PUBLIC HEARINGTUESDAY JUNE 6, 2023

AT HOT SPRINGS CITY HALL 109 MAIN ST, HOT SPRINGS MT 59845

MEETING ALSO HELD VIA ZOOM

Public Hearing open at 7:05 p.m.

Call to order by Mayor Woods

Present: Weatherly, Graham, Aldrdidge, Smith,Woods, Gray

Also Present: Elias Patten, Bob Woods, Ladonna Vollmer, Starla Rice, Deanne Hazelton, Steven Sheffield, Jim Arestad, Mary Whitsett, Brad Pride, Breck Smith, Freddie Durham, Ron Smerzgalski, Aaron Mathew

A PUBLIC HEARING WAS HELD TO DISCUSS RESOLUTION # 2023-06R: A RESOLUTION REQUESTING A MAIL BALLOT ELECTION FOR THE TOWN OF HOT SPRINGS 2023 PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTIONS. Mayor Woods read the resolution aloud and asked for public comment.  Ladonna Vollmer stated she did not think mail in ballots was a good idea. She felt in person voting is safer. Woods explained that the Town changed to mail in ballots several years ago and the number of voters went from 40 or so to 200. It improved voter turnout substantially. Breck Smith asked what the down side of doing both would be. Woods explained there is an expense related to the in person election in order to have workers available. Woods asked if there was any other public comment. There was none.

Public Hearing closed at 7:10 p.m.

TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGTUESDAY JUNE 6, 2023

AT HOT SPRINGS CITY HALL 109 MAIN ST, HOT SPRINGS MT 59845

MEETING ALSO HELD VIA ZOOM

CALL TO ORDER at 7:10 p.m. by Mayor Woods

ROLL CALL Present: Weatherly, Graham, Aldrdidge, Smith,Woods, Gray

Also Present: Elias Patten, Bob Woods, Ladonna Vollmer, Starla Rice, Deanne Hazelton, Steven Sheffield, Jim Arestad, Mary Whitsett, Brad Pride, Breck Smith, Freddie Durham, Ron Smerzgalski, Aaron Mathew

APPROVAL OF MINUTES  from May regular town council meeting Smith/Weatherly 4-0 pass Approval of minutes for special town council meeting Smith/Weatherly 4-0 pass

PRESENTATION OF CLAIMS Gray explained that in addition to the claims presented, there are claims for First Book provided but the mailing address is missing from the claim forms so the checks have not yet been printed. Request to include first book claim with all claims for the month. Check for MMIA for $1500 is for a claim that was paid for resident that had a sewer backed up into his house. Mike was working in the office and someone else was operating the jetter and caused aback up in the house. MMIA paid the claim, $1500 is the deductible.  Aldridge/Graham 4-0 pass

FINANCIAL REPORTS

REPORTS– As of the end of April, we are doing well in all of the funds. We are looking at a few large purchases and projects coming up this month. Smith/Aldridge 4-0 pass

MAYOR Woods reported things in city hall have been extremely busy this past month. The sidewalk grant is finished up, we are closing out the contract with Camas Creek and finishing up the water project, and we received a letter for MCEP for $750,000 towards the sewer rehab project.  

PUBLIC WORKS has been busy filling potholes and getting all the stop signs and posts replaced. We will eventually replace street signs as well. They have started mowing and weed eating also.  Gray stated that the town does not spray round up. There has been a few calls to city hall asking about it and we have heard people are having meetings and discussing petitions to get the town to stop spraying round. Gray explained this is not necessary because the town does not spray round up anyways. Woods explained that the town does not spray any chemicals except out at the lagoons. Out there we have to spray to keep them at bay and protect the lagoon liners but we don’t spray any chemicals in town. Public works has also been busy getting things prepared for Homesteader days. The projects are running a little behind because of all of the rain we have been getting. We hired a temp guy to help get things done for Homesteaders and to help finish up some of the summer projects we need to get done. L Vollmer asked if the town was going to spread some new gravel on Main Street next to the park before Homesteaders. Woods explained this was the plan but due to all of the rain they are unable to work the ground without turning it into a big mud pit, so this will have to wait until later.

FIRE DEPT Woods reported the fire department hasn’t been too busy, they have had a few traffic accidents but no fires.

