City Council to pursue 'Safe Routes' program

Troy City Council Members voted Dec. 21 to move forward with the application submission for the “Safe Routes to School” program and the Community Transportation Enhancement  Project.

The Council initially proposed the project in the spring.

“It will give us more sidewalks for the kids to walk to school,” Mayor Don Banning said.

The program will provide the City with walking paths/sidewalks, encouraging children to walk and bike to school — improving their traffic skills. The cost of this project is $84,000. The city is responsible for just $4,960, which has already been appropriated for in the Troy budget. 

Included in the project, because it is a state program, there will be additional training for law enforcement. The project will connect paths such as the bike/ped path to the elementary school. Also, the sidewalks along Kalispell Avenue and 4th Street will connect all existing sidewalks located along the Kalispell Avenue to the school.

In New Business, the Council reviewed a Stop-Stick Policy proposed by the Police Department. During the high-speed car chase on Dec. 1 the stop sticks were deployed by the Troy Police Department to assist Boundary County officers with the pursuit.

“We need to know when, how and where we will deploy the stop sticks,” Troy Police Chief Bob McLeod said after the Council meeting.

McLeod expressed concern for the city residents, prompting the proposed policy, if another car chase travels through Troy.

“At those speeds, if we deploy those stop sticks, people don’t realize their tires have been punctured,” McLeod said. “They could go through town going 90 mph, run out of control, hit a house and kill someone.”

The Council approved the proposal, however, there will be another vote at the next scheduled Council meeting.

The City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Jan. 3 and Council-elects, Joe Arts and Crystal Denton, will be sworn in as new Council members.

There will be a special meeting after the inauguration. The agenda for this meeting will include a vote to promote Deputy Clerk Tracy Rebo to the City Clerk/Treasurer position.