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Covering the Bitterroot Valley – “Where Montana Begins!” – Established 1985 – Locally Owned & Independent
‘The Volume XXXVII, Number 25
’ ! l a c o L Best at
www.bitterrootstar.com
Wednesday, January 5, 2022
A place to come in from the cold
Nightly warming shelter to provide respite for those in need
which is the problem. Locke says that wages in the Bitterroot Valley simply can’t pay for the limited housing that does exist, especially since the upset of the housing market during the COVID pandemic. “You can get a job any day of the week,” says Locke, but “you can’t afford a Bitterroot house on Bitterroot bucks.” Ultimately, what Locke is most concerned about right now is making it clear to people that those who need to avail themselves of services provided by Bitterroot Family Shelter are “ordinary folks who are in a tight spot.” He adds that they are our friends and neighbors and that, “It could happen to you and me. Most folks are only a month’s paycheck away from being on the street. There’s a lot of people that still think
by Nathan Boddy
For those in need of a warm place to sleep, the newly established shelter at 869 Sleeping Child Road just south of Hamilton will come as a tremendous relief. The warming shelter opened its doors last Wednesday the 29th when the temperatures dove into single digits. One of the first to seek refuge for the night was a working family with a two-year-old child. Founder of Bitterroot Family See SHELTER, page 2 Shelter, Gary Locke, says that their case was fairly typical. “They had a Exterior of the recently opened Warming Shelter at 869 Sleepheater go out in their motor home,” ing Child Road, Hamilton. Photos by Nathan Boddy. he says, obviously frustrated with the Stacey Umhey, Executive Director of SAFE misunderstandings some people have about the (Supporters for Abuse Free Environments), warming shelter. “This is not a homeless shelter,” who said, “We are in crisis.” he says. “This is a warming shelter that will be Locke says that this ‘crisis’ can be available during the nighttime hours.” illustrated by an annual point-in-time Locke may have his hands full with the many survey, which has been conducted annually services that Bitterroot Family Shelter provides to by the Bitterroot Family Shelter and the residents of the Bitterroot Valley, but is quick to Bitterroot Affordable Housing Coalition point out that he is not acting alone. “This is not for much of the last twenty years. Locke a ‘Gary Locke Project,’” he says. “This is a serious admits that the numbers aren’t perfect, but community effort.” Indeed, the non-profit routinely a clear change took place in 2019 when the partners with hundreds of local volunteers, number of estimated homeless in Ravalli business and churches in the area to address County jumped from an ongoing average of the overwhelming and rising needs that many 40-44 up to 100. The number jumped again Montanans face, being everything from hunger to in 2020 to 188. “That’s a pretty significant periods of homelessness. From the thousands of jump,” says Locke. meals it provides at participating churches, to the Local organizations are not the only provision of basic needs, the organization is at the ones with their fingers on the pulse of forefront of trying to address a growing situation. the housing crisis, however. The Pew “We’ve been trying to tell everybody that there’s Charitable Trust has conducted a study a problem,” says Locke. of the housing situation in Montana and It is no secret that housing is critically short in concluded what Locke continues to point the Bitterroot Valley, a fact which leads to a slender out. Their recent release report entitled, margin of safety for many Bitterrooters. The “Montana Housing Shortage,” issued in Bitterroot Affordable Housing Coalition recently November of 2021, says plainly, “Housing made an updated presentation to the Ravalli hasn’t kept pace with population growth in County Commissioners about the state of housing Gary Locke of Bitterroot Family Shelter talks about the need for Montana.” in the valley. Its findings were summed up by a warming shelter and other housing issues in the Bitterroot. But it’s not just availability of housing
Recreational marijuana
County offices being reorganized by Michael Howell
The Ravalli County Commissioners have approved a resolution of intent to realign the structure of local government offices by repealing the consolidation of the County Auditor’s office with the County Attorney’s Office and instead, through a complex process, consolidating the County Auditor’s office with that of the Clerk of District Court and consolidating the office of Public Administrator with the County Attorney’s office. Deputy County Attorney Clay Leland described the process to the Commissioners explaining that currently the office of Public Administrator is not associated with any other office in the county. As a result, he said, any See COUNTY, page 2
County approves match for Corvallis sewer grant by Michael Howell
Ravalli County is one of the “green” counties in the state where a majority of the voters opted for legalizing recreational use of marijuana in the last election. There was no mad rush to the local dispensary near Stevensville this New Year’s Day as the law went into effect, but there were a few happy customers. When one of the salespeople apologized for his slightly awkward service, saying, “I’m sorry, I’ve never done this before,” the customer quickly replied, “Neither have I.” The 20% sales tax that is added to the retail cost of the products is expected to raise about $48 million annually in the state by 2025. Marijuana taxes will contribute to the general fund and special revenue accounts for conservation, veterans’ services, substance abuse treatment, healthcare, and local governments. The general fund is expected to net $4 million. Photo by Michael Howell.
The Ravalli County Commissioners last week approved allocation of up to $1.077 million to be used as matching funds in a grant application by the Corvallis Sewer District under the American Rescue Plan Act for a $3.162 million wastewater treatment plant upgrade and improvement project. The Corvallis Sewer District currently serves over 500 active residential sewer connections in the Corvallis area, plus the Corvallis School District facilities and approximately 60 commercial hookups including office, retail, food service and other businesses. The wastewater treatment plant which discharges into groundwater began services in the late 1970s and early 1980s, serving the original Corvallis townsite. In the 1990s growth in the area led to additions and annexations See CORVALLIS, page 5