Highlights

2-4 2010 – 2011

MACo Committee Lists 5

Risk Management Loss Control Conference

6

Law Enforcement Liability Medical Pay Coverage

7

Attorney General Opinions

8

Interoperability Montana 9

New Member of MACo Family

10

Emelia’s Safety Corner

11 NACo News

12

2011 Legal Holidays Minimum Wage Increase

16

More to the elections than meets the eye

17 - 18

Around Our Counties

19 Calendar of Events

A BIG thank you to all our advertisers!!

Vol. 40, No. 1 January 2011

What’s in a Name? By Greg Jackson

MACo JPIA/JPA Trust Administrator

MACo/JPIA, MACo/JPA, MACo/HCT- WHAT? Since 1985 The Montana Association of Counties has sponsored and organized three self-insurance pools to meet the in-surance needs of Association Members. The “need” was primarily due to the inade-quate and ineffectiveness of the standard insurance markets to be consistent in pro-viding coverage at a consistent price. The first pool was the Joint Powers Authority Worker’s Compensation pool in 1985 (JPA), the second, the Joint Powers Insurance Authority Property and Liability pool in 1986 (JPIA) and the third the Health Care Trust (HCT) in 2005. In 1985 the Montana Legislature passed enabling legislation to allow public entities to self insure either individually or collectively (2-9-211 MCA). Public entities (Counties, Cities and Towns, School Districts, Special Districts) have many options on how to be organized as a self-insurer including: Joint Powers Authorities, Interlocal Agreements, Trusts, Reciprocals, Mutual’s, and Risk Retention Groups. The Montana Association of Counties opted to organize the Worker’s Compensation and Property & Liability pools as Joint Powers Authorities and later the Health Care pool as a Trust. Are Joint Powers Authorities or Trust self-insured pools insurance companies?-in a word NO. No matter how organized as a self-insured pool, pools distinguish themselves from Insurance companies by being defined as “a risk financing mecha-nism by which a group of public entities contribute to a shared fund that in turn pays claims for and provide services to the participating entities.” Pooling aggregates the powers and resources of individual public entities to

address the collective needs of its membership. Note the key terms-shared fund, aggregate, collective needs, participating entities. In other words, a pool provides coverage and service to members (the owners) who receive the following bene-fits as pool owners: Coverage’s and terms-Manuscript policy (your coverage policy)

Limits- Statutory Tailored Service packages Investment Income Equitable rating models Stable Pricing Member Focused Loss Control No profit load in pricing Tax Exempt Status No premium tax Lower overhead

So we have defined what a pool is, how pools are organized (named) and identified the benefits of a self-insurance pool, thus, confirming that the MACo JPA, MACo JPIA and the MACo HCT are self insured public entity pools, not insur-ance companies. That being confirmed, do the names JPA, JPIA and HCT reflect the true meaning of the coverage’s and services provided by all three pools? That is a question, which the JPA and JPIA Trus-tees, will be discussing and considering during their next strategic planning ses-sion. What name would in fact better describe your pool programs? MACo Risk Management services pool? MACo Risk transfer member pool for member-ship pool? We are taking suggestions, so if you as a member county or entity, have an idea for a more descriptive name please advise, but be nice.

MACo News

MACo News • Volume 40, Number 1 • January 2011 2

2010 – 2011 MACo Committee List Agriculture Committee

Name County Kathy Bassette - Co-Chair Hill Maureen Davey - Co-Chair Stillwater Troy Blunt Phillips Tucker Hughes Judith Basin Bob Lehfeldt Golden Valley Tom Rice Beaverhead Don Rieger Fallon Dave Schulz Madison Jim Shanks Roosevelt Ron Stoltz Ravalli Herb Townsend Meagher Janet Wolff McCone Amy Adler Rosebud Harold Blattie MACo Executive Dir.

Community, Economic Development & Labor Committee

Name County Joe Briggs - Chair Cascade Vic Miller - Vice Chair Blaine Jean Curtiss Missoula Ann Marie Davis Prairie Gary Gershmel Petroleum Vicki Hamilton Custer Cynthia Johnson Pondera Dale Lauman Flathead Gary Macdonald Roosevelt Mike McGinley Beaverhead Sheryl Wood MACo Associate Dir.

Conference Planning Committee

Name County Steve White - Chair Gallatin Bill Kennedy - Vice Chair Yellowstone Joe Briggs Cascade Maureen Davey Stillwater Ann Marie Davis Prairie Connie Eissinger McCone Cynthia Johnson Pondera Susan Mosness Sweet Grass Paddy Trusler Lake Neal Warner Anaconda-Deer Lodge Harold Blattie MACo Executive Dir. Sheryl Wood MACo Associate Dir.

Energy Committee

Name County John Prinkki - Chair Carbon Alan Underdal - Vice Chair Toole Sandra Broesder Pondera Jim Durgan Park Shane Gorder Richland Laura Obert Broadwater Sue Olson Musselshell Bill Randish Fallon Tony Sitzmann Glacier Leonard Wortman Jefferson Harold Blattie MACo Executive Dir.

