Valley County commissioners vote to cancel annual retainer with Clearwater Financial

Commissioner 1 moved and the board approved canceling Valley County's annual retainer with Clearwater Financial for the upcoming year, saying the county does not expect sustained retainer-level needs in the near term.

The board debated whether the county needs a standing retainer to cover services such as public engagement, long-range planning or grant work. Commissioner 2 said the county has in-house capacity for many functions: "I'm open to anything but public engagement services," noting the county has a public relations officer and that long-range planning work is being done with BSU. Commissioner 1 said Clearwater Financial could be useful for future capital projects but described ongoing work on a landfill proposal as a stand-alone effort that could be contracted as needed.

"I'll make a motion that we, cancel the annual retainer Clearwater Financial for the upcoming year," Commissioner 1 said before the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

The board did not set a new retainer in its place; commissioners indicated staff may contract Clearwater Financial for discrete projects (for example, capital campaigns or grant-driven efforts) if and when specific work arises. The decision preserves the county's option to hire the firm on a per-project basis but removes the standing retainer for the next year.

The vote followed discussion of current county capacity for planning, budgeting, and economic development and a project-specific update on a landfill initiative being developed with Clearwater staff. The board moved on to other agenda items after the vote.