OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Butte Silver Bow Council Meeting Summary - December 3, 2025

Council of Commissioners & Committees — Thursday, December 4, 2025
BodyButte Silver Bow, Montana
SessionCouncil of Commissioners & Committees
DateThursday, December 4, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:42:27

Transcript — Verbatim
0:28

I'd like to call the Butte Silver Bow Council of Commissioners regular meeting for Wednesday December 3, 2025 to order.

0:35

Clerk, can we please have a roll call?

0:40

Nine present, three absent.

0:42

Nine present, three absence.

0:43

Please note that Commissioner Mankins, Commissioner O'Neill, and Commissioner Anderson are all absent from tonight's agenda.

0:49

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

1:15

I pledge allegiance to the five of the United States of America.

1:19

And to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God.

1:33

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

1:38

And I know that there's a couple people that are probably going to get called up here today, so you you can wait to get called up on those if you would like.

1:56

Okay.

1:59

Seeing none, I'll move to the approval of the minutes of the November 19, 2025 minutes.

2:05

Commissioner Morgan.

2:06

Thank you, Mr.

2:07

Chief Executive.

2:08

At this time, I'll make a motion that we approve the November 19th, 2025 minutes.

2:13

We have a motion and second approving the November 19, 2025 minutes.

2:17

Is there anything on the question?

2:19

Could Commissioners please vote?

2:26

And would anyone like to change their vote?

2:28

Clerk, please record the vote.

2:37

9 Yay 0 nay.

2:39

9 Yay 0 nay.

2:40

Motion passes.

2:42

We do have one item that's not addressed on tonight's agenda.

2:45

We have communication number 2025-584.

2:48

Commissioner Morgan.

2:49

Thank you, Mr.

2:50

Chief Executive.

2:51

In accordance with the provisions of Rule 7 of the Rules of Business of the Council of Commissioners of the City and County of Butte Silver Bow State of Montana.

2:59

The council hereby finds that an emergency condition exists which requires that the council rules be suspended to allow for communication 2025-584 to be added to tonight's agenda.

4:03

Based on the foregoing and to allow this matter to be acted upon, the council hereby finds an emergency exist which requires suspension of the rules to add communication 2025-584.

4:17

So at this time I move uh to approve the suspension of the rules to add communication 2025-584 to the regular meeting tonight.

4:27

We have a motion and second tag, communication number 2025-584 to tonight's agenda.

4:33

Is there anything on the question?

4:35

Could commissioners please vote.

4:49

Clerk, please record the vote.

4:56

Nine yay, zero nay motion passes.

5:00

Next, moving on to the chief executive's report.

5:02

Today I was able to probably be a part of our local heroes ceremony that was held at the Knights of Columbus.

5:10

The 12 individuals that were recognized for their service to the community were Nova Nova Barch, Cheryl Frederick, Mike Lawson, Jocelyn Dodge, Jim Colly, Shani Bailey, Susie McLaren, Dina Hamry, Callie Parr, Mike Mangan, Larry Driscoll, and our very own Bill Melvin.

5:37

All of these individuals have unique contributions to the community, and and as we talked about today, they they don't do the work that they do to be recognized, but it sure is nice for them to be recognized by the community when they do that.

5:52

Alongside those individuals, the Ancient Order of Hibernians was also recognized for their long-standing community heritage and civic engagement.

6:02

Their contributions reminded us of the Butte Strength and the heritage of the Irish people in our community.

6:08

So I just want to congratulate all of those that were recognized today at the at the local heroes dinner.

6:14

And I want to thank uh KBOW, um Ron Davis, Father Patrick Beretta, the Montana Standard, uh, as they uh and um Stephanie Sharini from the chamber as they kind of brought this to the forefront during COVID, you know, that uh the people that went out and are go above and beyond in our community and recognizing those so and it's continued on.

6:38

They thought it was going to be a one-year deal, and every year there's always deserving people, and they take nominations.

6:44

So next year is if you recognize somebody in the community that really goes above and beyond and is not being recognized for what they do.

6:52

I I encourage you to do that.

6:54

Um I also wanted to kind of talk about some of the things uh about you know, I know there's a lot of conversations about the data center and Sabi Data Center and and you know the oversight and community impact, and I I want to highlight the positive and proactive work our local government is undertaking regarding the potential SABE data center project.

7:16

This development represents a significant opportunity for Butte, and we're approaching it with diligence, transparency, and community focus.

7:25

Extensive research and collaboration.

7:28

Our local government is conducting in-depth studies and impacts the local community, particularly around energy use and sustainability.

7:37

We're working closely with Montana Tech and Bob Morris, the Lance Energy Chair at Montana Tech, to ensure that the every every dis decision is informed by expertise and long-term vision.

7:48

The environmental impact, we're diligently in examining the environmental impacts and the footprint of the proposed site.

