County Researches Boundary Issues

Roosevelt County commissioners are researching two situations in an effort to make sure potential problems don’t occur in the future.

One of the matters regards three households in the Bainville area that weren’t allowed to vote in the recent city election because of their residence’s location.

County commissioner Gordon Oelkers said to solve the problem, the county will need to abandon a county road and establish street addresses.

A meeting to discuss the issue is scheduled for Dec. 13.

“This needs to be cleared up,” Oelkers said.

In the election, Toby Romo was elected Bainville’s new mayor with 60 votes compared to incumbent Dennis Portra’s 20 votes. Nicholas Tester won the council election for a four-year term with 41 votes. Ronald Butikofer received 35 votes. Elected to two-year terms were Carol Rasmussen with 52 votes and Matthew Giese with 47 votes. Patricia Bundy received 31 votes.

During Bainville’s town council meeting on Nov. 15, a resolution was passed to update the town boundary map to include new residents living outside the town’s original limits.

Another matter deals with hospital district mapping.

Oelkers explained that the Froid and Poplar school districts changed boundaries a couple of years ago. Because of that change, hospital districts also are different.

“We need to investigate how to fix that and who will figure it out,” Oelkers said. “It depends how the hospital districts want to proceed with it.”