For immediate release: Nov. 22, 2023

Media contact:
Eric Semerad, Gallatin County Clerk & Recorder/Election Administrator
406-582-3054
eric.semerad@gallatin.mt.gov

Belgrade Voters to Receive Updated Voter Confirmation Cards

City of Belgrade voters will receive updated Voter Confirmation Cards in the mail within the next week. Due to an error in the redistricting process completed this August, previously mailed confirmation cards did not assign the correct ward districts to Belgrade voters.

This error has been corrected in the statewide registration system and the Gallatin County Elections office will be mailing over 5,000 corrected notices to City of Belgrade voters. Belgrade municipal voters who previously received a confirmation card in September should destroy old cards and retain the new, corrected cards they’ll receive in the coming week.

This error did not affect the recent November 7, 2023, Belgrade Municipal Election because the Belgrade ward council member positions were uncontested. The council member elections were canceled by the City of Belgrade and the filed candidates acclaimed to the offices.

Belgrade voters may verify their assigned wards by searching their residential address on the Gallatin County Elections Mapper. Questions and concerns may be directed to the Gallatin County Elections Office at 406-582-3060 or by emailing gallatin.elections@gallatin.mt.gov.

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For immediate release: Nov. 20, 2023

Media contacts:

Neil Cardwell, Belgrade City Manager
ncardwell@belgrademt.gov
406-388-3541

Takami Clark, Bozeman Communications & Engagement Manager
tclark@bozeman.net
406-582-2322

Whitney Bermes, Gallatin County Communications Coordinator
whitney.bermes@gallatin.mt.gov
406-595-8963

 

Gallatin Valley Communities Win Grants to Improve Road Safety
More than $760,000 awarded to City of Belgrade, City of Bozeman, Gallatin County

Multiple communities in the Gallatin Valley recently won more than $760,000 in grant funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program. The program helps local governments study safety challenges in their communities and identify solutions to make roads safer for all users. The Department funded 235 proposals across the nation totaling $82 million, which included funded proposals from the City of Belgrade, the City of Bozeman, and Gallatin County.

Belgrade’s SS4A grant is split into two categories. The first is a planning grant in the amount of $228,000, which will allow for the development of a comprehensive Safety Action Plan for the city. This plan will be developed cooperatively with the Master Planning efforts. The goal of the Safety Action Plan is to find ways to prevent fatalities and serious injuries, both through policy and projects, while also ensuring those improvements are equitably distributed within our community.

The second is a demonstration grant in the amount of $86,464. The proposed demonstration project will be located along Main Street, from Davis Street to Jackrabbit Lane. The project will install temporary curb bulb-outs using flexible delineators, high-visibility crosswalk markings, bike sharrows, and signing. All the treatments are temporary, will remain in place for approximately one summer, and align with the city’s existing Downtown Master Plan. The goal of the project is to evaluate the efficacy of these treatments as options to make downtown Belgrade safer for pedestrians and bicyclists while still maintaining functionality for vehicle users. As part of this project, the city will also engage the community via multiple avenues to learn more about residents’ attitudes toward the current downtown street infrastructure and gather their feedback regarding the temporary treatments during and after the project. Lessons learned during the demonstration project will inform the development of the Safety Action Plan and ideas for permanent solutions.

“Belgrade’s growth continues to put a strain on our financial resources; this grant is critical to continue to improve our road and pedestrian safety, particularly in our downtown Main Street area,” said Belgrade City Manager Neil Cardwell.

Bozeman’s $200,000 grant will fund the expansion of the Bozeman Streets Are For Everyone (SAFE) Plan. This includes public engagement, data analysis to identify critical issues and a prioritization plan to ensure construction funding is allocated to where it matters most. The grant also includes funding for Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures at major intersections across the city. This equipment collects information on speed, red light running and near-misses so the city can improve signal timing and direct enforcement where it is needed most. This will be the first time this technology is being employed in Montana.

“This grant is an important step towards improving road safety in Bozeman,” Mayor Cyndy Andrus stated. “Each improvement and project that gets implemented means fewer and fewer severe crashes, which will ultimately save lives.”

Gallatin County’s $252,771 planning grant will be used to develop a comprehensive safety action plan and do supplemental planning for up to five safety emphasis areas for the county’s transportation system, focusing heavily on county roads within the rapidly growingly Greater Triangle Area between Bozeman, Belgrade and Four Corners. These emphasis areas are expected to include single-vehicle run-off-the-road crashes, user behavior (impairment, speeding, distractions, etc.), vulnerable road users, and others.