Health & Human Services Committee

Name County Bill Kennedy - Chair Yellowstone Carl Seilstad - Vice Chair Fergus Deanna Bockness Prairie Elaine Graveley Broadwater Andy Hunthausen Lewis & Clark Matt Kanenwisher Ravalli Susan Mosness Sweet Grass Ben Ober Tooles Randy Taylor Park Jane Weber Cascade Sheryl Wood MACo Associate Dir. Information Technology/Telecommunication/

Interoperability Committee

Name County Sandra Broesder - Co-Chair Pondera Mike McGinley - Co-Chair Beaverhead Ann Brower Lake Greg Chilcott Ravalli Rebecca Guay Anaconda-Deer Lodge Gary Macdonald Roosevelt Ralph Mannix Powell Carl Seilstad Fergus Duane Simons Mineral Russ Tempel Liberty Art Pembroke Lewis & Clark Sheryl Wood MACo Associate Dir.

MACo News

3

2010 – 2011 MACo Committee List Justice & Public Safety Committee

Name County Greg Chilcott - Chair Ravalli Ken Ronish - Vice Chair Fergus Bill Barron Lake Jerry Dell Stillwater Mike DesRosier Glacier Sidney Fitzpatrick Big Horn Garth Haugland Beaverhead Jim Reno Yellowstone Daren J. Schuster Chouteau Dennis Shupak Stillwater Kimberly Deschene Meagher Dave Rau Lewis & Clark Sheryl Wood MACo Associate Dir.

Land Use & Development Committee

Name County Paddy Trusler - Co-Chair Lake J.R. Iman - Co-Chair Ravalli Derek Brown Lewis & Clark Maureen Connor Granite Jim Hart Madison Jeff Lavoi Hill David Richards Powder River Joe Skinner Gallatin Gail Vennes Broadwater Neal Warner Anaconda-Deer Lodge Pam Converse Broadwater Susan Swimley MACo JPIA Tara DePuy MACo JPIA Harold Blattie MACo Executive Dir.

Natural Resource/Public Lands Litigation Fund Committee

Name County John Ostlund Yellowstone Connie Eissinger McCone Todd Devlin Prairie Carl Seilstad Fergus Carol Brooker Sanders Tom Rice Beaverhead Greg Chilcott Ravalli Richard Dunbar Phillips Harold Blattie MACo Executive Dir.

Public Lands Committee

Name County Lesley Robinson - Chair Phillips Todd Devlin - Vice Chair Prairie Carol Brooker Sander Greg Chilcott Ravalli Chris King Petroleum Robert Lee Rosebud Marty Malone Park Jim Moos McCone Mike Murray Lewis & Clark Mike Wendland Hill Scott Bockness Big Horn Harold Blattie MACo Executive Dir.

Resolutions & Legislative Committee

Name County Mike Murray - Chair Lewis & Clark Dave Reinhardt - Vice Chair Valley Greg Chilcott Ravalli Kathy Bessette Hill Joe Briggs Cascade Sandy Broesder Pondera J.R. Iman Ravalli Maureen Davey Stillwater Cynthia Johnson Pondera Bill Kennedy Yellowstone Mike McGinley Beaverhead John Ostlund Yellowstone John Prinkki Carbon Lesley Robinson Phillips Paddy Trusler Lake Harold Blattie MACo Executive Dir. Sheryl Wood MACo Associate Dir.

Continued on next page…..

MACo News • Volume 40, Number 1 • January 2011

4 MACo News • Volume 40, Number 1 • January 2011

MACo News 2010-2011 MACo

Committee List continued

Tax, Budget & Finance Committee

Name County Cynthia Johnson - Chair Pondera Bill Nyby - Vice Chair Sheridan Bryan Adolph Musselshell Ann Brower Lake Greg Chilcott Ravalli Andy Hunthausen Lewis & Clark Connie Eissinger McCone Arnie Gettel Teton Bill Kennedy Yellowstone John Ostlund Yellowstone Cele Pohle Powell Carl Seilstad Fergus Allan Underdal Toole Harold Blattie MACo Executive Dir. Sheryl Wood MACo Associate Dir. Tom Swindle MACo Finance Officer

Transportation Committee

Name County John Ostlund - Chair Yellowstone Richard Dunbar - Vice Chair Phillips Joe Christiaens Pondera Tony Cox Sanders John Grewell Carbon Larry Lekse Musselshell Bill Loehding Carter Dave Miller Toole Bill Murdock Gallatin Don Steppler Richland Jim Ghekiere Liberty Wayne Buck Rosebud Eric Griffin Lewis & Clark Harold Blattie MACo Executive Dir.

MACo would like to thank all of you who donate all of

your time and talents to these committees.

Upcoming Events January 11-13 Risk Management Loss Control Conference - Helena February 7-10 Mid-Winter Conference - Helena April 4-8 MACo HCT/JPIA /JPA Trustees Retreat - Helena September 25-29 MACo Annual Conference - Bozeman

Mid-Winter Registration Opens January 3rd

Registration will soon open for the 2011 MACo Midwinter Conference, set for Febru-ary 7-10 at the Red Lion Colonial Hotel in Helena. The conference will be a great op-portunity for county elected officials to learn more about state and local government is-sues. A link to register online, as well as a draft agenda, will be posted to the MACo Web site on January 3rd. The MACo Board of Director are set to meet, as are the trustees of MACo’s Health Care Trust, Joint Powers Insurance Author-ity (JPIA), the Joint Powers Authority (JPA). Also, the JPIA/JPA annual membership meetings will take place at that time. For more information, please contact Karen Houston at 449-4360 or e-mail her at khouston@mtcounties.org.

