Letter to the Editor; Stunning disrespect for the rule of law

On June 26, the compact commission laid out a proposed framework for reopening negotiations on the Flathead Water Compact. Their document indicated that the first negotiation session would be held during the first week in July. As of the today, July 31, 2014, there have been no notices of negotiation meetings posted on the compact commission website.

However the Valley Journal kindly provided an article about a private meeting held in Ronan last week that included the compact commission attorney as well as elected officials. Even the governor’s office and DNRC officials were included on the private invitation list. Negotiations were reopened specifically for the purpose of inserting the irrigator water use agreement into the compact.

Knowing that, it is important to ask if these are the kind of negotiations that the compact commission has in mind? Is it possible that the compact commission is only interested in negotiating with proponents of the compact, to the exclusion of the majority of irrigators and their representative government, the FJBC, who oppose the continued attempts to ram the compact, the unitary management ordinance and the water use agreement down the throats of Montana citizens?

Doesn’t Montana have an “open meetings” law? Aren’t such “secret” - er, “private” - meetings unlawful? Where are the AG and other attorneys suing for this breach of the public trust!? The “secret” - er, “private” - meetings are as if they held NO “public policy” meetings. The clock should start again at zero, and they should give public notice of such meetings, if they haven’t done so. That would push back decisions to an even later date. No more private meetings - this is not the property of anyone but the entire populace of Montana over which they are “negotiating.” It is not “private” water. The water belongs to the people, not the private-secret negotiators.

Lark Chadwick

Thompson Falls