Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Governance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Flathead County board reorganizes and approves new sheriffoffice positions, salary amendment and routine contracts
Summary
The commissioners appointed a new chair and vice chair, adopted an amendment to elected-official salaries, approved airport-related sheriff's office positions tied to a contract, and passed routine contracts and surplus declarations.
At the start of the session the board moved to reorganize leadership: Commissioners approved a motion to appoint Commissioner Abel as chair and later approved Commissioner Brodell as vice chair by voice vote.
The board adopted Resolution No. 2637B to adjust elected-official salaries to reflect removal of the election-administrator position from the clerk-elected-official salary schedule; the change was explained as removing a $2,000 allocation from the clerk's salary line.
County Administrator Pete Melnick presented a standard Interlake 2026 legal advertising contract, which the board authorized for signature. A separate request from the Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana for a letter of support on a Community Services Block Grant application was discussed but died for lack of a motion.
On staffing, the board approved several HR transmittals, including an advanced payment educational assistance request for a health promotion specialist consistent with collective bargaining provisions. The commissioners also authorized creation of positions to staff Glacier Park International Airport services under a recently approved service agreement: 5 FTE deputy sheriff positions and 1 FTE sergeant to be phased in over roughly the next year to 18 months. Commissioners discussed and recorded on the record that, should the contract funding cease, the positions would be removed as is custom for contract-funded positions.
The sheriff's office also received approval to declare older vehicles surplus for auction.
All motions noted above were approved by voice vote with no recorded opposition during the meeting.
What happens next: administrative staff will implement contract signatures, job classifications and the surplus property process; finance and human resources will manage payroll and any position eliminations if contract funding changes.
