[0:05] It's 11 o'clock. We'll get ready with our regular public meeting September

[0:10] 8th, 2026. Do we have any public comment?

[0:14] » I got a question. >> Yeah, Bill.

[0:15] » Um, somebody a teacher emailed me wondering

[0:20] was property tax changes or is there less money for adult education?

[0:28] I don't think it doesn't affect at all. >> Okay.

[0:31] » School funding bots the same they filled up 100%.

[0:38] » That thank you. >> That always come school always comes top

[0:41] list. >> Well, it's several month they they get

[0:44] filled 85% automatic.

[0:49] » Okay. Any other public comment?

[0:54] Seeing none, we'll move down to commissioner update.

[0:58] last few without too much going on. Um he's in the office most times

[1:04] too many

[1:10] working backwards. Today we had the fire call. We'll stay in stage one. We're

[1:14] going to do the copper water copper and lead water testing block today.

[1:20] Last Wednesday we had our budget meeting and finalized our budget

[1:25] and u I was at the Montana Petroleum Association meeting in Billings.

[1:31] Very interesting topics um how really important the oil industry is to the

[1:37] state of Montana's

[1:41] economy. Main speaker was Ted TR. He was very

[1:45] interesting which there pipeline people the owner of that.

[1:49] That's a private company. Good.

[1:54] Let's do the thing for the law. Is that it?

[1:59] » It's about the same as it has been. >> What's that?

[2:02] » The budgets >> our our budget uh well with House Bill

[2:06] 117 uh we're limited budget of the rate of inflation. So our budget pretty much

[2:13] went up to 2.5% which 6%. Our mills taxable value went up quite a

[2:22] went up. It's been about 32 to 34 million every since I started 10 years.

[2:28] 34 34,458. So 300 34,4

[2:35] dollars per mill. So that's up. So our mills can come down. So we reduced our

[2:41] mills on this budget and the budget will go up just north two and a half%. And

[2:47] that's including a million dollars for the cape highway and a million dollars

[2:51] for the AR that

[2:56] two kind of extras.

[3:00] 1 million

[3:05] 1 million 1 million 1 million,000.

[3:13] So the the mills went up, dollar value dollar values went up the mills. We were

[3:18] able to reduce our mills which was always good to do. people within the

[3:24] rate of inflation of 2.5 are increasing our budget and half of that increase of

[3:28] our budget is super

[3:33] it's amazing how much salary takes up in our budget half that increase is solid

[3:43] right uh remain was in the yeah bill is the uh pipeline the oil pipeline still

[3:53] » moving along. >> Mr. Trude is Ted Trudy. He is the owner

[3:56] of that pipeline and they said it's >> they had to do some more stuff for

[4:00] environmental things but they were kind of planning on doing it anyway.

[4:05] » They're on track. They are okay. Two year, three year three.

[4:15] And what about the fertilizer? >> Anything? anything still waiting to get

[4:21] their own, but they're it's moving ahead.

[4:26] » Moving along. >> Well, good news, right?

[4:30] » Yeah, it unless the pipeline runs into the fertilizer plant.

[4:36] » Uh I was in the office, you know, the office last week. Uh kind of the same

[4:41] thing with Doug. Emails, phone calls. I did visit with uh Daniels County

[4:45] Commissioner last week. Uh he was he was wondering if we had an update anything

[4:49] on the pipeline. They're they're kind of in desperate need for some

[4:53] infrastructure. They they were going through their

[4:56] budgets too when they they had a tough time

[5:00] u getting their budgets to work out. So they're they're hopeful on the on the

[5:03] pipeline taxes. Um few phone calls on the roads

[5:08] obviously harvest time which get kind of beat up. So visit with Derek to look at

[5:13] some projects. um trying to get some things caught up

[5:16] before weather sets in. But kind of a just business as usual week for me, I

[5:21] guess. So, uh any other questions? Any other discussion on commissioner

[5:26] updates? Okay, seeing none, we'll move down to

[5:32] minutes. Minutes for the regular meeting on August 25th. We have a motion.

[5:39] » A second. >> Motion a second. Any discussion?