MACo News Risk Management Loss Control Conference

January 11-13

Unleashing the Power of Personal Accountability, Fall 2010 Road Reviews, Impaired Driving, and Electrical Safety, are just some of the many topics to be covered at MACo’s Risk Management Loss Control Confer-ence at Helena’s Red Lion Colonial Hotel. The conference will open with keynote speaker Rob Krzan. He is a 3rd degree burn victim that resulted from an on the job accident. Rob would like to tell you his story and how it changed his life.

The three-day event will feature programs and sessions tailored to safety, roads, law en-forcement and human resources personnel. Registration is available on the MACo website: www.maco.cog.mt.us. A draft agenda has al-ready been posted on the website as well as a detailed description of this exciting event. For additional information about the confer-ence, please contact Emelia McEwen at 449-4370 or emcewen@mtcounties.org. For questions regarding registration, please contact Karen Houston at 449-4360 or e-mail her at khouston@mt.counties.org.

DRAFT AGENDA Tuesday, Jan. 11—General Session

8:00 -9:00 am Rob Krzan, Keynote Speaker

9:00 am Break

9:30 -11:00 am Wendy Samson, Future-Sync International

11:00 -12:00 pm Safety Committee Members

12:00 Noon Awards Luncheon

1:00 - 2:00 pm Becky Sturdevant, Certified Substance

Abuse Program Administrator

2:00 pm Break

2:30 - 3:30 pm Jerry Lemm

3:30 - 4:45 pm Chad Hymas, Inspirational Speaker

Wednesday, Jan. 12—Law Enforcement Session (POST credits) Track I

8:00 - 9:30 am Bill Westfall, Gallagher-Westfall group President

9:30 am Break

10:00 - 12:00 pm Bill Westfall, Gallagher-Westfall group President

10:15 - 10:30 am Break

12:00 Noon Lunch

1:00 - 2:00 pm Bill Westfall, continued

2:00 pm Break

2:30 - 4:00 pm Chris McGuigan, Sanders County Undersheriff

Emily Herndon, DPT

Wednesday, Jan. 12—Road Session, Track II

8:00 - 9:30 am Steve Jenkins, LTAP Director

9:30 Break

10:00 - 11:00 am Steve Jenkins, LTAP Director

11:00 - 12:00 pm Dave Jeseritz, Assistant Chief of Police

12:00 Noon Lunch

1:00 - 2:00 pm Jack Knorr, MACo, Liability Trainer Dave Schulz, Madison County Commissioner 2:00 pm Break

2:30 - 3:00 pm Jack Knorr and Dave Shulz, continued

3:00 - 5:00 pm Mike Preller, Safety Bureau, Safety & Health Specialst Thursday Jan. 13—Personnel Session

8:00 - 12:00 pm Mike Sehestedt, MACo Chief Legal Counsel Maureen Lennon, MACo Associate Legal Counsel

9:30 am Break

10:00 - Noon Mike Sehestedt & Maureen Lennon, continued

12:00 Noon Adjourn

5 MACo News • Volume 40, Number 1 • January 2011

MACo News seeks your suggestions

Every month, the MACo staff strives to publish a helpful and insightful newsletter in MACo News, and to make it an indispensable source of information for county elected offi-cials. As part of our efforts to continuously improve the News, we welcome any suggestions or comments from our readers. We’ll even be glad to consider any story ideas, too, as long as it benefits our readers. To talk to someone directly or to submit a note regarding MACo News, please contact Sharon Wilson at 449-4360 or by e-mail: maco@mtcounties.org.

MACo News Law Enforcement Liability

By Fred Hansen, PSE, ASCE-AM, ASIS MACo JPIA/JPA Loss Control Specialist

Jail Standards Update: As of the middle of November 2010, eight county jails have been reviewed by the Peer Review Team and two other jails will be com-pleted by the end of December 2010. The facili-ties completed have all stated that the review process has been very useful in mitigating risks in the jail. They also have used the results to improve their jail Policy and Procedure Manual. Please remember this service is provided to assist counties that have detention facilities in complying with Montana Jail Standards. In do-ing so we are responsible and able to self regu-late our own county jails and avoid outside regu-latory control. This is a voluntary program and I encourage you to sign-up to have a review. You can express your interest by contacting Jerome McCarthy email jmccarthy@bsb.mt.gov. Jerome is heading the scheduling of reviews. MACo JPIA Trustees will consider providing points toward premium discounts for counties who adopt Montana Jail Standards and Peer Reviews.

