The Havre Streets and Sidewalks Committee will announce at the next City Council meeting, Mon. Oct. 18, that the city will begin accepting proposals for a project to use some of the city’s $273,000 from the state’s Community Transportation Enhancement Program.

Proposals must include a cost estimate for the project and a source for the required local matching funds of at least 13.42 percent, and will be accepted until the council’s meeting on Nov. 15.

The council will then consider ideas until a final decision is made by Dec. 6.

The timeline was decided on when Krystal Steinmetz of Bear Paw Development told the committee that a proposal submitted before mid-December had a good chance of seeing construction as soon as next summer.

Ideas discussed at the meeting included sidewalks downtown, or leading to the city’s skate park.

Any project considered has to pertain in some way to public roads and railroads, but can include work on private property, like sidewalks.

Councilman Allen Woodwick said he understood concerns how the money will be spent.

“A lot of people don’t think we should spend public money on private property, and I agree with them,” Woodwick said. “But on the other hand, it becomes a question of liability.”

Woodwick said the city ran into legal trouble when someone was injured several years ago when a part of the 4th Ave. sidewalk collapsed and avoiding such trouble would be worth the public expenditure.