GGWSD Frequently Asked Questions

Who is on the Board of Directors?: The Board consists of five members. The current Board members are Merle Adams (Pres.), Ted Border, David Sullivan, Charlie White and Earl Wortman. The number of directors on the Board is set by law. (back to top)
Who appoints the Board of Directors?: The Board is elected, with elections occurring in November of even-numbered years. The term for each of the directors is four years, and terms are staggered so that only two or three directors appear on the ballot during each election cycle. The electors are the registered voters who reside within the district, along with landowners who i) own property within the district, ii) who are registered to vote somewhere in the US, and iii) who make their intentions to vote known to the County Clerk prior to the election. (See FAQ on registering landowners to vote.)(back to top)
When are the meetings of the Board?: The Board meets on the first Monday of every month at 6:30PM at the Gallatin Gateway Fire Station, 320 Webb St., Gallatin Gateway, MT 59730. All meetings of the Board are open to the public and public participation is encouraged. Agendas for the meetings are posted at the Gallatin Gateway Post Office and the Gallatin Gateway Community Center approximately one week prior to the meeting. (back to top)
I'm a landowner within the district. How do I register to vote in district elections?: You would need to register with the County Clerk prior to the election. The exact procedures can be obtained by contacting the Elections Office at www.gallatin.mt.gov. A form can be found in the "Documents" section of this website. (back to top)
Who is eligible to vote in district elections?: The electors are the registered voters who reside within the district and the landowners who own property within the district. Each registered voter gets one vote and each parcel owned by an eligible landowner gets one vote. Eligible landowners must be registered to vote somewhere in the US, and must make their intentions to vote known to the County Clerk prior to the election. (See FAQ on registering landowners to vote.)(back to top)
When are the elections and what are they for?: Elections are triggered for any of the following events: to create the district (this election occurred in January 2009); to elect the Board of Directors (new directors are elected in November of even-numbered years); to recall a director; to pass an ordinance by initiative or referendum; to incur bonded debt; to annex property into the district if the annexation would impact services delivered to the current members; or to merge two districts together.(back to top)
How do I find out about meetings and elections?: Regular meetings of the Board are held at 6:30PM on the first Monday of the month at the Gallatin Gateway Fire Station. Agendas are posted at the Gallatin Gateway Post Office and the Gallatin Gateway Community Center at least one week prior to the meeting. Announcements and reminders of the regular meeting schedule are occasionally published in the Bozeman Chronicle. Special meetings of the Board, Public Hearings required for some special decisions, and elections are announced in the Bozeman Chronicle and notices are posted locally. The public hearing and election creating the district were announced in the Chronicle and posted locally. The district maintains a website at www.gatewaywsd.com where interested parties can find meeting schedules and agendas. The Board occasionally sends out mailers to registered voters and landowners. The Board has also gone door-to-door to try to inform the community. (back to top)
How were the original boundaries set?: Prior to the election creating the district, community members met several times in public forums to discuss the formation of the district. The community members sought advice from government, legal and technical experts who had previous experience dealing with sewer districts. The advice was to "keep the initial boundaries small, and let people annex into the district as time and circumstances dictate." With this advice, the community members sought to find simple boundaries that encompassed the original plat of Salesville as well as the few businesses and residences in the vicinity of the new Post Office. The expectation, as stated in the Gallatin Gateway Neighborhood Plan, is that sewer and water services may eventually extend to all parts of the Gallatin Gateway core area. The Gallatin Gateway Neighborhood Plan is now part of the Gallatin County Growth Plan and can be viewed at www.gallatin.mt.gov. (back to top)
How can I get into the district?: The procedures for "annexing" into the district are set by state law. If your property boundary touches the boundary of the district and if your inclusion into the district does not create additional costs for the existing members of the district, you can petition the Board of Directors to annex your property. A sample petition is shown in the "Documents" section of this website. If your property is not adjacent or if the addition of your property would adversely impact the existing members then an election is required. You may also be able to receive services even if your property is not inside the district under certain unusual circumstances. Contact the General Manager or a Board member for more information.(back to top)
How can I get out of the district?: The procedures for opting out of the district are set by state law. In order to successfully petition to have your property excluded from the district, the Board must find that your property does not benefit by being included in the district now or in the future. The procedures for initiating a hearing to have land excluded from the district are spelled out in MCA 7-13-2344. (back to top)
Can I get sewer service if I'm not in the district?: At the present time (fall 2009) no one can get sewer service. Once a system is planned, designed and constructed there may be special circumstances where someone outside the boundaries of the district may be eligible for sewer service. It will be up to the Board of Directors to decide whether providing service outside of the district would adversely impact the district residents and, if not, to establish rates for out-of-district connections. Note that the expectation, as stated in the Gallatin Gateway Neighborhood Plan, is that sewer and water services should be limited to the boundaries of the Gallatin Gateway core area. The Gallatin Gateway Neighborhood Plan is now part of the Gallatin County Growth Plan and can be viewed at www.gallatin.mt.gov. (back to top)
Can I get water?: At the present time (fall 2009) no one can get water service. There is currently no estimate or timeframe in which the Board of Directors may be in a position to provide public water. (back to top)
Do I have to hook up to sewer/water?: If your property is inside the boundaries of the district, you will eventually be required to pay for services offered whether they be for sewer or water. Whether you actually hook up to the pubic system is an open question that would be decided by cost, requirements of the County Health Department and state law. Also, the type and use of the structures on your property will affect the payment amount. At this time (summer 2009) the Board of Directors does not have sufficient information to specify exactly what the requirements will be for hookup or what the fee and tax structure will be. Without substantial participation from the residents the public sewer system will not be economically feasible. So you should be aware that the Board will need to provide strong incentives for residents of the district to hook up early in the process. For example, fees may be waived for residents hooking up during initial construction of the system whereas residents who hook up later may be assessed a charge. The Preliminary Engineering Review, due to be completed in the spring of 2010, should help to answer this question.(back to top)
How much does sewer service cost?: It's too early to tell. The Preliminary Engineering Review, due to be completed in the spring of 2010, should help to answer this question. We do know that the availability of grant funding is tied to the Median Household Income of the residents of the district. Districts with lower MHIs typically receive more grant funding, and therefore their monthly bills are lowered. The Board of Directors is committed to maximizing the amount of grant money used to fund construction of the public sewer system so that direct costs to the residents are kept to the absolute minimum. (back to top)
How much are the taxes and who pays them?: The district is allowed to levy property taxes, which would be paid by the owners of property inside the boundaries of the district. It's too early to tell how much this might be. The Preliminary Engineering Review, due to be completed in the spring of 2010, should help to answer this question. We do know that taxes for sewer districts are generally tied to bonded debt. So you should expect to have the opportunity to vote in a bond election before you would see any increase on your property tax bill that is associated with the district. (back to top)

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GGWSD Frequently Asked Questions

Voting, Public Participation and the Board of Directors

Boundaries and Membership

Services

Rates and Fees