MACo News • Volume 40, Number 1 • January 2011 6

MACo Property and Casualty Insurance

& Workers’ Compensation Insurance

For Public Entities Greg Jackson

JPIA/JPA Trust Administrator Phone (406) 449-4370 gjackson@mtcounties.org

Medical Pay Coverage A frequently asked question

By Dennis Jupka MACo JPIA Senior Claims Adjuster

We in the claims department are questioned why we have paid for an individual who was hurt on county property, when the county was not a fault for the injury. The reason is explained be-low: In the MACo JPIA Manuscript Policy there is Medical Pay Coverage for an individual who re-ceives injuries on the insured’s property. This could include slip and falls as well as being struck by an object. This coverage is provided regardless of any negligence or liability. The cov-erage provides payment up to a $5,000.00 limit for medical expenses related to the injury. If the injured individual is covered under the insured’s Workers Compensation, this coverage does not apply. An example would be a person comes into an insured’s building and trips and hurts their arm. There was no negligence on the insured for the fall. Under this coverage the person would still have his medical expenses paid up to the $5,000.00 limit. If you have any questions concerning the coverage please contact me at the MACo claims office:

406-442-1178 or e-mail me at

djupka@mtcounties.org

111 E. Broadway, Missoula, MT 59802 (406) 728-4611 www.wgmgroup.com

Pre-order your 2011 MACo Directory of Montana Officials

updated with newly elected officials!

Go to www.maco.cog.mt.us to order & pay online

OR Send order & payment to:

MACo, 2715 Skyway Dr. Helena, MT 59602 Attn: Sharon

COMING

SOON

MACo News

MACo News • Volume 40, Number 1 • January 2011 7

Attorney General Opinions

Attorney General Opinion Number 53-5 Held: 1. Taxable property within an incorporated city may become exempt from a county library levy under Mont. Code Ann. § 22-1-313 only when (1) the city has "an existing tax-supported public library," as the term "public library" is defined in Mont. Code Ann. § 33-1-301(3), actually in exis-tence and (2) the city governing body notifies the county of its desire not to be part of the county library system. 2. Where the city and county have entered an interlocal agreement in which the city provides a building and other services for a branch of the county library but has not created an independ-ent city library, withdrawal from the interlocal agreement, by itself, does not allow the city to act under Mont. Code Ann. § 22-1-313 to ex-empt city property from the county library tax levy.

ONLY $15.00

8

MACo News

MACo News • Volume 40, Number 1 • January 2011

IM REQUESTS COUNTY SUPPORT TO STAY STRONG

By Ian Marquand, Interoperability Montana Public Affairs Officer

“If we are together nothing is impossible. If we are divided all will fail.” -Winston Chur-chill "Help your brother's boat across, and your own will reach the shore.” -Hindu proverb There is no shame in asking for help. I’m not quoting anyone here; it’s plain-spoken ad-vice I’ve heard countless times in my life. It’s the moral to countless stories about people or organizations that have done all they can to address a situation and eventually realize they need the support of others to succeed. Interoperability Montana needs your sup-port today. Because Montana’s approach to statewide interoperable public safety commu-nications is about standing strong together. Those of us within the IM organization are grateful for the support we’ve already received from Montana’s county governments--and from MACo. Over the last couple of years, we’ve asked county leaders and public safety providers for their opinions on large issues facing our organization. We took those recom-mendations seriously as we crafted both a strategic plan and a business & operations plan in 2010. We also have worked to address a stark reality: the same Homeland Security grant funds that have powered the buildout of inter-operable facilities thus far provide very little money for “Management and Administration.” In other words, project oversight functions like financial accounting and customer service. These are not trivial items. They are, in fact, critical to our mission. Over the last two years, IM has looked for a way to use grant funds to pay for those criti-cal functions. While we believe we’ve stayed within the guidelines set by our grantors, the answer consistently has been “No.” As a re-

sult, we now must approach the counties and other entities which have benefited from the IM project in these ways:

• Through improved or expanded in-frastructure or new communications capabilities.

• Through IM’s project management services, the kind of “day-in, day out” work that often is taken for granted. IM provides a central point of contact, with expert staff who re-spond to questions, offer help and resolve problems. IM staff people also negotiate with vendors to get the best price and service, then hold their feet to the fire to make sure they perform.

In January, Executive Director Kevin Bruski and other IM leaders will make more visits around the state to talk to county com-missioners about how to support IM and its critical project management role. Montana’s interoperable communications system always has been designed as a shared system, with local governments playing a key role. IM always has needed and welcomed the support of counties. With your help today, this project—your project--will remain strong.

MACo News

Kimberly Potter has joined the MACo family

Kimberly started on De-cember 16th as the new MACo Legal Assistant. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and lived in California, Washing-

ton, Florida, North Idaho and Montana. She raised two children in North Idaho. In 1998 she moved to Montana and now calls Mon-tana her home. Kimberly has two grown children who also live in Montana. She has three grand-kids that she adores, along with her two cats. She loves the great outdoors, spending summers camping with family and friends. She also likes floating the rivers of Montana, fishing, hiking and horses.

