The Granite County Study Commission confirmed on Dec. 17 that the county’s mailed community survey was sent and the commission will hand-count returned responses after the Jan. 7 postmark deadline.

Luke (member of the Granite County Study Commission) told commissioners that Park Street Printers in Butte completed the mailing after an invoice delay and that "the survey was sent yesterday." He said the commission’s deadline of Jan. 7 cannot be changed now that the mailings are out.

Commissioners reviewed the cost of the mailing, which the group recorded as about $3,900 to cover postage, return prepaid postage, envelopes and labor; the commission’s remaining cash balance after that expense was reported as $65.79. "That's actually pretty reasonable" for roughly 2,400 active registered voters, one commissioner said.

On handling returns, the panel agreed Sarah (county staff) will treat incoming surveys "like election ballots," storing them unopened in a secure location until commission members retrieve them. The group decided not to use the election machine for tabulation because the machine is not set up for the survey; instead, members will hand-count responses.

Elena (member) raised concerns about timing and response rates, noting holiday schedules and regional flooding that has left some residents without power; "We're behind, and it's terrible," she said, urging the commission to record those concerns on the public record.

To accommodate mailed postmarks and potential postal delays, commissioners set a working meeting for Jan. 14 to begin opening and counting returned surveys and planned subsequent sessions to analyze raw counts, convert responses into percentages and draft a tentative report.

Commissioners also discussed next procedural steps: after drafting, the tentative report will be reviewed by the county attorney before public hearings and final adoption, consistent with counsel advice previously reported to the commission.

Votes at a glance
- October minutes: motion to approve by Speaker 1; seconded by Elena; approved (ayes recorded).
- November minutes: motion to ratify by Speaker 1; seconded by Elena; approved (ayes recorded).
- Adjournment: motion to adjourn by Speaker 1; seconded by Elena; approved.

The commission confirmed its next scheduled meeting on Jan. 14 to begin handling returned surveys and set further dates for counting and report drafting.