FAQ's
Who is on the Board of Directors?
The Board consists of five members as established by law.
Who appoints the Board of Directors?
The Board is elected, with elections occurring in May 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.)
When does the Board meet?
The Board meets on the first Monday of every month at 6:30PM at the Gallatin Gateway Fire Station Board Room. 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 approximately three days prior to the meeting.
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.
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.
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. Contact the General Manager or a Board member for more information.
Is new construction within the District boundaries required to hook-up to public sewer?
If your property is located inside the boundaries of the District then you will be required to connect to the system. The District's attorney offered this opinion on July 2, 2012:
The District has the authority to establish the rules and regulations for operation, maintenance, use and availability including connection procedures. See §7-13-2218, MCA. Within that authority granted to the District, the District’s rules and regulations may establish which properties will be required to connect and which properties could be excluded from connection. For example, the Rules and Regulations could require that every lot Within the District connect to the District's system.
Based upon this opinion and after considering all input, on July 2, 2012 the Board stated their intent to pass an ordinance requiring residents to connect to the system once it is operational. On September 3, 2013 the Board held a public hearing on an ordinance establishing rules and regulations. The rules require that every structure within the boundaries of the District must connect to the public system. This ordinance went into effect November 2013. A permit is required from the District - see documents section.