POLICE -Durham via zoom- introduced himself and explained that he is excited to be working for Hot Springs as the new chief. He would like to get to meet everyone. He would like to have a department that is professional and looks nice and is working towards those goals.

CLERK Gray reminded everyone that when they need a police officer or need to file a report they must contact dispatch. It is not appropriate to come to city hall to file a complaint. Woods explained that all calls need to go through dispatch and get logged for our officers to deal with.

LIBRARY Rice provided the library report. She read a prepared statement regarding purchasing practices of the library and explained they buy supplies locally as well as online. In house story time is cancelled as attendance is not good enough to warrant the amount of time put into the program. Summer fundraiser will be July 22^nd. Library will be closed during homesteaders and Farmers market has permission to use the parking lot.

ZONING COMPLIANCE

Loren has provided a final letter for Wall St/North Rd property and the town will move forward with clearing it off starting in July.

A Zoning compliance permit was submitted for a property on D St.

We have been working with a guy on B ST to clean some stuff up. He has been very cooperative.

We have several requests for rezoning property. There was discussion on some options for rezoning some areas in town. A map was provided and the areas were pointed out for the public and for council.

NEW BUSINESS

HOMESTEADER DAYS OPEN CONTAINER WAIVER AND STREET CLOSURE REQUEST Discussion regarding who is responsible for closing down the streets. It will be taken care of by the town this year but discussed further for future events.

Aldridge/Weatherly 4-0 pass

DRAW REQUEST FOR WATER PROJECT Smith/Aldridge 4-0 pass

RESOLUTION # 2023-06R :A RESOLUTION REQUESTING A MAIL BALLOT ELECTION FOR THE TOWN OF HOT SPRINGS 2023 PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTIONS

Smith/Graham 4-0 pass

HOT SPRINGS REFUSE- DUMP Information only- Woods explained that he and Gray had met with the commissioners and board members to discuss the dump. They will be looking into how the dump was formed. The county and the town will be working on an agreement to turn the dump over to the town. The attorneys for the county are looking into it. We will need to do a resolution once details are worked out. Cardboard has not been recycled in a months at the dump. This is due to the fact that there is no way to keep water out of the cardboard and it was freezing in the dumpster. It also has to be uncolored cardboard only and we need to figure out a way to collect the cardboard in a way it can be recycled. The town can’t be involved in the dump until it is turned over to the town but we are looking at a few things in relations to finances. If the town takes over operation of the dump we will have to hire an additional employee to run the dump site. We will need to fence the dump area and work on repairing and replacing equipment. Rice asked if the dump will continue to operate while things are being worked out. Woods explained the refuse board will continue to operate the dump at this time. Graham asked if it will be a full time position once it is fenced and cleaned up. Gray explained that they would be a town employee so on the days the dump is closed they would be working in town doing other work. Mathews asked about payment requirements at the dump. Gray explained tax payers currently pay a fee on their tax bills in the amount of $160. We have ideas such as providing cards to those who pay the fee. Anyone who doesn’t pay the fee would have to pay to dump. Woods explained this is all just preliminary planning and ideas until the town actually takes over. Woods asked if there were any other questions, there were none.

PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS

Woods asked if there were any comments for non-agenda items

Pride stated he hoped to have Louis open in mid July. He said the tribal nutrition center a block away has diagonal parking and wanted to know if there could be diagonal parking in front of Louis.  Woods stated we would need to measure to see if there was enough room to do that and then we could look into further.

Whitsett asked about the State Game Warden boat at Spring Street Autocare. Woods explained that he would be speaking as the business owner and not the Mayor for a moment and explained to Whitsett that the boat belonged to a customer and that his business was working for a customer to do repairs and that the boat and the repairs have nothing to do with town business.

Mathews asked who funded the 6×6 at Spring Street Autocare, asking if it came from back east from the military. Woods explained that the town obtained the truck free of charge through a surplus program. The truck was picked up in Missoula from DNRC by volunteers and was driven to Hot Springs on the fuel that was already in the tank costing the town nothing. The truck needs some repairs but Woods stated he hopes it can be done through donations instead of tax dollars.

ADJOURN 8:27 p.m. Weatherly/Smith 4-0 pass