All three commissioners support the proposed water quality district. Many members of the public voiced strong opposition, however. Sen. Rick Laible, R-Darby, was among those who pleaded with the board to at least let the public make the decision.
In July, the commissioners adopted a resolution of intention to form a water quality district. The district would provide water expertise for the Bitterroot Valley.
“The last thing we need in this county is more government,” said Jerry Ehmann, a cattle rancher and gravel excavator from Sula.
Plenty of other government agencies already provide oversight to county water, he said.
One reason the commissioners support the district is it would bring a hydrologist to the county. A hydrologist could help determine how proposed subdivisions would affect water quality.
At the meeting, Tex Irwin told the commissioners the burden of proof should be on developers. They should prove they're not going to hurt water quality, he said.
Irwin, who lives up the West Fork, wasn't necessarily against the goals of the county, though, he said.
“I want clean water. Everybody wants clean water,” he said.
But he didn't want it with a water quality district.
Some audience members also said they never received an information card about the district in the mail.
“Nobody up the East Fork where I live knew anything about it,” said Wolfgang Kuhn.
Some residents expressed support for the plan.
Vivian Yang, with the League of Women Voters in Ravalli County, told the board the group supports the district.
“The greatest gift we leave to our children, grandchildren Š is good, clean water,” Yang said.
She also said the commissioners themselves should have voted on the issue.
“We elected you to make this decision,” Yang said.
Another water quality district supporter disagreed.
“I think they (the commissioners) did the right thing,” said Don Mabry, a member of the Bitter Root Water Forum.
Too many people still don't understand what the district will and won't do, he said.
Commission chairman Greg Chilcott agreed. He asked those who attended the meeting to tell other county residents the truth about the water quality district. Much misinformation has been spread about the district, he said.
While Chilcott supports forming the district, he wasn't comfortable imposing a tax on the public without their express approval, he said.
He admitted that he, too, never received an information card in the mail.
“Maybe we didn't get the information out,” said Commissioner Betty Lund.
Commissioner Alan Thompson expressed frustration. He repeatedly hears criticism that the commissioners don't plan, he said. Now, they're trying to plan ahead and people don't like that, either.
“All we're trying to do is to protect the water,” Thompson said.
The water quality district is scheduled to appear on the June ballot.
Reporter Keila Szpaller can be reached at 523-5260 or at keila.szpaller@missoulian.com
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