Irrigation board assigns media duties
Megan Strickland
Commissioner Ted Hein addresses the Flathead Joint Board of Control’s media strategy.
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ST. IGNATIUS – The Flathead Joint Board of Control voted Jan. 23 to let its office manager, Johanna Clark, provide publicity services for outreach regarding the board’s opposition regarding the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Water Compact.
Commissioner Jerry Laskody suggested contracting with an experienced public relations manager at a rate of $50 per hour to draft press releases about the board’s stance against the proposed compact, which is pending before the state legislature. The compact would settle the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ water claims, and includes three major issues the board has articulated through a resolution as unacceptable to irrigators.
Laskody suggested hiring a professional to help get the word out about what those three major concerns are.
“We have a resolution out there and everything we should be doing in terms of PR should be in terms of supporting that resolution,” Laskody said.
The contractor estimated it would take two hours to write a press release and that they could provide up to three press releases per week through the end of the legislative session. Laskody said the estimated total cost of the services was around $4,200. Laskody said an experienced media relations person would likely be able to get the board’s message beyond Mission Valley.
“We’re already behind the eight ball,” Laskody said. “This is probably a decision we should have made last fall. Whatever we do, we need to respond quickly. We’re three weeks into the session and our opponents are already flooding the airwaves. They are flooding the hallways in Helena. Time is of the essence.”
Commissioner Kerry Doney disagreed with disseminating press releases against the compact, because he believes the board shouldn’t spend money to represent one side or the other in the legislative battle. Both sides already have numerous private lobbying groups acting on their behalf.
“This board is supposed to be representing all irrigators,” Doney said. “If you are going to put money up for one side, why not put it up for the other side?”
But other commissioners said taking a stance is reasonable because the board is democratically elected.
“We represent the majority of the board,” Commissioner Ted Hein said.
In the end, the board voted to assign the media relations gig to Clark, partly because it would save funds, and partly because she is already up to speed with the board’s position on the issue.
“She has the credentials,” Hein said. “She works part-time. We can put more work on her and save a lot of money.”
