Two city police officers were called to the Heights County Water District meeting by board members in an effort to remove Pam Ellis from their meeting, after county attorney department says the board has no authority to remove Ellis from the board. (Courtesy photo)
The Heights County Water District board set a new budget for 2022-23 that includes a feasibility study to build a water treatment plant; they named Tom Zurbuchen as a new board member; voted an eight percent wage increase for staff; and again called upon police to try to remove a board member.
Even though, after being informed last month by Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito that they did not have the authority to remove county-appointed board member, Pam Ellis, from the board, water district board members refused to recognize Ellis as part of the board last Wednesday evening.
The board voted to remove Ellis during their June board meeting. They did not hold a meeting in July.
On August 15, 2022, the County Water District of Billings Heights filed documents in District Court against Yellowstone County Commissioners and Pam Ellis; however, neither plaintiff had been officially notified of the case as of Wednesday. The suit asks why the county commissioners failed to remove Ellis after being asked to do so, and demands that Ellis “show cause as to why she should not be absolutely restrained from further participation on the Water District Board,” after claiming that Ellis “repeatedly engaged in conduct exceeding her authority as a director on the Water District Board.”
When the board met to decide to file the suit, is not known, since it was not posted as a public meeting. When asked Wednesday, by YCN, when they met to make the decision to file suit and to engage legal counsel, Chairman Ming Cabrera, said “No comment.” Asked, “if” they had a meeting, Cabrera repeated, “No Comment. Talk to our lawyers.”
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