Treasure County commissioners approve small payments, clear path to clean up two abandoned mobile homes and weigh equipment fixes and fire‑hall utilities

Treasure County commissioners met June 3 and took a series of routine and programmatic actions while spending most of the session on road equipment, property cleanup and utility easements.

The board voted to pay a $5,766 invoice from a contractor hired by BNSF for road work connected to the Sugar Road crossing after staff reported the work had been done and that DOT and railroad emails indicated the county would bear the cost. The commissioners instructed staff to send a follow-up letter making clear that future work must come through the commission for approval, and the motion to pay carried after a second and an affirmative voice vote.

During public‑works business, commissioners debated whether to spend roughly $6,000 to "delete" software/emissions programming on a county Volvo grader so the machine will run reliably, or to preserve trade‑in value and pursue a coal‑board grant to replace the grader. Commissioners noted deletion can increase short‑term operating life but may reduce trade value and complicate a matching plan for a grant that opens in September. No formal vote was taken on deletion; commissioners asked staff to gather quotes and to check trade‑in math before a final decision.

The board approved a motion to put several county vehicles up for auction, agreeing minimum bid amounts for older pickups and a compressor and instructing staff to move forward with public sale logistics.

On nuisance and property cleanup, staff reported completing the statutory abandonment process for two dilapidated mobile homes on Orchard Street that are owned by a private property owner. The county's portion of back taxes on the trailers totaled about $106; a commissioner moved to waive the county share to make it easier for the owner and town to remove the units. The motion was seconded and approved; commissioners requested staff coordinate with the town so the cleanup and tax adjustments are completed in a way that protects taxpayers going forward.

Maintenance staff said the cemetery's irrigation pump had failed and two vendors recommended replacing the entire unit instead of piecemeal repairs. The board voted to buy a new spare pump at roughly $5,600–$5,700 after a motion, and directed staff to ask the supplier whether the ruined motor could be credited or returned.

The meeting also included a detailed presentation from staff on tangled deeds, historic easements and curb‑stop locations near the Elliot Fire Hall. Research shows non‑exclusive right‑of‑way language in older deeds and at least one section of town infrastructure that was never recorded as a utility easement. Commissioners directed staff to draft a legal instrument to clarify or expand the easement language and to pursue an interlocal agreement with the town so water hookups and sprinkler feeds can be resolved without leaving the county carrying long‑term liability.

Budget and grant updates ran throughout the meeting. Department heads reported routine budget requests (senior services, public health and sheriff-related positions), and staff outlined grant reimbursements and outstanding awards tied to bridge and fire‑hall work. Commissioners reviewed a remaining cohort grant balance that staff expects to draw down in the coming weeks and discussed using restricted federal‑mineral funds short‑term to cover timing gaps until reimbursements arrive.

Staff also told commissioners that the ambulance billing vendor has transferred to new ownership and sent a business associate (HIPAA) agreement. Commissioners agreed the contract should be executed by the county rather than only by the ambulance director and asked staff to prepare the document for signature at the next meeting.

The board scheduled follow‑up: staff will provide written options on the grader programming deletion vs. replacement, prepare an interlocal/easement document for the Elliot Fire Hall issue, coordinate with the town on the trailer cleanup and bring the ambulance billing agreement to the next meeting.

The meeting adjourned after several minor departmental updates and further budgeting discussions.