REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Tuesday May 10, 2022

 

          ALL PRESENT:  Commissioner Jones, Chair; Commissioners Ostlund and Pitman; Board Clerk Teri Reitz; Clerk and Recorder Jeff Martin.

          PLEDGE.

Commissioner Ostlund made a MOTION to move File Item 2A to 2 on the Regular Agenda, Commissioner Pitman seconded.  Passed Unanimous. 

          9:30 a.m. BID OPENING – Bid Opening for MetraPark Premium Lot.

                                                Total Construction Cost

Askin Construction, Inc.                          $  888,495.00

Millennium Construction & Consulting, Inc.  $  963,742.62

Knife River – Billings                               $1,286,399.00

Commissioner Ostlund made a MOTION to refer the bids to staff for recommendation, Commissioner Pitman seconded.  Passed Unanimous.

          PUBLIC COMMENTS ON REGULAR, CONSENT AND FILED AGENDA ITEMS – Hearing no comments Commissioner Jones continued the Board Meeting.

          METRAPARK – A.) Event Calendar.  Mr. Cody Reitz, Assistant General Manager went through 3 months of calendared events.  B.)  Ticket Report.  Mr. Cody Reitz, Assistant General Manager stated Halestorm has 2400 tickets sold, Morgan Wallen is sold out, Hank Williams Jr. has sold 4300 tickets.  Magic City Blues has sold 5600 tickets, ZZ Top has sold 1700 tickets.  Mr. Reitz also stated that the Outlaws have a playoff game scheduled for June 17, 2022, and Championship game scheduled for June 25, 2022.  C.)  MontanaFair.  Mr. Tim Goodridge, General Manager stated that for MontanaFair this year there will be ticket kiosks at the main gate.  The ticket kiosks will be hard wired and should help with cash management issues during fair.  Mr. Goodridge also stated that WWC Engineering has given MetraPark a CAD file to help set up outside events to scale at MetraPark.  Venue Ops will be up and running in the next couple weeks.  D.)  Custodial Positions.  Mr. Tim Goodridge, General Manager stated that Metra has come up with a plan for the custodial positions at MetraPark and would like to get the Commissioners approval.  Once approved those positions can be built in to the MetraParks baseline cleaning.  Mr.  Goodridge noted that a concern that has been brought up is doubling up on cleaning staff and he stated that he is also concerned about that.  Commissioner Pitman asked if there is going to be a written proposal.  Mr. Goodridge stated that he had already given that to the Commissioners.

          Moved from File Items 2A – Letter – Metra RFQI Committee.  Commissioner Ostlund noted that this letter was a file item, and it is the recommendation back from the committee to the board on negotiating with the two firms that turned in Requests for the Metra RFQI.  We have two firms waiting on the board to decide what our direction is going to be.  Our promoters, renters, user groups and employees are waiting to see which direction we are going.  Commissioner Ostlund stated that on Thursday’s Discussion I am going to notice up a public discussion so that our vendors, promoters, and users come in an have an open discussion.  Commissioner Ostlund stated that he knew both Commissioner’s were open for open dialogue.  We’ve all said we will look at the best option for MetraPark going forward.  Commissioner Jones stated that he has put on the Tuesday agenda – Negotiation Committee Selection for ASM Private Management because he is not going to be here Thursday.  Commissioner Ostlund asked if he was putting on the agenda for the Commissioners to discuss.  Commissioner Jones answered, yes.  Commissioner Ostlund stated that is good I want this to transparent and open and I want the public to be involved.  Commissioner Ostlund stated he is still going to schedule a public discussion.  Commissioner Jones stated that Finance got the cart before the horse, and it is the Commissioners responsibility to look at those proposals and go into negotiations and see what can come out of that, we haven’t had that process.  Commissioner Jones stated that the Finance Director jumped right to the end and said stop which was not within his scope of looking at the proposals and telling us which was the most qualified.  Commissioner Jones noted that that discussion can happen on Tuesday.  Commissioner Jones noted that with the Finance Directors comments he cut out that whole process and said just stop the process which was not in is prevue and was not appropriate.  Commissioner Ostlund stated that is why we have these discussions because I can respectfully disagree.  Commissioner Ostlund stated we hired the best Finance Director that there is, and I think that his opinion is certainly valid and important, and I would be enormously disappointed if our Finance Director didn’t feel he had the authority and the responsibility to come to this board and advise us about what he thought what was in the best financial interest of the County going forward.  Commissioner Jones stated he does not have all the information and we had not sat down and negotiated with either firm.  He circumvented the whole process by making that comment.  Commissioner Jones stated we won’t know what the bottom line is until we sit down and negotiate with these companies.  That is part of the process that we set out to do, is sit down and talk to them.  Commissioner Jones stated that the Finance Director based it on what the proposal was, this process includes sitting down and negotiating with the company.  He totally took that out.   We may be able to negotiate something that actually makes sense.  Commissioner Ostlund stated then let’s sit down and start down that path.  Commissioner Jones stated that is what I have on for Tuesday.  Commissioner Pitman stated he is trying to figure out what Commissioner Jones and Ostlund’s timelines are.  Commissioner Pitman asked if we are having a discussion.  Commissioner Jones stated he has this on for Tuesday’s board meeting.  Commissioner Pitman stated he does not think we need a second public hearing.  Commissioner Pitman noted that part of the process is not only getting our user groups in, but getting both ASM Global and OVG to come in for a meeting so they can walk us through their proposals.  What’s on paper and what we can sit down and negotiate could be different.  Commissioner Jones stated we will start with the number one ranked company, so we won’t bring them both in.  If we can’t negotiate with the number one ranked company, we will go to the number two ranked company and negotiate with them.  Commissioner Ostlund stated he wants to have the public discussion and bring the public in and give them the chance to formally comment and because he wants to hear what they have to say.  Commissioner Ostlund stated we will both head down the same path.  Commissioner Jones stated the subject of the meeting will be to select a negotiation committee to talk to the number one ranked company.  Commissioner Jones stated that is part of the process that was laid out in very beginning and that is why I think our Finance Director was way out of line when he made a recommendation when we hadn’t even sat down with the companies and said how does this work and go through it during a negotiation rather than just asking for information.  The committee asked for information and got the information back and the Finance Director took a leapfrog ahead of us and took the process and threw it out the window and said this is what I recommend.  That was not in his scope.  The committee was supposed to identify the most qualified firm and they did that and then the Finance Director took it a step further which was not part of the process.  Now we are going to get it back online and put it back into the actual process that we laid out in the beginning.   Commissioner Jones asked for any further comments.  With no further comments Commissioner Jones continued the board meeting.                        

