Board focusing on budget, unity

ST. IGNATIUS – Focusing on critical budget concerns gave often-opposed Flathead Joint Board of Control commissioners some common ground at their Sept. 15 meeting.

As the board reviewed expenditures related to the costs of expert testimony, memberships and secondary legal fees, commissioners shared concern about how Mission Valley irrigators’ tax money is spent and the importance of strict adherence to the budget.

“When I started on the school board, I asked how they made the hard decisions,” said board commissioner Gene Posivio. “The answer was, it’s what’s best for the kids. I take that advice with me and I am trying to make decisions that I feel are best for the irrigators regardless of my personal opinions.”

With presented claims totaling more than $50,000 for services, individual commissioners questioned the board’s contracted attorney Jon Metropoulos in great detail regarding how his advice benefits irrigators.

Commissioners intend to continue to provide the public with progress reports and a position statement to include all of the areas of concern over the coming weeks to include the three main issues with the proposed Flathead Indian Irrigation Water Compact:

1. The ownership of rights to project water.

2. The need for Verification that irrigators will receive the volume of water they have in the past and as Congress intended.

3. The proposal to impose a “Unitary Management Ordinance” and “Unitary Management Board” on all water users on the Reservation, unlike any other situation in Montana.

“To be taken seriously in upcoming negotiations takes the gathering of information indisputable to defend our position,” Metropoulos said. “This group of commissioners does not want to spend irrigators’ money unnecessarily. To ensure a fair agreement, the work performed on behalf of the board and irrigators will prove to be invaluable over the coming months.”

To absorb expected additional legal expenses, the irrigation districts jointly recently approved raising the administrative assessments to a total of $5 per irrigated acre to the fee-land owner.

Over previous meetings, a lack of communication seemed to be the board’s main issue.

“This is a volunteer civil service,” said Flathead Irrigation District commissioner Shane Orien. “We depend on our staff, lawyers and experts to assist all of us while we continue to work our own farms to take care of our families.”

Flathead commissioner Paul Guenzler expressed the importance of making decisions as a unified board. The board tasked a committee made up of commissioners to review possible by-law amendments and to introduce a communication policy to ensure that commissioners and irrigators are equally and quickly informed on all board issues.

“The next 30 to 60 days are going to be of great importance,” Metropoulos said. “This Board is feeling good about the lines of communication that have opened with fellow agencies.”

Flathead Joint Board of Control meetings are scheduled for the second Monday of each month in St. Ignatius.