MACo News • Volume 40, Number 1 • January 2011 9

MACo News

10

Emelia’s Safety Corner Safety tip of the Month By: Emelia McEwen, MACo JPA/JPIA

Senior Loss Control Specialist

Cold Comfort Stay warm and safe How cold is too cold? According to OSHA, cold stress can occur when the body is unable to warm itself. This can lead to tissue damage and possibly death. Four factors contribute to cold stress:

Cold air temperatures High-velocity air movement Dampness of the air Contact with cold water or surfaces

A cold environment forces the body to work harder to main-tain its temperature. Cold air, water, and snow all draw heat from the body. OSHA points out that while below-freezing conditions and inadequate protection can bring about cold stress, problems can also occur with much higher tempera-tures, even in the 50s, when coupled with rain and wind. The most common cold-induced problems are hypothermia, frostbite, and trench foot. Hypothermia occurs when body heat is lost faster than it can be replaced. When the core body temperature drops from the normal 98.6°F to around 95°F, symptoms generally begin. The person may begin to shiver and stomp the feet in order to generate heat. Workers may lose coordination, ex-perience slurred speech, and fumble with items in their hands. The skin will likely be pale and cold. As the body temperature falls, symptoms will worsen and shivering will stop. At a body temperature of below 85°F, severe hypo-thermia will develop and the person may become uncon-scious; at 78°F, death can occur. Treatment depends on the severity of the hypothermia. Frostbite occurs when the skin actually freezes and loses water. In severe cases, amputation of the frostbitten area may be required. Frostbite usually affects the extremities. The affected body part will be cold, tingling, stinging, or ach-ing, followed by numbness. The skin turns red in color, then

OSHA recommends these precautions:

• Wear at least three layers of clothing. An outer layer, such as GORE-TEX®, to break the wind A middle layer of down or wool to absorb sweat and provide insulation An inner layer of cotton or synthetic weave to allow ventilation • Wear a hat. Considerable heat escapes the

body from the head. • Keep a change of dry clothing available in

case work clothes become wet. • Wear loose rather than tight clothing for

better ventilation. • Follow work practices, including:

Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Schedule work during the warmer parts of the day. Take breaks out of the cold. Work in pairs. Avoid fatigue. Consume warm, high-calorie food.

MACo News • Volume 40, Number 1 • January 2011

purple, then white, and is cold to the touch. In severe cases, there may be blisters. Trench foot, or immersion foot, is caused when the feet are immersed in cold water at temperatures above freez-ing for long periods of time. It is similar to frostbite, but considered less severe. Symptoms include tingling, itch-ing, or a burning sensation.

MACo News • Volume 40, Number 1 • January 2011

MACo News

11

NACo Events January 12-13: NCCAE State Association Presi dents and Executive Directors Meeting (Washington DC) January 19: Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee Retreat (Orleans Par ish/New Orleans, Louisiana) January 20: County Leaders in Energy Efficiency and Alternative Energy Generation Forum 2011 ( Los Angeles County, California) For more information and to register

go to: www.naco.org

A NACo Victory!! Collective Bargaining Fails to Advance in the U.S. Senate Thanks to all of our members who weighed in with their congressional delegations to defeat this unfunded mandate and federal preemption. Last week efforts to pass S.3991, the Public Safety Employer-Employee Co-operation Act (PSEECA), a bill that NACo has consis-tently opposed since it was first introduced 15 years ago, came to a halt last Wednesday when senators from both sides of the aisle voted against a “motion to pro-ceed.” The tally on whether to invoke cloture on the mo-tion to proceed to the bill was 55-43, short of the 60 votes required. The PSEECA, mandated that state and local governments enter into collective bargaining agreements with their public safety employees and provide minimum collective bargaining standards for state and local police, firefighters and emergency medical technicians personnel regardless of state laws. The legislation had serious fiscal and administrative implications on counties because no funding was provided for state or local implementation. The bill, which was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, (D-Nev.) on November 30, differed from its predecessors — H.R.413, S. 1611, and S. 3194 — in a significant way: it would have allowed states to exempt from collective bargaining sheriffs’ deputies in those states that did not require sheriffs to collectively bargain with their deputies. The change drew strong opposition from the Fraternal Order of Police, one of the lead sup-porters of previous versions of the bill. A previous version of the PSEECA, S. 1611 introduced by Senator Gregg (R-N.H.) and again as S. 3194 by Sen. Reid., won five Re-publican co- sponsors, but it is unclear whether the origi-nal measure would have advanced. GOP senators had pledged to oppose procedural motions to begin debate on anything other than legislative bills to fund the federal government or those which addresses tax cuts. Led by Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), opponents of the bill were able to defeat the motion to proceed. Contact: Deseree Gardner • 202/942-4204

NACo News

MACo News

12

MACoHCT

A Cost Effective Alternative for Employee Benefits

(406) 443-8102 (Helena)

(406) 535-6893 (Lewistown)

Pam Walling - pwalling@mtcounties.org Alyce Bailey - abailey@mtcounties.org Laurie Goltry - lgoltry@mtcounties.org

Website: www.macohct.com

2011 Legal Holidays

New Year’s Day Friday, December 31, 2010 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday, January 17 Lincoln’s and Washington’s Birthday Monday, February 21 Memorial Day Monday, May 30 Independence Day Monday, July 4 Labor Day Monday, September 5 Columbus Day Monday, October 10 Veterans’ Day Friday, November 11 Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 24 Christmas Day Monday, December 26**

** December 25, 2011 - the legal public holiday for Christmas Day - falls on a Sunday. For most State of Montana em-ployees, Monday, December 26, 2011, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes.

