Commission - Regular Meeting

Okay.

Okay. Good morning, all. I will call the Monday, August 24th Board of County Commissioners meeting to order. Chris, will you do roll call, please?

Commissioner Hulls?

Here.

Commissioner Chilcott?

I'm here.

Commissioner Burroughs? I'm here.

Commissioner Burroughs, will you lead us this morning? Thank you, Jeff. Public comment. For those participating via Granicus, you may call 406-375-6513 in order to provide your public comment. And our fire season update is the first thing on our agenda. Welcome, gentlemen. Who's going first?

Good morning. Just a quick update as far as the county goes. We just had two fires on county lands over the last week. One of them was a burn pile and then another one was a lightning strike that ignited a field and a tree on private lands. That was pretty much the extent of it. No recommended changes and restrictions as far as our behalf and The only other thing I'll mention, we just have one more of these meetings scheduled next Monday, but should the activity continue, we'll just schedule those out with Chris as needed.

As needed, absolutely. Thank you.

Good morning. Morning. We, Matt Young, Fire Staff Officer on the Bitter National Forest. We have been a little busier in the last week with 11 new fires in the last seven days. The majority of those have been small IAs in that 10th to a quarter acre size, with the exception being Nature Grove, which started yesterday afternoon up the Schalke Hole Highway, mile marker eight, just above Black Bear Campground to the south. Current estimates put that at 150 acres.

Looks like it got close to growing up to the Black Bear Point and was actively burning into the evening and night.

We are assigning a type three IC this morning. Dave Tingley's taking that over.

Write your name up on the board, Commissioner.

Sorry for the rude interruption.

We got aircraft and crews ordered, had a hot shot crew sit in Missoula that was able to swing down. They'll be assigned and looking to build the org up on what we're gonna do with that. Between Highway 38 and the Ridgeline, there are not a lot of options and infrastructure in there for roads or other pieces, so we're sizing that up on what those options do look like. There are some past fire events in there, but they're old from 2000, so we'll be looking at all those as well, but this is definitely gonna take the bulk of our attention here for now in the next few days.

How many acres was that?

150 is our estimated right now. North Fork, we finished all the work on it for those indirect lines that we put in there and just have a little bit of cleanup they're doing, but all the crews and the bulk of those resources are off. Black Bear and Butterfly, both no movement or any issues with those fires.

Those remain where they're supposed to be.

Other than that, we're sitting good on resources, having two additional patrols as we move into the fall here and expect some more visitor hunter traffic as archery season and grouse season starts. We'll have those patrols helping us with that too. Other than that, we're in high, expected to stay in high fire danger for the next week. There's unsettled pattern that should bring some more potential for rain and thunderstorms as well as gusty winds, but unsettled is what the pattern's looking like for the next week. That's the update.

Great, thank you. Resources still looking pretty, yes.

Again, that slowdown I mentioned last week with the CIMTs nationally continues, and so there should be some more resources to support us, example being that hotshot crew that was sitting in Missoula. So there's been some relief on that. The Northwest has been slowing down, which has freed up resources and aircraft, and so I'm feeling pretty good right now about where we're at on that front. Should we need to order a CIMT, I think we would get support on that if it comes to that.

Thank you. Good. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else have anything for us?

Anyone else?

Mr. Lewis.

Good morning. With the new startup, the scalp call, we'll be working with Hamilton Chiefs and cooperators to keep an eye on that if it makes the run towards the structures up high. Other than that, we'll stay in touch with Matt and see if we're needed countywide somewhere.

Very good. Thank you.

Thanks, Ken.

Anyone else have anything for us? Thank you all, gentlemen. Appreciate your time and your update.

Very good.

Thanks, guys. Thank you. Recess. We will recess until 10. Good morning again. We will reconvene with a department head evaluation for Valley County Road and Bridge Department Supervisor. Closed door. Closed door may be invoked per MC 23-203. Would you like to invoke closed door, John? Does the board have a preference?

This is your call. Okay, we can close the door.

Thank you. You ready? Okay, we can reconvene. We just had our department head evaluation for Ravalli County Road and Bridge. No commission action was taken during this time of closed door. And the next item on our agenda is meeting with Olive Branch Consulting.

