Study commission reviews draft tentative report, schedules June 3 public hearing in Columbia Falls

The study commission reviewed a revised draft tentative report and agreed to circulate an updated version ahead of a public hearing set for June 3 in Columbia Falls.

Ashley, who is managing the report edits, told commissioners she had “added a couple new certificates just to make sure that we are explicitly aligning with, a couple of statutes,” citing the numbers spoken in the meeting as “7 3 1 87” and “7 3 1 42.” She asked the commission to review those drafted certificates to confirm they reflect the commission’s intent. “I think everything that I know of that needs to be in the report is now clearly defined in there,” Ashley said.

Why it matters: The certificates are intended to show that the recommendations and ballot language were prepared according to statutory requirements. Commissioners discussed whether a dissenting member should sign the certificates or file a separate minority report; the group agreed that certificates typically represent the body’s action, not an individual’s personal endorsement, and that language can note how many members voted to call for an election.

Commissioners spent time on formatting and content details. A second asked for consistent table-of-contents numbering and Roman numerals; another noted missing page references for the minority report and gaps in the summary that should be corrected before final circulation. The commission also agreed to correct an incorrect job title in the introduction after a participant said the record listed her as “city clerk” when her official title was “director of finance and administration.”

On substance, commissioners discussed the cover letter to residents and how to describe the change in governance. One commissioner proposed a sentence assuring readers that the city would “still continue to have general government powers,” while Ashley recommended phrasing that framed self-government powers as expanding available authority subject to state law.

The commission set a public outreach and hearing plan. Members agreed to hold a one-hour community education session beginning at 6:00 p.m., followed by the formal tentative-report hearing at 7:00 p.m. on June 3. Commissioners discussed distributing a brief cover letter and promoting the hearing via the city website, social media and through local organizations including the Chamber of Commerce and civic groups. Ashley said she would circulate the updated draft and examples of certificates from other jurisdictions.

Formal actions and next steps: A motion to adopt the draft tentative report (including the amendments under discussion) was moved and seconded during the meeting, but the transcript does not record a final vote on that motion. The commission did record and approve a motion to adjourn at the end of the session. Ashley will send the updated report and certificate examples to commission staff for final review prior to the June 3 public hearing.

What remains unresolved: The transcript does not record a roll-call or final recorded vote on adopting the tentative report as amended. Commissioners agreed on outreach and on correcting specific editorial items, but several content clarifications (final certificate language and exact signature conventions) were left for staff follow-up before the hearing.

The commission adjourned after scheduling the June 3 hearing and directing staff to circulate the revised materials.