Broadwater County Commissioner's Meeting April 3
 | Author:
Linda Kent, MT43 News Staff Reporter
MT43 News Correspondent |
Additional Items from April 3 County Commission
Linda Kent
MT43 News Staff Reporter
● Sheriff Nick Rauser informed commissioners with a recommendation from the county’s compensation board for a 2.5 percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) pay increase for the county’s elected officials. Folkvord commented that the increase was set by state statute.
● The commission accepted the recommendation of the county’s insurance committee to absorb a 2 percent ($29 per month, per employee) increase in the cost of health insurance through the end of the fiscal year in June. County finance officer and committee representative Debbie Kelley told the commission that the price for the county’s current premium plan was difficult to match, in her research, among both similar and high-deductible plans. During public comment, Jeff Schritz asked whether employees could take on the additional cost, without amending the existing collective bargaining agreements with unionized county workers.
● County Noxious Weed and Mosquito Board Coordinator Jessica Bushnell presented the commissioners with requests to purchase larvicide and spray equipment for the upcoming mosquito season and a second to purchase a used truck for the noxious weed board’s use. Both requests came from the boards’ existing budgets.
Bushnell explained that the larvicide and tank purchases for the mosquito district board would be used to spray in Townsend and the county within the district’s boundaries.
When questioned by commissioners about where larvicide can be applied, Bushnell responded that the board can only spray within district boundaries, which does not include the Silos area or U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) or Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) land. She also mentioned that she has been working with residents in the Silos area to explore the possibility of extending the district.
The Mosquito District’s charge is to protect public health by reducing mosquitoes that may carry West Nile Virus as well as to reduce nuisance mosquito populations that interfere with residents’ ability to spend time outdoors, Bushnell said. She also added that the larvicides being used are water-soluble and specifically targeted to kill mosquitoes before they emerge.
The new weed board vehicle would be an addition to the board’s existing fleet, allowing Bushnell to make site visits and conduct other work-related travel without conflicting with the needs of the weed board crew.
Commissioners approved both requests.
● The commission deferred action on a request by Townsend Rotary to place an additional shed on county property located at 701 N. Cedar Street in Townsend. Commissioners Darrel Folkvord and Lindsay Richtmyer raised concerns about what would happen should the county need the land at a future date. Commissioner Debi Randolph also asked for clarity about insurance coverage for the current and proposed sheds and their contents. Rotarian Jeanine Stone said she would bring those questions to the local Rotary’s board. The proposal will be returned to the commission agenda once those questions can be addressed.
● Brittney Willis, Broadwater County Disaster and Emergency Services Coordinator, informed the board that Townsend School District plans to end broadcast of KDGZ, a local radio station managed by the school and instituted in cooperation with the county. Willis said DES could meet its obligation for disaster and emergency notification without an operating radio station. The commissioners approved terminating the interlocal agreement.
● Jessica Erickson, Broadwater County Fair Board Manager, presented the commission with the fair board’s updated bylaws. The county approved the document without revisions or comment.