[5:43] Seeing none, all in favor.

[5:47] [snorts] Uh motion for the minutes for the month of August 2026. Do we have a

[5:51] motion? >> Motion, a second. Any discussion?

[5:57] Seeing none, all in favor? I >> motion pass. Minutes for the special

[6:04] public meeting on September 2nd, 2026. Do we have a motion?

[6:09] » I'll second it. Motion a second. This was uh budget adoption resolution

[6:14] 2027-7. Any other discussion? See none. We'll call for the vote. All

[6:20] in favor? >> I motion pass. Two administrative

[6:23] issues. Uh motion on Makeo Health Insurance.

[6:29] Have a motion.

[6:36] I'll make the motion to approve uh switching our health insurance from JPT

[6:42] to Montana Association county's health insurance

[6:46] effective January 1st, 2027.

[6:52] Okay, we have a motion. We have a second

[6:58] discussion. I have a second for discussion.

[7:01] Okay, we have a motion and a second. Any discussion on makeo health insurance?

[7:06] Uh changing from JPT to make health insurance.

[7:11] » We we've been uh with JPT for quite a while. I mean we're I'm not dissatisfied

[7:17] with them. I'm kind of concerned with JPT. They uh as a group they lost a lot

[7:24] of schools because the they went to the state health insurance state of Montana

[7:28] put together 300 million sure schools. for health insurance and JP plead

[7:34] hospital on customers there and uh say I've

[7:40] working with PO and the ladies within the healthc care trust there's three ls

[7:45] there that do a really good job of coming out to the counties and servicing

[7:51] the counties JPT we seem like they always had to ask and send to them to

[7:56] come out I feel we'll have better service with JPT the costs

[8:02] for the to the county they're if you compare them headto head they might be a

[8:08] little higher right now but come January or July 1 with JPT would get a 7%

[8:15] increase and this where will be from January 1st to December 31st

[8:22] it's going to be a a lot of work to get everybody switched over and some

[8:27] learning curve for everybody to get on the plan they want to offer are still

[8:31] offered the plans 500,000 1,500 extended I 3,000 is it was there a

[8:40] little different but we have plans we got to pick 500,000 high deductible on

[8:48] 3500 and then we'll have vision and dent added back in with this we've done

[8:54] I think we'd be a lot better service throughout the next 10 years with Nico

[8:58] as opposed to Jake So, is this a 10-year agreement?

[9:04] » No. >> Okay.

[9:05] » No, it's a year, but it's with JP. We have to have a 90-day notice that we're

[9:10] going to be quitting them January 1st. But I'm just talking in the long run in

[9:15] the future. I think a lot better service get that questions answered. And drug

[9:20] costs are getting so expensive. Um, got in with the National Association's

[9:27] drug program. I got something huge for the future with cost of drugs working

[9:35] with the national association counties and using their buying power in

[9:41] contracts that we can get through them. So there's just various things that I

[9:49] push to change. >> Have you heard from feedback from

[9:53] employees? >> Nobody's really said anything to me.

[9:57] What have the employees even been notified? It's

[9:59] » I sent out an email last week to the department heads to share with their

[10:04] employees on on the health insurance discussion.

[10:09] » So you had brought up that that uh there was going to be an increase on the

[10:13] current one come July. What is the increase then in January for

[10:19] I mean a year from now? We don't >> you don't know that. That's

[10:24] » it was JPT in the last 10 years. It's average 7%.

[10:29] » So being having worked on the other side of the spectrum,

[10:33] um the county has one of the best best health insurancees I've ever dealt with

[10:39] next to UPS in this county. I have never seen an insurance where so many people

[10:46] have a zero co-pay on their prescription drugs as the county does. And the the

[10:52] fight of getting drugs approved is not near as hard through the county. And you

[10:58] have to remember that people that have surgeons needed implant all that starts

[11:02] over with the new insurance. They got to go through all the steps that they want

[11:06] them to do. they've got to go through in even some health even a lot of

[11:10] medications people are on some people can only take brand for certain things

[11:15] some people are on really expensive um different medications some of them

[11:21] are like$9 $10,000 a month they have to start all over with the step therapy and

[11:26] even diabetic medications they have to start over I see it every year with

[11:31] Medicare plans people when they change they have to start all over getting

[11:35] everything approved from their current plan and it would be the same thing with

[11:39] this insurance. So that's something you have to consider. And as far as

[11:44] prescription, I just can't, you know, like I said, it's the best

[11:50] plan. We found units to UPS. >> Yeah.