At 11?

At 11. So we will recess until 11.

Good morning. Good morning.

We are ready to reconvene with DCC meeting with Olive Branch Consulting. Tammy Klaplick?

Correct.

All right, I said the right name correctly?

You did a good job on the last name. All right. Welcome, Tammy. Thank you. Thank you.

And Olive Branch Consulting is...

So Olive Branch, we're actually counseling. It's called Branch Counseling. We're a community mental health center. And so I have a presentation, if I can. I had a PowerPoint, but I'm not techie, so.

Okay, well, the paper's fine.

Thank you. would you like me to go ahead and present is that please okay well my name is tammy clapwick and i've lived in the valley for about 13 years my husband's from derby i'm a licensed clinical counselor and i've worked at two of the major facilities in river valley county the hospital and also sapphire community health My background, I have 20 plus years in mental health and foster and adoption and Department of Family Services. My heart has always been to support communities and make sure that people don't get left behind and services. no matter what your pay source is, should always be quality. And you should always be able to have access to that. And so after working at Sapphire in the hospital. Tammy, you can sit down. Oh, thank you. That sounds good to me.

There you go.

After working at Sapphire in the hospital, I realized that the differences that I really wanted to see or the changes that needed to be made weren't happening. And so I did go out on my own in private practice. I was just going to work three days a week and retire. And then I really saw the needs of the community. So my heart was to make sure that families and children and people who were dealing with the legal system had the opportunity to have services. And so three years ago, we started Olive Ranch Counseling. We went from just me and my mom to now I have a staff of nine. We have contracts with the Department of Family Services and do in-home support for biological families and also foster families. We do parenting classes. We work with Drug Treatment Court. And right now we're in the process of getting our licensure for intensive outpatient 2.1. which is the highest outpatient level that you can achieve before clients have to go to inpatient. We do have Bear Creek, which is an excellent facility, but they do not take Medicaid, and our heart is to take Medicaid. It appears that a lot of the clients coming through are that population, Medicaid or sliding fee scale, and that is our focus, is making sure that those individuals get their needs met. And we don't want them back in the system. And so we have, I know the numbers here, it was from the crisis that Jamie Bijou had done. So just the 988 calls that 86% of them are mental health. We have seen an influx in the last year in our building for the need for mental health. We have higher acuity people showing up at our door Um, our building is set up like a house. We have a kitchen, um, living rooms and people are just welcome to come. We, we recognized that we could not help people with their mental health unless we made sure that their basic needs were being met. And so we opened a nonprofit called Ruthie's little miracles and we supply, we have a food cupboard, we have, um, clothing. We, get blankets for people in the wintertime. We help supply propane or get people set up with the different organizations or nonprofits in the county that offer those things. And then we also offer showers. And we've seen an uptick in showers. We went from about 20 showers a month in January and we are now seeing 63 to 69 showers a month of people just walking in our door meeting those facilities. We also have seen more crisis show up at our door that really aren't our cup of tea, but we help get them stabilized and then make sure we can get them to the ER or wherever they need to go. And so we just see this huge need for increased mental health needs. And so we provide mental health for children from infants and attachment parenting all the way through Medicare. We also do substance abuse. I've learned in the first three years that substance abuse is a huge issue. And if we don't fix that, we're going to continue having people in the jail and back in Department of Family Services. And so we've really taken on that to get substance abuse disorder treatment in our area. We also provide life skills classes, mental health parenting classes, We just really want to wrap around the community and make sure that people get plugged in where they need to get plugged in at. And one facility cannot do it all. It's teamwork. And so we've worked really hard to have relationships with the Sheriff's Department, the Department of Family Services, SAFE, Emma's House, several different non-profits and facilities in the area so that we can all work together to make sure that people are getting cared for and don't end up back in the system. We have a rule at Olive Branch. We take people exactly where they're at when they come in the door, but we do expect respect. And we have learned that by putting in that boundary, we love them when they come in as they are, but they learn, it's kind of like grandma's house. They learn to respect us and we respect them We also speak truth. So if you screw up or things don't go well, we're going to confront you about it. But we're going to do it in love, and we're going to help you get back on the path again. And our heart is not for you to end up back in jail. We want to keep the community safe, and we want to produce people that are going to be a part of our community. We want to get them back in the workforce. We want to get them raising their children. We want to get them functional. And so one of our key pieces as well is as we take people in and we work with them, we expect that they in turn give back to the community. Whether that's volunteering for us at Olive Branch and in Ruthie's Little Miracles or going over and raking the little old lady next door's leaves and helping people understand that it's not getting something in return or getting money so that I can go buy drugs or It's about that feeling of being able to give back to somebody because somebody gave to you. And so we really encourage that. But we have just really expanded. We've seen a lot of need and growth. And we just wanted to come to you guys, let you know that we exist and that we're here. We visited with Judge Lind and Judge Recht. We work with them a lot. and our substance use disorder facility license is in the process, and so we're working towards that. I have seen, living in the Valley over 13 years, that there's definitely places that are one-hit wonders, and I don't want to be a one-hit wonder, so we've kind of held back a little bit to make sure that we could sustain and make a go of it, and so now we are kind of We've realized that the need is there and we're being very creative in how we do things financially. You might ask why I haven't gone to get a mental health center license or gone to get funding that way. I really see that in our area we have to be creative in how we treat the people in our community and our needs are very unique. We're rural Montana. And a lot of the funding and resources that go to mental health centers, that money is used for a lot of overhead. And so I have learned that overhead, we try and keep it a very bare minimum, and all money goes towards individuals and services. So I filled out a paper that explains the statistics from the Ravalli County Crisis study that was done. And in the short time that all of Branch has been in existence, in the three years, we've seen 522 mental health and addiction clients in three years. We've provided CPS clients over 110. We've done 50... families this year just with the Department of Family Services and 14 of those families have either reunited with their biological families or those children have been placed in forever homes and have been adopted. And then we also work very closely with youth probation. We've worked with 43 youth probation families and have had success with making sure we can intervene and dissolve things before they get out of hand. The sheriff's department does call us if they know that one of the families are ours and we show up and are able to talk the family through or the child through or get some separation so that the sheriff's department's not taking kids constantly to the detention center or large amounts of money are being spent on detaining kids. We try to we try to fix the internal problems with the family.

