Council annexes property west of Havre

The Havre city government has completed an annexation process it first raised some 10 years ago.

Council members at the Havre City Council meeting Monday voted unanimously to pass a proposal on second reading to annex some 15 properties west of the city limits including the Holiday Village Mall, Super 8 Motel, Havre Ford, G&B Toyota, Triangle Communications and Hill County Electric and AmericInn.

Council member Ed Matter had an excused absence for the meeting, while member Caleb Hutchins missed the meeting.

Voting in favor of annexation were council members Terry Lilletvedt, Karen Swenson, Brian Barrows, Jay Pyette, Matt Boucher and Andrew Brekke.

Havre is scheduled to take over services in the areas Jan. 1.

No one spoke against the ordinance at the meeting, although Mayor Tim Solomon referenced a petition sent by property owners before the first vote on the ordinance Dec. 5, and the response by the Havre city attorney.

“It’s her recommendation we move forward on it,” Solomon said.

In the letter regarding the petition, attorney Jennifer Forsyth referenced ordinances that City Council passed in 2014 stating that unless people outside the city limits who received sewer or water services make a request to have their service discontinued, it serves as implied consent to annexation.

Forsyth referenced a nearly identical case in an annexation process pursued by Whitefish and the fact that Havre had sent in 2014  letters to property owners whose property now is being annexed informing them of that implied consent.

The city has tried several times to annex some or all of the properties in the past decade, but withdrew and regrouped after property owners had filed lawsuits or petitions opposing the action.