Citizen’s attorney requests old hospital evidence

Jim Movius is wasting no time moving forward on the ultimatum he delivered to the Stillwater County commissioners last week about abandoning the idea of remodeling the old hospital.
Last Wednesday — just one day after publicly outlining his intentions in the regular Tuesday commission meeting — Movius’s attorney, Bruce Fain, formally requested the following from the commissioners and county Finance Specialist Joe Morse:
•Any invoices relating to expenses for the old hospital for the years 2012 through the present.
•Any evidence of payment relating to expenses for the old hospital for the years 2012 through the present.
•Any communications soliciting bids or RFPs (request for proposals) related to the old hospital for the years 2012 through the present.
•Any bids or proposals relating to the old hospital for the years 2012 through the present.
•Any documentation concerning the Stillwater County takeover, acceptance or assumption of control of the old hospital
Fain cites Article 2, Section 9 of the Montana Constitution and Title 2, Chapter 6 of the Montana Code Annotated for public information.
Fain’s letters were dated Aug. 30, 2017. Fain wrote that the goal is to “attempt to request all financial and work information related to the entire facility/building generally in or attached to the facility generally referred to as the ‘Old Hospital.’ As further clarification, including a clarification to my prior request, I am requesting this information, regardless as to whether it is coded specifically to the “Old Hospital,” or coded for another area of the facility/building, including, but not limited to any associated annex or assisted living facility.”
Movius is the resident who in November 2016, was berated by former Commissioner Jerry Dell following an agenda meeting during which Movius expressed displeasure at how the commissioners were handling the entire matter of the old hospital.
Movius has now given the commissioners three options for ending the consideration of remodeling the old hospital for county office space:
•Voluntarily abandon the idea of remodeling the old hospital for county office space and in doing so, acknowledge the recorded public input on the matter as being 100 percent against the remodel.
•If unwilling to voluntarily abandon the old hospital remodel, schedule an election to allow a vote on the matter.
•And if unwilling to do either of the above, Movius is prepared to begin collecting signatures on a referendum petition as soon as expenditure toward a remodel is approved in an effort to force an election.