Sintler, Hicks sworn in to Malta City Council

With the new year just around the corner, the Malta City Council welcomed two councilmen into the fold last Tuesday night as Bill Hicks and James Sintler where sworn into office by Malta Mayor Shyla Jones.

Hicks will take the seat of Malta City Council from Ward 1, replacing Warren Abrahamson, and Sintler will replace William Crowder who sat on the council representing Ward 2 for the past 27 years.

There were also 23 other one-year committee appointments made at the night’s meeting including Lorie Bond as City Clerk and Treasurer, Jim Truelove as Public Works Director, Greg Boos as Malta City Fire Chief and Danny Paul Shores and Greg Ziegler as co-assistant fire chiefs. Each of the 23-committee appointments was unanimously passed by the council.

In the public works portion of Tuesday night’s meeting, Director Truelove informed the council that the speed bumps around town have been removed for the winter – in order to allow the snowplow truck access to the streets – and the signs announcing the bumps have been covered up.

“We left the signs up because they will be used again,” he said.

Truelove told the council that the city crew recently fixed a water break on Second Ave. West and a water filter was replaced at the Women’s Club House. He said the sanding of streets will continue as needed and that a list of trailers illegally parked on city streets is being compiled and the owners will all be notified of the violation.

During the correspondents portion of the night’s meeting, Mayor Jones said the City of Malta recently received a letter from Montana Governor Steve Bullock announcing the city was awarded a $500,000 TSEP Grant to be applied to the city’s water project due to start in 2016.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Malta resident Gary Knudsen thanked the City Crew for the job they have been doing thus far this winter.

“They have done a pretty nice job sanding the streets,” said Knudsen. “I walk everywhere most of the time and they have really been on top of stuff and that has been nice.”

At the first December meeting of the Malta City Council, Director Truelove informed the Council that the city crew has been busy cleaning up the area by the west end of the shop. Truelove stated that repairs had been made on the Legg Lift Station the previous week and that it is running fine at this time and said the City Crew had been busy blading alleys in town.

During new business at the meeting, Mayor Jones informed the council that it was time to select a business for fuel purchases in 2016. Mayor Jones stated currently the city is using Westside Self Service and that Little Otts which has been purchased by Horizon Resources is the next business in the rotation. Horizon Resources was given the 2016 contract unanimously.