By Michael Howell
At its regularly scheduled January 26 meeting an amended ordinance providing the council with the authority to split the Clerk/Treasurer position into two positions was approved on first reading. A position as Treasurer has been advertised and 11 applications received. Four of the applicants will be selected to be interviewed. The current Clerk will absorb a few new duties and serve as Police Clerk and Court Clerk as well as Town Clerk.
The Town has already been awarded a grant of $400,000 from DEQ for the extension of sewer infrastructure to the Tax Increment Financing District. Now they have received word from the Department of Commerce EDA of conditional approval for an additional grant of $443,000 for the project. The Town’s match for the project is about $43,000 which will be paid through a five-year loan from RCEDA. Bids on the project are expected to be let this spring with construction beginning in the fall.
Mark Adams was appointed to the Planning Board.
At a special meeting of the Stevensville Town Council on January 19, the council approved a contract with the State of Montana Main Street Association to serve as the pass through entity for grant funding to sponsor a series of workshops on community planning and organization. Three meetings will be scheduled to implement the workshops.
The council also approved a job description for a position for a water and sewer operator who would serve as back-up for the regular operators and on weekends. The position was created under the 2011 budget.
The council signed onto a five-year loan from the Ravalli County Economic Development Agency at 5 percent interest that will be paid through tax proceeds in the Tax Increment Financing District to provide the town’s match for grants to install sewer and water lines to properties in the district.
A contract for the Police Department to work with the County DUI Task Force was also authorized.
On the agenda for the next scheduled meeting on February 9 is the council’s use of the Town Attorney and the issue of who would be authorized to contact the Town Attorney.