opportunity to explore the impacts of the number of units in one building. That way we can develop conditions to mitigate the impacts of the proposed development on the surrounding area water, land use and emergency services,” explained Brown.
A State of Montana report of a preliminary architect plan for the proposed Emergency Services facility at the southern end of the county was reviewed by commissioners.
County Clerk and Recorder Angie Paulsen presented the slate of 2022 Federal General Election Judges and Polling Places for Broadwater County. The commissioners approved the slate.
Billings Clinic Broadwater Director of Nursing Jennifer Krueger will join the Broadwater County Board of Health. Krueger was born in Northwestern Montana. She worked at Whitefish hospital. She had served as a traveling nurse in Townsend so decided to move here in March of this year to be closer to her family in Three Forks. Krueger is currently working on her masters degree in nursing leadership from Gonzaga University. The commissioners approved her appointment. The County Board of Health meets quarterly at the Flynn Building.
