Council sets Top 10 for street repairs

Havre City Council has taken the first step toward holding a referendum this fall on a proposal for a 20-year, $30 million project to upgrade the city’s aging streets and stormwater network.

The project would begin by making repairs to 10 priority projects then spread to other parts of the city. The entire project would cost owners of a $100,000 home about $1 per day in new taxes, city officials said.

City council members supporting the proposal said the streets are in terrible disrepair and improvements are needed for the safety of city residents.

“Our streets are dropping into the Bullhook,” said Councilwoman Pam Hillery.

But Councilman Andrew Brekke, the lone dissenter, while praising the city’s Streets and Sidewalks Committee for its work in preparing the proposal, said he thought the plan was “unsustainable.” He doubted if taxpayers could afford such as increase, especially given water and sewer increases that are likely in coming months.

The proposal will be sent to the city attorney who will draft formal legislation, Councilman Matt Boucher, Streets and Sidewalks Committee chair. At least one public hearing will be held before council decides whether to submit the plan to the voters, he said.

The referendum could be held primary day, Sept. 15, or Nov, 3, Election Day.

The proposed tax hike would raise about $1.5 million per year.

Woodwick estimated the tax rate would increase roughly $225 on a $100,000 home.

Ten priority projects listed in a recent Community Improvement Plan would be the top projects to be addressed, said Councilman Allen “Woody” Woodwick.

It would take several years to complete those projects, he said. Future city councils would then decide what projects to undertake after that.

It is important to emphasize, Councilman Terry Lilletvedt said, that the repairs will also involve stormwater sewers beneath the streets.

It would be bad to repave the streets knowing that before long the streets will have to be dug up to repair pipe breaks, she added.

Woodwick said the proposed tax increase was the fairest way to pay for the renovations. The committee had studied the possibility of a special improvement district in which homes would be assessed a fee based on the street frontage.

He said the additional property taxes paid by residents would be deductible on state and federal taxes, but the SID fees would not be.

Boucher said he realized that the tax bite would be substantial for many taxpayers, but the council would be irresponsible not to offer the proposal to voters.

Hillery said it was the responsibility of people opposing the plan to come up with their own proposal for repairing the infrastructure.

Brekke said the city faces a variety of difficult choices, and that he had no alternative as of now.

Top 10 priority projects:

4th St. — 12th to 14th Ave. — 695 feet — $295,000

16th St. — 6th to 12th Ave. — 2,600 feet — $1,407,000

7th Ave. — 9th to 15th St. — 680 feet — $266,000

8th Ave. — 12th to 18th St. — 2,210 feet — $830,000

9th Ave. — 1st to 4th St. — 1,010 feet — $885,000

9th Ave, — 4th to 5th St. — 4450 feet — $195,000

10th Ave. 1st to 2nd St. — 315 feet — $131,000

10th Ave. — 4th to 5th St. — 450 feet — $192,000

13th Ave. — 3rd to 5th St. — 700 feet — $277,000