City Council Fields Complaints From Citizens, Gets Report From Sheriff's Department

Several members of the Malta community made their way to the city council meeting on Tuesday, April 12, to discuss the way the town is looking. Stating that there are several places around town that are complete dumps and look like junkyards. They said it’s like nobody takes pride in how their lawn or neighborhood looks anymore.

Mayor Demarais addressed them saying, “I thank you all for coming in and voicing your complaints. I agree that there are a few places in town that need to be cleaned up and are in violation of the city’s ordinance. We have let it slip, and will start to issue tickets right away.”

Demarais told the citizens that things would not happen overnight, but that the city will do its best to get on top of the situation. A certain amount of time is given, after the citation, to let the person get things cleaned up.

The fact that the citywide clean-up will be coming up soon was brought up as a possibility for some of the junk to be disposed of. But with that, everything has to be taken to the curb to be picked up.

In the police report to the council, Phillips County Sheriff Jerry Lytle informed the council that the department has purchased a canine to be used for drug, search and rescue, and bite dog.

Lytle told the council that Deputy Taylor Matthews will be the handler. Matthews and his canine will attend a school in Pennsylvania for six weeks.

Lytle said that he feels the canine will be a great asset to the county.

Public Works Director Jim Truelove told the council that the city crew had retrieved almost all of the trash cans that were blown around town in the wind storm that hit the week before.

More dirt fill has been taken out to the landfill. “The wind did a real number out there,” said Truelove.

Truelove also told the council that pool season is fast approaching and he will start preparing for that in the next week.

Parks and Rec director Sally Wright proposed the purchase of new backboards for the Trafton Park court. The purchase was approved with a 3-1 vote.

In new news, the council approved the contract presented by Bruco to re-coat the gym floor and dance room floor including the prep work and clean-up.

The council also approved the 2022 contract for Big Sky Turfworx for herbicide and fertilizer service in the parks and trails.

The next Malta City Council meeting will be on April 26, in Malta City Hall, at 5:00 p.m.