RECYCLE HI-LINE LOSES FUNDING OPTION

The first meeting of the Havre City Council where the newly elected where seated in their new position was held on January 4, 2010. Candy Zion, board chairperson of Recycle Hi-Line spoke of their groups efforts to develop a recycling center that would serve the 3 county area currently served by the Unified Disposal Board. Zion went on to inform the City officials of a grant she had discovered that would use stimulus money from funds administered through the State of Montana Department of Environmental Quality that could be used to finance the recycling center at no cost to the City or County. Paul Tuss, director of Bear paw Development, then spoke about the aspects of the grant. The DEQ grant was unusual as it didn’t even require the customary matching funds to be raised by the County, City or the Recycling Group asking for the City’s blessing in applying for the funds. Tuss went on to say that these grant funds under this program were available for anything that would encompass greater energy efficiency or conservation projects. The Recycling Groups project would fall within these guidelines.


Dave Peterson, Havre Director of Public Works was asked by one of the council members if the City had any projects in the works that could make use of these funds. Peterson with that deer caught in the headlights look responded with his customary, long drawn our “Weeellllllllll…………..we probably could have done some projects to improve insulation and do some window upgrades and retrofits in City buildings but he didn’t know the funds were available and he was sure he couldn’t get the grant applications done by the February 1st deadlines. The council then voted to support Zion’s efforts as long as it didn’t affect their funding.

Today news was released that the Recycling groups plans would be put on hold as both the City and County had come up with some ways they could use the money themselves. Kudos to Candy Zion for pointing out that this grant, which totals $250,000 to be shared by the City and County, to the numbskulls that aren’t paying attention in our Public Works Department. Better luck next round.

Yet another example of how one of our so called Department Heads has failed at his job.