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Record of Proceedings

Finance and Budget Committee Meeting Summary - January 28, 2026

Council of Commissioners & Committees — Thursday, January 29, 2026
BodyButte Silver Bow, Montana
SessionCouncil of Commissioners & Committees
DateThursday, January 29, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
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2:13

Yeah, no kidding.

2:15

Okay.

2:18

I'm gonna call the finance and budget committee meeting to order for Wednesday, January twenty-eighth, twenty twenty-six.

2:24

Um we will go over it to start at least over the expenditure list.

2:30

Um Commissioner Shay, do you have any questions?

2:33

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.

2:44

Um Commissioner Shea, did you have questions on the expenditure list?

2:50

Um if Director Hassler could just give a brief explanation on the emergency.

3:00

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.

3:10

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.

3:38

Commissioner Walker?

3:39

No, I have to um I didn't have any other questions either.

3:43

Um with that, I would entertain a motion.

3:49

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.

4:00

Uh motions have been made and seconded for the emergency expenditure.

4:03

Um those in favor?

4:06

Aye.

4:07

Uh against motion passes.

4:10

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.

4:23

Um all those in favor?

4:26

Aye.

4:26

Against motion passes.

4:29

Um we did have some budget transfers this evening.

4:36

Okay, it looks like one in the amount of five thousand dollars.

4:40

Um readers with installation, I believe that their cottage is the security, correct?

4:47

Yes.

4:48

Um, one in the amount of sixteen thousand five hundred sixty-nine dollars out of public works.

5:00

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.

5:06

The transfer for machinery and equipment is a pressure washer for equipment.

5:09

Pressure washer stopped working and had to be replaced.

5:12

So the total of the budget transfers was $16,569.

5:17

One for the Council of Commissioners in the amount of $4300.

5:22

This account, or this is the Civic Rec subscription and municode codification support through Civic Rec.

5:30

Um for $2,000.

5:34

Transfers for Haswoper training for the water maintenance division.

5:37

That's for public works.

5:39

Another one for public works out of the water utility in the amount of $1,194.

5:45

Transfer for hazard pay and repair and maintenance supplies for water emergency.

5:50

One in the amount of $10,000 for public works.

5:53

It's two transfers for overtime needed to run the industrial water system.

5:59

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.

6:27

This will need to be increased to cover those costs for the remainder of the fiscal year.

6:32

One in the amount of five thousand dollars out of the road fund and public works.

6:36

It's for the purchase of tools that are needed for paving in year-round construction projects.

6:41

Tools that are needed are Ferris Metal Locators and Asphalt Lutes.

6:47

One in the amount of $10,600.

6:51

This is for a veterans treatment court grant.

6:56

And one in the one in the amount of $4,868.

7:02

This looks like another grant.

7:05

Yep.

7:05

Department of Justice Assistance Grants, the DUI and Vets Treatment Court.

7:13

One in the amount of $1,926 out of the county attorney.

7:22

But we do not have enough for the copier in that line item.

7:24

So transfer came from one item to another.

7:28

As the copier was $7,315 and 80 cents.

7:34

One in the amount of $3,797 for the clerk of the court.

7:39

District Court for two desks with returns and four drawer filing cabinet for functional workspace.

7:46

Transferring money from operating supplies to non-capital fixed assets.

7:51

One in the amount of $102.

7:55

That's for translator charges for a district court hearing.

7:59

It's obviously out of the district court.

8:01

One in the amount of $25,000 for the sheriff's office.

8:06

Transfer is for deductible insurance expense not budgeted.

8:09

And the last one this evening is for the amount of $25.

8:14

Are these the same ones?

8:16

No.

8:16

$25,000 for a deductible insurance expense not budgeted also out of the sheriff's office.

8:22

So this one is for the detention summer.

8:24

Okay.

8:26

Okay.

8:26

So there have been more budget transfers in the last couple of weeks that we've seen.

8:33

And at the end of the year going into the new fiscal year, we work on a mid-year review.

8:40

And so we send notices out to all the departments that say, hey, look, you have this line item that's overspent.

8:45

Please take care of it.

8:46

So that's why you're seeing more than usual as everybody's just kind of taking care of their overexpended line items.

8:56

Does anybody have any questions on the budget transfers?

9:00

Okay.

