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Record of Proceedings

Butte Silver Bow Council of Commissioners Regular Meeting - September 4, 2025

Council of Commissioners & Committees — Thursday, September 4, 2025
BodyButte Silver Bow, Montana
SessionCouncil of Commissioners & Committees
DateThursday, September 4, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:45

Can we have commissioners check in?

1:22

Okay.

2:00

I don't know what it's like.

2:02

It's like enough to let us say that we'll see the problem.

2:35

I'd like to call the Butte Silver Bowl Council of Commissioners regular meeting for Wednesday, September third, twenty twenty-five to order.

2:42

Clerk, could we please have roll called?

2:48

Eleven present, one absent.

2:50

Eleven present, one absence.

2:51

Please note that Commissioner Healy is absence from tonight's agenda.

2:55

Commissioner Walker, could you lead us in the prayer and the pledge?

3:34

Next, we'll move on to any public comment on any item on the agenda tonight.

3:38

Please state your name and address and what you would like to speak about.

3:49

Communication number thirteen, number twenty twenty-five-four four eight.

4:42

Thank you.

4:44

Thank you, Mr.

4:45

Frost.

4:46

Is there any other public comment on any item on tonight's agenda?

4:51

Seeing none.

4:58

Thank you, Mr.

4:59

Chief Executive.

5:00

At this time, I'll make a motion that we approve the August 20th, 2025 regular meeting minutes.

5:06

We have a motion and second to approve the August 2020, August 20th, 2025 regular meeting minutes.

5:12

Is there anything on the question?

5:15

Could Commissioners please vote?

5:23

And would anyone like to change their vote?

5:25

Clerk, please record the vote.

5:28

11 years.

5:30

11 year zero nay motion passes.

5:32

We don't have any items that are not addressed on tonight's agenda, so I'll just talk um a little quick note on the chief executive's report.

5:40

Last night I appreciate um everyone's work on passing um the 2025-2026 budget.

5:49

Um and just um taking the night from there, we were a little shorthanded, but it was good to get that passed.

5:58

I also wanted to uh kind of talk about uh I went to a ribbon cutting today for Dr.

6:04

Hull with the Great Falls Clinic and um how important that is to our community that Dr.

6:10

Hull stayed within our community.

6:12

I think he represents or has close to 4,000 patients in Southwest Montana, and I'm one of them.

6:21

Um so it was great to see that the Great Falls Clinic worked with him to keep um you know his uh cardio val cardio um heart service um doctor here in Butte and and uh he's such an asset uh as well as all of his uh employees there, our health services are so critical to the needs of Southwest Montana, and so it was it was great to go down there and do a ribbon cutting and and get that clinic open.

6:50

So um with that we just want to wish him the best of luck and and continued success um for all of our uh citizens in view.

6:59

So other than that, I don't really have a whole lot of other things to report tonight, so we'll move on and we'll move on to section one, the consent agenda a one through four and b one through fifteen.

7:12

Do we have any uh friendly amendments or segregations?

7:19

Commissioner O'Leary.

7:22

Thank you, Chief Executive Gallagher.

7:23

I wasn't intending it to segregate anything, but uh since we had a question about uh 2024, 2020, 448 and 449.

7:32

I'll segregate those just so we get those questions answered.

7:36

Okay.

7:36

So that's uh item number 13 communication number 2025-448, and item number 14, communication number 2025-449.

7:47

Are there any other friendly amendments and or segregations?

7:52

Seeing none, Commissioner Morgan.

7:55

Thank you, Mr.

7:55

Chief Executive.

7:56

At this time, I'll make a motion that we approve the section A, the committee reports one through four, B communications one through fifteen with the exclusion of number thirteen, twenty twenty-five-448, and number fourteen, twenty twenty-five-449.

8:15

We have a motion and second to approve tonight's consent agenda.

8:19

Is there anything else on the question?

8:22

Seeing none, could commissioners please vote.

8:30

And would anyone like to change their vote?

8:33

Clerk, please record the vote.

8:36

11 years nay.

8:38

11 years nay motion passes.

8:41

Moving to item number 13, communication number 2025-448.

8:47

Matt at Enruth, Butte Silver Boat, County Attorney requesting council commissioners' authorization to have Chief Executive Gallagher sign an agreement with Timothy M.

8:56

Dick, PC for legal services.

8:58

Commissioner O'Leary.

9:00

Thank you, Chief Executive Gallagher.

9:02

Uh, I guess I would just defer to our county attorney to if you wouldn't mind uh talking about what the uh member of the um community asked, and then also we had talked earlier about the the dates on there and and the purpose of those dates.

9:16

So if you wouldn't mind clarifying that as well, that'd be great.

9:19

Commissioner Larry, uh County Attorney and Ruth.

9:22

Chief Executive Gallagher, Commissioner Larry, Mr.

9:25

Frost.

9:26

So uh the contract specifically with regards to this communication is a contract that was already in place uh prior to me taking office.

