Minutes: November 22, 2021
Commission Proceedings
11-22-2021
The Board of Carter County Commissioners met in regular session on Monday November 22, 2021, in the Carter County Commission Board Meeting Room of the Carter County Courthouse at 214 Park Street in Ekalaka, Montana. Steve Rosencranz, Chairman; Rod Tauck, Vice Chair and Mike Watkins, Member; were present.
The meeting was called to order at 9:00 am.
Guests included Walter Anderson, Georgia Bruski, DES Coordinator and Pam Castleberry, Clerk and Recorder / HR.
Mr. Anderson had questions on easements for Medicine Rocks RD.
Georgia dropped into leave information on Sheriff’s officers training.
Pam requested permission to place an ad in the Ekalaka Eagle for the Meals on Wheels delivery position. Commissioner Watkins made the motion to advertise the position for two weeks. Commissioner Tauck seconded the motion and the motion carried with no public comment.
The Commissioners, Pam Castleberry, Carter Human Resources and Patricia Loughlin, Carter County Public Health Officer/ Public Health Nurse discussed the Public Health Manger position compensation. There was discussion regarding the hours of operation of the Public Health Office. The position is full time 32-40 hours a week with over-time allowed with previous permission of the Carter County Commissioners. Commissioner Watkins made the motion to change the position to Public Health Department Head with pay of $23. 27 per hour. Commissioner Tauck seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
Trish Laughlin has received numerous calls from County residents that have not been able to get through to the Health Department. She would like to look into getting a Verizon cell phone used only for the Health Department, with the hope that it would lessen the missed calls.
Pam Castleberry suggested the hours of the Public Health should be 8:00-5:00 Monday – Friday has per policy of Carter County.
Owner Architect Contractor (OAC) meeting
Present Ryan Tooke, Dahl Memorial CEO, Carter County Attorney Corbit Harrington, and Public Health Supervisor Stefanie Harrington. Phone in: Cody Taggart of Scull Construction and Scott Cromwell of Slate Architect.
Cody is working on compiling the Operations and maintenance files that he will have compiled into single document.
Contract Progress: The Decontamination room floor level and coating started last week. It should be complete next week.
The dining room lights need to be repositioned so they don’t interfere with the sprinkler system. The new cables should be installed by the December 01, 2021.
Ryan mentioned that they need to know what to do when the West end negative air flow alarm goes off. Scott Cromwell and Cody will look into it get back to Ryan. Dahl Memorial Maintenance Scott Elmore has been working to regulate the heat in the nursing home residents’ rooms.
The lighting on the outside of the building isn’t working. Scull Construction is waiting for delivery of a new photo eye.
Cody has contacted the company that installed the ER bay doors. The will be on site to do repairs as soon as possible.
The commissioning agent Kyle Hertenstien from Northwest Technical Services and Engineer James Taylor from ?? will complete a final walk through the first part of December 2021.
Pam requested early payout submittals due to the Holiday. The next OAC meeting will be December 06, 2021.
Ryan discussed plans to gravel the parking area with the commissioners. He asked about the certificate of inspection for the elevator. Pam will look into it and report back.
Stefanie Harrington, Public Health Supervisor, IT/ phone system for the Public Health rooms in the new facility is a work in progress. They should have the system working in time to provide COVID-19 booster shots in the new facility this week
Sheriff Neil Kittlemann joined the meeting to inform the commission that Carter County Sheriffs department will take part in an ethics training being held in Boyes, Mt. on November 30, 2021. All elected officials are welcome to attend. Sheriff Kittlemann left the meeting.
There was discussion regarding the use of the room in the basement currently housing the Public Health Department. The PH Department would like to continue to use the space for storage as would the Senior Coordinators office.
The commission discussed the cleaning contract and the inspection sheet for the Event Center Rental. Jennifer Williams hosts the local blood drives. There were no decisions reached regarding the contract, rental fees and inspection sheet.
The meeting broke for lunch at 12:00 and reconvened at 1:00.
Road and Bridge Supervisor Carl Knapp joined the meeting. He will be purchasing treated timbers to repair the Stagville Draw Rd Bridge.
He is planning to haul gravel from on Hammond Rd starting at Hwy 212 for approx. 7.1 miles.
Carl also requested permission to apply for the Volkswagen clean emissions truck program. The Commissioners approved applying for the funds.
Joe Schmid will start employment on the Road Crew November 29, 2021. Carl left the meeting.
Commission called Nor Pac to request a revised copy of the Hospital mechanical maintenance contract. A new contract was signed and emailed back to Nor Pac.
Tricia Lovec Senior Coordinator, received two applicants for the cleaning position at the senior center. Tricia will conduct the interviews for the position.
The Meals on wheels program was discussed where the commission requested that Pam place and ad in the Ekalaka paper for a driver. Pay for the position will be $19.00/hr. plus mileage.
Commissioner Watkins made a motion to approve the November 08, 2021 meeting minutes with corrections. Commissioner Tauck seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried.
Carter County Airport planning meeting
Present: Kent Penney, Darrin Pluhar, Troy Fruit, Dane Castleberry. Online: Craig Canfield and Andrew Zielike.
KLJ has completed AWOS (automated weather observing system) location plans. Currently none of the 7 locations meet FAA regulations mainly because of the terrain surrounding the airport.
The FAA finished the AIGS survey so the next step is to finish the layout plans. The financial cost of the new AWOS project would be $350,000 not including the land easement and the Environmental assessment. This could have a start date of 2023.
Commissioner Tauck made the motion to fund the Airport Master Plan for Fiscal year 2022 – 2023, proceed with a wind study and a land acquisition with the County. Commissioner Watkins seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion carried. The guests left the meeting.
Commissioner Watkins made the motion to sign the audit Contract for the Federal Audit with Denning Downey and Associates. Commissioner Tauck seconded the motion. There was no public comment and the motion passed unanimously.
There being no further business the meeting adjourned at 4:32.
Board of County Commissioners
Carter County, Montana
Attest:/s: Steve Rosencranz Attest: /s: Pamela Castleberry
Steve Rosencranz, Chairman Clerk of the Board