Bitterroot Star - December 12, 2018

Page 1

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Covering the Bitterroot Valley – “Where Montana Begins!”

’ ! l a c o L t a t s e B ‘The

. . . n o s a e S y a d li o H This Buy Local . Buy Handmade Buy From People You Know Community Newspaper

Volume XXXIV, Number 21

Music for everyone

Established 1985 - Locally owned & independent

Nationally known singer/songwriter Jenn Adams, owner of Rooted Music, which partners with the non-profit Bitterroot School of Music in Hamilton. Michael Howell photo.

Rooted Music and Bitterroot School of Music - a fine pairing Rooted Music, a music store located in Hamilton, houses a unique school, the Bitterroot School of Music. Together they form an incredible duo. One is a store specializing in quality instruments of all types including banjos, mandolins and ukuleles, violins and violas, guitars, basses, percussion, band and orchestra, as well

as instruments for toddlers and young players. The store also carries books and accessories and the staff is, without exaggeration, very knowledgeable, not only about the business end of things from supplies to instrument repairs, but about the music end of things as well, what comes out of all those instruments. “We stand by our many years in business and experience in all types of instrument and elec-

tronic repair,” said owner/operator and performing artist, Jenn Adams. “We pride ourselves on giving the best and friendliest service possible. That means even if we don’t have what you need and the competition does, we’ll gladly send you there.” Although quite the entrepreneur, and eager to make her business a success, it is not sales

Chicago where he was born. But the family returned to Montana regularly to visit relatives and Oberhofer loved the place and when the chance arose, he moved here to go to school. While attending the University of Montana, he also served as a Reserve Deputy. He graduated from UM in 1990. Then he graduated from the Montana Law Enforcement Academy and worked as a police officer in Helena for seven and a half years, serving on the Task Force and the SWAT team, among other duties. He then moved to Arizona where he worked in law enforcement and the Department of Defense for nine years and also got his commercial pilot’s license

and then worked for a time as a flight instructor. When 9/11 occurred, he decided to re-think his career. His mother was living in Missoula at the time and not doing well. Oberhofer and his wife decided to move to Montana and they bought a house in Stevensville to be near his mother. Since then he has worked for three years as a dispatcher at the Ravalli County 9-1-1 Call Center. Oberhofer said that when he left his job in Helena, he thought he would never be a police officer again. He said he got to know Chief Marble through the work he did at the center and recognized

See MUSIC, page 7

New police officer in Stevi By Michael Howell

Stevensville’s new police officer Kevin Oberhofer comes to the job with a good deal of experience. Police Chief James Marble, who has been handling the department by himself following two resignations, is happy that Oberhofer has the experience that he has. Training a new officer with no experience can take a lot more time and Marble is anxious to get that training done so he can move on to hire another officer and bring the department up to the same three-officer force that existed before the resignations. Oberhofer’s parents were from Miles City but moved to

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Decision on harassment and bullying complaints delayed

By Michael Howell

By Michael Howell

www.bitterrootstar.com 215 Main • P.O. Box 8 • Stevensville MT 59870 Phone (406) 777-3928 • Fax (406) 777-4265

115 W 3rd, Stevensville 777-3928

See POLICE, page 2

Officer Kevin Oberhofer is the newest member of the Stevensville Police Department. He comes with lots of experience and will serve as the School Resource Officer along with other duties.

Consideration and possible decision concerning the Mayor’s response and recommendation report regarding Stevensville Town Clerk Audree Tribbensee’s complaints of bullying and harassment was on the agenda for the Town Council’s December 6 special meeting, but it didn’t happen. Council member Stacie Barker objected and effectively squashed consideration of the agenda item. After announcing her objection, Barker read a lengthy portion of Robert’s Rules of Order that she believed supported her action and allowed the blocking of the agenda item from any consideration at all. “This is something that should be addressed alone with the employees,” said Barker. “This should not be public. It should be a closed meeting.” Mayor Brandon Dewey disagreed and said that it was an issue that needed to be addressed and could not be taken off the agenda. He said the item could be tabled but it could not be removed. He said if it was not discussed then it would be on the next agenda

and the next after that until it was considered. Council member Robin Holcomb said that she would be for tabling it so that an attorney could be present, but no motion to that effect was made. Council member Jerry Phillips said it was probably a good idea to have the town attorney present for the discussion. “I know we have had closed meetings,” said Holcomb. “It’s something that needs to be digested,” said Barker. “It is something that needs to be done, it needs to be addressed, but it’s not something that needs to be addressed tonight.” Former council member Ray Smith said that the newspaper article on the report shows that it is the mayor’s communication problem. “There really was nothing there,” he said. “It’s not the Council, it’s the Mayor.” Jane Schutz said that she believed people deserve privacy. Michael Sharkey said, “The horse is already out of the barn.” He said the staff has relinquished its right to privacy and the council

