Roll: Council hasn't expressed any issues

“I really don’t have a whole lot,” said Libby Mayor Doug Roll when asked about his plans for the city in 2015. “The council hasn’t expressed any issues to me.”

The short telephone interview between Roll and The Western News took place on Wednesday morning, after previous arrangements for a face-to-face conversation at the City Council’s breakfast meeting fell through when the meeting was canceled.

Roll then added that his primary focus for the coming year will be on moving infrastructure projects forward. “We’ve spent an inordinate amount of time on the water system,” he said, referencing the city’s work to replace the aging Flower Creek Dam and associated upgrades.

When asked about promoting economic development in the city, Roll said “there’s not much the city can do. We can provide good infrastructure and tax incentives. It’s hard for the city to get directly involved in private business.”

The work of marketing the city, he said, should be undertaken by groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, a group he said “has not been as active as it should be.”

Roll mentioned work the city can do to improve its perception, especially on the Internet, in areas such as joint statements with county health agencies and the Environmental Protection Agency to alleviate concerns regarding the city’s status as a Superfund site. He also said the city needs to work more closely with the chamber to develop a mission and vision for marketing Libby to the outside world.

His final suggestion for moving the city forward was to hire “a new, more computer savvy clerk to manage the city website” after current clerk Glena Hook retires, which is expected in the fall of 2015.

Calls to other city council members went unanswered with messages unreturned on Wednesday.