Commission prepares for flood repairs

The Hill County Commission continues to prepare for making high-cost repairs to local infrastructure damaged by flooding, and adjusted its budgets in its business meeting Thursday for incoming funds.

The adjustment, voted for unanimously, creates a place in the county’s budget for the money received through the emergency 2-mil levy passed by the commission when they declared the flooding an emergency situation in their meeting April 20.

Commissioner Jake Strissel said it will also allow them to receive funds from the federal government if they are successful in convincing Gov. Greg Gianforte to request President Joe Biden to declare a federal emergency situation.

The commissioners, along with other officials, have said the damage from the flooding is so extensive that they cannot hope to address it with their current resources and they will need assistance, hopefully from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The commission has said FEMA has provided invaluable services to the community in the past and they hope they may be able to get help from them for this situation as well.

Strissel said they are setting up their budget to make bookkeeping easier and hopefully speed up any audits.

He said he, Commissioner Mark Peterson and County Road Supervisor Shane Huston, along with people from Great West Engineering and Montana Disaster and Emergency Services, examined areas of the county, particularly bridges, to come up with estimates of the damage.

Peterson said Hill County DES Coordinator Amanda Frickel and others have come up with five major projects that require the most investment and attention and they are going to get all that data to the state.

After the meeting, Peterson said Hill, Liberty, Blaine, Phillips, Valley, Daniels and Richland counties are all trying to set up a meeting with Gianforte to discuss the situation and Hill County has offered to host.

Strissel said data on the major projects should be making it to the state by next week and they hope things will get moving soon.

The commission also approved the allocation of this year’s alcohol tax money.

The commissioners voted unanimously to give 85 percent to Bullhook Community Health Center and 15 percent to Bear Paw Recovery Center, same as last year.

Strissel said other entities have requested money from this tax, but the commission agrees that the money should stay local and Bullhook and Bear Paw Recovery are top-notch providers.

He said Bullhook provides comprehensive services to patients, attempting to treat every issue they may have, and Bear Paw Recovery provides vital addiction recovery services to people in need.

Peterson and Strissel said Bullhook also provides critical outreach to young people.

“Both entities are very deserving,” Strissel said.

Peterson said they’ve received more money through the tax in recent years, but he’s not sure why or if that will continue.

“Maybe people were stuck inside for COVID and they were indulging. I don’t know,” he said.

The commission also approved a budget adjustment allowing them to install new phone lines to their office, as well as the clerk and recorder’s office, treasurer’s office and the superintendent of schools’ office.

They also heard a request from Hill County Clerk and Recorder Lexis Dixon, who asked to be sent budget requests by May 22 from all departments and to have the county’s Salaries and Compensation Board meet.