MINUTES TOWN COUNCIL MEETING Tuesday, March 5th, 2024

Hot Springs City Hall 109 Main Street, Hot Springs, MT 59845

Meeting also held via zoom

CALL TO ORDER by Mayor Woods at 7:02 p.m.

ROLL CALL Smith, Carr, Weatherly, Welker, Woods, Gray

Also Present: Robyn Largent, Rachel Largent, Scott Vollmer, Ladonna Vollmer, Stephen Sheffield, Rube Wrightsman, Jim Arestad, Mike Geddes, Breck Smith, Scott Blangeres, Michele Bangen, Deanne Creamer, Brad Pride, Lawrence Walchuk, Susan Perry, Tony Tinacci, Cody Scott, Mary Whitsett

Welker stated council needed to vote for council president per MCA. She nominates Ed Weatherly. Woods explained this would have to be done at the next meeting because it is not on the agenda.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES Minutes from February meeting and minutes from public hearing held February 28, 2024 Smith/Carr 4-0 pass

Welker requested clarification on who “we” is referring to in the minutes. Gray explained she written what was said in the meeting. Welker asked about the minutes regarding the dog park proposal and that the minutes state they voted to move forward. She thought it was voted on to throw the issue to parks and rec . Gray stated she would review the video and if necessary, provide a correction to reflect what motion was made.

PRESENTATION OF CLAIMS Welker questioned the purchase of the cash register. Woods explained the cash register is used when customers make water and sewer payments. Welker asked what Blue and Gold training was. Largent explained it is Montana case law training for officers. Woods discussed the certified mail for Tarom Odekirk regarding ordinance letter and Mcfadden supplies is for fire equipment which will be reimbursed through a grant the town had been awarded. Smith/Weatherly 4-0 pass

FINANCIAL REPORTS Weatherly/Smith 4-0 pass

REPORTS

MAYOR Woods explained he has spent a lot of time with zoning issues and streets. He had been working with Morrison and Maierle on the blower control project and working to get the engineers on the same page regarding the subdivision.

PUBLIC WORKS crew has been working on streets, filling potholes and sanding. The crew is cleaning up the edges of the streets.

FIRE DEPARTMENT is looking ahead to wildfire season. Studies are showing problems with property in communities. They are not protected and not doing cleanup. Woods stated he will try to have a presentation demonstrating how to make towns more safe.

POLICE report was presented by Chief Largent. He provided reports for January and for February. He stated Officer Cameron Martin was doing very well.

CLERK Amy Gray explained burn season was open and permits could be obtained free of charge from Town hall.

LIBRARY Rube Wrightsman presented library report. He then explained there have been some incidents at the library regarding unruly patrons.

ZONING COMPLIANCE Woods explained there have been several people asking about what they are allowed to do on their property

PUBLIC COMMENT FOR EACH AGENDA ITEM WILL BE ALLOWED

OLD BUSINESS

NEW BUSINESS

Rodeo= Michele Bangen explained the rodeo committee was trying to come up with a plan for the rodeo grounds. She explained that the rodeo continues to grow and repairs need to be made to the bleachers, posts that are rotting in the arena and to the surface of the arena. She asked what the town could do to make fixes in the future. She asked if the town and the rodeo committee could get together to do grants. She explained that the rodeo grounds has willing sponsors, but there needs to be a vision for where they are going. Gray stated she thought the rodeo committee was going to pay for the upgrades in exchange for using the rodeo grounds free of charge. Gray also stated it is difficult for the town to put money into the rodeo grounds when they get nothing back in return. Gray compared the rodeo grounds to the sanders county fair grounds explaining that the fairgrounds gets money for tickets and the town does not get money for tickets sold at Homesteaders. Woods explained that the fairgrounds also receives tax money to operate. Welker asked if there is a rodeo board, Woods stated the fair has a board, the Town does not. Woods also stated the fair earns money for arena use. Welker stated the Town needs a rodeo board. Pride stated it needed to be more than a rodeo board and the grounds need to be used for more than just rodeo. Woods insisted the town needs to be more involved and the rodeo grounds needs to be an event center for more than just the rodeo. Weatherly expressed that he likes the idea of a rodeo committee and that a couple of council members need to be on the committee working together. Woods stated it needs to be a board that works for the council. Give them a budget, and have them run it. Smith stated it is easy to form a board, but questioned where funds would come from. Woods stated the town needs to budget money to go put towards the rodeo grounds each year. There needs to be a plan for major infrastructure for the next few years. The Town needs to put a resolution together to form a board to drive the rodeo grounds. Smith asked Bangen for a short term list for what is needed this year, She also recommended getting in touch with Ray Brown at the county for assistance.

Woods will do more research and bring information back to the council. Discussion only, no action taken.

Parking in front of post office- Woods explained the concern for safety when entering the street from the post office parking lot when vehicles are parked on the West Side. He asked the council to consider parking restrictions, no parking from the alley to end of the post office boundary lines Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm. Three signs would be required. Smith/Carr 4-0 pass

Zoning map changes Woods read a letter aloud from a citizen opposing zoning change. Welker provided and ordinance that states the Town is required to have zoning changes reviewed by a zoning commission. Motion was made to table the issue until further research could be done Smith/Welker 4-0 pass

HB 355- Woods explained HB355 and he had contacted a couple of contractors to provide estimates needed for the grant application. One contractor responded and provided a bid. Woods explained that we would divide the project into three separate phases. Phase one would be funded through HB355 and town match funds. Phase two and phase three would be done as the funding becomes available. Motion to apply for grant money to fund phase one and approve the town to do phase two and phase three when the town can afford it. Weatherly/Smith 4-0 pass

PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS

Woods stated the farmers market would be on the next monthly meeting. They had missed the cutoff for the agenda for this meeting.

Whitsett said she had been to the forest service booth at the fair and there was literature she gathered and placed on a table at the Hot Springs farmers market.

Woods stated DNRC was coming out with fire safety information and there is a grant for a slip tank Amy is working on that is due March 21st.

Woods asked if there was any other comments on non agenda items. There was none.

ADJOURNMENT Smith/ Welker 4-0 pass 8:11 p.m.