9:01

Also on tonight's agenda is something I don't know if I've seen before, but um communication number 2026-20.

9:09

Jackie Thompson Environmental Health Manager requesting Council of Commissioners permission to apply for an NEHA FDA retail flexible funding model grant in the amount of $5,000 with an additional add-on training grant up to $7,500 and will be used to improve the retail food regulatory program.

9:28

If I had to guess, this came to us to identify whether there's a match associated with this.

9:34

So I will reach out to Ms.

9:37

Thompson and find that out.

9:40

I missed this, I'm not sure how I missed that, but um so I'll find that out.

9:44

Would you guys want to hold this or do you want to move it and I can report to Chairman Morgan?

9:49

Commissioner Shea.

9:51

Um I would prefer that we move it because there may be a deadline we don't know about.

9:57

I completely agree.

9:58

Yeah.

9:58

Okay.

9:59

So I'd entertain a motion.

10:00

Okay, so I'll make a motion to refer communication number 2026-20 back to the full council for approval.

10:11

I guess.

10:23

All those in favor?

10:25

Aye.

10:26

Against?

10:27

Motion passes.

10:29

Is there any other comments, questions, or concerns on this evening's or for this evening's budget meeting?

10:37

Seeing none, I would entertain a motion to adjourn.

10:42

Second.

10:43

All those in favor?

10:45

Aye?

10:45

We are adjourned.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Budget Equity Analysis█████████████████████████████████████████████70%
Procedural███████11%
Public Health███████11%
Veteran Support█████8%
Summary of Proceedings

Finance and Budget Committee Meeting Summary - January 28, 2026

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.

Consent Calendar

  • Emergency Expenditure Approval: The committee unanimously approved an emergency expenditure of $3,000.00 for filing fees related to the Montana Department of Administration regarding the Fiscal Year 2025 financial report. Commissioner Shay noted this is required to prevent fines or report rejection.
  • Expenditure List Approval: The committee unanimously approved the general expenditure list for Wednesday, January 28, 2026, totaling $983,306.98.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments or testimony were recorded during this meeting transcript.

Discussion Items

  • Budget Transfers: A comprehensive review of budget transfers totaling various amounts for the following purposes was conducted:
    • $5,000.00 to Readers with Installation for security (cottage).
    • $16,569.00 from Public Works for bank charges (Square), Starlink internet systems, and a snowplow.
    • Machinery and equipment transfer for a replacement pressure washer.
    • $4,300.00 to the Council of Commissioners for Civic Rec subscriptions and Municode codification support.
    • $2,000.00 from Public Works for Hawser (Haswoper) training for the water maintenance division.
    • $1,194.00 from Public Works to the Water Utility for hazard pay and supplies for a water emergency.
    • $10,000.00 from Public Works for overtime to operate the industrial water system.
    • $10,000.00 from Metro Sewer and Public Works for increased cleaning, pest control, and excavation notices at the roundhouse.
    • $5,000.00 from the Road Fund for tools (Ferris Metal Locators and Asphalt Lutes) for year-round paving projects.
    • $10,600.00 as a grant allocation for the Veterans Treatment Court.
    • $4,868.00 from the Department of Justice as a grant for the DUI and Vets Treatment Court.
    • $1,926.00 transfer within the County Attorney's office to fund a copier (item adjusted from $7,315.80).
    • $3,797.00 to the Clerk of the Court for desks, returns, and filing cabinets.
    • $102.00 to the District Court for translator charges.
    • $25,000.00 transfer within the Sheriff's Office for deductible insurance expenses.
    • $25.00 for the detention summer.
    • Context: Chairperson Morgan explained these transfers increased in frequency nearing the fiscal year-end as departments address overspent line items during the mid-year review process.

Key Outcomes

  • Motion Passed: Approved emergency expenditure of $3,000.00.
  • Motion Passed: Approved expenditure list of $983,306.98.
  • Motion Passed: Approved multiple budget transfers to reallocate funds for supplies, equipment, grants, and operational costs.
  • Referenced Item: Communication 2026-20 was reviewed. The committee made a motion to refer the request for a $5,000 NEHA FDA retail flexible funding model grant (with potential $7,500 training add-on) back to the full council for approval, citing potential urgency regarding application deadlines.
  • Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned with a unanimous "Aye" vote.

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.

Meeting Transcript

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.

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