Trego's Mountain Ear

By Chelsea Deets
In preparation for the Lincoln County Commissioner election for district three, which will be held Tuesday, November 5, 2024, several citizens requested a more in-depth look at the three candidates, Doug Davies, Noel Duram, and Brian Phillips. Each candidate was given the same questions, and they submitted their answers which are given in full below:

What education or work experience has prepared you to act as county commissioner and how?
Brian – I spent nearly 25 years as a United States Border Patrol Agent. I spent most of the last 10 years of my career as a Supervisor or Acting Supervisor. I was directly involved with the budgeting process for the entire Eureka Border Patrol Station; a budget that ran over $1,000,000 annually, including: property, maintenance, cleaning, IT, utilities, vehicle fleet purchasing & maintenance, operations and equipment.
When I retired, I held the collateral position of Deputy Director of Marine Operations (DDMO) for all Border Patrol Marine Units from the Pacific Coast to the Great Lakes. I ran the budget for that program which included costs for training, interagency operations, fuel, maintenance, safety equipment and input on the procurement of new and replacement vessels. The SAFE boats that we operated cost upwards of $500,000 to purchase and $400 an hour to operate including fuel. I had to estimate the number of hours each vessel would be in use and calculate the cost of fuel and maintenance. With vessels being underway sometimes for 200-300 hours per year, the expense was not insignificant.

Both of these budgeting systems were “needs based”. I would request a dollar amount based upon projected need for that item within that fiscal year. This amount would increase or decrease from year to year. One year we might request more funding for personal equipment because we had new agents assigned. The next year the same equipment request might be lower due to less need. Another example, in 2020 our marine operations were cut dramatically due to COVID policies. I returned the vast majority of my fuel budget due to a lower operational tempo. As the COVID panic resided and we returned to normal operations, my budget requests increased and were granted.

Doug- I hold an Associates in Accounting and a Bachelors of Science in Industrial Management (Operations emphasis), both from Oregon Institute of Technology graduating in 1983. For most of my life I worked for the U.S. Navy either as a civilian hire or as a consultant. This work has led to visas from around 60 different countries with extended time spent in Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, South Korea, the Red Sea and Japan. During these times, I worked, early in my career, as a member of various ship’s crews engineering departments and later as project manager during overhauls and maintenance periods. A large part of the project manager’s experience revolved around budget development and administration as well as monitoring work progress and quality control. The largest budget I was responsible for totaled slightly over 6 million dollars.

Noel- I have had many experiences that would be helpful to the position of Commissioner. I have owned and operated my own business that helps with budget issues and financial security. I have been in law enforcement and since that is the largest budget item in Lincoln County, my knowledge of the workings and responsibilities regarding law enforcement is a vital piece of my knowledge for the position. I have worked on boards and within the Roberts Rules of meetings with both government boards as well as appointed boards. My experience as a real estate professional in Lincoln County has prepared me for the expansion and growth issues surrounding communities.

What specifically will you do to promote transparency in local government?
Brian- My plan to promote transparency is to do more than the legally required minimum. There are so many forms of communication available today. From the old fashioned, but tried and true, posting of a paper notice on a community bulletin board to posting a digital notice on a virtual community bulletin board like Facebook or Rumble. There is also the potential to build a “Commissioner’s Corner” in the local newspapers to advise and inform Lincoln County residents. In the last weeks we had backyard gatherings where concerned citizens gathered in an informal setting and interacted with their potential elected representative to voice their concerns and issues. I would like to see things like that become a regular occurrence during my tenure as Commissioner and hopefully even after my time.

Doug- During the past 5 and a half years I have proudly served as a member of the Eureka Town Council and have seen firsthand the effects of the lack of transparency and communication between local government and County Government. The individual currently “representing” District 3, north Lincoln County, has seldom attended Council meetings and when he has it has been to demand concessions from the Eureka Council which benefitted the County but, with one exception, were not in the Town’s best interests. When Mr. Letcher has attended Council Meetings his demeanor has been both sulky and threatening. This has resulted in a lack of trust on the part of Council. If elected I pledge to attend Council and community meetings throughout D3 and listen to the concerns raised, not lecture. In addition, I will update the local communities on Commission activities, and seek their input on Commission decisions that effect all of Lincoln County.

