Council Talks Water Tank, $30,000 Grant, and Much More

The March 26th meeting of the Malta City Council opened after the communications from Mayor John Demarais. Demarais thanked the Council for sending him to the Montana Rural Water Conference.

Those in attendance were Jim Truelove, PWD, Marilyn Taylor and Matt Mudd of Great West Engineering. All four Council members were in attendance.

Motions were made, followed by a second to each of the motions and the minutes to the previous meeting, the agenda to the present meeting and to approve claims was passed unanimously.

Jim Truelove, PWD, was present and gave the council and those in attendance his report on actions and work being done by the City Crew. He opened his presentation by also thanking the Council for the opportunity to attend the Montana Rural Water Conference.

The shed at the Event Center has a new roof and it will be completed with addition detail work in a short time.

Truelove told Council members the plow had been out this week; he estimated in the last snow an accumulation of five to eight inches of snow had fallen.

He said Ag Day had gone well, and he thanked those who helped out.

There were some jetting issues on 7th St East and those were fixed in about 12 hours. The crew worked on it with the equipment they have; he didn't want to push matters and break down any of the equipment. Truelove said the blockage was caused by roots and whatever; there was a lot of sand cleaned out. He called Lakeside in Havre and while they were here he had some other matters on the west side of town, where the new sewer was installed last year. Lakeside equipment can jet and pack at the same time.

Clerk Lorie Bond stated the Council members had in their packets the current shutoff list and a copy of the check register. Copies of the information on the Municipal Summit meetings scheduled in May. Council members Laura Pankratz and Bill Hicks plan to attend the one in Fort Peck on May 14 and will be carpooling.

Bond announced the City had received the DNRC/RRGL Emergency Grant Award for the Emergency Force Main Temporary Bypass, as stated in a letter from the DNRC dated March 25, 2024. The award is a Renewable Resource Grand and Loan Payment Grant in the amount of $30,000.

The meeting on the water tank will be held on April 24th at 6 p.m., she said, as per Matt Mudd.

The government review meeting with Dan Clark had a total of six in attendance, those being Wiederrick, Rummel and Bond from the City, Phillips County Clerk and Recorder Lynnel LaBrie and two of the County Commissioners.

There will be a public hearing on Wednesday the 24th of April on the PER (Preliminary Engineer Report) to discuss and present details on the water project at 6 p.m. at the Event Center. (* This meeting was changed (as of a March 28th email from Bond) to April 17th at the Event Center. Please note the change of date.)

There were no other committee reports.

Demarais stated there will be a meeting of the variance board members coming up.

When Demarais asked for public comment, Marilyn Taylor asked, "...how are things coming on the north side; has the City found somebody to do the boring under the river, and has an easement been obtained?"

Demarais responded, "It's gunna be a while."

Taylor said, "Six months goes by pretty fast," to which Demarais restated, "It's going to be a while...I don't expect this happening overnight, or quickly."

Taylor said she was just wondering if they had contracted a company to do the work; Demarais replied, "No, not yet."

Matt Mudd responded to Taylor's inquiry and Demarais' response and stated he would like to speak since it was public comment time.

Mudd then said, "Yes, you're right. It takes time for funding to come together."

When Mudd asked who would be doing the work, Demarais stated it would be Lake Excavation in Havre.

Mudd said a right-of-way for a 30-foot easement was found recorded at the Court House on 1958. He had a legal description of the easement that was emailed to him. One emergency grant was applied for and approved. Malta has also been placed on a priority list with SRF, now as #1. This would be "for loan forgiveness up to 49%, which is good news."

"It will take a couple of months to get through funding and engineering but is has been surveyed, we are mapping it now."

Demarais stated, "It is going to move s-l-o-w."

Taylor said she was just asking because they usually have the little pasture hayed but it doesn't look like this year is going to be one of those years, with the traffic in there. Demarais said he was glad she was at the meeting so she could be informed.

