Billings County Commission - Regular Meeting

We'll start the meeting. We'll do the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

thank you all for coming it's a special meeting today so the only thing on the agenda is the redistricting process we have ten days to the board does to make a decision but i think our last meeting we decided that it's going to end today one way or the other because of the big event and it would be a july 2nd correct yes so today before us is i guess if we pick a a uh flat or whatever of the county with five districts because that's what we've been uh designated to do or we go into the redistricting process which then there would be a board appointed according to the state law and we move on from there and then that board would take over so and then there would be some public meetings and so on So is that right, Jared, or is there more you want to add?

No, that's accurate. Yeah, I don't have anything further to add other than reiterating everything I've said previously. So it's up to the board right now, the commission, to determine if there's a map that qualifies under all the elements. If not, the redistricting board would need to look into it further start dividing up certain townships for population to make the districts fit. Okay.

Does any one of you guys have something to say? You know, last week was an interesting meeting. And it wasn't that I wasn't for redistricting, but I work a lot of hours, and I thought I'd have a map. But after what happened last week at the meeting, redistricting I'm not against I guess if we want to move forward with the redistricting have a committee let's do it like Dean said we need to end it today should have ended it last week but if we would have been probably would have went maybe a route on the map that I chose and maybe you know I'm elected by the people to probably represent that but then again we'll Moving forward with a redistricting committee isn't going to hurt anything. You're just going to get more input and it's going to drag out. All I'm saying is us three commissioners need to work together a little bit because at the end we all have to work together.

Steve, I think you're on the same page of redistricting yet, or did you change your mind?

No, I was going to say basically just find a go with redistricting, allow for public comments, and let the process flow out. With that, I'd move to have the redistricting board called upon to create the five districts.

Okay.

And that's good enough for the rules? Just want to make sure. Or do you want some wording different? I just want to make sure. That's fine. Because I'm for this to the redistricting board. I didn't get to speak before he made your motion, but that's fine.

By resolution or motion would be equivalent, I guess, in my opinion, to get that done. if the commission, if there's a second and it passes, then after that, I think the next order of business today could be addressing the one citizen, and you can talk about the membership of the board after. Okay.

I'll second the motion. So we have a motion. And a second. Any more discussion? All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Aye. All those opposed say aye. Motion carries. So now we will go to the rules and regulations of who's on this board.

First member of the redistricting board would be the chairman of the board of county commissioners. So Dean Rodney would be the chairman of the redistricting board. The next member would be myself as the state's attorney. The third member would be a citizen or member of the governing body selected by the governing body of the city having the largest population. So there was discussion last week by the commission that Mayor Medora would be interested and willing to serve unless the city wishes to appoint somebody else. You guys probably don't know each other. No, no, we have. I didn't scan the room when I walked in.

We haven't had a discussion about it at the city, of course, but I would be happy to step up. So are you the mayor? I've never met you. I'm sorry. I'm George Winsor. I'm the mayor. Nice to meet you. You as well.

That'll be the third member then, Mayor Zuroff. The next is a township supervisor if the townships are organized. However, that is not the case in this county. So the alternative would be a citizen member at large appointed by the county commission if less than one half of the townships are organized. We don't have any organized townships, from my understanding, therefore a citizen member of the board. Marsha, do you recall the composition of the last redistricting board in full, who those members were?

It was Steve Clem before he was a commissioner, and then Julie Rice was on the board as well. Who? Julie Rice was on the board as an appointment. I think Julie was appointed by the board, by the commission, and then Steve was appointed by the redistricting board, if I remember correctly.

