Commissioners Approve Culbertson Airport Agreements
Oelkers Elected Presiding Officer
The Roosevelt County Commissioners held their first regular meeting of the year Tuesday, Jan. 7. Commissioners Gary Macdonald and Gordon Oelkers were in attendance.
The commissioners approved minutes for December, as well as minutes for the Dec. 17 regular meeting. Minutes were also approved for a Jan. 2 nomination meeting. Oelkers was elected the new presiding officer.
Oelkers was named to represent the commission on an inquiry into the prospect of abandoning a road at Lakeside near Bainville. Tom Nichols will be the surveyor for the inquiry.
The commissioners approved five resolutions, beginning with a resolution calling for public notice of regular meetings.
Resolution 2020-10 established office hours for county departments. The clerk of district court office will no longer be closed during the lunch hour.
Resolution 2020-11 set the daily incarceration rate at $50. Attendee Bill Juve asked if the rate was an increase over last year. Oelkers said it was not. Macdonald said he would have liked to see the rate lowered to effect longer stays for some inmates. Oelkers added that he’d like to see the rate increased to meet the actual cost for an inmate.
Resolutions 2020-12 and 2020-13 addressed public participation (regular meeting schedules) and meal allowances and mileage for county employees.
An agreement between Public Health and the Board of Health was approved regarding the appointment of an inspector, as was a six-month memorandum of understanding between the county and the Fort Peck Tribes allowing for the detention of up to 10 tribal members at a time in the Roosevelt County Detention Center.
Aging department employee Else Eggebrecht submitted her resignation.
Claims were accepted for Dec. 19 in the amount of $151,244.50.
Big Sky Field airport board chairman Rick Knick addressed the commissioners about an airport lease agreement and other airport board business.
“The airport has been operated like this since the 1960s,” said Knick.
He said it was time to get some of the details down in writing.
Said Oelkers, “The airport in Culbertson is very important to the hospital and the community.”
The commissioners approved a capital improvement plan for the Culbertson airport.
A six-month pay raise was approved for road department employee Jared Poland.