Bond said next on the agenda was Mary Shores, who was not in attendance; she had sent an email to Bond, which was read regarding using the Veterans Park for a Seed and Plant Share and a Farmers Market on May 25th. She expressed they would like to use the water and the bathrooms. The event will begin about 9 a.m. and complete about 5 p.m. with cleanup.

This year, they were thinking about instead of having just plants to having cars with crates of chicks, but there are no chickens allowed in the City limits, so she was wondering how Council would feel about the chick option. People would have to be told no chickens in the City limits; the chicks would be maintained in a climate controlled car in cages. Signs would be posted to remind the public the chicks could not remain in the City limits.

Wiederrick made a motion to allow the chicks at the event, Rummel seconded the motion; a roll call vote was taken, with the motion passing unanimously.

Item 2 on the agenda was a request by the Phillips County Coalition of Healthy Choices asking to use the City gym for a sporting event, and asking to have the fee for using the facility waived. The plan is to have laser tag and archery. Wiederrick made a motion to approve the request, and Rummel followed with a second; motion carried.

Agenda item #3 was Resolution 1345 – A Resolution Relating to Financing of Certain Improvements to the Waste Water System; Establishing Compliance with Reimbursement Bond Regulations Under the Internal Revenue Code. Hicks made a motion to pass the resolution, Pankratz seconded the motion; the motions passed unanimously.

The Milk River Beef Builders 4-H Club were on the agenda as Item #4; they were asking for a waiver of fees and use of the Event Center for workshop on April 12th. Wiederrick made a motion, Pankratz seconded the motion; motion passed unanimously.

The Council then addressed Item #5 on the agenda, Bear Paw Development, a Request for the First Half City's Share Funding for FY2024. The first half in the amount of $3125.

Pankratz asked Demarais, "That's only half of it? When can I talk to you about that? I think we can use our money in a better place."

Demarais inquired, "Than Bear Paw?"

Pankratz replied, "For $6,000? Yes, I think we can hire someone locally to do grant writing. I think there's more passion into the project and there's more skill in the game if they live in the community writing grants."

Rummel said, "Well, you come up with a proposal and we'll sure look at it."

Pankratz said, "Ok."

Rummel continued, "But for now I am going to move we pay the first half."

Hicks said, "They have done a lot for us."

Pankratz asked when was the last time the City had gotten a Bear Paw grant that was approved and went through.

Demarais said, "The last time was in 2016 when we got the water project, that's the only time we have ever asked them."

"Well, I look at that and that's eight years, at $6,000...that's $48,000. We could have saved that and used it...like for maybe another project." Demarais stated, "...could have, could have."

Pankratz continued, "We also could have saved $2,500...instead of paying PhillCo...that's another $20,000. That's $68,000 we could have used for a liner for the pool. I'm just saying, some of these annual fees that go out for some of this stuff and we're not getting any input back, it's kind of bothersome to me...because we could use it."

"I don't know where else we could go, if you guys can think of something else; we're a member of the board..."

Wiederrick inquired if there were other grant writers in the community and Pankratz responded there are a few; she said she's had people ask her if there's money in grant writing and she had told them there is – they can charge a percentage but you have to work them, they don't just "give" grants.

Discussion followed regarding having had grant writers before that moved and no one could really name anyone in this line of business.

Pankratz expressed her disappointment in two she had been dealing with previously, neither seemed to want to do it – one she ended up doing just about everything for it.

Rummel said he had made a motion to pay it, Hicks seconded it. A roll call vote was taken: Rummel, Hicks and Wiederrick voting "aye" and Pankratz voted nay. Motion passed 3-1.

Final action of the meeting was a decision regarding the participation in the SFY 2024 City Rest Area Program. Council members discussed the various improvements, upkeep and repairs to the City Rest Stop (located next to Horizon Resources; Hicks made a motion to participate in the program, Rummel added a second to the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

The Mayor opened the floor for public comment. Wiederrick stated there was discussion at the recent PhillCo meeting as what to do with the old hangar where the drag strip is located.

Wiederrick made a motion to adjourn which was seconded and passed. The next Council meeting was held on Tuesday, April 9 at 5 p.m.