Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Purchase topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Roosevelt County commissioners commit to buying Culbertson readiness center and MS shop
Summary
The Roosevelt County Commission voted to commit to purchasing the state‑owned Culbertson readiness center and MS shop to secure space for emergency staging, county equipment and public services; the move hinges on state and local contributions and advances the land‑board process.
Roosevelt County commissioners voted during their March meeting to commit the county to purchasing the state‑owned Culbertson readiness center and MS shop, a facility county leaders said would provide emergency staging, office space for county functions and storage for county fire apparatus.
Commissioners approved a motion to proceed with the purchase after discussion about funding sources. A speaker said the county would apply a mix of oil‑revenue funds, a $100,000 LAP allocation already committed, and contributions from the Culbertson Fire Department and the town of Culbertson; commissioners said they hoped to secure additional state assistance in an early‑April meeting with the governor. The commission made the commitment so state officials could advance the matter to the land board with the goal of completing the transfer by the end of 2026.
Speakers described the property as a ready‑to‑use facility with a large kitchen, showers, cots and generators, which county officials said would serve as an ideal disaster staging location. The commissioners also noted that housing county and city fire equipment together and providing office space for public health and the sheriff could improve local services.
Commissioners discussed the purchase price in different remarks during the meeting; one speaker described the asset as appraised at about $1.85 million and said state rules generally require sales at or above appraised value, while the motion as read committed the county to a price phrased as "1 million 80,000" (spoken), subject to reductions for state, city and fire‑district contributions. The commission recorded the motion and passed it by voice vote.
The county plans to send formal minutes and a description to state contacts so the state can move the transaction through the land‑board process. Commissioners said they would seek confirmations of any outside funding commitments before final closing and expected the state to be unable to sell below the appraised price under Montana Code Annotated.
