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Cascade County approves exemption to open Belt dump site
Summary
The Cascade County commissioners voted to grant Public Works an exemption under MCA 76-2-402 to establish a waste disposal site on a 2.488-acre leased parcel near Belt, prompting public objections about process and legal scope.
The Cascade County Board of Commissioners voted March 17 to approve Resolution 25-21, granting Cascade County Public Works a government exemption under Montana Code Annotated section 76-2-402 to establish a waste disposal dump site and signage on Parcel 5066200, a 2.488-acre parcel near Belt.
The exemption bypasses the county’s usual special-use permit requirement in the Mixed Use-20 zoning district so county staff can “expedite the process to get this new dump site up and open,” a county representative told the commissioners during the hearing. The planning department recommended approval, saying the statute requires only a public hearing and does not allow local authorities to prohibit a public use by a government agency.
Opponents and several public commenters said the county’s use of MCA 76-2-402 is inappropriate and that the accelerated timeline and limited public notice curtailed public participation. “I oppose this exemption,” resident Ray Gropowsky told the…
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