[11:53] » Having dealt >> and we we haven't compared, you know,

[11:58] and that's the thing. I think these gals, they can help out with all these

[12:03] issues that you're talking about and hopefully get better.

[12:08] » You just I mean, you never know. It's not It's tough to compare these

[12:13] » with the insurance companies. You don't know what it's like.

[12:16] » Well, I mean, there's been people fighting with this insurance companies,

[12:19] too.

[12:23] so much easier through this insurance company versus Musk or even the health

[12:29] insurance that the hospital had >> or you know it just

[12:34] » and that's why the state set up those health insurancees must was terrible.

[12:38] » Oh, it's horrible. Used to be one of the best in the state.

[12:42] » Yeah. But I would say >> broke like it

[12:51] » and I think you visit a few Marlene and I've had a few hiccups with ours. I've

[12:55] called Gary continues to walk this through it.

[12:59] I mean I I personally and I' I've used it. Trust me. Um I I don't have a

[13:05] complaint with the insurance that we're on. I really don't. Um, I have visited

[13:10] as much as I could with some of the other employees and everybody I've

[13:15] talked to had a serial complaint um, with what we're currently

[13:22] » and I really don't have a dog in the fight because I'm on two prescriptions

[13:26] and I can take generics, but I know a lot of people that can and how it

[13:30] affects their lives. Well, and I'm I'm two things for me. I I get and I didn't

[13:35] think of the the surgeries when you have them scheduled, then you got to go

[13:38] through pre-authorization process again. Um that's something that I didn't think

[13:43] of and I'm staring down what currently um this is going to be a little bit

[13:49] higher. I don't think the amount I think it's going to be 100 bucks a month if

[13:53] memory serves. Uh 80 to 75 to 100 bucks a month uh higher with Mo than it is

[13:59] with Jake. I know we did give probably a little bit more of a reduced rate

[14:03] because they didn't know we shop for insurance. Um my big my big thing in my

[14:09] mind right now is kind of where you're saying if it is broke don't fix it. The

[14:14] other side of me worries about the unions if we haven't notified the unions

[14:20] um are they on board with it and I talked

[14:24] to the two union stewards and I never heard back from them. So, I don't know

[14:28] if they're okay with it or not, but that could be that could be an issue with it

[14:32] as well. So, um I do wish these gals look great when they sat in here. I

[14:39] think you help them through it. Um

[14:44] I just wish we had more time to get more information. I mean, the information is

[14:48] there. Um I just wish we had the unions on board with the change and more

[14:53] employees that would voice their opinions. And I I I guess if you don't

[14:57] hear from them, you can sit and think, well, 120 employees, it it really

[15:00] doesn't matter to them, but I would like to have some information from some of

[15:04] the employees to say, "Please don't change or yes, we need to make a

[15:08] change." And I I guess I kind of lean currently with without having the unions

[15:15] on board. My my vote is to stay with JP until we get a blessing from the union

[15:20] so they can raise some havoc with us. So that's kind of where I'm at.

[15:28] » Is the coverage the same? >> What's that?

[15:31] » Is it the same coverage? >> There's what they said. They let us take

[15:34] like five plans, right? >> Yeah. As much as Yeah, they're they're

[15:38] coverable as much as you can count. Yeah. But their formulas you do, you

[15:45] know, >> they they say they're better if you're

[15:47] when you add everything together, what they give deductions on, you're going to

[15:51] come. It means on the deduct

[15:56] some are way and some are all else. Two things that stuck in my mind are two

[16:01] things that that and I view this from a personal standpoint, right? They will

[16:06] cover up to $2,000 for a dental implant. If I remember them saying correctly,

[16:12] where our insurance, JPT won't. So, if you need an implant, um, Maker would

[16:17] cover a dental implant and and and JPT won't. The other one is hearing aids.

