Aug. 20 meeting highlights

Libby City Council met Monday, Aug. 20.

Police commissioner

The second of the two Libby residents who applied for the two openings on the three-person Police Commission was interviewed and selected.

Bonnie See’s application was approved by a 6-0 vote.

Jill Beach was named to the commission at the Aug. 6 meeting. See’s absence from that meeting prompted the delay in her interview.

Intersection closures

Jill Beach, on behalf of Glacier Bank, sought and was granted the eastside closures of four California Avenue intersections for the upcoming Paint it Pink Fun Run and Half Marathon.

The closures will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Sept. 29 and apply to where East 3rd, East 4th, East 5th and East 6th streets meet with California Avenue.

The closures were approved with a 5-0 vote. Councilor Gary Beach, Jill Beach’s husband, abstained.

Gas tax proceeds

Councilors unanimously approved applying $24,540 toward 13 chip sealing projects.

The money comes from a gas tax rate increase set in the state’s Bridge and Road Safety and Accountability Act, which went into effect July 1, 2017.

According to the act’s requirements, the city must match $1 for every $20 of the disbursement and apply the funds to the building or maintenance of alleys, roads, streets or bridges.

The estimated cost of the 13 projects is $39,809.

Preliminary budget

The City of Libby’s preliminary budget for Fiscal Year 2019 was unanimously approved.

City Clerk and Treasurer Audray McCollum stressed that the budget — which projects revenues of $4,157,416 and expenditures of $4,035,415 — is still being worked on and is available for public review at City Hall.

A public hearing on the budget is slated for Sept. 4 before the regular City Council meeting.

Ski club grant match

In a 4-2 vote, council members approved the Kootenai Cross Country Ski Club’s request for $15,000 in matching funds for a $30,000 Montana Department of Tourism grant it plans to apply for.

The club wants to build a visitor and event center and storage structure on city-owned land in the Flower Creek drainage where the club maintains ski trails.

According to an estimate provided by Ben Scott, the building will cost $60,000. In addition to the $30,000 from the state and the $15,000 from the City of Libby, Scott said club members will contribute $15,000.

The city will disburse matching funds only if the state grant is awarded to the club.