Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Page One News at a Glance

Marsh Master at work in the Refuge

Subdivision regulations updates published, meetings planned

Crisis Stabilization Center project moving forward

Commissioners hear about community development funds

Stevi pressed for time on water project

Marsh Master at work in the Refuge

By Michael Howell

Cal Henry, head of maintenance at the lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge, has been out on the shallow ponds on the refuge smashing cattails with a small, tracked amphibious vehicle called a Marsh Master. It looks like a small amphibious landing craft, but it only holds a few people. The vehicle’s long tracks compress and break off the cattails creating some open water in the densely packed patches of cattail that continually threaten to take over the ponds.

“It’s important to break up that monoculture,” said Refuge Outdoor and Recreation Planner Bob Danley. He explained how a lot of the pond system at the Refuge was created using headgates and ditches. He said an artificial situation was created. As a result, he said, refuge managers had to step in and manage the system in a way that reflects nature and the natural processes that would occur.

Danley said that the most productive and diverse wetlands were 50 percent water and 50 percent vegetation. A natural wetland is always in the process of changing and goes through cycles from having more water than vegetation to having more vegetation than open water. Cattails play a crucial role in that cycle and, if left unchecked, can overgrow and choke out all the open water on the ponds.

To keep the cattails from taking over completely, the refuge managers draw down the water in the ponds and then burn off the vegetation. After the young cattails re-emerge and have re-grown in late spring, they are then disturbed to create a balance of open water and vegetation before more water is let in.

Refuge managers have used cattle to do this in the past. A small number of cattle were fenced into a small area of cattails until they had munched and mangled it to smithereens with their hooves.

But Danley said that it was getting harder and harder to arrange the cattle deal. He said it was a small number of cattle and with the cost of transporting the cattle to and from the Refuge and building the required temporary fencing it was not all that enticing for local cattle ranchers to get involved.

Refuge Manger Tom decided to consider other options and Refuge Biologist Erin Holmes came up with the plan for using the Marsh Master. There was one available in Idaho and Henry was sent to fetch it. He was also chosen to drive it in the ponds. Of all the luck. Since he’s a government employee he will probably not be looking for people to pay him for a chance to do his job, like Tom Sawyer. But he could.

I didn’t get to drive, but it was a thrill just to ride along. The machine moved smoothly across the grass on its elongated tracks. It tipped up as we hit a small bank of earth and then tipped back down as we plunged down an embankment into the cattail clogged pond.

Once in the pond, the cattails yielded to us easily and were smashed flat as we passed over. But the ones directly under the tracks were crushed and broken off. By circling around the pond time and time again, each time veering in our course a little, we were able to crush a wide open area under our tracks in the end.

Danley said that, like any project, it is not pretty while it is happening. But the disturbance is necessary to keep the optimum wetlands habitat that draw the corresponding waterfowl to the Refuge.

“It’s a balancing act to maintain a high quality wetland environment,” said Danley.

Subdivision regulations updates published, meetings planned

As you are likely aware, the proposed updates to the Ravalli County Subdivision Regulations were published June 1, 2010. Publication initiated a comment window that will last a minimum of sixty days, concluding July 30, 2010. During this time period, Planning Department staff are available to meet with any interested parties to discuss the proposed updates and gather feedback. This is a critical period as we work to improve the subdivision regulations, so please contact the Planning Department if you would like to schedule a meeting.

The Planning Board and Board of County Commissioners will be holding several independent ‘working sessions’ to discuss the contents of the proposed updates. The working sessions are intended to introduce Board members to the proposed updates, and give them the opportunity to informally discuss, troubleshoot and work through any issues they have with the updates and ask staff questions. Importantly, the working sessions are not intended to formulate any recommendations to the BCC, nor to adopt the regulations.

The Planning Board’s working sessions are scheduled for:

• Wednesday, June 16, 3 p.m.
• Wednesday, July 7, 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, July 21, 3 p.m.

The Commissioners working sessions are scheduled for:

•Monday, June 21, 2 p.m.
• Monday, July 12, 2 p.m.

For more information contact the Ravalli County Planning Department at 375-6530.

Crisis Stabilization Center project moving forward

By Michael Howell

The Ravalli County Commissioners have approved an amended contract with the state for a planned Crisis Stabilization Center. Last minute changes in the funding source were approved. Funds for the facility will now come from House Bill 2.

