Stevensville council appoints Tamara Ross to Planning and Zoning Board; swears in Ward 2 appointee

Stevensville Town Council at a special meeting on April 17, 2025, appointed Tamara Ross to the town’s Planning and Zoning Board and moved to fill an open Ward 2 seat, swearing in Samantha Bray during the meeting. The council recorded a 2–0 vote for Ross’s appointment; the meeting transcript does not contain a formal recorded vote tally for the Ward 2 appointment.

The appointment of Tamara Ross to the Planning and Zoning Board was made by motion: “I move that we appoint Tamara Ross to the Planning and Zoning Board,” moved by a council member identified in the transcript as Breff and seconded by Council member Barbour. Councilors discussed the timing as favorable for Ross, noting an upcoming meet-and-greet with an engineer and a representative of the Montana Department of Commerce to begin updating the town’s growth policy. The council recorded the motion as passing "2 to 0." No additional roll-call votes for individual councilors appear in the meeting transcript for that motion.

Councilors also discussed a forthcoming visit from Dani( or "Dani") Arps of the Montana Department of Commerce, and said the town had been selected along with two other towns to receive a $30,000 grant to update Stevensville’s community profile. Council members described that meeting as part of the growth-policy process and encouraged the newly appointed Planning and Zoning board member to participate in the outreach.

On the Ward 2 vacancy, a motion was made to appoint Samantha (surname appears in the transcript with inconsistent spellings: Bray/Brigg/Bregg). The council moved and seconded the appointment, and the appointee was sworn in during the meeting. During the oath the appointee recited the standard pledge of office: “Do solemnly swear that I will support, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States ... and that I will discharge the duties of a council member of the town of Stevensville with fidelity.” After the oath, a council member observed aloud that the council "didn't vote," and the transcript does not show a subsequent formal roll-call vote or recorded tally for that appointment. The meeting materials provided to the appointee and communications practice were discussed briefly; council staff said they use appointees' personal email addresses for board communications.

No other substantive agenda items or public comments were recorded in the provided portion of the transcript. The council noted logistics for the growth-policy meeting with the Montana Department of Commerce and indicated materials would be provided to the new appointees ahead of that session.