[16:23] They have a $2,000 allowance for hearing aids where JPT doesn't. The the gist I

[16:30] got from the gals when they sat down, they're very, very comparable insurance.

[16:34] They said that there's some liability for the uh for the person through their

[16:42] prescription coverage and I know for me what I take I have never paid a dime out

[16:47] of pocket >> for any of my prescriptions. Now I have

[16:51] had to go through some specialty and and make some phone calls

[16:55] » to do. I I do know that, but I haven't seen where we have

[17:02] where I've experienced an issue with the prescriptions

[17:06] um for myself. So maybe there is for some people out there. I they just

[17:13] haven't come and said anything to me um on any of that. So

[17:18] » I would say 80% of what we dealt with had a zero copay.

[17:21] » Oh, I mean I'm copay is going to be your name brand.

[17:26] I' I've got one that comes in through a specialty pharmacy little different. I

[17:31] mean, there are some hoops to jump through to get it

[17:33] » and every insurance has those. >> Um, but it's it's I think I just

[17:38] refilled it is 1,250 bucks a month and I paid zero,

[17:41] » right? >> Um, I I I know Jerry's on some that are

[17:46] a whole lot more than that through specialty pharmacy and she pays

[17:51] couple of phone calls and you have some days when you don't feel good. It's not

[17:54] fun to deal with that. But um for me, I know I know the fight that's

[17:59] in front of me. I I know what I have. >> How to get them set up for specialty

[18:03] climacy? It's it's easier than getting it started.

[18:08] » For for me, I'm I'm afraid of the change. I'm afraid of

[18:12] » formulary change. Is it is your drug going to be on that formulary?

[18:18] » That's I guess that's where I'm at. I don't know. You got any

[18:22] just >> [clears throat]

[18:25] » was that

[18:30] so going to be

[18:36] » I don't know any other discussion >> the same like now you can basically go

[18:43] where you want to go you or will you be >> you can't even go to St.

[18:48] You don't have to go to those place. It's open to both hospitals. This

[18:53] insurance covers both places. You don't have to go to that providers.

[18:58] » Yeah. Any new open >> Yeah. You go to any that that is a

[19:04] benefit to these this group. You can you can go to vill and

[19:11] overnight stays where you could. >> Do they have any rider attached to the

[19:15] insurance? So if you have to go to a center, excellent sale pay, mileage,

[19:19] room, >> anything like that, the hospital had

[19:23] that on theirs. I know when we went out to go to a female clinic, since they're

[19:28] considered a center of excellence, even uh billings with Montana, they're

[19:35] considered a center of excellence. They'll pay your room, your mileage.

[19:40] Like if you flew out to Rochester, they'd pay your plane ticket. Oh, real.

[19:45] » Yeah. So, I don't know. >> Well, I don't I guess I never tried that

[19:50] with our insurance. I guess that was kind of

[19:53] » on ours. Just kind of by mistake hospital.

[19:56] » Uhhuh. >> Just a little rider in there. I just

[20:00] didn't know if this would have >> I don't have enough insurance knowledge

[20:04] for you to know what questions to ask, you know.

[20:07] » Um, >> do they do the vote screen?

[20:11] » They do one one health screen. They don't do they don't do the

[20:17] » they don't do the healthiest wellness but they do the it start it's similar to

[20:21] an it starts with >> starts with me

[20:24] » everybody in our office

[20:29] » it doesn't do the stuff that we have

[20:34] » doesn't but that would be something I think the

[20:38] employees are all >> all pretty like that so I think we would

[20:42] probably have to adjust to keep that program

[20:52] and JPT came out with a thing where they'll pay some of these GR1s

[21:04] and they said that from the time they got the full insurance 18 months that

[21:10] price locked ts there was something about when you go to

[21:14] a doctor's visit that didn't that under 500 or something

[21:20] did it was covered instead of having to meet your

[21:24] deductible first. I mean there was a few things that I really liked about the

[21:29] Makeo health insurance. Uh to be honest with you, I I think there was some good

[21:34] there was some good points to it. I just don't have a I

[21:39] don't have a reason to dislike GP. That's kind of where I'm at, I guess.