Noel- Transparency in local government? That is already open for all to investigate and look in to….but most voters do not seek information regarding the activities of government until a decision is made that they do not agree with. I do have ideas on educating the public with information in a for me at they can access that is easier to follow than the current Commissioner meeting reports that are available for review.

In your opinion, is Eureka growing too fast, not fast enough? What challenges do you see if things continue on their present course and what would you do to mitigate them while preserving the culture and beauty we now enjoy?
Brian- I think all of Lincoln County and the Tobacco Valley, in particular, is growing at a rate faster than I like to see. Some of the challenges this presents is that rapid growth can easily out pace growth in infrastructure; roads, water systems, waste management and more. Uncontrolled growth rapidly burdens existing infrastructure. Existing infrastructure is slow to match that growth for various reasons including funding and bureaucracy. As Commissioner I would do everything possible to eliminate the bureaucratic slowdowns that seem to have become the standard at all levels of government. I will also tap into the vast intellectual resources the citizens of Lincoln county posses to find ways to fund the expenses associated with growth.

The existing Lincoln County Growth Policy was created in 2009 and last updated in 2019, pre-COVID. A lot has changed since then, and it is time we revisit that policy and adjust it to meet Lincoln County’s current needs. When this policy was updated in 2019, it was opened to a public comment period and survey. There were a mere 373 responses from a county with a population approaching 20,000. I think this staggeringly low response rate is due to a lack of communication, transparency and representation. People did not know it was happening or were not aware of the importance of public feedback. This policy needs to be revisited with a much larger response pool.

Doug- As things currently stand Eureka and Lincoln County are experiencing a “brain drain”. That is, our youth are leaving for better opportunities for education and careers. At the same time we are experiencing “growth”, due in large part to the in-migration of new residents making their retirement homes here. This has resulted in a scarcity of affordable housing and the growth of the “McMansion” style of housing. In Eureka itself there are no provisions for permitting of construction projects and only minimal County zoning and permitting requirements. Based on the latest census figures approximately 57% of the residents in Lincoln County are above 50 years of age. This does not lead to a tax base which is sustainable in providing even basic services. In my view, Eureka must pass a permitting ordinance, based on State code, which establishes a permitting process for both new construction and renovation of existing structures. Without this, construction and renovations will continue with out regard to protecting the values which make Eureka and Lincoln County the special place that we currently enjoy.

Noel- Eureka growth….again an issue we see daily and growth will continue to happen. Services will be necessary and more strained as additional people move into the Eureka District of Lincoln County. happens, but we need to be ready and prepared for the growth.

Would you encourage or discourage growth, and how would you do that?
Brian- I don’t think there is any realistic way to encourage or discourage growth. We are going to continue to have growth, that is a simple fact. I think we need to put our collective heads together and come up with a plan that can allow for controlled growth while we maintain the charm and character of our community.

Doug- Growth is happening and will continue as our County, State and Nation continue to recover from the Covid pandemic. Currently most jobs here are seasonal, depending on the tourist/retirement trade. This does not provide a livable income for our young folks nor does it encourage them to remain in Lincoln County, buy or build houses and start families here. We must take steps to diversify our economy in addition to tourism, mining and logging. Job training must be made available to retrain displaced workers and train recent high school graduates in 21st century skills and to encourage the industries that utilize those skills to locate here.

Noel- Growth encourage or discourage? That is a ridiculous question. If we discourage growth, we cut the financial funding and employment opportunities that this county desperately needs. Nothing remains the same forever…..

Every commissioner balances the budget, but much of the funds are already earmarked for existing programs and projects. The remaining money will be divided according to priorities. What are your top priorities for funding for Lincoln County?
Brian- The top funding priorities should be the services that most benefit the majority of citizens. We keep hearing that the county is broke and that there is no money. We need to address things like roads, law enforcement and waste management as priorities, the basics. Once we have a handle on the basics we can move forward with other issues. We first have to get our house in order.

Doug- While it is true that a portion of the County budget goes towards satisfying contractual obligations, or fixed costs, much of the budget is discretionary. County budgeting, in its current form appears to be more of a comedy of errors than a deliberative process. For starters, the raises that Commissioners continue to give elected officials are a farce. While it is true that Sheriffs Department employees’ salaries are limited to a percentage of the Sheriff’s salary that does not justify Commissioners giving themselves a raise year after year. Based on census data the average income in Lincoln County is around $44,000 per year. I don’t feel that is appropriate for Commissioners to draw a salary of almost $20,000 above that.

