Council answers a city manager question

A Havre High School student and soon-to-be first-time voter went before Havre City Council at their meeting Monday night and asked about a proposed ballot initiative that would change Havre’s government to a manager-commission government.

Government class student Jesse Ann Riska, 18, who was at the meeting with three of her classmates, walked up to the podium during the portion of the meeting reserved for public comment.

“I am a registered voter, so I can vote tomorrow, and I would like to know why this city needs a city manager as well as a mayor,” she said.

Mayor Tim Solomon said the recommendation came from the Havre’s Local Government Review Study Commission, and if the initiative passes, the mayor would become a title position rather than a part-time job within the city government as it is now.  

“The mayor position would also no longer be a part-time salaried job,” Council member Caleb Hutchins said.

Solomon said that the mayor would be paid a small stipend, much like a member of the current eight member city council is now, perhaps with a little extra to represent the city at ceremonial events.

Andrew Brekke, City Council president and the council’s liaison to the three person study commission, said the group had developed the proposal over the course of two years.

“We felt having a city of our size with a budget of our size and  the number employees that we have that a professional manager that is educated and has expertise in the area of management of city government and local government would be good for something the size of the city of Havre,” Brekke said.

He said the city’s current eight-member council would be replaced by a seven-member commission, with the mayor elected city wide and serving as one of the commission’s voting members.

“I am curious, concerned. I do get to vote tomorrow and I would like to know more about what is on the ballot than what I already know,” she said after the meeting adjourned.

Riska and her classmates were at the meeting as part of an assignment for Jacob Criner’s government class.

They were required to attend one meeting, take notes and write a paper on what they had learned, she said.

They were not required to ask a question as part of the assignment.

After Riska, another student, Shaylan Brough, asked why there weren’t stop signs on the east and west corners of Second Street and Fourth Avenue near the movie theater.

Solomon said the city tries not to put up too many signs in order to keep the flow of traffic moving.

“If there get to be too many accidents or something, then there is a safety study and then they would look at it and determine if that was the right thing,” Solomon said.

He added that there were not that many accidents at the intersection.

Council member Ed Matter said that he attends the Ark Church which is located at that intersection. He said most drivers act as if the intersection is a four way stop anyway.

In other business, the council unanimously voted to ratify a new contract with Local 336 that represents employees of the Havre Public Works Departments

The two-year contract will include a raise of 2 percent for public works employees and cover the cost in the increase of employee’s insurance and benefit packages, City Clerk and Finance Director Doug Kaercher said.

Solomon said that he will have a  committee meeting that will consist of himself and union representatives to decide what to do with insurance and benefits the second year.

The previous contract expired June 30. The new contract will be for the period of July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018.

Solomon said that it isn’t unusual for it to take months before a new one is negotiated. given that the city does not know until September what it’s budget is.

The Council also unanimously voted to approve a public utility easement request by the Montana Department of Transportation for the 675 1st West property owned by Triple Dog Brew.

Deputy Director of Public Works Jeff Jensen said the owner of Triple Dog wants to erect a new sign where a water main and sewer line property.

If anything goes wrong, Jensen said, the easement would allow the the city to go onto the property and make repairs.