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Supervisors Report: Streets, Parks &
Cemetery
The installation of the water pumping station at the River Park on the Kootenai River is completed and in service. The majority of the funding for the facility was acquired through Project Impact money, however local contractor Harland Fahland of Fahland Construction donated labor to build the pump house, City and County crews did cement, plumbing and road building. The purpose of the station is for water for washing
streets and highways, filling water tenders for fire suppression and
furnishing water to contractors with large water trucks as requested. A
maintenance fee schedule is being worked out for those needing the water and
who weren’t involved in contributing to the construction. This facility
will minimize the use of the more costly treated water that fire hydrants
supply from the City Water Treatment Plant. Information about using the fill
site can be obtained at City Hall by phone at 293-2731.
City crew completed two additional blocks of Lincoln Boulevard re-hab. The roots of the existing spruce trees had grown out of the ground, making lawn care impossible and started cracking and heaving curbing. The spruce were cut and sold to the Stimson mill to help defray some of the re-hab costs. Stumps were dug out and the ground back filled and leveled. Below ground sprinkler systems were installed, deciduous trees were planted and sod was put in place as the photo indicates.
A Church of Christ youth group from Abeliene, Texas offered to help the City with a community service project early this spring (as you can see by the snow). They cut sod from around the edges of the grave markers in the City Cemetery eliminating the need to trim overgrowing grass. The group from Texas did such a good job that members of the local congregation of the Church of Christ came back and completed the rest of the cemetery, which helped make it look especially attractive for Memorial Day this year. Many thanks!
Montana Conservation Corps group from Kalispell
re-landscaped the shrub area in front of The Cabinet Mountain Complex at 952
E. Spruce St. (City Hall, Montana Athletic Club, St. John’s Re-Hab). The
crew rolled out filter cloth around trees and shrubs to eliminate the return
of the weeds and covered with bark and wood chips, which were donated by
Stimson Lumber. The weeds had completely taken over the area as the photo
shows and the project made a huge improvement to the area entering City
Hall. Street repair work and paving has begun for this season on the days that the weather permits. If you see cones, barricades or street closed signs up ahead as you travel around town please detour around the area before it’s to late to turn around and you find yourself in the construction zone. These indicators are put out to keep the public and the workers safe as they travel about or do their jobs. |
Frequently Asked Questions By Residents |
| Q. When Are you going to fix my street? A. Unfortunately the City has neither the money, manpower nor the equipment to repair everyone's street as nice as they would like it to be. We try to do as much every year as weather, time and money will allow. Priorities are determined by traffic load, condition of road base and condition of surface. It is our goal to chip seal each street we pave or blade patch and seal coat patches that have been done where the street has been excavated. |
Q. Who do I contact for street repair? |
A. The contact persons for street repairs are Daniel Thede, Supervisor of City Services at 293-2731, the Street Shop at 293-2776 or Ken Sorensen, City Council street committee chairperson at 293-4184. |
| Q. How often are the streets swept? |
A. We can't sweep the streets when the temperatures are freezing because the operation requires water as well. But, we do start sweeping as soon as weather permits and sweep the entire city limits. Once the whole town has been completed, we try to sweep and wash the downtown areas and highways within the city limits on a weekly basis. Residential areas are swept on an as needed basis depending on conditions and all areas are swept as late in the fall as possible to gather leaves and debris that could clog the storm drains. During the summer months the city tries to wash and sweep every other Friday and before any special event such as parades. |
Q. Do I have to contact the city if I want to remove or plant a tree on the parking strip? |
A. Yes, you need to contact the city for for removal and for planting a tree on city right a way. The proposal is reviewed by the tree board and a recommendation is brought to the city council for approval. |
Q. I see a street light out, who do I call? |
A. Please call City Hall, ask for either the Supervisor of City Services or the City Clerk. Please give us the location and we will send someone out to fix it. |
Q. Whose responsibility is it for side walk repairs in front of my residence? |
A. By city ordinance it is the property owners responsibility to maintain and repair sidewalks in front of their residence. |
| Q. Is there an ordinance on weeds and mowing of lawns? |
| A. The city has a high grass ordinance that is in effect from the 15th of April through September 30th. |
Q. What are the rules concerning street parking in the winter? |
A. Ordinance No 1550, chapter 10.88 reads as
follows:
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Q. How much does it have to snow before the streets are plowed? |
A. 4" or more is a very general guideline. Snow depths actually do vary quite a lot from one side of town to the other. Weather conditions play a large role. If it is still snowing hard and expected to stop soon, crews will try to hold off until it stops so all the snowfall can be removed at once. At times during the season, it becomes necessary to widen the streets if the berms start to narrow the widths. It is also necessary to remove slush accumulations after a rain or thaw as needed. This makes it impossible for citizens to know when plowing will or won't occur so the ordinance needs to be followed even if new snow has not fallen. If a snowfall occurs during a weekend or holiday, the plowing may be delayed to avoid employee overtime pay, which over an entire season can severely stress City budgets. |
| Q. Why can't the City use sand on the streets in the winter? |
A. The rock material that is required by the air quality authorities for use on streets in the winter is very expensive to have processed. It requires a crushing or screening operation to remove all the "fines" and leave just a clean rock. To cover the areas we have designated as top priorities for application, many tons of this material would have to be processed. It just isn't affordable. |
Q. What is that liquid de-icer made of? |
A. The de-icer the city uses is mainly magnesium chloride with a corrosion inhibitor added, HOWEVER, it is still quite corrosive to metal and vehicles and equipment should be washed regularly when in contact with it. |
Q. What areas of town is the de-icer used? |
A. All street and avenue intersections which are controlled by stop signs or lights, the normal bus route, business district and school cross walks, the avenues and streets that go up the south Libby hill off of Cedar street, ambulance and fire stations and some specific problem areas we are aware of. |
Parks Q. When does Firemen's Park open? |
A. The playground and small restroom facility is usually the first to open. Usually around April 1st. The campground side generally opens about the first of May. Weather is a main factor with both of these openings due to water freezing and so forth. The availability of the camp host also determines when the campground opens. |
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