So for today's purposes, if there is a citizen at large that the commission would like to nominate and vote on, we can get that fourth member chosen today, and then the four members would have to meet uh to appoint a fifth person um yeah basically then yeah the fifth member is is chosen by the actual redistricting board four members and then the um county auditor you know is also a member of the redistricting board a non-voting member but is able to advise Stacey is going to be instrumental in getting additional numbers or other other information to the board as requested So So Dean and Durbin are from my opinion is if they're from already so I'd like somebody to avoid I

that's my opinion and i'm gonna being julie rice was on the last one i'm gonna make a nomination we appoint her to be on this one okay we have a motion is there a second

question so if we're nominating these if I had a nominee are we gonna vote on them or how would if I second your that mean that's that's a that's nice the emotion that that's the person or we would vote on the person you know I'm trying to say well yeah I understand so so maybe going back to what you're saying and what you said it should be just

just be a motion or are you gonna what does the rule say about how we get that person in there is it just a simple majority just by by appointment so yeah second and voting on it would satisfy it so then that motion needs to get changed anyway if unless they want to put up nominations

that's an alternative to it if because Julie's not here if there are others that you know have come forth or anyone in here that wishes to come forth for consideration you know to be on the board that can certainly be in that's appropriate to discuss if there's anyone else So I guess to Steve's point, if you have somebody you'd like to nominate, then the commission can discuss that.

Oh, okay. So we should do it like he did, like Jim did, or just throw these names out, or what?

It's very, again, it's not clear in statute. It's just a citizen member appointed by the county commission. So to get any business done, it would require a vote and passage of... of that but if um at the risk of delaying the fifth member further um i guess if there's any anybody else that has come forward stating they have interest after these you know this is the fourth meeting on it now um because the board will pick the next one the redistricting board itself would pick the fifth member yes so a member nominated and appointed by the commission is the fourth member

Well, I'm fine. We have to go with a second right now because there is a motion on the table, correct? Yes. Is there a second to that motion? I'll second the motion. We have a second. Okay, now we have mostly clarification. Does everybody have any other discussion?

I move to nominate Jacob Oderman.

Okay, so, yeah, we probably got to, Robert's Rules of Order, we probably got to do that before we vote on the other one, because if we vote on the first one, then it might be over. Well, but we're nominating people.

We didn't move the nomination seats, right? I don't know what the proper... I think You can have more nominations than one, right? I would say yes. Yeah, you could.

So then it would be a, we'd have to vote on, let's just say that yours gets seconded, we'd vote on two, we'd vote on three, whoever gets the most vote, unless there's a third one, right? It'd be just like an election.

If Mr. Oderman has expressed interest in it, he could certainly be a candidate to be selected by the board as well then. If he's interested in being on it, because I would suspect that not a lot of people are stepping forth saying that they want to dedicate extra time to this. But if he's expressed interest, he certainly could be considered by the, myself have heard it now, the chairman has heard it. So we don't just want to pick somebody who has no interest in doing it.

Well, then if that sounds like the way we should do it, there is number two motion. There is a number three motion that needs a second in order to move forward. So I'm calling for a second the first time. calling for a second second time hearing none that motion dies lack of a second so if there is no more um nominations we will um i don't know that we do the cease thing do we because probably not anymore Okay, all those in favor for motion number two, say aye. Aye. Aye. All those opposed, say aye. Motion carries then. Okay, so Marsha, I want to ask, is involved? You are the spokesperson for this board.

I do the publications of the meetings.

Okay. So maybe will you get everybody together or do I have to do that? I don't care who does it.

You'll have to, if you want to discuss with Julie what date would work for her and for you, then we'll publish the first meeting of the board, which would then be after this week, if I can get it in by noon today. potentially okay so okay yeah so if you get with Julie and Derwin because the city will need to appoint Derwin as the representative to the the county redistricting

Okay, so then after the 7th.

That sounds better for us, too, because that's our meeting, too.

I do have a question. If I could ask that any meeting scheduling would happen after closing hours, after 7 o'clock today. That's really hard for me to get away with before that.

And with the redistricting board, generally we had later meetings so that the public could attend.

okay well that's a good request so we'll have to have the first meeting and then get organized and then we'll pick our meeting dates the first one will just be organization and appoint someone so okay you have everybody's email let me see everyone and then Julie Okay, well that's all we can do at this meeting, so I'm going to make a motion to adjourn. So moved.

Second.

We are adjourned. Thank you all.