Chinook Council explores issues

Chinook's city government came to life Thursday night to take care of business for the month of November.

CTEP Funding Public Hearing

The governing began with a public hearing about how the city should spend its accumulated $67,000 with the Community Transportation Enhancement Program.

The first suggestion, from Ray Reid, was to add some more significant indicators of the Battle of Bear Paw historic site.

Then Heather DePriest of the Chinook Chamber of Commerce brought up a suggestion discussed at October's meeting, when the council set up Thursday's public hearing, redoing downtown sidewalks.

DePriest offered a list of eight fractions of downtown blocks that needed particular attention, like from Dan's Auto Parts to the Center for Mental Health or from Shore's Floral to the barber shop. The total suggested fixes add up to four blocks. When repaired for an estimated $15,000 per block, the total funding would be $60,000.

CTEP requires a 13.42 percent local match for all projects. DePriest said the chamber would pay that whole match, just over $8,000, and ask for

help from the businesses that benefit.

City Clerk Lorraine Mulonet said that a similar discussion in 2009 ended with a decision to wait until the city had the funding to redo the sidewalks. Now they do.

Having no more suggestions the public hearing was called to an end and the regular council meeting began.

Fire department changes

The Chinook Fire Department is going through some changes. Until recently, the fire chief was elected by the firefighters in Chinook.

According to state laws, however, the fire chief must be chosen by the mayor and then approved by city council. The chief would then appoint assistant chiefs, with captains, secretary and treasurer as the only remaining elected positions.

Councilman Heath Richman said the mayor sat in on a meeting with firefighters expressing their concerns to the city attorney. The prospect of losing the election process for the majority of their leadership worried them.

The council is waiting until the fire department has its next full meeting to let them get through these changes before they impose the state statutes.

Water issues

Water Superintendent Cory Fox said that he had received a letter from the Department of Environmental Quality, letting them know that their water was too high in "byproducts."

Fox said these byproducts are the result of the sanitizing of the water when there is too much organic material in the raw water. He said there were high levels of organic material in the water after this summer's flood, which resulted in the warning.

He stressed that it is not a danger to people, but could be a concern over long-term exposure. The numbers have come down a little already, but not enough according to the DEQ.

A letter explaining the issue will be mailed to the people affected.

X-planation

After the meeting Chinook's Street Supervisor Jim Teel explained the mysterious X that puzzled everyone at the October council meeting.

Like Teel predicted, shortly after he painted the X black, the city received a call from the Montana Department of Transportation expressing its lack of approval for the action, though the MDT has done nothing to repaint the X white.

Teel said that his usual contact in the MDT had no idea about the X or why it was there, though he suspects it is probably about the construction on Highway 2.

Zach WhiteChinook's city government came to life Thursday night to take care of business for the month of November.

CTEP Funding Public Hearing

The governing began with a public hearing about how the city should spend its accumulated $67,000 with the Community Transportation Enhancement Program.

The first suggestion, from Ray Reid, was to add some more significant indicators of the Battle of Bear Paw historic site.

Then Heather DePriest of the Chinook Chamber of Commerce brought up a suggestion discussed at October's meeting, when the council set up Thursday's public hearing, redoing downtown sidewalks.

DePriest offered a list of eight fractions of downtown blocks that needed particular attention, like from Dan's Auto Parts to the Center for Mental Health or from Shore's Floral to the barber shop. The total suggested fixes add up to four blocks. When repaired for an estimated $15,000 per block, the total funding would be $60,000.

CTEP requires a 13.42 percent local match for all projects. DePriest said the chamber would pay that whole match, just over $8,000, and ask for

help from the businesses that benefit.

City Clerk Lorraine Mulonet said that a similar discussion in 2009 ended with a decision to wait until the city had the funding to redo the sidewalks. Now they do.

Having no more suggestions the public hearing was called to an end and the regular council meeting began.

Fire department changes

The Chinook Fire Department is going through some changes. Until recently, the fire chief was elected by the firefighters in Chinook.

According to state laws, however, the fire chief must be chosen by the mayor and then approved by city council. The chief would then appoint assistant chiefs, with captains, secretary and treasurer as the only remaining elected positions.

Councilman Heath Richman said the mayor sat in on a meeting with firefighters expressing their concerns to the city attorney. The prospect of losing the election process for the majority of their leadership worried them.

The council is waiting until the fire department has its next full meeting to let them get through these changes before they impose the state statutes.

Water issues

Water Superintendent Cory Fox said that he had received a letter from the Department of Environmental Quality, letting them know that their water was too high in "byproducts."

Fox said these byproducts are the result of the sanitizing of the water when there is too much organic material in the raw water. He said there were high levels of organic material in the water after this summer's flood, which resulted in the warning.

He stressed that it is not a danger to people, but could be a concern over long-term exposure. The numbers have come down a little already, but not enough according to the DEQ.

A letter explaining the issue will be mailed to the people affected.

X-planation

After the meeting Chinook's Street Supervisor Jim Teel explained the mysterious X that puzzled everyone at the October council meeting.

Like Teel predicted, shortly after he painted the X black, the city received a call from the Montana Department of Transportation expressing its lack of approval for the action, though the MDT has done nothing to repaint the X white.

Teel said that his usual contact in the MDT had no idea about the X or why it was there, though he suspects it is probably about the construction on Highway 2.

