Commissioners discussed a staff proposal to eliminate the project-manager position in the solid-waste budget and transfer decision-making and administrative duties to existing staff and site attendants.

County staff described the position’s history and said the role was originally written in 2017 as a combined project-manager/planning-board secretary position. Following staff changes, the treasurer absorbed some administrative duties and a part-time clerk position was funded through the solid-waste budget. The project manager role now largely functions as a middleman between site attendants and the commission, staff said.

The proposal presented to commissioners would remove the project-manager salary line (roughly $26,000) from the solid-waste budget, have the commission take direct administrative oversight via site attendants and put day-to-day permitting or DEQ issues back to the appropriate staff. Commissioners asked whether permitting responsibilities (DEQ) or other statutory duties would shift to the treasurer or to the commission; county attorney and staff said they would research applicable statutes and return with a decision-ready item.

Ending: No motion was made; staff were asked to research statutory authority (including MCA 39-31-303 and related county-commission statutes referenced) and to bring the topic back for a formal action at a future meeting. Commissioners discussed potential savings and operational impacts and emphasized clarity about which department would retain DEQ permitting and reporting duties.