Gallatin County Commission approves consent contracts, cancels Nov. 11 meeting and assigns viewing committee for road‑abandonment petition

The Gallatin County Commission on Sept. 16 approved a consent agenda of claims and contracts, voted to cancel its Nov. 11 meeting because it falls on Veterans Day, and assigned a viewing committee to review a petition to abandon part of County Road 372.

A staff member told the commission the county received $5,367,468.26 in EFTs and warrants for consideration and read multiple contracts and agreements on the consent agenda. Major items included a $200,000 general release and settlement agreement with John Ristau (Contract 20206149); a $456,423 agreement for construction of a Gallatin County morgue and evidence bay; reconciliation items related to a new courts building with a final contract value listed as $39,000,444.00 and an additional figure of $4,444,987; open‑lands grant awards of $100,000 each for Bridger Ski Foundation and the City of Belgrade; site‑lease agreements for a Timberline tower and an EOC tower with T‑Mobile (approximately $121,000); and an airfield taxi lane expansion with Williams Civil Construction for $1,223,958 (Contract 2026074 after the correction). Brian Ward of the GRAMA office asked the commission to correct the airfield taxi lane contract number to “2026074,” saying the notice of award had already been signed and this action would execute the contract.

A committee member moved to approve the consent agenda with the corrected contract number; the chair seconded and the motion was approved by voice vote.

On the regular agenda, the commission considered a resolution to cancel its Nov. 11, 2025 meeting in observance of Veterans Day, noting county offices will be closed except for essential services. A committee member moved the resolution, the chair seconded, and the commission approved the cancellation by voice vote.

The commission also took up a petition to abandon a portion of County Road 372 (described in the materials as the old Big Sky Road). Eric Semerad, Gallatin County Clerk and Recorder, said the petition was signed by at least 10 landowners in the road district and that the portion under consideration runs through the Cold Smoke Subdivision, south of Highway 64; he said petition number 864 was assigned and that a blank easement document had been received for consideration at the formal hearing. Semerad said the viewing committee named for the matter would be Commissioner Brown and the clerk. After no public comment, a committee member moved to assign the viewing committee and accept the petition; the chair seconded and the motion was approved by voice vote.

The meeting ended after the commission completed the listed items. The petition to abandon County Road 372 and the associated easement will return for the formal hearing process and staff said it will present the easement document at that hearing.