CITY COUNCIL MEETING

The Hamilton Consulting Group reported to the Havre City Council last night that they had just completed City’s annual Audit with no significant findings. Audit accountants Gordy Thompson and Jody Hellegard went on to say that this was the best audit the City had ever had and everything was in great shape. Good Job to former Mayor Bob on leaving the City records in great shape.

The council went on to pass a resolution regarding a grant application to the Montana DEQ for an energy efficiency block grant. Paul Tuss of Bear Paw Development reported that the City needed to have a formal request to participate and that we would be competing against other communities. (this is the same money that the recycle group enquired about). The grant must detail how much energy would be saved in each project and that the project ideally should have a pay back in less than 15 years. The city would have 2 years to spend the money. The City is eligible for $100,000 and an additional $50,000 grant is being secured for the air handling system at City Hall. The City voted to request the funds (shouldn’t this just be a given?) Dave Peterson, alleged director of Public Works, stated that he and Mayor Tim decided that there were three potential projects to do energy retrofits at City Hall and the City Shop as well as maybe a project at the Waste Water Treatment Plant on the North side. Also there is a possibility this grant money could be used to leverage the City’s funding to be used with other potential grants over the next two years.

The Hi-Way 2 Association requested via a letter to the council that the City vote to send a letter of support for the widening of Hi-Way 2 to a 4-lane road from Havre to Fort Belknap to the Montana Department of Transportation. This section of road is currently scheduled to be upgraded to a Super-2 with a re-build starting next year. Councilman Kaul requested that the council table this request until more information can be received at the MDT meeting scheduled for January 28th in the Hill County Electric hospitality room. Council persons Veis questioned why they couldn’t just do it instead of waiting for the meeting, and then after more incoherent babbling by Kaul all voted to table except Vies. It seems simple to those of us at the Corrector. By the way, Kaul is a member (and constant companion of Sivertson) of the very Hi-Way 2 Association that sent the council the letter of request in the first place. What is the matter with this guy? You either support trying to get the project expanded to 4-lane or you don’t. Apparently the DOT has threatened the possibility of delaying the project, rejecting it all together, or otherwise punishing those involved with the Hi-Way 2 Association for questioning their decision. We will have to wait until the meeting on the 28th to bring you an update.