So those client numbers you gave us over 503 years, are those unique clients or are those every time a person comes in?

Those are, so could you explain what you mean by unique clients when you say that?

If I came in on Monday and then came in on Wednesday and came in on Thursday, Thursday, that would be three clients, or that's one unique client?

That's one unique client, yes. So 522 total individuals. And then we've had, right now, our active caseload, we're at about 158. We have a waiting list of about 35 people, and that waiting list, it breaks my heart because We can't get everybody in, and we do triage that list, but we need to hire some more therapists to be able to provide more services.

What's the timeframe on your waiting list?

So it has gone now anywhere from 30 to 45 days.

That's too long.

Which is, yes, because the average, I believe, is 14 to 15 days in the United States for wait lists for mental health.

You didn't get your... applied for and looking for your 2.1 licensure and what's the timeframe on that?

Sure. So right now we actually are in the preliminary stage of licensure. So right now we have five clients that we are co-piloting and doing 2.1 with. They are all either from Drug Treatment Court or they have gone through Drug Treatment Court and have found their way back to us. And so, with 2.1, one of the hardest things that happens is when you are applying for your licensure, we don't get to bill Medicaid or any insurance companies. So we eat that in the beginning. Once we get fully licensed, then we will sustain and be able to continue seeing those clients. But this week, I have my walkthrough. And then usually it's another six months before we get fully licensed. So we are in the process and just trying to make it through.

So about six months from now, from today.

We'll be fully licensed.

And of these clients that you have, how many of them, are they all Ravalla County or are they from Missoula and...

No, they're all Rovelli County. We do have a satellite office in Missoula in the Department of Family Services, but these numbers are Rovelli County numbers. They're not Missoula. And we do not do any substance use or counseling out of Missoula County. We only do the Department of Family Service contract in Missoula.

