By Michael Howell
At its last Committee of the Whole meeting the Hamilton City Council decided to draft a statement in response to the Department of Environmental Quality’s request for public comment on a proposed wastewater discharge permit along Highway 93 a few miles south of the city limits intended to serve a large unnamed retail store. A major point of inquiry by the public at that meeting was the identity of the store under consideration. It is widely believed to be a Walmart project. DEQ held a public meeting and a public hearing concerning the wastewater permit authorization in Hamilton. At that meeting the agency denied any knowledge of the identity of the retail store planned for the location. Local realtor Lee Foss, who submitted the wastewater permit application, has not disclosed the store’s identity and did not attend the meeting.
Council President Jenny West, who spoke at the meeting as a concerned river outfitter, introduced the topic and asked if it was something the Council was interested in commenting on. She said several issues of concern were raised at the meeting including high groundwater in the area, ditches crossing the property and potential negative effects on the river, aquatic life and invertebrates.
Councilor Joe Petrusaitis said that from what he had read in the newspapers it sounds like DEQ is not doing its job. He also wondered where the agency got the information that the wastewater system proposed for the store was a better system than the City of Hamilton’s.
Mayor Jerry Steele said it was the opinion of HDR engineer Dan Harmon.
City Planner Dennis Stranger said that the ground water in the area of the proposed development was moving away from the city’s wells. He called the proposed treatment system “state of the art.” He said that DEQ had estimated the impact of the effluent discharge as being less than an individual septic system.
“They are clean units,” said Stranger. He said it would be great to see the City sewer system extended out that far but the cost would be $3 to $5 million.
Petrusaitis said, “Since the treatment system is better than our plant, that’s a good thing. I think the unnamed Big Box should maybe go ahead and DEQ will keep an eye on them.”
Councilor Al Mitchell then said that he was asking the Council to draft a statement that the introduction of a large Big Box store will have a negative impact on existing stores and have a serious impact on existing non-profits and other organizations that depend on local businesses to support their operations.
Councilors Joe Petrusaitis and Ken Bell expressed immediate agreement, both calling it a “good idea.”
Stranger asked what the basis for it was.
“It’s a bad idea and it’s our political statement that we don’t want a Big Box store here,” said Mitchell.
“I thought you were making an economic argument,” said Stranger.
“I was,” said Mitchell.
“What is it?” Stranger asked.
“What’s the economic argument? You are going to destroy a lot of small businesses and non-profits and other organizations,” said Mitchell.
“I don’t disagree with the sentiment,” said Stranger, “but what’s the reason?”
“It’s self-evident,” said Mitchell, with some frustration evident in his voice. “I don’t think I have to defend it. You can take it for what it says… I just want them to know we are not going to welcome them. We are gonna go kicking and screaming out the door. I’ve put twenty-six g-d damned years into my business and I’m not going to sit here and get sold out down the g-d damned river by some stinking Big Box multi-national son-of-a-b—-ing organization that has no regard for the community whatsoever.”
The entire Council agreed that a statement should be drafted. Mitchell was given the job and asked to keep the “g-d damns” out of it.
Other items headed for the City Council agenda include possibly approving a Memorandum of Agreement with the Circle-13 Skate Board organization and the Ravalli County Economic Development Authority. City Attorney Karen Mahar told the Council that the MOU had been amended to address questions about potential sites including the area designated at the fairgrounds. She said the organization had acquired liability insurance from the Montana Skate Park Association. She said the next step would be for Circle-13 to begin fundraising in earnest.
According to Mahar, a lot of Skate Parks get money from a few very large donations. She said a member of the band Pearl Jam, with roots in Montana, has started a foundation that helps fund skate parks in rural areas. She said a variety of funding sources for Skate Parks exist that don’t exist for other projects.
Mahar also said that the County did not want to accept responsibility but would extend a long term no-fee lease to the City for the use of the property at the fairgrounds.
Other business headed for council included:
• request for approval to have a mule at Legion Park as part of a Back Country Horsemen presentation at Apple Days;
• possible confirmation of employment status for Officer Clayton Moore;
• possible budget amendment to cover the $1,602 expenditure for a sander as part of a MACI grant;
• possible budget amendment to cover the cost of a police officer position that was inadvertently left out of the budget.
Kept in committee for more discussion was a proposal to contract with Deadwood Enterprises for construction of a Cemetery Information Booth. Councilor Petrusaitis expressed the desire to get more price quotes before moving ahead.