Page 12 - Flathead Beacon // 1.6.16

NEWS
CITY BEAT
PABLO
CSKT Tribal Council Re-Elects Finley as Chairman
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ Tribal Council began the new year by selecting o cers to serve for the next two years.
Standing Chairman Vernon Finley was selected to serve for another term. Finley had just completed a split-chairmanship with Ron Trahan in which both leaders served as chair for one year. Trahan served during 2014 and Finley served in 2015.
The vote took place in council chambers before a crowd of about 100 people who attended the Friday quarterly meeting held Jan. 1. A council chair is selected every two years by the 10 members of council.
Serving as vice chair will be Leonard Twoteeth, who was elected to council in 2014 to represent the Elmo District.
Two of the three newly elected members of council were selected for the remaining o cer positions.
Troy Felsman from Arlee District will serve as secre- tary, and Anita Matt from the Dixon District will serve as treasurer.
The third newly elected Council member was Den- nis Clairmont from the Pablo District. Ron Trahan and Leonard Gray were re-elected to council in the
FLATHEAD
New White sh, Columbia Falls Councilors Sworn In
A slate of incoming city council members took oaths of o ce Jan. 4 in White sh and Columbia Falls at the rst meetings of the new year.
Incoming White sh City Council member Katie Wil- liams was sworn into o ce, along with incumbent coun- cil members Richard Hildner and Frank Sweeney.
Incumbent Mayor John Muhlfeld also took the oath of o ce for his second term at the helm of White sh city government. A deputy mayor also was also selected in the event of Muhlfeld’s absence.
In Columbia Falls, incoming councilor John Piper was sworn into o ce, while incumbent council mem- bers Darin Fisher and Doug Karper took their oaths.
FLATHEAD
Bigfork Stormwater Project Receives $1.2 Million
A Bigfork stormwater infrastructure program nearly a decade in the making has received the nal nancial push it needed to complete all phases.
On Dec. 29, Flathead County received word it had been approved for a $1.2 million loan from the State Revolving Fund, enough money to nance the nal phase of the project.
Bigfork and the county have been working on improv- ing the stormwater system since 2007. By then, resi- dents had become concerned about the amount of pol- lutants and nutrients carried into Flathead Lake and the bay at Bigfork whenever it rained; the previous storm- water system, constructed in 1950, was a maze of inef- fective drainage systems.
In order to help keep the lake cleaner from runo , the stormwater committee assembled a myriad selec- tion of grants, both federal and state, as well as Flathead County approving a rural special improvement district to help pay for the cost.
The system includes a hydrodynamic separator on the south side of Lake Avenue, which removes sediments in stormwater runo before passing into the larger sys- tem. This system also traps oil, which can be vacuumed out during maintenance.
Stormwater runo then enters the Jelly sh system
December general election. The next general election will be held in December 2017.
Council terms are four years. Every two years, ve members are up for re-election. Three new council members and seven standing members were sworn in on Friday.
A key issue for council in 2016 will be the CSKT water compact as it works through Congress. Language, cul- ture, economic development and natural resource man- agement will also be key areas of focus.
KALISPELL
Firm to Discuss South Kalispell Urban Renewal Plan
After collecting public input and studying the oppor- tunities and challenges in the southern portion of Kalis- pell, a team of out-of-town engineers are ready to pres- ent an initial assessment of redevelopment options in the area.
Planners from CTA Architects Engineers will unveil an update of the South Kalispell Urban Renewal Plan in front of the Urban Renewal Agency on Jan. 13. The meeting is at 4 p.m. inside the council chambers in city hall, followed by an open house from 5-8 p.m. Wayne Freeman, CTA’s project leader, will give a formal pre- sentation at 7 p.m.
Over the last year, CTA has held open house events and gathered input from residents while also surveying the area. Kalispell city o cials hired CTA to develop a comprehensive overview that could identify a list of improvement options that could reshape and revitalize the area. An initial survey found support for added green space, updated roads and business amenities.
A central topic in the discussion is the city airport, which sits in a 71-acre section in the middle of south Kalispell and garners mixed opinions. CTA’s report will identify future options for the airport, including keep- ing it in its current state or shutting it down.
CTA’s study could drive future action by the city council. The study could push for more trails, bike paths and even a dog park within the area’s growing residen- tial neighborhoods, citing public support. There is also interest in blending business development, including light industrial and commercial, into the open land- scape. Expanding and improving Cemetery Road has already emerged as a priority, CTA planners have pre- viously said. The continued growth of development in the area will put added pressure on the narrow two-lane road, as well as the likely development of a new elemen- tary school on Airport Road in the near future.
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NEWS
COUNTY BEAT
12
JANUARY 6, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
Wayfarers State Park near where the Swan River ows into Flathead Lake. BEACON FILE PHOTO
– a ltration system with up to 20 arms. The Jelly sh, in conjunction with the hydrodynamic separator, treats nearly all of the yearly runo .
All of the construction on the project is complete, county grant administrator Whitney Aschenwald said, with the exception of one nal invoice making its way to her desk.
“But other than that, it’s nal,” she said.
The Flathead County Storm Sewer RSID will borrow the $1.2 million from the State Revolving Fund at a rate of 2.5 percent interest over 20 years. The fund is admin- istered through the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation as well as the state Department of Environmental Quality.
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock said in a press release that the loan will help continue a great project that resulted as a collaboration between the county and Bigfork.
“Maintaining drinking water and wastewater treat- ment infrastructure pays dividends several times over,” Bullock said. “We protect the health and well-being of citizens; we protect our soil, groundwater and surface water. Communities with modern infrastructure are better prepared for new growth and development. And it was really great that a local contractor, LHC of Kalis- pell, will be doing the work on this project.”
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