Holidays Observed

MACo News • Volume 40, Number 1 • January 2011

Montana’s Minimum Wage Will Increase $.10 January 1, 2011

Montana’s minimum wage will increase from $7.25 per hour to $7.35 per hour on January 1, 2011. “Montana Law requires an adjustment to the minimum wage to be calculated no later than September 30, of each year,” said Labor Commissioner Keith Kelly. Initiative 151, enacted by Montana voters in 2006, proposed raising the state’s minimum wage to be the greater of either the current state or federal minimum wage. It also added an annual cost-of-living adjustment to the state minimum wage.

MACo News

MACo News • Volume 40, Number 1 • January 2011 13

MACo News • Volume 40, Number 1 • January 2011

MACo News

14

Become a MACo Associate Member

A Partnership with Montana Counties

Please visit our website: www.maco.cog.mt.us for more information and to download the application.

Prison Industries Producing Office Furniture, Seating, Printing & Sign Services, Embroidery & Garment Printing

Jack Hinkle, Marketing & Sales (406) 846-1320 ext. 2270

Website: http://mce.mt.gov Email: mce@mt.gov

Ambulance For Sale

Liberty County is selling a used ambulance

Description:

1991 Ford F350

7.3 Non Turbo Diesel Wheel Coach 58,000 Miles

We are accepting best offers. For any information, please call

Liberty County Commissioners at:

406-759-5365

21 3rd Street North, Suite 500

Great Falls, MT 59401 406-452-2526

Employment Opportunity

Dawson County has a vacant Sanitarian position.

For more information please contact

Adam Gartner at gartnera@dawsoncountymail.com or call

406-345-4102

You arrive at your hotel and check in at the front desk. When checking in, you give the front desk your credit card (for all the charges for your room). You get to your room and settle in. Someone calls the front desk and asked for; example Room 620 (which happens to be your room).

MACo News Arthur J. Gallagher

7380 Sand Lake Road, Suite 390, Orlando, FL 32819

(800) 524-0191, Ext. 3512

www.ajg.com

We are a leader in providing Risk Management solutions to Public Entity and Scholastic organizations. We provide: • First Dollar or Deductible Programs • Pools, Captives, or Risk Retention Groups Large or small, we’ll be your partner in providing Risk Management services for your Public Entity. Please contact Richard Terlecki or Mary Albee at (800) 524-0191 for more information.

15

This topic to be continued in the February 2011 MACo newsletter

Desktop vs. On-Site Property Valuations—Continued from December Newsletter

MACo News • Volume 40, Number 1 • January 2011

MACo News

16 MACo News • Volume 40, Number 1 • January 2011

More to elections than meets the eye

By Derek Brown Lewis and Clark County Commissioner

Independent Record —Your Turn

After successfully running for office two years ago, I was relieved to not have to endure the ordeal again this year. As the election drew nearer I realized that I really didn’t know what an election looked like from the other side. I knew it was an incredible amount of work for the candidates, but who organizes this affair? I approached Paulette DeHart, the Lewis and Clark County clerk and recorder, to see if I could work on the election. She welcomed my help and explained that since I was not running for office I could certainly work the election. This off-year election cost close to $100,000 to run and started many months before the actual elec-tion. As soon as the candidate filing is complete in mid-March, the elections office begins preparing the bal-lots and then runs the primary election in June. Once the Secretary of State provides the certified candi-dates for the general election, the county can then prepare the design, programming and printing of the ballots for the general election. One complexity is the requirement that each can-didate must appear first on an equal number of bal-lots. There is only about a 30-day window to complete this process. After the behind-the-scenes work is complete, the absentee ballots are mailed a month before the election and start to come back a few days later. Every envelope is checked in and Marilyn Bracken’s staff verifies every signature against the voter registrations. None of the absentees are counted until the polls open on Election Day. Election Day is the big push. The election judges

meet at 6 a.m. and open the polls at 7. Many of those judges remain at the polling place until it closes at 8 p.m. The average age of election judges is now mid- to late-70s! I’d love to see more young people getting involved in this great system we have and offer to work the elections. At the same time there were 36 people working on the third and fourth floors of the City-County Building opening and processing the ab-sentee ballots. I was lucky enough to start at noon when the first batch of absentees was counted. The ballots are sorted into odd and even precincts to be machine counted by precinct and then stored by indi-vidual precinct. The only real problem counting the absentees is that they’ve all been folded for mailing and tend to plug up the machines. With over 10,000 absentee ballots, that’s a lot of jams to clear. At noon the early pick-up crews went out to collect ballots at the polls, and we started to run them as the absentees were wrapping up. I was told early in the process that, “By midnight I would hate Mickey Mouse.” I have to admit that, no offense Walt Disney, I did get really tired of seeing Mickey and Donald Duck on the ballots. What I didn’t know was that a write-in vote doesn’t count unless the candidate has filed as a write-in for the election, or there is a contest with no candidate. Every time there is a write-in checked on the ballot, the counting stops, and the ballot has to be removed and verified as a write-in. With 25,677 ballots to count, the hundreds of “throw away” write-ins seen by the four of us counting ballots only serve to create a lot of frustrating extra work. Over votes, too many boxes marked, must be pulled and reconstructed by a pair of judges to accurately reflect the voter’s intent. By a little after 2 a.m. the process was complete. Tuesday, Nov. 16, was the end of the process for me with the official canvass of the election. When I faced the campaign two years ago, I didn’t realize the magnitude of the job for the election offi-cials. That it was a one-year commitment for a candi-date was astounding in itself. Our election officials do this on a regular basis. We tend to take this incredible process for granted, even those who choose not to exercise the privilege of voting. We should all extend our lessons in government beyond our formal school-ing and get more involved with local elections. As a contestant we’re focused on the competition but fail to recognize the months of planning and the scores of volunteers it takes to make it all work. To all those workers who make our world a better place, thank you.

