County denies interlocal agreement

MISSOULA – County commissioners voted to not extend the interlocal agreement between Missoula County and the Seeley Lake Sewer District at their Jan. 17 administrative meeting. The agreement expired last November and the District had requested an extension in December.

The interlocal agreement has provided county resources to the District since 2011 including a District Manager, a $110,000 loan, storage space and an office among other things. Only the terms of the loan will continue as laid out in the agreement.

In a letter to the District, the commissioners explained that with the departure of the county’s Chief Public Works Officer Greg Robertson it was not possible for the county to continue to provide a manager.

“The reality is, we don’t have anyone on staff that can really fulfill what Greg was doing for the District,” said Commissioner Dave Strohmaier in an interview with the Pathfinder after the meeting. “We’re not in a position and just don’t think it’s prudent to go out and hire a brand new staff person specifically to fulfill that role especially since it was something that we were lending to the District at no cost.”

Strohmaier said the county is still committed to financial help previously given to the District but they didn’t discuss providing some of the other things like office space. He suggested that if the Sewer Board wanted to continue some of the other specific resources they could certainly ask the county to put in a new agreement.

The Sewer Board received the commissioners’ letter at their Jan. 17 board meeting. They plan to discuss hiring of a District Manager at their Feb. 21 meeting.