Larry Kline
Havre Daily News
lkline@havredailynews.com
A project to pave First Avenue West has garnered praise from two of the adjacent property owners.
The new pavement, which was completed Monday, was paid for by a cost-share agreement between the city and four property owners.
Under the agreement, three of the property owners agreed to pay about $4,500 each to have the project completed. A fourth, Town Pump, agreed to pay $14,600 for its share of the project. The company is paying more than other property owners because it is having the alley and its parking lot paved as well.
The city is chipping in about $10,000 in state-allocated fuel tax funds.
Havre City Council member Allen “Woody” Woodwick last week quetioned the fairness of using fuel tax funds to help pave a street when most other streets in town were paved using special improvement districts, in which bonds are sold to finance the improvements, and property owners pay off the bonds over time as part of their property taxes.
Otto Stuber, a property owner along First Avenue West, told members of the Havre City Council on Monday night that he and his wife, who have owned the property for 20 years, have tried to get the street paved three times through the SID process. They were turned down all three times, he said.
“When the city came to us ... we jumped on it,” Stuber said. “As of today, it got done.”
Mike Nicholson, who owns Glassworks, also said he is satisfied with the agreement with the city.
“It turned out great, and it's been a long time coming,” he told City Council members.
“I'm just happy it got done,” he said after the meeting. “I wish it had been done sooner.”
Both Stuber and Nicholson thanked Havre Mayor Bob Rice and the city Public Works Department for getting the street paved.