Around Our Counties

17

county-owned park.

Big Horn County It has taken close to 20 years, but Har-din will finally be see-ing a new and im-proved airport in the coming years thanks to Federal Aviation Administration funding and a recent land ac-quisition by Big Horn County. The current airstrip, known as the Fairgrounds Airpark, has been increasingly difficult to insure, ac-cording to County Commissioners Chad Fenner and John Pretty On Top, due to dangerous obstruc-tions that prevent the FAA from offering its support. By moving the airstrip to a loca-tion situated behind Fairview Cemetery and within sight of In-terstate 90, planners hope to alleviate pi-lots of danger and meet numerous fed-eral regulations that plague the current air-port. Originally one of three airports near Hardin, Fairgrounds Airpark was con-structed in the mid-1940’s on a drainage swale with materials left over from a street construction job in Hardin. Since then, numerous structures have been built

Anaconda-Deer Lodge County

County commis-s i o n e r s a w a r d e d Swank Enterprise from Kalispell the bid to con-struct a park at the former Beaver Dam School in Opportunity and High Country Pav-ing of Belgrade the bid to grade and pave a quarter-mile of the Old Works Trail. The 9.5 acre park will include a sheltered picnic area, playground and trailhead. The bid must also be approved by the Montana Depart-ment of Transportation, which is administering the $2.3 million in rede-velopment funds Sena-tor Max Baucus se-cured for the county for the Milltown Dam re-moval project, accord-ing to county Planning Director Connie Ternes-Daniels. The 1950’s addition to the Beaver Dam School, which was closed in the mid 1970’s, will be demol-ished, but the original building will remain. It will be sealed off from entry. The contract in-cludes earthwork, pav-ing, landscaping and installing an irrigation system and lighting. A n a c o n d a - D e e r Lodge County Parks and Recreation Depart-ment will maintain the

around the landing strip which encroach upon the airspace. According to com-missioners, the price tag of the new airstrip will be around $6 mil-lion with the FAA cov-ering 95 percent of the costs. The funding will come in stages according to Pretty On Top with layers of construction being built over the next few years. Cascade County

Cascade County commissioners rati-fied a lease agree-ment between county-owned Montana Ex-poPark and Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit that guarantees the Circuit Finals will be held in Great Falls at least three more years and possibly five. The agreement says MPRC will rent Four Seasons Arena for the 2011 finals, which are scheduled January 14 through January 16. The rodeo will bring economic devel-opment to the town including business for area hotels and res-taurants. Local economic development officials and rodeo fans had worried that MPRC would have chosen another location for

the popular rodeo, which brings top rodeo performers and spend-ing money to the area.

Flathead County

With an $11,000 grant and design assis-tance from the U.S. Tennis Association, Flathead County has c o n s t r u c t e d a n d opened two tennis courts in Ben Williams Park in Lakeside. The courts were built to tennis associa-tion standards, with a retaining wall in one corner that serves as a practice backboard for those coming to the courts alone. The new courts have QuickStart lines painted on them to ac-commodate young chil-dren wanting to learn to play tennis. QuickStart is a new format to help children 10 and under to learn the game. The project, a col-laborative effort be-tween the Flathead County Parks and Rec-reation Department and the advisory commit-tee, got donations of time and resources from several entities.

Gallatin County

A current state worker has accepted the Gallatin County compliance officer posi-tion and will be on the job on January 3rd.

MACo News • Volume 40, Number 1 • January 2011

Around Our Counties

18 MACo News • Volume 40, Number 1 • January 2011

Nicole Olmstead was chosen over 35 other applicants. She currently works for the Montana Department of Environmental Quality in the agency’s en-forcement division. Olmstead currently works on a variety of state regulations and has experience with subdivision develop-ment and drinking wa-ter issues. The New York native graduated from the University of Montana and has lived in the state for about 12 years. “Gallatin County is a great county and is one of the fastest-growing counties in our state,” she said. “It’s exciting to think about being involved in main-taining that great qual-ity of life that you guys have.” The compliance of-ficer investigates com-plaints and tries to bring offenders into compliance.

Hill County

The Hill County Park Board and Hill County Commission are moving forward with an idea for a new fundraiser for Beaver Creek Park—a spe-cialty license plate—and are holding a con-test to find a design. The Park Board, at its meeting, discussed

position vacated by longtime director Milla Cummins. Brawn, who moved to L i v i ngs ton f r om Hobbs, N.M. started her role with the li-brary December 1st. Brawn, who was raised in a small town in Texas and holds a master’s degree in library information and science from the Uni-versity of Texas at Austin, said she’s ex-cited to be in Livingston. “The small-town library, that’s what I grew up with and made love libraries to begin with,” she said.