When I first decided to run for Commissioner my priorities were to diversify our economy, develop affordable housing across the board, provide job training which will empower Lincoln County residents to successfully compete in the 21st century market place and support our libraries. Unfortunately, none of that is possible until County budgets are sustainable and do not rely on tapping our savings accounts.

Noel- Balancing the budget is difficult when the expenditures exceed the income. We must develop more sources of income and increase the income to be able to provide the services necessary for a modern County.

Is our current waste management system adequate for the population? Do you see that changing in the near future?
Brian- I think our current waste management system is quickly being overwhelmed and is not adequate nor prepared for the current growth rate. We are having waste services cut, for example the green boxes on Pinkham Creek are gone, while we are experiencing growth and more people. We have a large influx of seasonal residents every summer. This results in a strain on the waste management infrastructure. Every Monday morning the transfer station is full to the brim. This results in more people using it during the week. At the height of the summer season, the sanitation employees are running full speed all the time and appear to be getting engulfed.

I have heard various numbers regarding the contract to empty the remote green boxes with Evergreen Disposal, but it seems to have settled on somewhere near $300,000 per year. A quick internet search shows a used sanitation truck can be purchased for about that amount or even less. Is there a possibility of investing in a truck and an employee and offsetting the cost of the contract in just a couple of years? (Full disclosure, I live on Pinkham Creek Road and I have been directly affected by this.)
Additionally, the landfill in Libby is headed toward capacity and it won’t be long until a new landfill is required. Between the regulations and restrictions surrounding this type of infrastructure and the costs associated, are we prepared or preparing for this? A cost of $12,000,000 for a new landfill is the estimate that was stated at the Commissioner’s meeting earlier this year.

Doug- I was recently told that the current waste management company has a sole source contract. If that is true, then Lincoln County is at the mercy of the current contractor. A competitive bid process must be established and aggressively instituted.
During the summer I have made several drives around the County to observe the “green box” sites and what I have seen is depressing. I have witnessed gut piles, old tires, furniture, cardboard boxes, mattresses and box springs, waste just tossed on the ground and construction debris. My understanding is that the green box sites are for household waste only. In addition, the garbage along our County and Forest Service roads has astonished me. I have picked up somewhere around 20 bags of trash from along the roadside during my excursions.
With the current expansion of the landfills being done by our Health Department we have the capacity to service our current population and accommodate some growth. However, that is meaningless if folks don’t take care of what we have.
Noel- Waste Management….we need to remember why the Greem Box program started: to stop public dumping of trash in areas around the county. The Green Boxes were helpful in providing a safe, clean and financially efficient place to put the waste that every society creates. Currently, the monopoly held by Waste Connections through their lower level company Evergreen Disposal is something that needs to be addressed immediately and effectively. This has been brewing for many years without being addressed properly. Now it is an immediate problem that needs resolved.

Is there anything else you’d like the voters to know about you that might influence their decision?
Brian- I am a conservative independent. I am running for commissioner outside of an established party because I want to represent all people of Lincoln County and not just a party. I want to return to the idea of a Commissioner being a representative of the people. I want to have transparent governance that will lead to engagement with the citizenry so that I can provide representation. That transparency does not happen without intentional effort, and I intend to exercise that effort. I intend to engage with the people I represent so that I can know what issues are important in their lives. I intend to represent those issues on the Board of Commissioners of Lincoln County.

Doug- About a year and a half ago I was a very staunch “Undeclared” politically. The closest I had come to declaring allegiance to any political party was as an Eisenhauer Republican. In our current political climate, even he would be run out of the Republican party. After a great deal of research and introspection I chose to run as a Democrat. While I don’t agree with some of the positions taken by the Party, they most closely align with my beliefs. I am very proud of my allegiance with the Lincoln County Democrats and grateful for their support as well as the support I have received from Kalispell Democrats.

In summary, I believe that I have the education and experience to bring a new level of professionalism to the Lincoln County Commission as we move into the 21st century.

Noel- Additional items to address? The position of Lincoln County Commissioner needs a person with energy, time and ability to see the future paths that are available for Lincoln County….they also need to be able to address current issues at the same time. That requires a person with a variety of knowledge and experience. I am that person in the General Election.