Commissioners Approve Task Orders

Roosevelt County commissioners approved three task orders with Interstate Engineering during their weekly meeting held on Tuesday, April 21.

The first task order was regarding a preliminary engineering report for Brockton’s water system. The report will cost a total of $95,000, but a grant covers $90,000 of the project.

Another Task order deals with preparing a permit for Picard Pit #2. The pit covers 20 acres.

Also approved was Interstate Engineering providing GIS transition assistance. The four-task approach includes working with existing GIS staff to get familiar with the system; performing duties after the current coordinator resigns in May; training the new GIS coordinator; and oncall technical support.

Costs of the tasks are estimated to be $23,000 for task one, $52,000 for task two, $25,000 for task three and $25,000 for task four. Commissioner Gordon Oelkers noted that only the first two tasks are the ones that the county needs right now.

Also during the meeting, commissioners approved that 100 percent of the alcohol taxes that the county receives will go to the Eastern Montana Community Mental Health Center.

Commissioners approved to renew the county’s health insurance with Employee Benefit Management Services (EBMS). There was a premium increase of 4 percent this year. The county will pay $1,594 monthly per employee. That amount is up from $1,533 the previous year.

“It’s great to be able to afford health insurance,” Commissioner Robert Toavs said.

Gary Jeide was appointed to the compensation board. Hired were Michael Alkire for the road department and Joshua Wilson for the library. During commissioners’ updates, Oelkers attended a meeting regarding the proposed Bridger Pipeline held in Glasgow. The Bureau of Land Management provided a presentation at the meeting. Oelkers said all comments needed to be written, so there wasn’t much input heard. Oelkers was told that there’s an 80 percent chance that the pipeline will happen. The proposed 36” pipeline will be 645 miles long from Montana to Wyoming. It is anticipated to provide 550,000 barrels of Canadian oil daily.

Toavs attended the quarterly meeting of the Great Northern Development Corporation. He said there are currently three Brownsfields loan projects in the region including one in Wolf Point. The project in Wolf Point is at 108 Main St. The application was made on behalf of First Baptist Church, the property owner of the former VFW building.

“It’s moving along,” Toavs said of the project in Wolf Point. “They are just waiting for the next step.”