Wild Horse committee revisits Turner port upgrade endorsement

Committee looks for input from senators

An issue that arose at the Havre City Council meeting Monday came up again at Tuesday's meeting of the Wild Horse Border Committee.

The committee revisited whether the Havre City Council stating support for the Port of Turner in Blaine County upgrading to a 24-hour commercial port could hurt efforts to provide that upgrade for the Port of Wild Horse north of Havre.

Bob Kaul, the city council member who raised concerns during Monday's meeting, said he is willing to completely back the port north of Turner, on the U. S.-Canadian border between Montana and Saskatchewan, going to 24-hour status — once Wild Horse is upgraded.

"I will put as much time and effort in then as I did this one, " Kaul said.

Bob Sivertsen, who had formed another committee to advocate upgrading Wild Horse with Kaul and Jim Treperinas, said the same.

"Let's not undo what we've worked on for the last four or five years, " he said.

Bear Paw Development Corp. Executive Director Paul Tuss said he did not expect this to be such a contentious issue. He proposed the resolution, stating Havre supports the designation of both Wild Horse and Turner as 24-hour ports, after the direction of Sen. Max Baucus to approach the issue as a regional one, he said.

He added that his wife, council member Pam Hillery, voted against supporting the resolution after the council's discussion.

The council split on the vote, with Havre Mayor Tim Solomon casting the deciding vote to kill the resolution.

Solomon also co-chairs the Wild Horse committee with Medicine Hat, Alberta, Mayor Norm Boucher.

The council made the vote with the notation the resolution could be brought back again.

Kaul suggested the group set up a Vision Net conference with Baucus and Sen. Jon Tester, both supporters of upgrading Wild Horse, to see if the city approving the resolution would damage efforts to upgrade Wild Horse.

Kaul, Sivertsen and Treperinas each put up $50 to pay the $150 fee necessary to set up the teleconference.

Tuss and Solomon said that may be an option later, but that they would take other steps first. Both Tuss and Solomon suggested calling staff members of Baucus and Tester to see if the city resolution might hamper efforts to upgrade Wild Horse.

The group agreed to set up a call with staff members of the senators to discuss the issue.

An issue that arose at the Havre City Council meeting Monday came up again at Tuesday's meeting of the Wild Horse Border Committee.

The committee revisited whether the Havre City Council stating support for the Port of Turner in Blaine County upgrading to a 24-hour commercial port could hurt efforts to provide that upgrade for the Port of Wild Horse north of Havre.

Bob Kaul, the city council member who raised concerns during Monday's meeting, said he is willing to completely back the port north of Turner, on the U. S.-Canadian border between Montana and Saskatchewan, going to 24-hour status — once Wild Horse is upgraded.

"I will put as much time and effort in then as I did this one, " Kaul said.

Bob Sivertsen, who had formed another committee to advocate upgrading Wild Horse with Kaul and Jim Treperinas, said the same.

"Let's not undo what we've worked on for the last four or five years, " he said.

Bear Paw Development Corp. Executive Director Paul Tuss said he did not expect this to be such a contentious issue. He proposed the resolution, stating Havre supports the designation of both Wild Horse and Turner as 24-hour ports, after the direction of Sen. Max Baucus to approach the issue as a regional one, he said.

He added that his wife, council member Pam Hillery, voted against supporting the resolution after the council's discussion.

The council split on the vote, with Havre Mayor Tim Solomon casting the deciding vote to kill the resolution.

Solomon also co-chairs the Wild Horse committee with Medicine Hat, Alberta, Mayor Norm Boucher.

The council made the vote with the notation the resolution could be brought back again.

Kaul suggested the group set up a Vision Net conference with Baucus and Sen. Jon Tester, both supporters of upgrading Wild Horse, to see if the city approving the resolution would damage efforts to upgrade Wild Horse.

Kaul, Sivertsen and Treperinas each put up $50 to pay the $150 fee necessary to set up the teleconference.

Tuss and Solomon said that may be an option later, but that they would take other steps first. Both Tuss and Solomon suggested calling staff members of Baucus and Tester to see if the city resolution might hamper efforts to upgrade Wild Horse.

The group agreed to set up a call with staff members of the senators to discuss the issue.