The Finance and Budget Committee convened on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, with Commissioners Shay, Thatcher, Boyle, Walker, Shea present, and Commissioners O'Neill and O'Leary absent. The meeting focused on approving emergency expenditures, reviewing a standard expenditure list of approximately $983,000, and processing a series of budget transfers primarily intended to address mid-year fiscal adjustments and overexpended line items for the new fiscal year. A final discussion took place regarding a grant application for environmental health regulatory improvements, resulting in a decision to forward the request to the full council.
Note: The transcript date is listed as January 28, 2026, while the header timestamp of the request specified January 29, 2026; the meeting content clearly reflects the January 28 proceeding.
Yeah, no kidding. Okay. I'm gonna call the finance and budget committee meeting to order for Wednesday, January twenty-eighth, twenty twenty-six. Um we will go over it to start at least over the expenditure list. Um Commissioner Shay, do you have any questions? Uh first let's go through Commissioner Thatcher's present, Commissioner O'Neill is absent, Commissioner Boyle present, Commissioner Walker present, Commissioner Shea present, and Commissioner O'Leary is absent. Um Commissioner Shea, did you have questions on the expenditure list? Um if Director Hassler could just give a brief explanation on the emergency. Sure, there's an additional claim for three thousand dollars to the Montana Department of Administration, and it's for our filing fees for our our fiscal year twenty twenty-five financial report. Um and you have to send the check in um in advance of sending the report, or sometimes they say they don't accept your report because they didn't receive the money and then they fine you. Commissioner Walker? No, I have to um I didn't have any other questions either. Um with that, I would entertain a motion. I will make a motion that we have reviewed and approved the emergency expenditure in the amount of three thousand dollars for January twenty-eighth, twenty twenty-six. Uh motions have been made and seconded for the emergency expenditure. Um those in favor? Aye. Uh against motion passes. And I'll make a motion that we have reviewed and approved the expenditure list for Wednesday, January twenty-eighth, twenty twenty-six in the amount of nine hundred eighty-three thousand three hundred six dollars and ninety-eight cents. Um all those in favor? Aye. Against motion passes. Um we did have some budget transfers this evening. Okay, it looks like one in the amount of five thousand dollars. Um readers with installation, I believe that their cottage is the security, correct? Yes. Um, one in the amount of sixteen thousand five hundred sixty-nine dollars out of public works. Transfer for bank charges is square charges for the landfill payment system, non capital fixed assets is for a Starlink internet system and a snowplow. The transfer for machinery and equipment is a pressure washer for equipment. Pressure washer stopped working and had to be replaced. So the total of the budget transfers was $16,569. One for the Council of Commissioners in the amount of $4300. This account, or this is the Civic Rec subscription and municode codification support through Civic Rec. Um for $2,000. Transfers for Haswoper training for the water maintenance division. That's for public works. Another one for public works out of the water utility in the amount of $1,194. Transfer for hazard pay and repair and maintenance supplies for water emergency. One in the amount of $10,000 for public works. It's two transfers for overtime needed to run the industrial water system. One in the amount of $10,000 out of Metro Sewer and Public Works, and that's for other purchased service purchase services for the increase in cleaning and pest control costs for the roundhouse, as well as mostly excavation notices. This will need to be increased to cover those costs for the remainder of the fiscal year. One in the amount of five thousand dollars out of the road fund and public works. It's for the purchase of tools that are needed for paving in year-round construction projects. Tools that are needed are Ferris Metal Locators and Asphalt Lutes. One in the amount of $10,600. This is for a veterans treatment court grant. And one in the one in the amount of $4,868. This looks like another grant. Yep.