Davey makes it official, will end 15-year stint as county commissioner
Commissioner Maureen Davey officially confirmed at last week’s agenda meeting that she will not refile for the position when her term expires. This will leave an open race for the county’s third commissioner seat in next year’s election.
As of Nov. 12, Davey has put in 15 years of service to the county.
When reflecting during the public comment period, she said, “In these last 15 years, I’ve told the commissioners throughout the state – Stillwater County has the best people in the whole state of Montana, and I truly believe that. I’ve been very fortunate to have those people support me. We’ve had a great staff here – very professional – and I couldn’t ask for a better 15 years of working with people.”
Commissioners Dennis Shupak and Mark Crago, as well as administrative assistant Lori Dobitz, all thanked Davey for her service.
The following business was also administered at the last two regularly scheduled Stillwater County Commissioners’ agenda meetings:
CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT
The Construction and Maintenance Agreement for a Montana Department of Transportation project on Shane Creek Road was approved this week.
Crago described the undertaking as an off-highway project at the intersection of Shane Creek Road and Shane Ridge Road. Some of the hillside will be removed to make that area safer. The project is state funded, so what the county agreed to was the upkeep of the road following the work’s completion.
This project has been in the works for at least three years, according to Davey.
LIBRARY STEERING COMMITTEE
A request from the Library Steering Committee to extend the terms of committee members for one year was approved last week. The terms will now expire on December 31, 2018. They were due to expire next month.
Library Steering Committee Chairman Tyrel Hamilton explained that the committee is close to completing the tasks originally assigned to it by the county. Within the next year, the members expect to fulfill those tasks and hopefully present the project conceptually to the public.
The commissioners also approved an additional funding request for $3,000 for the Library Steering Committee. In a letter to the commissioners, Hamilton described that the additional funds would be primarily used during this final year of the committee’s work to cover travel costs to public meetings for previously hired consultants and to pay for any additional publication materials needed prior to public meetings.
Davey detailed the time and financial commitments the county has made for the library project, and said the additional funds would be a good gesture toward all of the work that has been done in the last five years.
STILLWATER WIND
The final document between the county and Stillwater Wind LLC was approved. It is a Tax Appeal Limitation Agreement detailing how Stillwater Wind will not protest taxes under certain limitations during the tax abatement period of the wind farm project.
ROSEBUD CEMETERY
The request to remove Rosebud Cemetery from Absarokee’s sewer district assessment was granted. A refund will be issued to the cemetery for tax years 2015-2017 because the cemetery was charged for the sewer, although it is located about three miles out of town.
LEPC BOARD APPOINTMENT
April Limburg was appointed as the planning representative to Stillwater’s Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). She works as administrative support for the county’s Planning Department.
CLAIMS
Last week, $170,339.19 of claims were approved; this week, claims were approved in the amount of $200.