And where is your building? Where are you located?

We're located at 1020 Main Street in Corvallis. And so you're welcome to come any time. We have people that come in that just need a break from life. And they come and they get a cup of coffee. We have a lot of people who are trying to abstain from drugs and alcohol. And they know if they stay in the environment they're in, they're not going to make it to treatment. And so they'll come and they'll sit down and have coffee with us. They'll meet me at the door at 8 o'clock in the morning. They'll ask to do projects, or they'll get on their phone, and then they leave at 6 o'clock at night when we leave so that we can help keep them sober until they can get into where they need to go.

So what is your funding ask?

So right now, I really just wanted to kind of share what we're doing. I know that we are going to apply for monies through the opioid abatement fund I have a proposal that I'm going to send to them. We're hoping for approximately $95,000 through the opioid abatement to be able to carry us for salaries, insurance, all of that while we wait to get our full licensure for 2.1. Once that happens, we will be self-sufficient and be able to maintain that. But we are needing monies to hire another therapist right now. I'm backing off because we do keep the overhead so low. I've realized I can't be a full-time therapist and operate all of these programs at the same time. And so I'm backing off and our hope is to get somebody in, um, And so we haven't really thought about how much funding that would need.

You're backing up as therapist? Therapist, yes. Okay, so taking on more responsibility as far as the overall management. Yes, correct, correct. Thank you for clarifying.

Yes, yes. I tried to do both, and you can't do 100% at both of them. So, and I do think... Fiscally, it's more responsible for one individual to take that on, and then we hire another therapist rather than trying to hire somebody to fiscally manage everything.

Well, it sounds like it's a success. That's something we typically like to help fund success.

Yes.

And it's local. And you are local. That's a big thing as far as I'm concerned. And you're very local as far as I'm concerned in Corvallis. Yeah. Yes.

When the bias comes out.

There it is.

So you must live in Corvallis. I do.

Just outside. Okay. Always.

Yes. So today I just really wanted to represent... Olive Branch and let you know who we are and what we do. I didn't come with an ask necessarily today. I just wanted to present and let you know that we're here and that we probably will be back for an ask, but I just wanted you to see who we were and what our heart is. We also have a non-profit that is attached to Olive Branch Counseling. It's called Ruthie's Little Miracles and

Say that again, please.

Sure. It's Ruthie's Little Miracles. Ruthie's. R-U-T-H-I-E. Oh, Ruthie's.

Okay. Yes.

So Ruthie... I had to see it written before I got here. Yes. I talk fast sometimes. So all of my children were adopted from the foster care system. And so my heart for 30 years have been this population. And Ruthie... was a little girl that we adopted and she passed away at 17 in a car accident. And she was the child that would bring home every stray child that went to school or that she found at the playground. And I would always tell her, we're gonna get in trouble for kidnapping if you keep this up. But she would bring them home, we would feed them. And her motto was no one should ever be left behind. And so as we went through, We started Olive Ranch with that heart, but then we realized that we need Ruthie's legacy to help us continue. And so Ruthie, the nonprofit was named after her, so we can make sure nobody gets left behind. And we did, this year we were Garden Clubs, one of Garden Clubs' charity of choice. We've received funding from Sir Optimus and Rotary, a couple banks in town, have helped, we did a back to school event which is called Rooted and Ready. And we have over 400 people that come through our yard and we give out school supplies and clothing, have a barbecue and just kind of help families feel special, help kids feel special. We let them pick things out instead of just packing a backpack and handing it to them. We're about experiences and how important that is. And we also did almost 50 free haircuts. So we had three beauticians that volunteered and did 50 haircuts for the community.

Thank you. And you accept clothing donations then? We do. At your Corvallis facility? We do.

We do. We have a boutique that is upstairs. So anyone who needs clothing, they can call. And one of our volunteers takes them upstairs gets them what they need. We have like toothbrushes and other supplies too, but in a pinch, but we try to set them up with food bank and other more sustainable facilities. We're kind of the emergency and to hand them off to the person in the community that can continue to do that for them.

Well, thank you for what you do. Thank you, Tammy. And the way you do it.