“We have recognized gaps in our pathway system for a long time and this grant funding will support the engineering and planning needed to fix the breaks in our walking and rolling transportation system,” said Gallatin County Commission Jennifer Boyer.

Doing these plans in compliance with federal standards makes local governments eligible for further funding from the SS4A program. This helps projects identified in the planning process to become a reality at little expense to local taxpayers.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) established the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program with $5 billion in appropriated funds over 5 years, 2022-2026. The SS4A program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries.

More information about the SS4A program can be found at https://www.transportation.gov/grants/SS4A.

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For immediate release: Nov. 17, 2023 

Media contact:
Whitney Bermes, Gallatin County Communications Coordinator
406-595-8963
whitney.bermes@gallatin.mt.gov 
 

Gallatin County Receives Planning Grant to Explore Options for Regional Day Treatment School 

Gallatin County is pleased to announce that they have been awarded a one-year planning grant from the Montana Healthcare Foundation to help develop a comprehensive business plan for a regional day treatment school.  

This $50,000 planning grant will be used to create the roadmap to implement and sustain a regional day treatment program to support students with behavioral health needs in receiving educational and health services in a specialized setting.  

Funds will provide resources to collaboratively determine the approach to implementing the day treatment program, including location, site renovations, target student population, eligibility process, funding, contracting, and transportation considerations. 

Gallatin County is contracting with Routefinder Consulting and JG Research and Evaluation to conduct this planning project in collaboration with the Gallatin Behavioral Health Coalition, county school districts, and regional behavioral health providers. 

“We are excited to make progress toward better addressing the complex needs of students with behavioral health challenges through this planning project. Our county is committed to better serving our community members of all ages so that they are healthy and thriving,” said Gallatin County Commissioner Zach Brown. 

More information about this project and other Montana Healthcare Foundation awardees can be found here. 

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On November 11, 2023, at 1:07pm, Yellowstone National Park Dispatch received a 911 call from a concerned family member where an individual had sustained injuries that prevented the individual from hiking out of the backcountry cabin they were staying at.  The caller indicated that one of the individuals in the party was in need of immediate medical treatment near Cabin Creek outside of West Yellowstone, Montana.

Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue (GCSSAR) volunteers from the West Yellowstone Section and GCSSAR Heli Team, Montana Fish & Wildlife Law Enforcement, US Forest Service Law Enforcement, Hebgen Basin Rural Fire District and Gallatin County Sheriff’s Deputies, responded to the request for aid.  The GCSSAR team members along with law enforcement communicated with the patient over inReach to establish critical details leading to how best to serve the injured individual. Due to the remote location and varying snow levels, SAR Heli Team extracted the patient from Cabin Creek to a staged Hebgan Basin Rural Fire Ambulance. The patient was cleared medically by Hebgen Basin Rural Fire and required no further higher-level care.

Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer would like to remind backcountry recreationalists that having a plan for contingencies along with being able to call for aid in remote areas is crucial in the backcountry adventures.

On November 9, 2023, at approximately 1:45 PM, Gallatin County 911 received a call for assistance for an injured hunter in the Cow Creek area of the Bridger Mountain Range.  The injured person was hunting with his adult son when he slipped and injured his lower leg.  His son hiked out of the area to find cell service and called 911.

Search and Rescue members responded to the area and utilized side by side ATVs to get to his location. SAR members provided first aid, then transported him and his son by side by side out of the area back to their personal vehicle. The injured individual determined that his son could provide transportation to further medical attention, and he and his son left the area in their own vehicle.

Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer would like to remind backcountry recreationists that adventures may not go according to plan, and it is important to pack for contingencies.  Even when the plan is to be exercising all day, it is a good practice to bring warm enough clothing, food, water, and survival gear that you can safely spend the night as temperatures drop in the event you are unable to move and must await rescue.  Furthermore, cellular service is spotty at best in the backcountry and a communication plan that does not depend on cell service is a good idea.

For immediate release: Nov. 6, 2023

County Employees Join in Brawl of the Wild Food Drive

Employees of Gallatin and Missoula counties are getting into the Brawl of the Wild spirit and challenging each other to see which local government can collect the most donations for the annual food drive!

See the full press release here.

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For immediate release: Nov. 1, 2023

On Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023, the Gallatin County Coroner’s Office investigated a death occurring in the Lexley Acres mobile home park located in Belgrade. The decedent was identified as 76-year-old George Keyser Sobrepena of Belgrade. Following an autopsy, it was determined Mr. Sobrepena died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Sheriff Springer wishes to express our deepest condolences to the Sobrepena family during this time. The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office’s detective division is actively investigating.

