Bylaws of Flathead Joint Board of Control under review
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ST. IGNATIUS – More than a year after reforming under new bylaws, the Flathead Joint Board of Control has appointed a new committee to explore whether revisions are necessary, particularly in regards to how the three individual member irrigation districts might join or withdraw from the board.
In 2013 the Flathead Irrigation District withdrew from the board amid political infighting that mostly centered around discord about the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Water Compact that passed the legislature in April. The board was reformed in 2014.
“Because of the withdrawal of the districts and destruction of the joint board, we put a clause in there that would require a two-third majority to retract the district from the joint board,” Commissioner Jerry Laskody said. “I would like to see that even more difficult with a minimum required number of voters participating. In other words I wouldn’t like to see a two-third majority of the votes be made up of the people deciding to do something like this … I’m not trying to make it impossible for somebody to withdraw, but make it very difficult, because of the financial difficulties that are imposed, particularly on the smaller districts.”
During the previous breakup, the building the boards share had to be divided, and a cost-burden for employees grew.
Irrigation commissioner Dick Erb said he agreed that irrigators should vote for withdrawal, but also noted that he believes irrigators should have to vote on whether or not they rejoin. A referendum was not held when the board re-joined in 2014.
“Reconstituting the joint board is not something that was even put to the voters of the various districts,” Erb said.
It was unclear what role state law might play in reconstituting from the districts, with many different theories on what the law said about the reconstitution offered from commissioners and the public at a May 15 meeting. The commissioners also questioned whether or not votes should be on a per-person or per-acre basis. Currently, each vote in referendums for the irrigation districts is determined on a one vote per-acre basis.
“Per-acre votes are easy to be bought if someone should chose to,” Commissioner Shane Orien said.
Orien said district withdrawal makes no financial sense.
“From a financial standpoint it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that these districts cannot operate singly,” Orien said. “The only reason for pulling out of the joint board of control would be for the minority to control the majority. We need to share assets, we need the water from down here in the Flathead, we need to spread our pumping costs over everybody.”
Some commissioners and irrigators suggested that the individual districts sign a contract to stay joined for a certain amount of time or indefinitely, so that the board can move forward in a unified direction without worrying about the threat of dissolution hanging in the air.
“One board, three districts, combined forever,” Commissioner Dean Brockway suggested.
Commissioner Tim Orr said division in the ranks weakens the board as it pursues goals.
“If you go busting up this board then there is no way we will ever get control of the project,” Orr said.
A committee consisting of the chairmen of each individual district was created to explore possibilities for rewriting the bylaws.
The bylaws were temporarily suspended at the May monthly meeting to revise conditions of serving as board chairman. Previously, the bylaws called for a rotating chair that changed thrice per year. Because that created administrative difficulties, the board opted to amend the bylaws so that a one-year chairmanship was in place.
Boone Cole was elected to the position. Wayne Blevins is vice-chair. Shane Orien is secretary/treasurer.
In individual district board elections, Tim Orr was elected as chair of the Mission Irrigation District. Boone Cole chairs the Jocko District. Wayne Blevins is chair of the Flathead District. Ted Hein was appointed as member-at-large for the Flathead Joint Board of Control.