7:58

These include careful study of noise level, light requirements, and overall land use impacts to ensure that the project aligns with community standards and environmental stewardship.

8:14

There's talk about the water.

9:13

Um have been invited to go out and visit the SABE site in Quincy and my understanding is that that's been moved to to potentially in January.

9:21

And I also understand that some of our commissioners have reservations about going under that, and I want to respect everybody's you know views about that.

9:29

I think that it's important for all of us of how we how we think about that.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████████████████████33%
Zoning And Land Use██████████████████████████26%
Procedural███████████████████19%
Government Structure█████████9%
Data Center Development████4%
Environmental Protection████4%
Community Engagement███3%
Disability Rights██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Butte Silver Bow Council Meeting December 3, 2025

The Council of Commissioners of Butte Silver Bow held its regular meeting on Wednesday, December 3, 2025. Nine commissioners were present, with Commissioners Mankins, O'Neill, and Anderson absent. The Chief Executive began with a report celebrating local heroes and addressing community concerns regarding the Sabi Data Center and internal government ethics. The meeting featured significant deliberation on land sale issues, including a denied purchase request due to changed property ownership and a disputed sale price for unbuildable land. The council also adopted a budget amendment for FEMA funds, approved a minor subdivision, and authorized a resolution for tree planting.

Consent Calendar

  • Commissioner Morgan moved to approve Section 1 (Committee Reports 1-4, excluding report 25-542) and Communications 1-9, with exclusions for Communication 25-577 and 25-581. Commissioner Morgan proposed friendly amendments to swap equipment descriptions between Communications 25-578 and 25-580. Commissioners Shea and Morgan segregated specific items for separate discussion. The motion passed with a vote of 9-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Steve Maloney: Expressed frustration over a five-year delay in purchasing property adjacent to his former business (109 North Montana St.) and requested a refund of the $2,500 paid for a survey. He stated his original intent was to build a garage and clean up the Alma Higgins Garden, and that he was not interested in a partnership with a third party (owner of the Covelite Theater) when first approached by Director Burns.
  • Director Karen Burns: Clarified that the initial sale approval was a boundary line adjustment contingent on Maloney owning the adjacent property. She expressed that the suggestion of a partnership was made only after Maloney delayed the process and the neighboring Covelite Theater owners expressed interest in the site.
  • Will O'Connor (Land Records Coordinator): Explained that the survey completed by Maloney is invalid because it was a boundary line adjustment tied to a property he no longer owns. He stated that a new survey and legal process would be required to create a separate new parcel.
  • Julia Crane (Director of Planning): Noted that the property is a capped Superfund site with specific restrictions and that access would only be possible through the publicly owned parking lot, requiring an easement. She stated that no new parcels could be created via boundary adjustment without the original adjacent parcel.
  • Patty and Chris Salmonson: Stated they believe the Department of Revenue valuation for their requested purchase of unbuildable land ($32,080) is excessive. They presented research suggesting a value of 10 to 20 cents per square foot for unbuildable land, arguing they cannot build or dig on the site.
  • Director Crane: Reiterated that the land is a capped Superfund site and that DOR valuations are used because comparable sales of unbuildable reclaimed land are non-existent.
  • Commissioners Fisher and Shea: Expressed strong concern regarding inconsistent land valuation practices across county sales (comparing a $2,000/acre tax-free land deal to the high cost of unbuildable land) and the challenges of valuing Superfund impacted properties.
  • Director Crane: Accepted the council's direction to reconvene the Land Sales Committee to establish consistent guidance for valuations, including contacting the Department of Revenue and exploring other comparables.

Discussion Items

  • Communication 2025-542 (Maloney Land Purchase): The council reviewed the request from Steve Maloney to purchase a portion of county-owned property. After hearing that Maloney sold his adjacent property and the original boundary adjustment is no longer viable, the county proposed denying the sale. Commissioner Fisher argued that the county should refund the survey cost to avoid a legal dispute over $2,500. The County Attorney advised that the council lacks authority to refund funds not received by the county and that the communication was strictly a denial recommendation.
  • Communication 2025-581 (Salmonson Land Purchase): The council discussed the request from the Salmonsons to purchase unbuildable land adjacent to their property. Due to the significant disagreement between the proposed DOR valuation ($32,080) and the purchaser's offer based on online research, the council debated the need for new valuation standards for Superfund impacted land. Director Crane requested guidance on valuation methodologies.
  • Chief Executive's Report: The Chief Executive highlighted the positive impact of the Local Heroes ceremony and addressed concerns regarding the Sabi Data Center, emphasizing the government's proactive stance on studying impacts. He defended the integrity of county employees against social media criticism and noted that site visits to the Data Center were being considered but not yet scheduled.
  • Communication 2025-577 (Precinct Boundaries): Segregated by Commissioner Morgan to note that the Clerk and Recorder does not wish to act on this item this year, intending to revisit it next year.
  • Communication 2025-584 (ADA Contract): An emergency addition to the agenda to authorize a contract for a sign language interpreter for an upcoming public hearing on the ADA Transition Plan, as no local interpreters were available in Butte.

