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Lincoln County commissioners approve multiple board appointments, back Port Authority grant support
Summary
At their Dec. 17 meeting, Lincoln County commissioners approved several board and district appointments, signed three letters backing Port Authority grant applications for wildfire mitigation and forestry projects, renewed an annual GIS contract, and approved a cooperative purchasing MOU with Montana for long-term debris cleanup while noting concerns about access for local contractors.
Lincoln County commissioners met on Dec. 17, 2025, and approved a slate of board appointments, support letters for Port Authority grant applications and several routine items, the board said.
The board voted to approve minutes from Dec. 9, Dec. 10 and the Dec. 11 emergency session and approved multiple appointments across county boards. The Board of Health reappointed Patty Kinchow (the packet also spells her name "Kinslow"). The fair board had five applicants reappointed to fill five of six vacancies (Dan Williams, Josh Lecher, Sve(a) Jorgensson, Twilight Web and Megan Morgan), leaving one vacancy. On the planning board, commissioners agreed to a revised motion to appoint John Damon, Paul Johnson, Doug Frier and John Boyy (replacing Ernie Anderson). The Lincoln County Port Authority reappointed Kevin Pek to one seat that had a single applicant.
The board also appointed Crystal Denton to the Troy Rural Fire District and reappointed members to the weed board and the Eureka Cemetery Board (Theresa/Teresa Torres and Janice Newman were reappointed, transcript shows both spellings of Theresa). Several smaller boards and district seats remain open.
Commissioners approved three letters of support requested by the Lincoln County Port Authority for grant applications tied to private-land wildfire mitigation, community forestry and related programs. During discussion, commissioners emphasized the Port Authority’s role in wildfire and mitigation efforts and said they expected to see more grant activity in coming months.
The board approved the annual renewal of the county’s Outlaw GIS contract. Staff said rates and terms were unchanged and that legal review had been completed.
A substantive staff presentation covered a cooperative purchasing memorandum of understanding with the State of Montana that allows Lincoln County to use state-approved contractors for long-term debris removal from recent floods. Commissioners asked whether the arrangement could exclude local contractors from being hired or reimbursed. Staff said contractors not yet on the state list could apply to be added but cautioned that reimbursement eligibility and preapproval requirements could affect whether local firms are paid. Commissioners voted to approve the MOU.
Commissioner Durham reported on fairgrounds damage from wind and noted ongoing building repairs and an expected procurement process for mold remediation work. Commissioners also discussed permitting for stream and debris work and urged public information officers to distribute guidance on conservation/stream permits and documentation needed to preserve reimbursement or in-kind match eligibility during recovery.
Votes were taken by voice for the routine and appointment motions. Where the transcript records opposition, that was noted during the voice vote; most motions passed. The board recessed briefly for public comment on non-agenda items; no in-person or online public comments were made, and a planned park board special levy ballot approval was postponed.
Next steps: signed letters of support will be prepared on county letterhead, the cooperative purchasing MOU will be filed, and staff will proceed with contract and procurement actions cited in the meeting.
