Troy City Council Recap Grants to fund improvements and extra patrols; Council approves parking restriction near high school; more

FWP grant, donations fund Roosevelt Park improvements

A grant from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will help Troy add an accessible fishing spot at Roosevelt Park.

City Council Member Shawna Kelsey applied for the grant through the FWP Community Pond Program.

Kelsey said that Troy High School students from the Outdoor Club will contribute to the project, including a display of fishing flies as part of interpretive signs they will work on with FWP.

A weather-protected sign will be placed at each of the dock areas — both at the existing dock and the new floating dock — showing fishing regulations, pond ecology information and fly-fishing information, Kelsey said.

The new fishing area will have a floating dock positioned across the pond from the current dock, and will include a ramp and railings to make it accessible to people with physical disabilities, Kelsey said. There will also be two large benches.

Mayor Dallas Carr said that city personnel will build an accessible path over the dike to reach the dock ramp.

Kelsey said that the floating dock will remain mobile, allowing it to be relocated around the pond as needed.

The FWP grant covers up to 70 percent of the cost of construction. Applicants can cover the remaining 30 percent of the cost through contributions of labor, equipment and materials.

Michelle McGree, FWP Program Officer, said that Troy was awarded $13,379.40, and is matching 31 percent. The in-kind contribution from Troy is to include both materials and labor.

Troy was one of only a few projects chosen this year to receive funding from the approximately $33,000 available, McGee said. The Troy project ranked high in part because of accessibility — both for people with disabilities and for community members in general due to its proximity to town.

McGee said FWP also ranks applications based on cost/benefit, cost sharing and how much potential community benefit there is for children and families. The Troy project scored high in all those regards.

The Yaak Valley Forest Council provided assistance with grant-writing, Kelsey said. The forest council will also assist with the interpretive signs and with planting willows along the north side of the pond to enhance the habitat and strengthen the shoreline.

In addition to the new fishing dock, an anonymous donation is allowing the city to add barbecue pits and tables near the pond, Carr said. The donation will cover a new slide for the park to replace the slide that was damaged as well.

The city has also ordered three swings, two for older children and one for physically disabled children, said City Clerk/Treasurer Tracy Rebo.

MDT grant adds police patrols

Troy Police Chief Katie Davis received a $5,000 grant from the Montana Department of Transportation that will allow for additional, targeted patrols this spring and summer.

The grant was announced Wednesday during the regular meeting of the City Council.

Davis said the grant is part of MDT’s Vision Zero, a program intended to eliminate deaths and injuries on Montana Highways.

The grant will allow the department to have an officer focusing just on Highway 2 traffic, Davis said. Her hope is not just to reduce speeding, but also to increase interdictions and mitigate driving under the influence and seat belt violations along Highway 2.

The grant will allow for 32 additional 4-hour patrols.

Davis said she did not want to give away the entire patrol schedule, but that she expects to cover major holidays such as Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day. In addition, Davis plans to have some of the patrols during times drivers may otherwise expect no officer to be around.

Parking restriction next to high school on Second Street

The Troy City Council had a second reading of a new ordinance that will end parking south of Highway 2 on Second Street where it runs next to Troy High School.

The city is also installing two stop signs, one on Grant Avenue at Second Street and another on Mineral Avenue at Second Street, said Mayor Dallas Carr.

Carr said that the decision was made with input from Chief of Police Katie Davis, who was concerned about the safety of students due to reduced space and visibility caused by parking along the east side of the street.

Carr said that ending parking in that section of street also takes into consideration property owners whose yards had been affected by parking in that area.

Troy business licenses

The Troy City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to approve each of four new business licenses.

Two of the licenses are for existing Libby-based businesses: All Spruced Up Carpet Cleaning and Window Washing, and Realistic Handyman Services.

The other two licenses were for new businesses locating in or near Troy.

The first was for The Rustic Porcupine, owned by Michelle Richter and Jason Mendive.

Mendive told the Council he grew up in Troy, and is returning after about 21 years.

They will be just west of Troy in the former location of an antique store run by Roy Navolynski, Mendive said. They plan to sell antiques, rustic furniture and handmade jewelry.

The second Troy-based business license was for Tolowa Gardens, an organic vegetable stand.

Jennifer Sanders said that her family has a fourth-generation farm on Old Highway 2, and want to set up a vegetable stand in Troy in the summer.

Council Member Shawna Kelsey said that Sanders is a participant in the Troy Farmers Market small business course.

Other Troy business

The City Council elected Council Member Crystal Denton as its president Wednesday.

The vote was three for, with Denton abstaining.

The Council also approved an infrastructure assignment agreement with Rosebud Flats Subdivision for acceptance of water and waste water main lines.

Mayor Dallas Carr told the council that the necessary infrastructure in the subdivision has been inspected and approved, and City Clerk/Treasurer Tracy Rebo provided pictures of the sewer taps installed in the subdivision.

Carr told the council he believed the decision had been delayed six or seven months, in part due to confusion over fees the subdivision owner believed he might owe the City.