Phillips County

The Department of C o m m e r c e h a s awarded the Phillips County Historical So-ciety $60,933 in a Tourism Infrastructure Investment Program grant to restore the H.G. Robinson House in Malta. Historical Society President Kay Hould said the grant comes at a critical time, when a leaky roof and age threatened the integ-rity of the house. “W i t hou t t h i s grant , it would have been a piecemeal process to make these improvements, "she said. “We cer-tainly would not have

been able to invest in it what we can now.” Originally from New York, Herman G. Rob-inson taught in rural schools to earn money to go west. He was just 19 when he landed in Bill-ings. By 1898, he and his wife, Eliza, had shipped out a mail-order home on the rail-road and constructed it on the prairie, where Malta now sits. The house remains one of the finest exam-ples of early architec-ture in Malta. Powell County Powell County has a new planner. His name is Brian P. Bender and he begins his job January 10th. He was hired after extensive phone inter-views with potential candidates for the posi-tion in November. He comes to the position from Winona County, Minnesota where he served as its planning director for the past four years, and super-vised a staff of 11. A native New Yorker, Bender holds master’s degrees in Geography and re-gional Planning.

the idea, proposed by board member Rob-bie Lucke. The entry forms are available at the commissioner’s office in the Hill County Courthouse on 3rd Avenue and 4th Street. The winner of the contest wil l be awarded a $200 prize after the design has been approved by the state. According to the rules, designs can be photographic back-grounds or stylized license plates. The design must include the words “Beaver Creek Park” and “Hill County” somewhere on the plate. The design also must follow specifica-tions of the Montana state government regulating specialty license plates. The deadline for submitting designs for the plate is January 31st. The Park Board will judge the designs after the submission period is over.

Park County The Livingston-Park County Public Library has a new di-rector. Tammy Brawn has stepped in to fill the

Calendar of Events

MACo NEWS 449-4360 Fax: 442-5238 maco@mtcounties.org

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President John Ostlund, Yellowstone County 1st Vice President Connie Eissinger, McCone County 2nd Vice President Greg Chilcott, Ravalli County Fiscal Officer Cynthia Johnson, Pondera County Urban Representative Andy Hunthausen, Lewis & Clark County Past President Carl Seilstad, Fergus County DISTRICT CHAIRS 1. Richard Dunbar, Phillips County 2. Douglas Buxbaum, Dawson County 3. Donald Reiger, Fallon County 4. Russ Tempel, Liberty County 5. Arnold Gettel, Teton County 6. Ken Ronish, Fergus County 7. Maureen Davey, Stillwater County 8. Gail Vennes, Broadwater County 9. Randy Taylor, Park County 10. Tony Berget, Lincoln County 11. Jean Curtiss, Missoula County 12. Tom Rice, Beaverhead County ASSOCIATION BOARD MEMBERS Leo Gallagher, Lewis & Clark Co. Attorney Paula Robinson, Flathead Co. Clerk & Recorder Marilyn Craft, Jefferson County District Court Clerk Steve Immenschuh, Granite County Coroner Gary Olsen, Broadwater County Justice of the Peace Diane Inbody, Teton County School Supt. Dave Rau, Lewis & Clark Co. Sheriff’s Office Kim Buchanan, Gallatin County Treasurer

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MACo STAFF Harold Blattie, Executive Director Sheryl Wood, Associate Director Tom Swindle, Finance Officer Karen Houston, Meeting Planner Sara McGowan, Accounting Technician Shantil Siaperas, Legislative Coordinator Sharon Wilson, Administrative Assistant Greg Jackson, JPIA/JPA Trust Admin. Mike Sehestedt, Chief Legal Counsel Maureen Lennon, Assoc. Legal Counsel Greg Bonilla, Assoc. Legal Counsel Carol Knight, Legal Secretary/Ad. Assist. Kimberly Potter, Legal Assistant Emelia McEwen, Sr. Loss Control Specialist Fred Hansen, Loss Control Specialist Jack Holstrom, Personnel Svcs. Admin. Fran Monro, Member Services Rep. Keith Stapley, Claims Administrator Wendy Sesselman, WC Claims Supervisor Dennis Jupka, Senior Claims Adjuster Bonnie Knopf, Data Specialist Christine Holling, Claims Adjuster Liz Krzan, Asst. Claims Adjuster Jan Denke, Claims Support Specialist Kerissa Lyman, PT Admin. Assistant Alyce Bailey, Program Coordinator Pam Walling, Marketing Coordinator Laurie Goltry, Member Services Rep. Tom Beneventi, Custodian/Maintenance

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Events

January 3 62nd Legislative Session Convenes 11-13 MACo Risk Management Loss Control Conference 17 Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MACo Office Closed) February 6 MACo Health Care Trust Board of Trustees—MACo Conference Room 7 MACo Board of Directors - Red Lion Colonial Hotel—Helena 7 - 10 MACo Mid-Winter Conference - Red Lion Colonial Hotel—Helena 21 President’s Day (MACo Office Closed)

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MACo News • Volume 40, Number 1 • January 2011