BILLINGS — Opponents of a proposed forensic mental health facility near Laurel gathered Tuesday at the Billings Convention Center for a second public hearing on the project.
Watch the video below:
For the first time, they got to express their dissatisfaction to one of the key architects of the proposal, Dan Villa, the director of the state Board of Investments, who attended the meeting in person and sat at front.
The hearing is a required step in completing an environmental assessment of the proposed site — a 114-acre plot of land currently under a buy-sell agreement with the state. A prior hearing was held at the Laurel Public Library on April 22.
About 75 attendees were given up to five minutes each to voice concerns about the facility, which could include up to 64 beds and would be built just outside the city of Laurel.
Also new at Tuesday's hearing: four Montana state troopers who told MTN News they were there "in case something happens."
No violence has broken out at the many meetings surrounding the proposed facility, but accusations of a lack of transparency have been a recurring theme. That message gained enough traction to gather enough signatures for a petition to recall Laurel Mayor Dave Waggoner. Waggoner resigned from office on May 19 and avoided facing the vote.
Related:
Laurel officials say public process beginning on state mental forensic facility
'Inappropriate location': Laurel City Council hears from crowd about forensic facility concerns
Reactions in Laurel mixed as site is chosen for forensic mental health facility
Laurel Public Schools Superintendent Matt Torix said the entire process of bringing the facility to Laurel has raised concerns.
"We don't want things to even look like they're underhanded. And I'm not accusing anyone of any underhanded acts in this process, but I do feel like that there's a lot of, it looks underhanded. It looks like there's been a lack of transparency."
Torix also questioned why the state chose this specific location for the forensic facility.
"It does bother me that of all the places in Yellowstone County or in the entire state of Montana, you have to build it a couple of blocks from my (K-2) school. I just feel like there are better options out there," Torix said.
The draft environmental assessment confirms the state is moving forward with both the county and the city to gain needed zoning and annexation. The draft document reads, "The Board of Investments has contacted both the City of Laurel and Yellowstone County to have the property designated for governmental use. BOI plans to consent to annexation if the City of Laurel desires it."
So far, the city does not. The Laurel City Council voted last month to enact a 90-day moratorium on all annexations into the city.
According to the Laurel C.A.R.E.D. group, which formed in oppposition of the forensic facility, the organization has hired an attorney to file a temporary restraining order against the state to stop construction on the proposed site. As of Monday, no restraining order had been filed.
The draft environmental assessment is available for review at hb5.mt.gov/_shared/PUBLIC_HEARING_doc.pdf.
