Mission applies for $430,700 grant to fund water project
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
ST. IGNATIUS — During a public hearing held before the March city council meeting, an update was given about the status of the application for a $430,700 Community Development Block Grant to help fund the town’s delayed water project.
Great West engineering’s Craig Erickson, a grant writer and administrator, informed council members that the likelihood of being awarded the grant depends on the competitiveness of other applicants and the town’s readiness to proceed with the project. Mission will soon join five other applicants in the grant competition.
The application is due March 16, and Erickson said awardees would be notified about mid-May.
“I’m pretty confident we can put together a competitive application,” Erickson said. “There’s no guarantee, but your application has a lot of merit.”
In July 2010, St. Ignatius had two water samples that tested positive for E. coli from one of the town’s two wells. As a result, the town is now required to use chlorination.
“At some point in the future everyone is going to be disinfecting,” Erickson said about the chlorination required by Mission’s water.
When the original water project bid was created to put in a new well, the town did not know they needed to add chlorination, which has increased the overall price of the project.
“There’s been a lot of talk about the town chlorination project but that’s not what we are talking about tonight,” Erickson said. “The town has been burdened with two public works projects simultaneously.”
St. Ignatius will use a $103,000 state revolving fund loan (with $51,000 forgiven), along with a portion of $100,00 from the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to finance the Chlorine Disinfection Project as ordered by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. The town also has a $100,000 Renewable Resource Grant/Loan; with $50,000 designated for water system improvements and $50,000 for the chlorine disinfection system. Originally the town was required to finish the chlorination project by the summer of 2011.
The Community Block Development Grant will fund a new water supply well, pump house, emergency power generator, water distribution system improvements to Mountain View Drive., Main Street, Mission Creek Crossing, Arrow Street, Home Addition, and the installation of two park water meters; along with a distribution system leak survey. The total cost for the water system improvement alone is $793,200.
“The CDBG funded water system improvements will have no impact on user rates,” Erickson said. “This will be a 100 percent grant funded project if we are successful.”
Erickson suggested the public send in letters of support for the project to accompany the application. These letters can be sent to city/court clerk LeeAnn Gottfried.
Greg Howell and Jan Niemeyer from Lake County Community Development approached the city council about applying for a grant to help fund a housing project. The project would rent a remodeled triplex on Airport Rd to low-income families. They told the council local jurisdiction is needed for the application. A public hearing will be held at next month’s meeting to discuss the project.
In other business, Mayor Charles Gariepy reported he appointed Kimberly Berry as the town’s new police officer on Feb. 21.
St. Ignatius resident Bernie Lovell notified city council members about an incident where she was chased by a black and white dog while walking her dog.
“I was chased from the bank to my apartment,” Lovell said. “This is utterly ridiculous; you can’t even walk outside without being chased.”
In January, animal control officer Susan Dodson fell on ice and has been under doctor’s orders to stay out of the Animal Control vehicle.
“We don’t know when she’ll be back,” Gariepy said.
The discussion prompted Police Chief Aaron Frank to explain some concerns and issues he had with the city’s undefined protocol when it comes to animal control. “The issue (Dodson) keeps running into is that we have to identify the dog’s owners,” Frank said of the ticketing process. “Dog licensing in (St. Ignatius) is lax … once we get that established, (things) would be a lot easier.”
The town of St. Ignatius requires that all dogs and cats must be licensed. All licenses are available fro m Dr. David Castor at St. Ignatius Veterinary Clinic or at Town Hall and expire on March 31 each year. A license for an spayed or neutered dog or cat costs $5 a year and $10 if they are not. Any dog without proper licensing found running at large within city limits will be impounded for 72 hours to allow the owner to recover the animal.
If not picked up in this time limit, town ordinance states the dog may be destroyed.
Frank said another problem occurs once a nuisance or vicious dog is caught.
“Once they are in the back of the car, what do we do with them?” Frank said, adding there are no dog shelters in Mission, and the Mission Valley Animal Shelter in Polson is at capacity.
Currently Dodson has a deal worked out with a shelter in Missoula that is helping to adopt unclaimed dogs caught in Mission.
“Susan’s been resourceful in taking the dogs to Missoula … but we can’t take them down there forever,” Frank said.
City councilman Mack McConnell offered to head up the cause of community involvement that would include involving various entities like other town’s city councils, as well as cooperation from tribal and county governments. This was stated after questions were posed concerning county ordinances and licensing procedures for dogs. A suggestion that could be presented to the different cooperating entities was the creation of a facility to license and house ticketed dogs until their owners come pick them up.
The next city council meeting will be held April 3 at St. Ignatius City Hall at 7 p.m.