[21:44] So,

[21:48] any other discussion? Any other discussion?

[21:54] Seeing none, will call to the vote. All in favor signify by saying I.

[22:02] All oppose signify by saying I. I. Motion fail.

[22:09] Uh, moving on. Road department request to purchase two tractors and two mower

[22:14] attachments. Do we have a motion? Motion to approve.

[22:18] » A second. Motion second. Uh before us, I know last couple two three years. We

[22:26] have talked road foreman has talked about updating

[22:30] uh the two tractors and two mowers. Uh they're running some old 4630s, 4640

[22:37] series, some pretty old tractors and some pretty old mowers. So we have

[22:41] before us two quotes totaling uh

[22:48] 276 274,646

[22:55] and these are about a year out to to take build.

[23:00] So, this will be for two tractors equipped with two mowers. The tractors

[23:05] uh once they're built, they go right to Diamond Mowers and they get equipped

[23:10] with the mowers uh from two two reputable and two factory

[23:16] uh companies. It'll be a John Deere 6120E tractor with a 72 in side rover

[23:23] mower installed.

[23:27] Any other discussion? These are source foil bids. So they are acceptable bids

[23:32] for it. Nice.

[23:38] Any other discussion?

[23:42] » What type of mower are you getting? >> Diamond

[23:45] » 72

[23:49] » rotary, >> right?

[23:54] » Yeah.

[23:58] » Okay. Yes, we'll give you a call. Thank you.

[24:00] » Okay, any other discussion? Seeing none, we'll go for the vote. All

[24:05] in favor signify by saying I. >> Motion passed. Uh moving on, road

[24:11] department request to purchase two pickups.

[24:14] Have a motion. Make a motion to accept the two new 2027 Ram 2500 fleet price of

[24:20] 52,191 for a total of 1043

[24:25] 82 for June. 2500

[24:29] approved cab.

[24:36] Uh any discussion? >> Got a bit from high plains also, but you

[24:42] prefer the

[24:46] course we're comparable actually. I think we're a little bit lower actually.

[24:52] Um I know visiting with Derek there are some things that were getting a little

[24:57] outdated. Uh mower tractors obviously we saw that uh vehicles.

[25:03] Um we are just a side note we are three I think we're on the third season on our

[25:08] blades. Derek looked at the hours and he said we can run at least another year on

[25:13] those blades uh two instead of updating them as free if we did. I don't know

[25:18] what's coming down the line on that, but said there's a lot of life left in those

[25:22] blades. So, we can be swapping one for the other. I guess maybe not

[25:26] budgetarily, but >> yeah, it's they're separate, but it's

[25:30] the um the blades we have are all about, >> but these are these are a couple of

[25:36] things that that were needed. So, any other discussion?

[25:40] Seeing none, we'll call for the vote. All in favor?

[25:43] » Motion pass. Uh no claims. Moving on the pay raises annual pay raise for dispatch

[25:49] employee uh Deleno Ear motion

[25:54] second motion from a second. Any discussion

[25:57] needs movement to uh grade two range seven. All in favor?

[26:05] I motion passed. Uh annual pay raise for library employee Amy Heler. We have a

[26:12] motion second. Motion a second. Uh move into

[26:18] grade one, range three. Any other discussion?

[26:22] Seeing none, all in favor? Motion pass. Uh request for clerk of

[26:28] court employee Terresa Romo to move to 80% deputy. Do we have a motion?

[26:34] I'll say motion second. Uh this will be putting her to 80%

[26:40] uh deputy rate instead of range. Any other discussion?

[26:45] Seeing none, all in favor? Motion pass. No new hires, no

[26:50] additional, no new business. Is there any other business? Seeing none, I'll

[26:55] entertain a motion to close. Make a motion to close. Second motion in a

[26:59] second. We are closing.

9/8/26 Regular Public Meeting

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