          CLAIMS – Batches 22-167, 22-168, 22-169 & 22-170.  Commissioner Pitman made a MOTION to approve the Claims, Commissioner Ostlund seconded.  Passed Unanimous.

          CONSENT AGENDA – 1.  COMMISSIONERS – A.)  Board Reappointments – Todd Hewett to Zoning Commission Board; Jim Phelps to Park Board; Barry Bender to Huntley FSA Board; Leona Samson to Huntley Public Cemetery Board; Judy Goldsby to Laurel City/County Planning Board; Peggy McSweyn to Billings Public Library Board; Robert Lanaghan to LUFSA Board.  B.)  Letter of Support – Eastern Montana Timber Bridges Bundle Project.  C.)  Updated Bylaws for Adult Resource Alliance.  2.  EXTENSION SERVICES – Hiring Approval Form from Montana State University to Hire a Horticulture/Small Acreage Agent Full Time.  3.  FACILITIES- Requesting Approval to take Used John Deere Riding Mower to Tryan’s Auction.  4.  FINANCE – A.)  Information Technology Department Request to Expend for a New Computer.  B.)  Extending the Lease for the Shop at the Veteran’s Cemetery for Another 7 years.  C.)  MetraPark RFP TICKETING SERVICES – ADDENDUM #1 – Date Extension of Pre-Submittal Meeting, Proposal Submittal, and Open and Acknowledgement.  D.)  MetraPark Public Address System ARPA Project Change Order #1 – AVI Systems, Inc.  5.  PUBLIC WORKS- MCEP Grant EA Resolution and Application Resolution.  6.  HUMAN RESOURCES – PERSONNEL ACTION REPORTS – Human Resources – 1 Termination; Detention Facility – 3 Terminations; Sheriff’s Office – 2 Appointments, 1 Salary & Other; County Attorney – 1 Termination.

          FILE ITEM – 1.  CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT- Disbursements and Checks for April 2022.  2.  COUNTY ATTORNEY – A.)  Letter – Metra RFQI Committee. – Moved to the regular agenda.  B.)  Agreement.  3.  FACILITIES – Application to Use Courthouse Lawn – Rally for Reproductive Rights.  4.  FINANCE – A.)  GIS Transfer Notice for ESRI Licensing.  B.)  Budget Transfer Notification – Metra.  C.)  Second Tranche Certification for ARPA Funds.  5.  SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS – Signed Work Agreement with Yellowstone County and DOR.  Commissioner Ostlund made a MOTION to approve the Consent Agenda and place the File Items to file, Commissioner Pitman seconded.  Passed Unanimous. 

          PUBLIC COMMENTS ON COUNTY BUSINESS – Hearing no comments Commissioner Jones adjourned the meeting at 9:51 a.m.

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