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County Commissioners Face Resident Frustration With Solid Waste, County Road Maintenance
Author: Nancy Marks, MT43 News Reporter

Nancy Marks

MT43 News Reporter

Tempers flared and accusations of financial mishandling flew at Monday’s Commissioner Meeting. County residents fired angry questions at County Public Works Director.

TJ Graveley and Commissioners Debi Randolph and Jesse Swenson. Commissioner Lyndsey Richtmyer was not present.

Twenty-year Toston resident Vicky Botsford recounted how she had attempted to take her household garbage to the Toston dump, only to find it closed. even though the hours were posted and she was there during open hours. She said she had even found the attendee asleep in his truck one time when she tried to enter. She wondered if the county would hire more employees so the Toston site could be open more hours or different days of the week.

She also questioned whether dump attendants were taking side money to allow people to place too much grass clippings in the dump. She questioned the size of the load of grass: “How big is a load of grass?”

Graveley countered by defining an acceptable load of grass as 3 cubic yards, or 3 full garbage cans. He explained that money is only accepted at the Solid Waste Transfer Station on Indian Creek Road. “As to whether attendants are taking money,” he said,” I highly doubt it.”

He explained the difficulty of hiring site attendants because the pay is $13.75 an hour. His last application for hiring only garnered 2 people- one with no commercial driver’s license. Botsford pointed out there were now 8,493 residents living in Broadwater County. “We need to be able to dump our garbage!” she exclaimed.

Resident Robert Sellers was shaking he was so emotional when he told of being yelled at by site attendants, that they “forced” him to take a small piece of furniture -maybe part of a baby crib- to the transfer station to dispose of and pay $10. After a lecture to the commissioners about not treating citizens fairly, that “everything that goes ‘round, comes ‘round” saying “ You should reconsider your policies.”

Sellers dashed out of the meeting before either Graveley or the commissioners could address his concerns.

The annual solid waste fee of $265 on property tax assessments came up in several residents’ questions. Rural resident Mary Huth questioned why many residents were still not paying their solid waste fees. Several years ago commissioners and County Treasurer Doug Ellis learned that property owners were not being charged their annual waste fees. Both the State Department of Revenue and Solid Waste have been trying to solve the problem.

Huth said she has seen people’s property tax assessments with no solid waste fee listed. “Your miracle did not work. It is unbelievable to me that people are still not making their payments,” she pointed out.

Huth also addressed the question of the Solid Waste Department’s unpaid assessment fees. Graveley explained it this way: “We’ve captured $156,000 of the original $250,000 for unpaid fees. The remainder is from assessments on mobile homes and many homes that are “off the grid.” Antelope Road resident Chris Ravndal asked how long the department had been in the black and exactly how the department’s budget is funded. Graveley said the entire budget is funded by the $265 solid waste disposal fees and has been in the black since last year.

Graveley presented a timeline of how the Solid Waste Department evolved since he took the job as Supervisor in October of 2022. He pointed out the department in the red financially by around $100,000, that he inherited old equipment acquired as far back as 1983. Since then, the self-sustaining department, referred to as an enterprise business, has been paying off the loan given by the commissioners from the county general fund of $278,000 as well as three payments on a trailer, a hook truck and the excavator. The department has 4 fulltime employees and 5 parttime employees.

He also reported the he and the Solid Waste Advisory Board have considered moving the Transfer Station from Indian Creek Road to the Cedar Street Site, pointing out the cost savings in gas and allowing more access for residents. He pointed out tire recycling and tree/branch burning would remain at the present Site.

Graveley and the Solid Waste Advisory Board are studying the move. Although the Department of Environmental Quality permitting process is long and arduous he feels the move would be beneficial. Other counties have moved their transfer stations with the help of grants so the board is looking into that path. Volunteers who sit on the board are Lisa Rowell, Eric Stahl, Doug Jones, Kip Meier and Patrick Miller.

City Council member JB Howick commented he is in favor of the transfer station moving to the Cedar Street Site, that the move would cut down on the city’s gas bill for hauling city garbage to the present transfer station.

Kathy Brekke and Zona Hale asked for better access to the Solid Waste Department budget on the county website.

Having gone the distance on public concerns about solid waste sites, Commissioner Debi Randolph opened the floor to questions about road maintenance.

Gurnett Creek residents Al Bodle and Mary Huth strongly voiced their displeasure about the maintenance on their county road. “Our road needs maintenance. My daughter-in-law and her children hit a rut in the road and ran down the embankment into the creek. I had to carry my granddaughter up from the creek! Why is the county not grading our road? Who is in charge here?” he asked rhetorically.

He said they had emailed the commissioners but nothing happened until he and his wife posted the accident on Facebook.

Commissioner Randolph responded to the question saying they were working on the problem but she had not answered their email. Bodle admitted that it was a big job to maintain the 800 miles in Broadwater County now, but that they needed the service. Huth questioned why county road crews were only required to work 4 days a week. “We should have at least 5 days a week coverage for snow plowing and road grading. I’m so disgusted,” she ended.

Graveley responded by saying the crew works, per their union contract, Monday through Thursday 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. per week. “We tried to work 8-hour shifts, but it just did not work for us,” he explained.

He pointed out they are always available for emergencies, 24/7: “People can call me directly, or call the Sheriff’s office for emergency road problems.”

Commissioners Swenson and Randolph also responded to letters and emails from residents about Springville Road, Winston and Dry Hollow Drive.

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Image 1 Caption: Toston resident Vicky Botsford questions Public Works Director TJ Graveley and County Commissioners at Monday's meeting. MT43 Staff Photographer