Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Yellowstone County commissioners hear opposition to Elk River Road traffic restriction; no action taken
Summary
At a Feb. 24 public hearing on Resolution 23‑14, residents, a local attorney and business owners urged Yellowstone County commissioners not to adopt an ordinance limiting Elk River Road to local traffic, citing statutory limits and a prior court ruling; the board discussed RSID and paving options and scheduled a second hearing for March 7.
The Yellowstone County Board of County Commissioners opened a public hearing Feb. 24 on Resolution 23‑14, a proposed ordinance to limit Elk River Road to local traffic, but took no action and scheduled a second hearing for March 7.
Justin Harkins, an attorney with Crowley Fleck representing the Kirschenmans, told commissioners the ordinance appears to exceed the board’s statutory authority. "There is no law authorizing this board to just ban the public from a public road indefinitely," Harkins said, arguing the statute cited in the resolution applies to controlled‑access highways and does not cover an open rural county road lined with driveways. Harkins also cited the county’s prior litigation loss in Yellowstone County v. Kershko and read portions of Judge Harris’ findings that, he said, confirm…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