Chinook's city government came to life Thursday night to take care of business for the month of November.

CTEP Funding Public Hearing

The governing began with a public hearing about how the city should spend its accumulated $67,000 with the Community Transportation Enhancement Program.

The first suggestion, from Ray Reid, was to add some more significant indicators of the Battle of Bear Paw historic site.

Then Heather DePriest of the Chinook Chamber of Commerce brought up a suggestion discussed at October's meeting, when the council set up Thursday's public hearing, redoing downtown sidewalks.

DePriest offered a list of eight fractions of downtown blocks that needed particular attention, like from Dan's Auto Parts to the Center for Mental Health or from Shore's Floral to the barber shop. The total suggested fixes add up to four blocks. When repaired for an estimated $15,000 per block, the total funding would be $60,000.

CTEP requires a 13.42 percent local match for all projects. DePriest said the chamber would pay that whole match, just over $8,000, and ask for

help from the businesses that benefit.

City Clerk Lorraine Mulonet said that a similar discussion in 2009 ended with a decision to wait until the city had the funding to redo the sidewalks. Now they do.

Having no more suggestions the public hearing was called to an end and the regular council meeting began.

Fire department changes

The Chinook Fire Department is going through some changes. Until recently, the fire chief was elected by the firefighters in Chinook.

According to state laws, however, the fire chief must be chosen by the mayor and then approved by city council. The chief would then appoint assistant chiefs, with captains, secretary and treasurer as the only remaining elected positions.

Councilman Heath Richman said the mayor sat in on a meeting with firefighters expressing their concerns to the city attorney. The prospect of losing the election process for the majority of their leadership worried them.

The council is waiting until the fire department has its next full meeting to let them get through these changes before they impose the state statutes.

Water issues

Water Superintendent Cory Fox said that he had received a letter from the Department of Environmental Quality, letting them know that their water was too high in "byproducts."

Fox said these byproducts are the result of the sanitizing of the water when there is too much organic material in the raw water. He said there were high levels of organic material in the water after this summer's flood, which resulted in the warning.

He stressed that it is not a danger to people, but could be a concern over long-term exposure. The numbers have come down a little already, but not enough according to the DEQ.

A letter explaining the issue will be mailed to the people affected.

X-planation

After the meeting Chinook's Street Supervisor Jim Teel explained the mysterious X that puzzled everyone at the October council meeting.

Like Teel predicted, shortly after he painted the X black, the city received a call from the Montana Department of Transportation expressing its lack of approval for the action, though the MDT has done nothing to repaint the X white.

Teel said that his usual contact in the MDT had no idea about the X or why it was there, though he suspects it is probably about the construction on Highway 2.

Zach WhiteChinook's city government came to life Thursday night to take care of business for the month of November.

CTEP Funding Public Hearing

The governing began with a public hearing about how the city should spend its accumulated $67,000 with the Community Transportation Enhancement Program.

The first suggestion, from Ray Reid, was to add some more significant indicators of the Battle of Bear Paw historic site.

Then Heather DePriest of the Chinook Chamber of Commerce brought up a suggestion discussed at October's meeting, when the council set up Thursday's public hearing, redoing downtown sidewalks.

DePriest offered a list of eight fractions of downtown blocks that needed particular attention, like from Dan's Auto Parts to the Center for Mental Health or from Shore's Floral to the barber shop. The total suggested fixes add up to four blocks. When repaired for an estimated $15,000 per block, the total funding would be $60,000.

CTEP requires a 13.42 percent local match for all projects. DePriest said the chamber would pay that whole match, just over $8,000, and ask for

help from the businesses that benefit.

City Clerk Lorraine Mulonet said that a similar discussion in 2009 ended with a decision to wait until the city had the funding to redo the sidewalks. Now they do.

Having no more suggestions the public hearing was called to an end and the regular council meeting began.

Fire department changes

The Chinook Fire Department is going through some changes. Until recently, the fire chief was elected by the firefighters in Chinook.

According to state laws, however, the fire chief must be chosen by the mayor and then approved by city council. The chief would then appoint assistant chiefs, with captains, secretary and treasurer as the only remaining elected positions.

Councilman Heath Richman said the mayor sat in on a meeting with firefighters expressing their concerns to the city attorney. The prospect of losing the election process for the majority of their leadership worried them.

The council is waiting until the fire department has its next full meeting to let them get through these changes before they impose the state statutes.

Water issues

Water Superintendent Cory Fox said that he had received a letter from the Department of Environmental Quality, letting them know that their water was too high in "byproducts."

Fox said these byproducts are the result of the sanitizing of the water when there is too much organic material in the raw water. He said there were high levels of organic material in the water after this summer's flood, which resulted in the warning.

He stressed that it is not a danger to people, but could be a concern over long-term exposure. The numbers have come down a little already, but not enough according to the DEQ.

A letter explaining the issue will be mailed to the people affected.

X-planation

After the meeting Chinook's Street Supervisor Jim Teel explained the mysterious X that puzzled everyone at the October council meeting.

Like Teel predicted, shortly after he painted the X black, the city received a call from the Montana Department of Transportation expressing its lack of approval for the action, though the MDT has done nothing to repaint the X white.

Teel said that his usual contact in the MDT had no idea about the X or why it was there, though he suspects it is probably about the construction on Highway 2.