9:34

Uh attorney Mark Vasovich had the contract.

9:38

It is for uh representing the Department of Public Health and Human Services with regards to DN cases.

9:44

D in cases are dependent neglect cases that's where children are removed from their homes uh due to being either neglected or you know in immediate danger.

9:54

Um this has already been contracted out.

9:56

The contract extends through next summer.

10:00

He's simply finishing out the contract for Mr.

10:01

Viserovich while we're working internally to bring that position back inside.

10:06

And then with regards to the dates in the contract, it started in uh July of 2024, which is the start date on the contract.

10:15

Uh Tim is taking over the contract starting today.

10:19

Uh we left the initial start date in there for that contract because uh the part of that contract is funded by federal for e-money, and we when the contract uh lapses, we can go back on those dates and say we've had it in place for so long and request additional funds.

10:36

Thank you, County Attorney and Ruth.

10:38

Uh Commissioner O'Larry.

10:39

Thank you, Chief Executive Gallagher.

10:41

Appreciate the clarification on that.

10:43

At this time, I'd like to make a motion to concur and place on file communication number 2025-44 uh 448.

10:50

Second.

10:51

We have a motion and a second to concur and place on file communication number 2025-448.

10:56

Is there anything on the question?

10:58

Could commissioners please vote?

11:05

And would anyone like to change their vote?

11:08

Clerk, please record the vote.

11:12

11 yay 09.

11:13

11 yay 0 nay motion passes.

11:16

Moving to item number 14, communication number 2025-449.

11:21

Matt and Ruth, but Silverbow County Attorney requesting council commissioners authorization to have Chief Executive Gallagher sign an interlocal agreement with Beaverhead County Montana.

11:31

Commissioner O'Leary.

11:33

Thank you, Chief Executive Gallagher.

11:34

Again, I'll defer to the county attorney to describe this.

11:36

It'd be great.

11:37

Thank you.

11:38

Commissioner or uh County Attorney Anne Ruth.

11:41

Chief Executive Gallagher, Commissioner O'Leary.

11:44

This is an interlocal agreement with uh my office and the uh Beaverhead County Attorney's Office.

11:50

We have one of these agreements with uh Anaconna Deer Lodge County as well.

11:54

It allows us to transfer cases back and forth in which there are interoffice conflicts due to me being newly elected in this county and Morgan Smith being newly elected in Anacona Deer Lodge County.

12:06

Uh we had a lot of overlapping conflicts with prior clients and things like that.

12:10

Her being a defense attorney and becoming a prosecutor, me being in private practice and becoming a prosecutor.

12:16

Uh so Skye Jones, the county attorney down in Dillon, was kind enough to lend us a helping hand and take on some of those cases that neither her and I neither neither her nor I could take, and he was close enough to take them rather than giving them to the attorney general's office.

12:31

Thank you.

12:32

And by statute, we have to have an agreement.

12:35

Thank you, County Attorney Ann Ruth.

12:37

Commissioner O'Larry.

12:38

Thank you, Chief Executive Gallagher.

12:40

I would like to make a motion to uh place concurrent place on file communication number 2025-449.

12:47

We have a motion and a second to concur in place on file communication number 2025-449.

12:54

Is there anything on the question?

12:57

Could commissioners please vote?

13:03

And would anyone like to change their vote?

13:06

Clerk, please record the vote.

13:10

11 yay 0 nay.

13:12

11A 0NA motion passes.

13:15

Moving on to section two ordinances resolutions, introduced judiciary.

13:21

We have one.

13:22

Council bill number 2025-03 and ordinance number 2025-03.

13:28

Um so please note that.

13:30

And then next we'll move to the calendar and other meeting and events.

13:34

Um please note all the dates and times of that.

13:37

And so next, I would take any public comment on any item not on tonight's agenda.

13:46

Seeing none, I would take a motion to adjourn.

13:51

We have a motion and a second to adjourn tonight's meeting.

13:54

All in favor, signify?

13:57

We are.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████41%
Pending Litigation██████████████████████████26%
Public Safety██████████████████18%
Health Insurance███████████████15%
Summary of Proceedings

Butte Silver Bow Council of Commissioners Regular Meeting - September 4, 2025

Note on date discrepancy: The meeting was called to order on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, per the transcript, but the instruction specifies the meeting took place on September 4, 2025. This summary uses the instructed date.

The Butte Silver Bow Council of Commissioners met in regular session with 11 commissioners present and one absent (Commissioner Healy). The meeting opened with a prayer and pledge led by Commissioner Walker, followed by public comment, approval of prior minutes, the chief executive's report, consent agenda actions, and consideration of two segregated communications.

Consent Calendar

  • Unanimously approved the August 20, 2025 regular meeting minutes (11-0 vote).
  • Approved the consent agenda (Section A, items 1–4; Section B, items 1–15) with the exclusion of items 13 and 14 (Communication Nos. 2025-448 and 2025-449), which were segregated for discussion (11-0 vote).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Mr. Frost (speaker, name given) offered public comment on Communication No. 2025-448 (item 13 on the agenda). No other public comments were made on agenda items or on items not on the agenda.

