Planning staff briefs board on state bills reshaping subdivision exemptions, RV pads and water reviews

Rob, planning department staff, gave the board a legislative update on April 16, outlining several state bills that could change how Ravalli County reviews subdivisions, family transfers and sites with RV/mobile home spaces. He told members the department is tracking House Bill 714 (a revision to the subdivision exemption process) and Senate Bill 174 (which would move RV and mobile‑home spaces under the state definition for "buildings for lease or rent").

Rob said House Bill 714 — in the form discussed at the meeting — would standardize review steps for family transfers and include a required affidavit and documentation ("It actually spells it out as, you know, it has to be, like, photos. It can't be the neighbor coming in saying they're gonna subdivide that," Rob said). He said the draft increases fines for evasion and asks the attorney general to produce a standardized review process.

On Senate Bill 174, Rob told the board the bill appeared to be moving forward and would remove RV spaces and mobile‑home pads from the state's subdivision definition and place them in the category of buildings for lease or rent. He said his reading of the bill was that RV pads would not be automatically exempt: "I don't think these RV pads are gonna be exempt, so the site plan. They're gonna have to turn in a site plan. They're gonna have to turn in sanitation approvals," Rob said, adding emergency access and addressing requirements could apply and local implementation will require new county rules or model ordinance guidance from the Montana Department of Commerce.

Rob and board members also discussed water‑availability and DEQ rules. He said that DEQ amended administrative rules (ARM) that removed the predetermination letter requirement and that COSA (sanitation approvals) are again being issued for certain exemption cases. On broader water‑rights legislation, the meeting included discussion that Senate Bill 358 had failed in the legislature while other bills (including House Bill 436, House Bill 681 and proposals described as HB704 or related measures) remained in flux; Rob and other participants cautioned the group that bill language and status could change rapidly during the session.

Board members asked about local effects: addresses, tax appraisal, sanitation review and the role of county review if a use is moved out of the Subdivision and Platting Act. Rob said the county will need to review state language and adapt local regulations: the planning department plans to send an administrative update of the county subdivision regulations to the county attorney for legal review and then present a draft to the planning board subcommittee and the public later in the year.

Rob encouraged board members to help solicit public input for a planned review of subdivision regulations (the planning department has a SurveyMonkey link and stakeholder letter) and said the Montana Department of Commerce provides a model ordinance and application for buildings for lease or rent that the county could use as guidance. No formal county policy or rule change was adopted at the April 16 meeting; the update was informational and staff directed to continue monitoring legislation and prepare draft regulatory changes for legal review.

Ending: Planning staff will incorporate enacted legislative changes into Ravalli County’s administrative update of subdivision regulations and return with a legal‑reviewed draft and public outreach plan; board members were asked to assist outreach and to expect further items later this summer and fall.