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October 31, 2023

Press Release

(Gallatin County, Mont.)

Tuesday at 1:17 P.M. Gallatin County Deputies were dispatched to the Lexley Acres Trailer Court just north of Belgrade on Jackrabbit Lane.  The reporting party stated an unknown woman had approached him and there was a man needing help somewhere behind Goodwill.  With assistance from the Belgrade Police, deputies located the residence in the trailer park where a deceased male was located inside a residence from apparent gun shot wounds.

Detectives are working the crime scene and conducting interviews at the Law and Justice Center.  There are no outstanding threats to the community.

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office Coroner will identify the deceased man after next of kin has been contacted.  Expect to see law enforcement in the area while the scene is investigated.

 

For immediate release: Oct. 25, 2023 

Media contact:
Maureen Horton, Gallatin County Treasurer
406-582-3033
treasurer@gallatin.mt.gov 

 

Regular Public Office Hours Reinstated at Gallatin County Motor Vehicle Offices 

Starting Monday, Oct. 30, regular public office hours at the Gallatin County Motor Vehicle offices in Bozeman and Belgrade will be reinstated.  

The Gallatin County Motor Vehicle Department is responsible for titling, registration and collection of fees associated with motor vehicles in the county.  

Starting next week, public office hours will return to 8 AM to 5 PM at the Bozeman office (Gallatin County Courthouse, 311 W. Main St.) and 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM at the Belgrade office (312 W. Main St., suite B-8). Both are open Mondays through Fridays except for legal holidays.  

Both offices have had temporarily reduced public hours since June due to short staffing. While the Motor Vehicle Department is still down two full-time positions, additional employees have been brought on board to ease the workload. And the county continues to recruit for those vacant positions.  

We also recently launched online titling and registration services, which are available for dealership purchases to save customers a trip to our offices. Those services can be found on our website.   

We greatly appreciate the public’s patience during these last few months. Long wait times in our lobbies are frustrating, but we’ve been working tirelessly to hire and train new staff and add more online services to better serve all our customers.  

For information on job openings in the Motor Vehicle Department, and all other county departments, please visit www.governmentjobs.com/careers/gallatinmt. There you can see detailed job descriptions and apply today! 

And a friendly reminder that we do not provide driver’s licenses – those are handled by the state in a separate office. 

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For immediate release: Oct. 24, 2023

Media contact:
Whitney Bermes, Gallatin County Communications Coordinator
406-595-8963
whitney.bermes@gallatin.mt.gov

Gallatin County, City of Bozeman Partner on Waste Transfer Station
City and County sign off on an MOU that will improve trash collection through new facility

Residents around Bozeman, and commercial haulers, may have a closer place in the future to dispose of trash rather than heading to the landfill in Logan. Gallatin County and the City of Bozeman have signed a memorandum of understanding to create a solid waste transfer station. The city will donate a plot of land located by the Water Reclamation facility to the county, who will construct and operate the project through its Solid Waste District.

“We’re grateful for this important partnership with Bozeman,” said Gallatin County Commissioner Zach Brown. “Seeing this project through will be an enormous benefit to our citizens, now and into the future.”

A solid waste transfer station is a midpoint for trash and acts as a temporary holding area. Currently, when garbage trucks collect trash, they must make the nearly 30-mile drive to the landfill each time for disposal, then 30 miles back to the urban center. By having a smaller area nearer to the population center where the trash can be compacted prior to transport, the overall number of trips to the landfill is greatly reduced.

These sites reduce wear and tear on collection vehicles and resident cars as people do not need to travel as far for disposal, resulting in cost savings in fuel and vehicle maintenance and replacement. They also reduce greenhouse gas emissions, free up congestion at the landfill itself, save time for residents and haulers, and reduce litter along the highway.

While Bozeman also has the Bozeman Convenience Site for solid waste disposal, it only accepts regular household materials in small quantities, not bulk trash or trash from haulers. It cannot be set up to be a transfer site as that is not permitted under the operating license and the site is not large enough nor have the ability for appropriate traffic flow for a transfer station. The county is making plans to close that site.

“The county has been great stewards of our solid waste, and we’re excited to be able to provide the land and partner with them on this new project,” Bozeman Mayor Cyndy Andrus stated. “This change alone will cut emissions by more than 350 metric tons, which goes a long way in helping us meet our climate action goals. We hope residents will use the site too and find it a lot more convenient than heading out to Logan.”

Find more information on solid waste management in Gallatin County at https://www.gallatinsolidwaste.org/.

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