doesn’t have a right to privacy unless there is a lawsuit going on. With no further comment the council moved on to the next agenda item. Mayor Dewey said later that he didn’t believe that Robert’s Rules of Order supports what Barker did in squashing any discussion of the agenda item. “What she read to us does not apply to regular agenda items,” he said. “My understanding is that only applies to ‘consent agendas’.” He said that he didn’t press his point at the time in part because the item had already been placed on next Monday’s agenda and would be addressed at that time with the attorney being present. The independent investigation conducted by Malin Stearns Johnson made four findings concerning the complaint: 1. Mrs. Tribbensee’s allegations of bullying and harassment against Town Council members Bob Michalson, Robin Holcomb, and Stacie Barker, and against citizen Jim Crews, are not sustained; See COMPLAINTS, page 3

Hamilton Fire Department to get new SCBAs

By Michael Howell

The Ravalli County Fire Council recently received a $500,000 grant to purchase new Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for the Florence, Stevensville, Victor, Corvallis and Pinesdale volunteer fire departments. The Hamilton City Council at its last meeting decided to fork up $127,739 to get an identical set of SCBAs for the Hamilton Volunteer Fire Department. Fire Chief Brad Mohn asked the Council to consider moving up the replacement schedule for their own SCBAs by two and a half years and replace them now. He said the company had made an

offer to sell the equipment at the same price it was giving the other fire departments in their bulk deal. Mohn said this would be a savings of about $30,000 compared to what they would have to pay in two and half years if they waited. Hamilton’s SCBAs are close to 13 years into their 15-year replacement schedule. The new SCBAs use a re-chargeable battery which would save approximately $500 a year in battery purchases. The new masks have infrared capability to allow the firefighters in a smoke-filled room to detect hot spots and to distinguish humans. He said the breathing apparatus has an emergency feature that allows

the user to share air with another mask, a great safety measure if a firefighter should run out of air. He said purchasing these SCBAs now and having identical masks would be a great feature when working with other departments in calls for mutual aid. The plan is to purchase 17 packs and 34 bottles, each with five minutes-worth of air. Mohn said the money was in the capital improvement funds but the expense was not budgeted for, so an amendment to the budget was needed for the department to make the purchase. He said the Hamilton Rural Fire Department was also planning to get 12 packs.

City and county consider city sewer for the county TEDD By Michael Howell

At its last Committee of the Whole meeting, Hamilton City Council members discussed the potential agreement to contract with Ravalli County for wastewater treatment services in the county’s Targeted Economic Development District (TEDD) that includes the county’s airport property and other privately-owned properties to the west and north of the airport. The county is looking to establish a tax increment financing district that would support valueadded manufacturing enterprises but there is currently no sewer service to the district area. They are looking to the city to supply that service. They are also examining the potential of installing their own treatment system if they can’t strike a deal with the city. When first approached by the County concerning the potential use of the city wastewater treatment system, the City said that it would be possible if

the district was annexed into the city. The problem with that is that the district must remain under the county’s jurisdiction for the life of the TEDD, set at 13 years. This allows county property taxes in the district to be placed back into infrastructure development within the district. That infrastructure includes wastewater treatment, but it also includes water systems, road systems, lighting and power systems and more. The TEDD is designed to help pay for this development. All of that goes away, however, if the property is annexed into the City. From the County’s point of view, as expressed by Commissioner Jeff Burrows at the meeting, it is not possible for the county to move forward if the city annexes the property and the county is going to move forward “either with the city or not.” All the County wants, he said, is a simple contract with the City to provide wastewater treatment to the district. The county is providing for all the other infrastructure.

One of the City’s biggest concerns is committing to a project of sewer mainline expansion that ends up costing its existing customers. The County says that it will commit to paying for the extension of the mainline to get it to the property and fund all necessary connections to the line from district properties. City Attorney Karen Mahar stated that the law did allow the city to contract with industrial users outside the city limits for sewage treatment at a “fair and equitable price.” “So, what we don’t want is city taxpayers paying any more by allowing entities to contract for industrial services,” said Mahar. She also noted that although the airport property itself might not be annexed, other private properties in the district could be annexed after the TEDD expires. Commissioner Burrows noted that the County was requiring development inside the district See SEWER, page 2


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