Key Outcomes

  • Communication 2025-542: Motion to concur with the denial of the purchase request (Communication 2025-2025-542) passed with a vote of 6-3.
  • Communication 2025-577: Motion to note the communication in place on file (deferring action to next year) passed with a vote of 9-0.
  • Communication 2025-581: Motion to refer the request back to the Land Sales Committee for further research and valuation analysis, and to hold the item in the Committee of the Whole, passed with a vote of 9-0.
  • Communication 2025-584: Motion to concur with the ADA interpreter contract and place on file passed with a vote of 9-0.
  • Resolution 2025-63: Passed authorizing the amendment of the budget to use FEMA assistance for purchasing SCBA for the Fire Department (9-0).
  • Resolution 2025-66: Passed granting conditional approval of the Tractor Supply minor subdivision (9-0).
  • Resolution 2025-68: Passed authorizing the amendment of the budget to purchase and plant trees in Skyline Park (9-0).
  • Resolution 2025-69: Passed authorizing the sole source purchase of Solzer Parts from Falcon Environmental for the Metro Sewer Division (9-0).

Meeting Transcript

I'd like to call the Butte Silver Bow Council of Commissioners regular meeting for Wednesday December 3, 2025 to order. Clerk, can we please have a roll call? Nine present, three absent. Nine present, three absence. Please note that Commissioner Mankins, Commissioner O'Neill, and Commissioner Anderson are all absent from tonight's agenda. Commissioner Walker, could you please lead us in the prayer in the pledge? I pledge allegiance to the five of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God. Next we'll move on to any public comment on any item on tonight's agenda. And I know that there's a couple people that are probably going to get called up here today, so you you can wait to get called up on those if you would like. Okay. Seeing none, I'll move to the approval of the minutes of the November 19, 2025 minutes. Commissioner Morgan. Thank you, Mr. Chief Executive. At this time, I'll make a motion that we approve the November 19th, 2025 minutes. We have a motion and second approving the November 19, 2025 minutes. Is there anything on the question? Could Commissioners please vote? And would anyone like to change their vote? Clerk, please record the vote. 9 Yay 0 nay. 9 Yay 0 nay. Motion passes. We do have one item that's not addressed on tonight's agenda. We have communication number 2025-584. Commissioner Morgan. Thank you, Mr. Chief Executive. In accordance with the provisions of Rule 7 of the Rules of Business of the Council of Commissioners of the City and County of Butte Silver Bow State of Montana. The council hereby finds that an emergency condition exists which requires that the council rules be suspended to allow for communication 2025-584 to be added to tonight's agenda. Based on the foregoing and to allow this matter to be acted upon, the council hereby finds an emergency exist which requires suspension of the rules to add communication 2025-584. So at this time I move uh to approve the suspension of the rules to add communication 2025-584 to the regular meeting tonight. We have a motion and second tag, communication number 2025-584 to tonight's agenda. Is there anything on the question? Could commissioners please vote. Clerk, please record the vote. Nine yay, zero nay motion passes. Next, moving on to the chief executive's report. Today I was able to probably be a part of our local heroes ceremony that was held at the Knights of Columbus. The 12 individuals that were recognized for their service to the community were Nova Nova Barch, Cheryl Frederick, Mike Lawson, Jocelyn Dodge, Jim Colly, Shani Bailey, Susie McLaren, Dina Hamry, Callie Parr, Mike Mangan, Larry Driscoll, and our very own Bill Melvin. All of these individuals have unique contributions to the community, and and as we talked about today, they they don't do the work that they do to be recognized, but it sure is nice for them to be recognized by the community when they do that. Alongside those individuals, the Ancient Order of Hibernians was also recognized for their long-standing community heritage and civic engagement. Their contributions reminded us of the Butte Strength and the heritage of the Irish people in our community. So I just want to congratulate all of those that were recognized today at the at the local heroes dinner. And I want to thank uh KBOW, um Ron Davis, Father Patrick Beretta, the Montana Standard, uh, as they uh and um Stephanie Sharini from the chamber as they kind of brought this to the forefront during COVID, you know, that uh the people that went out and are go above and beyond in our community and recognizing those so and it's continued on. They thought it was going to be a one-year deal, and every year there's always deserving people, and they take nominations. So next year is if you recognize somebody in the community that really goes above and beyond and is not being recognized for what they do. I I encourage you to do that. Um I also wanted to kind of talk about some of the things uh about you know, I know there's a lot of conversations about the data center and Sabi Data Center and and you know the oversight and community impact, and I I want to highlight the positive and proactive work our local government is undertaking regarding the potential SABE data center project.

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