Chief Executive's Report

  • Chief Executive Gallagher thanked commissioners for passing the 2025-2026 budget the previous night.
  • He reported attending a ribbon cutting for Dr. Hull with the Great Falls Clinic, noting that Dr. Hull represents close to 4,000 patients in Southwest Montana and that his continued presence in Butte is vital for local health services.

Discussion Items

  • Communication No. 2025-448 (Contract with Timothy M. Dick, PC for legal services): County Attorney Enruth explained that the contract was already in place before he took office. Attorney Mark Vasovich originally held the contract, which covers representation of the Department of Public Health and Human Services in dependent neglect (DN) cases (children removed from homes due to neglect or immediate danger). The contract extends through next summer, and Timothy Dick is taking over to finish the contract while the county works to bring the position in-house. The contract's start date is July 2024, left unchanged to allow for federal funding reimbursements. Motion to concur and place on file passed 11-0.
  • Communication No. 2025-449 (Interlocal agreement with Beaverhead County): County Attorney Enruth described the agreement as allowing case transfers between his office and the Beaverhead County Attorney's Office due to interoffice conflicts. Both he and the Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Attorney (Morgan Smith) are newly elected, creating overlapping conflicts with prior clients. Beaverhead County Attorney Skye Jones agreed to handle some of these cases. A statutory interlocal agreement is required. Motion to concur and place on file passed 11-0.
  • Ordinances and Resolutions: Council Bill No. 2025-03 and Ordinance No. 2025-03 were noted. No further action was taken.
  • Calendar and Other Meetings: The commissioners noted the dates and times of upcoming events.

Key Outcomes

  • All votes were unanimous (11-0) on each item.
  • The consent agenda was approved with two items segregated for separate votes.
  • Both Communication Nos. 2025-448 and 2025-449 were concurred and placed on file.
  • The meeting adjourned without further business.

Meeting Transcript

Can we have commissioners check in? Okay. I don't know what it's like. It's like enough to let us say that we'll see the problem. I'd like to call the Butte Silver Bowl Council of Commissioners regular meeting for Wednesday, September third, twenty twenty-five to order. Clerk, could we please have roll called? Eleven present, one absent. Eleven present, one absence. Please note that Commissioner Healy is absence from tonight's agenda. Commissioner Walker, could you lead us in the prayer and the pledge? Next, we'll move on to any public comment on any item on the agenda tonight. Please state your name and address and what you would like to speak about. Communication number thirteen, number twenty twenty-five-four four eight. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Frost. Is there any other public comment on any item on tonight's agenda? Seeing none. Thank you, Mr. Chief Executive. At this time, I'll make a motion that we approve the August 20th, 2025 regular meeting minutes. We have a motion and second to approve the August 2020, August 20th, 2025 regular meeting minutes. Is there anything on the question? Could Commissioners please vote? And would anyone like to change their vote? Clerk, please record the vote. 11 years. 11 year zero nay motion passes. We don't have any items that are not addressed on tonight's agenda, so I'll just talk um a little quick note on the chief executive's report. Last night I appreciate um everyone's work on passing um the 2025-2026 budget. Um and just um taking the night from there, we were a little shorthanded, but it was good to get that passed. I also wanted to uh kind of talk about uh I went to a ribbon cutting today for Dr. Hull with the Great Falls Clinic and um how important that is to our community that Dr. Hull stayed within our community. I think he represents or has close to 4,000 patients in Southwest Montana, and I'm one of them. Um so it was great to see that the Great Falls Clinic worked with him to keep um you know his uh cardio val cardio um heart service um doctor here in Butte and and uh he's such an asset uh as well as all of his uh employees there, our health services are so critical to the needs of Southwest Montana, and so it was it was great to go down there and do a ribbon cutting and and get that clinic open. So um with that we just want to wish him the best of luck and and continued success um for all of our uh citizens in view. So other than that, I don't really have a whole lot of other things to report tonight, so we'll move on and we'll move on to section one, the consent agenda a one through four and b one through fifteen. Do we have any uh friendly amendments or segregations? Commissioner O'Leary. Thank you, Chief Executive Gallagher. I wasn't intending it to segregate anything, but uh since we had a question about uh 2024, 2020, 448 and 449. I'll segregate those just so we get those questions answered. Okay. So that's uh item number 13 communication number 2025-448, and item number 14, communication number 2025-449. Are there any other friendly amendments and or segregations? Seeing none, Commissioner Morgan. Thank you, Mr. Chief Executive. At this time, I'll make a motion that we approve the section A, the committee reports one through four, B communications one through fifteen with the exclusion of number thirteen, twenty twenty-five-448, and number fourteen, twenty twenty-five-449.

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