Mayor tells Council 'good news' of 'no rate increases'

The traditional Tuesday night Malta City Council Meeting was shifted to Friday at noon last week and an announcement from Malta Mayor John Demarais informed everyone of a bit of good news to start their weekends.

“We have some big news about the water project,” Mayor Demarais said. “There is good news and bad news. The bad news is we have to have a public hearing. The good news is, it is not a public hearing about (water) rate increases, because the rates are not going to go up one single nickel.”

In January of this year, the Malta City Council approved a motion to begin the process of raising water rates for the second time in 19-months following an accounting error with the firm charged with administering the loans for the recent water project which tore through town last summer. It was believed at the time the City of Malta would have to borrow $750,000 to cover a money shortage. Mayor Demarais said that problem no longer exists.

“When I got that news yesterday, I was beside myself,” Mayor Demarais said. “Now we just have to have a public meeting to accept the bonds. This is great news for everybody.”

Malta City Clerk Lorie Bond said that the money to cover the shortage caused by the accounting error will come out of a water insurance fund.

“They came to the conclusion that we have enough money with the (water) rates as they are,” Clerk Bond said.

The City of Malta will conduct a public hearing on May 22 at 5:10 p.m. to amend the 2017/18 Budget to make provisions for the expenditure of the additional $690,000 Water System Revenue Bonds (DNRC Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Program) for the water project.

In other business during the Friday afternoon meeting, Malta Chamber of Commerce Executive Ann Sautter said that the proposed farmer's market to be held in Trafton Park has been greenlit, and will start on June 26 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. and will be held a total of six times throughout the summer.

“We are just trying to provide a place for local vendors and artisans to come and sell goods,” Sautter said.

Following a public hearing, the Malta City Council approved an amendment to a previous ordinance to allow angle parking in parts of Malta. The amendment changes the ordinance to allow the City of Malta to allow angle parking rather than law enforcement.

During the Public Works report, Mayor Demarais said that he had been receiving complaints about garbage blowing out of the backs of trucks on the way to the City landfill because people are not securing their loads before they travel. Mayor Demarais said State of Montana law says that garbage loads must be secured and said a sign would be put up at the landfill letting people know about the law.