From The Broadwater County Commissioners
Author: Broadwater County Commissioners
From the Broadwater County Commissioners
Broadwater County Commissioners
It is said March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb, but as things currently stand, the beginning of March looks like it may be some of the mildest weather so far this winter. This allows the hardworking county road crew a moment of pause to catch their breaths after some of the most consistent snow accumulation we’ve seen in this area for several years. In what could be considered ironic timing, the county is receiving two new-to-us snowplows from Lewis and Clark County this week. The plows, sold to Broadwater County through the authority of Montana Code Annotated 7-8-101, and procured according to Broadwater County’s Procurement Policy, will help the road crew reach critical areas like school bus and mail routes faster. The County’s current plow is unable to clear gravel roads due to how the plow is mounted, so slower graders are used. Both of the plows from Lewis and Clark are frame mounted and will be able to plow on the gravel roads. And while many may be hoping for the first signs of spring, Mother Nature may call for the use of those plows before the 2025 winter is all said and done.
Speaking of vehicles and motorized equipment, the Montana Department of Motor Vehicles is receiving a new motor vehicle registration system. The update requires ALL MVD OFFICES CLOSE TEMPORARILY FROM 1 PM ON MARCH 12, THROUGH MARCH 14TH as data is moved onto the new system. OFFICES WILL REOPEN MARCH 17TH AT 8 AM. This includes registration renewals, processing title and registration transactions as well as reprinting receipts. NO PERSONALIZED PLATES CAN BE ORDERED FROM MARCH 8TH THROUGH MARCH 16TH.
The Montana Department of Justice is part of the CARS (Customer Access, Registration, and Services) project, and is rolling out this second phase on March 17th. Phase one of the CARS project launched in October 2022 with online appointment scheduling. This update will overhaul the state's title and registration process with the goal of improving functionality for law enforcement, car dealerships, and insurance companies, and is expected to simplify county MVD operations. THE TREASURER'S OFFICE WILL BE OPEN DURING THIS TIME FOR ALL OTHER BUSINESS SUCH AS TAX PAYMENTS, OTHER TAX INQUIRIES, AND RECEIVING MONIES FOR THE COUNTY AND HOMESCHOOL INQUIRIES. Please call 406.266.3445 with questions.
As spring hangs on the horizon, the discussion of outdoor recreation is again picking up. To be fair, the Broadwater County Parks and Recreation Board has been working diligently through the winter months with Great West Engineering, the county’s on-call engineering firm, on a masterplan project for two county-owned pieces of property at Centerville Road and the second on Canton Lane. Over 500 residents responded to the board’s survey that was physically distributed and available online in December, January, and into February. Using the survey responses for their concepts, the board and Great West are hosting two design workshops for the public. These are informal, open-house style events with the goals of sharing preliminary concepts for the property and gathering ideas and suggestions from the public. Both workshops will be held at the community room next to the library. THE FIRST WORKSHOP IS TUESDAY, MARCH 4TH, 5-7PM AND THE SECOND IS THURSDAY, MARCH 13TH, 5-7PM. Anyone with an interest in the future of recreation in Broadwater County is encouraged to attend.
As a reminder, all Commission meetings and nearly all county board meetings are live streamed, and the recording can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/@broadwatercounty. Any of the commissioners can also be reached by phone or email:
Lindsey Richtmyer, Chair: 406-266-9271, lrichtmyer@broadwatercountymt.gov
Debi Randolph, Vice Chair: 406-266-9270, drandolph@broadwatercountymt.gov
Jesse Swenson 406-266-9272, jswenson@broadwatercountymt.gov
