Commissioners divvy up board work

Bob Watne named chairman for 2006

The Daily Inter Lake

The Flathead County commissioners' first official action of 2006 was to rearrange their board and appoint Bob Watne as chairman for the year.

Watne's second term as commissioner expires at the end of this year.

The commissioners also reappointed themselves to a variety of boards and committees.

Commissioner Watne will continue to represent the county on the solid waste board and Flathead City-County Health Board.

Commissioner Gary Hall was reappointed to 11 committees and boards, including the county Economic Development Authority, the Long-Range Planning Task Force, two transportation committees and three boards that deal with forest and natural resource issues.

Commissioner Joe Brenneman was reappointed to a dozen boards, most of which deal with a variety of mental health, social services and emergency services issues, as well as the Flathead Basin Commission.

In other action, the commissioners appointed Gordon Cross to a two-year term on the Flathead County Planning Board.

Joe Carbonari had been appointed to the board two weeks ago; however, it turns out he was ineligible because he doesn't live within the planning jurisdiction.

The commissioners also voided the recent appointment of Mary Danford and Shelley Gonzales to the Bigfork Land Use Advisory Committee.

The two were scheduled to replace two current committee members whose terms expired Dec. 31.

However, this committee is converting from an appointed to an elected body, with elections scheduled in May.

To facilitate that change, the terms of the two current members were extended to May 31; Danford and Gonzales were therefore appointed in error.