Thank you. Well, it's a very important thing segment of our society that is underserved. The switch from institutions to what we have now was not healthy. But it's a nationwide problem that we face and what we can do locally and especially this local is very important.

Absolutely, absolutely. And, and I know that I've gone back and forth several times with just going full, getting a mental health center license through the federal government. And there's just so many things that don't fit our local area. And my worry is that it wouldn't last or we wouldn't have the ability to provide services long term. So

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for coming in, Tammy, and for your presentation. We certainly appreciate it. Thank you. Appreciate what you do.

Thank you, and I will be back, I'm sure.

I'm sure you will. Thank you.

And please come by any time and visit, especially since you're in Corvallis.

I will drive by one day and stop.

Sounds good. All right, thank you. Do you have any other questions?

Oh, yes, all of them I had. Okay, thank you. I think everything is fine. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Do you want to recess for five minutes?

We will recess for five minutes. When we're on, let me know.

Yes, sir.

Okay.

You're ready.

All right. We will reconvene with review and possible decision of a subdivision improvement agreement released for the amended plat of lot B of AP 782. Block 1, Hamilton Heights.

Okay. Rob. So this is a follow-up meeting for the subdivision improvement agreement release for the amended plot of Lot B. AP 782, 106, Block 1, Hamilton Heights, 10-lot major subdivision. This is a request from Dylan Day, Kayla Day, and Amy Lewis to release the subdivision improvement agreement for the subdivision improvement agreement. I'll just quickly go through these things. We covered this in last time, but basically with the road department wrote a letter saying the improvements have been complete with two exceptions. We discussed those. It was the asphalt gradation and then the installation of some type of like additional stormwater facilities. We held a meeting on August 17th, 2026, discussed those two exceptions, and it was agreed to continue the meeting to a later date so a dry well could be installed pending final approval from the BCC. Get my email up real quick. So the applicant went ahead and installed that drywall. Let's see if I can bring up this. I have pictures of the drywall. I think... see them. There's pictures of the installation. It looks like Ron submitted as-builts. Are these updated, Ron, to have the drywall in them?

It's on the detail sheet from the drywall.

But the location where they put it?

Yeah.

OK. So they went ahead and installed the drywall. John went and looked at it. He said they did a four-foot drywall, and the engineer should have the as-builts recorded along with the previous letter certifying there will be no adverse impacts on the roads or the users of the road, and that he's available by phone. The requested recommendation.

Can I interrupt? Yeah. So, Ron, have you done that? You've recorded these?

He hasn't recorded them. He just handed them to me.

You will record them? Ron?

Okay. So you're going to put them on that.

Yeah, we have a, if released, we have something for you guys to sign today.

Okay.

And we would put the as-builts, that.

And that would be recorded. Yep.

Okay. The letter, all of these other, I'll put all this packet together with that to be recorded. So that's all I have.

So, Mr. Chairman, I'd move that we release the letter of credit provided security by Dylan Day, Kyla Day, and Amy Lewis, the amount of $192,225 for the amended plot of Lot B, amended plot 78-2106, Block 1, Hamilton Heights, Ravella County, subdivision improvement agreement, recorded under document number 814354.

And I will second that motion.

Just to follow up, just to make sure that the road not being built to the public works standard is noted to future owners or purchasers in this development, and that they understand the dry well may or may not need maintenance from time to time.

OK. Okay, it's been moved and seconded to approve the subdivision improvement agreement as stated. Is there any public comment on that motion? Any further discussion? Call for the question, Greg. Aye. And I vote aye as well. And thank you for doing it so quickly. That's really good, and we appreciate that very much. And Ron, thank you.

want them to sign yours yeah it's right here and then i'll put the package together

Thank you, Chris. Thank you.

Thank you. Sorry. More than you intended it to be.

That's good. We just want to make an announcement on number eight.

Yeah. Our agenda item number eight has been canceled. It was a meeting for opportunities for public comments on subdivision exemption applications. And so that has been canceled for the day. And with that, is there any public comment on items not otherwise on our agenda? Move to adjourn. We are adjourned.