Committee debates power pole in park

Members of the Havre City Council's Streets and Sidewalks Committee are debating whether to put a power line pole within a planned skateboard park.

The park will be located on the northeast undeveloped section of Patterson Park and by the water tower off Ninth Street.

The debate centered on putting up a guy pole, which uses metal tension wires for support, in the skate park or putting up a push pole across Ninth Street on the residential side. A push pole uses two posts at the base for support.

NorthWestern Energy is considering putting a guy pole in the still undeveloped skate park and wants to connect the feeder line at the intersection of Ninth Street and Ninth Avenue to the newly constructed east side substation for increased reliability, NorthWestern Energy engineer technician David Boles said.

The large distribution feeder line currently goes east up Ninth Street and north at the intersection of Ninth Street and Ninth Avenue, then east on Eighth Street.

Charles Grant told the committee he thinks a guy pole wires in the park could result in injuries.

Grant wasn't the only person at the meeting concerned with skater safety.

Committee member Allen "Woody" Woodwick recalled someone who had an arm cut off by a guy pole wire while motorcycling.

Boles said he would run the committee's ideas past his associates at NorthWestern Energy to decide the best place to put a power pole.

The Streets and Sidewalks Committee will take up the topic again on Sep. 16 at 7:30 p.m. and likely make a recommendation to the City Council on the same day.