Lots on the agenda at Council Meeting

City Council Meeting

The Malta City Council held its bi-weekly meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, March 23, at 5 p.m.

All councilpersons, James Sintler, William Hicks, Bonnie Wiederrick and David Rummel, were in attendance. As was Mayor John Demarais and City Clerk/Treasurer Lorie Bond.

The meeting began with the approval of the minutes from the last meeting, approving the agenda for that nights’ meeting, and review audit committee for payment of claims. All of which were motioned for, seconded and passed by unanimous vote.

The reports from Departments and Committees was next on the agenda.

Eric Witmer, the shop manager for the Department of Public Works, was first to address the council.

He reported that all of the cardboard bales have been removed from the airport and taken to the landfill. He said that the DPW was looking for input from the council on what to do with the two cardboard balers that are at the airport, not being used.

Witmer then stated that the street sweeper has been out, and will continue to be. So be watching for that.

And that the DPW crew has also been blading the alleys in town and will continue to do that as well.

Witmer added that four crew members of the Department of Public Works and two office personal had gone through an AED, CPR, and First Aid training course put on by the Phillips County Ambulance Service.

City Clerk/Treasurer Lorie Bond gave her report next.

Clerk Bond presented Council with the current check register, the current shut off list and the revenue and expenditure actual vs budget reports.

She stated that Parks and Rec had asked to have the volleyball court and horseshoe pits in Trafton Park rototilled. Bond asked the council if this would be something that the FFA could do. The council discussed it and a motion was made to ask the FFA to do the tilling. It was seconded and passed by unanimous vote.

Bond also said that the new city Christmas decorations had been delivered.

Director Sally Wright of the Parks and Rec. Department followed with her report to the Council.

Wright gave the Council a report on the numbers for the kids and adult classes and courses for the past few months.

Wright reports that they had 61 kids signed up for dodgeball. Winter Tiny Tots had 29 signed up for it and had an average of 17 kids per day.

Spring Tiny Tots has started, and they have 26 signed up for it, and are averaging 20 kids per day.

Parks and Rec. have kickball starting in April and sign up is currently going on for that.

Director Wright reported that the classes for adults currently are HIIT classes on Mondays and Wednesdays. Bootcamp on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and Yoga classes on Tuesdays. The weight room had 166 sign in for December, 179 in January, and 167 signed in for February.

Wright also informed the Council that she and Parks and Rec. Assistant Director Kristina Benner had cleaned up all of the trash out of the parks on March 12. And that they would be working on clearing out all of the leaves next.

The next item on the agenda is new business.

Bob Church of Great West Engineering, and the city of Malta’s on call engineer was first to address the Council. He said that in 2005 they did a comprehensive capital improvement plan for the city of Malta. It’s a planning document that looks at all of the cities infrastructure. Water, sewer, buildings, landfill and streets. They determine an estimated cost of repair and then work with the council and city staff to prioritize and help identify potential funding sources.

Church went on to say that there are a couple of grants from the state of Montana coming up in June. His company could help plan, prioritize, and fill out the grant paperwork and applications.

The council decided that the proposal would be put on the agenda for the next meeting for more discussion and a vote.

Church then went on to say that Great West Engineering would like to put together a technical memorandum on the Trafton Lift Station. It is their opinion that the lift station is the biggest problem the City of Malta is facing. He said that having a plan put together to replace it would be the optimal idea. Church said that when the opportunity for grants and other money does come up, it is much easier and more efficient to receive the grants when there is a plan in place.

The next person to address the Council was Jennifer Anderson of the Hi-Line Future Foundation. She requested an update from the Council on the City Swimming Pool and how the money that they had donated had been used.

City Treasurer Lorie Bond gave Anderson the financial report for the Pool House and copies of all receipts.

Anderson then asked the Council for a report on the direction that the City Pool was going to go in. She wanted to know if the City planned on more upgrades for the pool so the foundation would know what to tell their donators.

It was decided that the Council would have City Works Director Jim Truelove get with the foundation and to discuss the future plans of the City Pool at one of the Hi-Line Future Foundation meetings or at a future City Council meeting.

Next on the agenda was a report from Phil-Co representative Pam Smith Wolsey.

She informed the Council on some of the grants that they have applied for and received. She gave the Council a paper report on the different projects that Phil-Co has been working on to keep the Council informed and up to date before they consider the City’s contribution.

The Council discussed it and a motion was made to pay the contribution to Phil-Co. It was seconded and passed by unanimous roll call vote.

The next item was the Hi-Line Retirement Center Draw No. 2.

A motion was made to pay it, followed by a second and a unanimous roll call vote.

Brian Benton then addressed the Council, giving them a 2021 bid proposal asking for a $400 increase over the contract from last year. There was no increase from the contracts from 2019 to 2020. The increase this year is to cover fuel costs and machine maintenance over the whole summer.

A motion was made to accept the contract. It was seconded and passed by a unanimous roll call vote.

City Pool Manager Kelly Cederberg addressed the Council about Resolution 1296. A resolution amending the fees at the City Swimming Pool.

Cederberg proposed an increase in the cost for the pool rental. She said they tried the rental last year to see how it would go over and it really took off. The pool was rented out almost every Friday and Saturday night. The increase in the price is to cover the cost of having the lifeguards there. She said there is also a small increase in the cost of swimming lessons.

Cederberg reported the numbers from last year stating that in July of 2020, they were open for 17 days and had 1587 swimmers. In August they were open for 4 days and had 218 swimmers. The pool also had 149 signed up for swimming lessons.

She also said that the Parks and Rec. crew were trying to come up with a good way to tie in this years swimming lesson sign up with an open house for the updated pool house.

The council discussed the proposals and a motion was made to pass the resolution. It was seconded and passed by unanimous roll call vote.

The last item on the agenda was a request for the first half of the City’s Share Funding for FY2021 for the Bear Paw Development.

A motion was made to pay. It was seconded and passed by unanimous roll call vote.

The next City Council Meeting is scheduled for April 6, at 5 p.m. at the City Hall.