City Council tables variance for hospital

   Libby City Council members on Monday decided to put off a decision on whether to grant St. John’s Lutheran Hospital a variance on a city noise ordinance on which the health facility has been criticized as it builds a new hospital.

   St. John’s Lutheran Hospital’s Facilities Manager Tony Rebo asked the City Council to request a variance on the ordinance, which prohibits such activity before 7 a.m.

   Rebo said during the current construction phase, trucks carrying both concrete and steel, which is being delivered from Texas, arrive at varying hours of the day.

   Rebo said as crews begin the day and for the delivery of both concrete and steel, plowing of streets must begin between 1 and 2 a.m. Rebo said the trucks and trailers are so long that they cannot maneuver the streets that have not been plowed.

   “Snow removal must also be done before normal hours. Currently, the hospital staff and city workers will start between 1 and 2 a.m. I would expect that the construction site would start after that, but will start before 7 a.m.,” Rebo told Council members, which is in violation of the noise ordinance.

   Bill Dirkes, of 308 Dakota, who lives adjacent to the hospital construction site, has been critical of crews who he said are continually violating the noise ordinance.

   “My wife has chastised me for not keeping a journal,” Dirkes said.

   Dirkes has been outspoken critic of the early-morning construction starts, particularly citing the piercing bells of a large truck’s back-up bell that he said has been heard as early as 5:30 a.m.

   Councilman Bill Bischoff urged the panel to put off a decision on the variance until he and other members can investigate the variance.

   Bischoff said the Council should be able to make a recommendation and return by its next meeting, which will be in two weeks.