The county has received and spent a $60,000 grant for researching and securing a location for the facility. Commissioner Kathleen Driscoll said that she is working on the final details of securing the new building site on property owned by Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital located near Claudia Driscoll Park. The county has received an additional $250,000 from the state for construction of the new facility.

Out of eight applications, the commissioners chose Langlas and Associates to serve as the general contractor and construction management services on the project. Driscoll said that once details on the land deal are finalized with the hospital the construction can begin.

“The builders are ready to go,” said Driscoll, “We could be breaking ground in two weeks to a month.”

The commissioners also approved a subcontract with Montana Mental Health Services to operate the facility.

The commissioners opened three bids for the $400,000 loan needed, along with the grant money, to complete the project. Those bids are being reviewed by Chief Financial Officer Klarysse Murphy.

In other business last week the Board of County Commissioners:

• awarded the plumbing contract for remodeling the men’s bathroom at the Ravalli County Fairgrounds to Larry’s Plumbing for $7,982. Larry’s Plumbing was the low bidder on the project. Other bids ranged from about $9,500 to just under $13,000.

• granted a one year extension to Victor and Beverly Ralls for the Wisdom Commercial Lots 1 & 2, Lot 1, AP Subdivision.

• sold a weed truck to the only bidder, Travis Martinez, in the amount of $755.

• appointed Bob Brophy to the Bitterroot Library Board of Trustees with a term ending June 30, 2015.

• approved signing a lease for the use of the softball fields across from the Ravalli County Fairgrounds with the Bitterroot Baseball Association. The lease agreement was conditioned upon the group pursuing non-profit status with the state. In the meantime they will purchase a rider from the county’s Insurance Agent of Record, for insurance purposes pending their acquisition of non-profit status and their own insurance policy, possibly under the auspices of RC&D.

Commissioners hear about community development funds

By Michael Howell

The Ravalli County Commissioners held a public hearing on June 4 for the purpose of obtaining public comments regarding community development needs and priorities for economic development, housing and community revitalization, and public facilities, particularly as those needs affect low and moderate income persons.

Julie Foster, Executive Director of the Ravalli County Economic Development Authority, told the commissioners that a total of $6,744,834 has been allocated in CDBG funds for FY 2010. Once the $302,345 cost for state administration of the grant program is deducted, that leaves the available amount for funding grant proposals at $6,442,489. Two thirds of this funding, $4,294,563, is slated for housing and public facility projects and one third of the funding, $2,147,926, is available for economic development projects.

Foster indicated that the funds could be used for land, buildings, equipment, working capital and training. To be eligible for the funding, 51 percent of the new employees must be within the low to moderate income levels. Employers must have a hiring and training program and provide a 1 to 1 match in funding. $25,000 in CDBG-Economic Development funds is available for jobs created or retained.

There was no other public comment at the meeting. A second public hearing is scheduled for June 23 at which time the commissioners will entertain specific project proposals for use of the funds.

Stevi pressed for time on water project

By Michael Howell

Under pressure to meet deadlines for grant money involved in its water system improvement project, the Town of Stevensville sent a letter to Twin Creeks subdivision developer John Anderson hoping to move things along in acquiring the necessary water rights and well field for the new project. Anderson’s subdivision approval was tied to the condition that he provide a well and a well field to the town for the water system improvements.

Transfer of Anderson’s agricultural water rights on the land to the town for use in developing a well field, one of the conditions of approval of his subdivision, has been difficult. The application for change was denied by DNRC and is now under appeal. The next hearing on the matter is scheduled for some time in November.

In the meantime the Town has tried to work out another option in which it might secure the well field from Anderson whether his subdivision ever reaches final approval or not. But those negotiations are also going slowly. The town submitted a proposal to Anderson and Anderson has submitted a counter proposal to the town. Town Councilor Clayton Floyd said, however, that the counter proposal was not acceptable. He said the cost was too high and it tied the purchase of the well field to the ultimate approval of the subdivision. Floyd said that the subdivision approval was a separate matter and should not be tied to any deal to purchase the well field. The granting of the well field is already a part of the subdivision approval at no cost to the town, he said.

Floyd said the issue has become time sensitive because the Town needs a deed to the well field land in order for DNRC to approve the transfer of the water rights. The town has until the end of July to prove ownership of the land, according to Floyd.

Town attorney Keithi Worthington was instructed to send Anderson a letter outlining the 24 conditions of approval he must meet before the Final Plat for the subdivision can be filed. These includes a deed to the well field land and a perfected and transferred water right.