Stevensville council tables budget after public-notice error; wastewater SCADA purchase delayed
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Summary
The Stevensville Town Council postponed passage of its fiscal 2025–26 budget and amendments after staff discovered a public-notice publication error; council members said the delay could slow a planned purchase for the wastewater SCADA system.
The Stevensville Town Council on Aug. 28 voted to table two budget measures after staff discovered the paper of record did not run the council’s required second legal notice for the preliminary budget.
The council’s action came during the public hearing on the preliminary budget for fiscal year 2025–26 after a clerical error in the meeting packet and inconsistent newspaper publication raised concerns about meeting statutory notice requirements. Mayor Michaelson presided over the hearing and town clerk Janelle confirmed the packet’s mislabeling of the budget year as a clerical mistake. Janelle also presented confirmation emails showing the notice had been submitted to the Bitterroot Star but councilors and members of the public said the paper’s printed copy available at the meeting did not include the August 13 notice.
Town clerk Janelle read Montana Code Annotated 7-1-4127 aloud for the record, which allows a municipality to be considered to have met publication requirements if the municipality submitted the required information on time and posted the notice in three public places and on its website. Janelle said the town had posted the notice online and in public locations; the clerk also said she received confirmation from the newspaper that it had scheduled the legal notice for Aug. 13 and Aug. 27.
Council members and staff disagreed about whether the legal-notice technicality required re-publication and a rescheduled hearing. Council member Burke expressed concern about meeting state deadlines, and council member Brown warned that the town could be subject to legal challenge if publication requirements were not met. Public works staff warned the council that approval of the budget affects a near-term purchase for the wastewater treatment plant’s SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) computer and server; staff reported repeated reboots of the current system and said they could not order the replacement gear until the budget is approved and a related procurement is authorized.
Faced with the uncertainty, the council voted to table: resolution 5-73 (budget amendments for fiscal year 2024–25) and resolution 5-74 (adoption of the fiscal year 2025–26 budget and wages and salaries). Both items were moved, seconded and placed on the table so staff could reissue the required public notice in the paper and ensure statutory timing. Council discussion noted the town may call a special meeting to handle urgent procurement steps if the publication and statutory timing permit.
The council clerk also read a written notice from the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation closing out a 2023 grant for Water Leak Repairs and System Improvements for $1,087,173; town staff said the DNRC file shows the project’s final report was accepted and reimbursements completed.
The council did not adopt the preliminary budget on Aug. 28; it directed staff to republish the legal notice and to return with the budget items after publication requirements are satisfied.
Ending: The council set no new hearing date during the Aug. 28 meeting; staff said they would resubmit the legal notice to the Bitterroot Star and post required notices on the town website and in public places, then return the budget items for council action after the statutory notice period was met.
