Malta City Council to continue Compliance Officer discussion

At Tuesday night’s Malta City Council meeting, Malta Mayor Shyla Jones invited Phillips County Justice of the Peace Gayle Stahl to talk to the council about the possibility of Malta hiring a fulltime compliance officer who would enforce city ordinances.

JOP Stahl, Mayor Jones and the council members talked about the possible compliance officer for 40 minutes before deciding that the council will continue to talk about the possibility of hiring a fulltime officer -- including discussions with Philips County Sheriff Scott Moran and Phillips County Attorney Dan O’Brien -- with a 4-0 vote.

“As far as I am concerned it is long overdue,” said Councilman William Crowder.

“I agree,” Mayor Jones said. “There have been several people who have read about (a possible compliance officer) in the paper and they are for it.”

The council is looking at the compliance officers in three different Montana cities – Cutbank, Round Up and Sidney – and the officer could possibly enforce traffic laws, yard maintenance, and snow removal to name a few tasks and would only cite people for misdemeanor offenses.

“One of the biggest issues is speeding in town, parking and the complaints that are not being dealt with right now,” Mayor Jones said. She added that she had talked with O’Brien about the possibility of setting a speed limit ordinance in town (following two public meetings) so the compliance officer could issue citations.

“I don’t know if I like the idea of somebody judging someone else’s yard and says ‘you’re in compliance and you’re not’,” Councilman David Rummel said. “With speeding, you say ‘you’re driving 30, you’re guilty,’ …it is not so cut and dry and that concerns me.”

Councilwoman Bonnie Wiederrick said that a compliance officer would only be as good as the judicial system surrounding them.

“I agree,” said Mayor Jones. “In the past it has been the friend didn’t get as big of a fine as the non-friend. That is why (JOP Stahl) wants the fines set in a resolution so there is no more ‘good old boy club.”

JOP Stahl said she recently saw a publication advertising Malta City Ordinance No. 422 that states that all recreational vehicles must be removed from city streets by December 1.

“So, what do you guys do if they are not,” JOP Stahl asked. “If we are going to do this, I want to work with the City Council, I have talked with Scott (Moran, county sheriff) and I want us all to be on the same page.”

JOP Stahl said the laws must be consistent and publicized so city residents are aware of possible fines and what would happen on first, second and third offense of any and all laws.

Mayor Jones agreed that all current resolutions need to be reexamined – citing one old law on the books that says women cannot come to town on Sundays without a man as chaperone.

JOP Stahl said she would like to see a compliance officer given the latitude to approach a home owner, tell them their yard is not in compliance, give them 10-days to get the problem rectified or otherwise receive a ticket.

“But it all depends on what you guys want to do and how you want to handle it,” Stahl added. “I'd like somebody to come and tell me face to face.”

JOP Stahl said that if a compliance officer were to be hired – man or woman – they would need to have some guts, a clean record and the ability to treat everyone with consistency and fairness.

“We don’t want anyone being surprised either,” Stahl continued. “The laws need to be published so people are aware of them.”

It was stressed, again, that the compliance officer talks are only in the preliminary stages – including a job description and what the position would pay -- and nothing has been decided yet.

“I am not against it,” Councilman Rummel said. “But I am not totally for it right now either.”

During the Department of Public Works portion of Tuesday night’s meeting, Director Jim Truelove said the City Crew had spent some time on street repairs, mainly in Hillcrest and the west side of Malta, and as long as the weather remains mild, those efforts will continue. Truelove said a new mosquito sprayer was ordered and will be ready to use by next spring.