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for MONTANA
HD 87
Paid for by Merrill for HD87 ~ Democrat ~ PO Box 718, Stevensville, MT 59870 ~ Nancy Neal, Treas.
Volume XXXVI, Number 9
Fire danger!
Hamilton adopts final budget By Michael Howell
The 12 Mile Fire is located in the Lost Horse drainage on the Darby Ranger District. It is currently estimated at 25 acres. Photo credit: Bitterroot National Forest
Fire danger again ‘very high’ Fire danger on the Bitterroot National Forest returned to “Very High” on Monday, after being lowered last week. Continued hot and dry weather is predicted this week along with gusty winds. Extremely low humidity will also create critical fire weather conditions across SW Montana. “Even though we are experiencing cooler nights and mornings, conditions are extremely dry right now across the forest,” said Mark Wilson, Fire Management Officer. “Our overnight relative humidity recoveries are as low as 15% and during the day are dropping to extreme RH levels around 5%. Recent frost has also killed a lot of vegetation adding even more fuel to the already dead, dry fuels. If conditions continue to dry and deteriorate, we may
reach extreme fire danger (highest level) by the end of the week.” Smoke conditions are also making it difficult for fire lookouts
Total mill levies:
The Stevensville Town Council decided last week to reinstate charging late fees in relation to the town’s water and sewer billing and resume shut-offs for nonpayment. Both the late fees and the shut-offs were suspended when the COVID-19 emergency was declared. After some discussion of the pros and cons about the timing, council members first considered delaying the resumption until December 1, billing to give people time to prepare. After further consideration it was decided that any delay could just compound the dilemma. The final motion was to begin with re-instating the late fees and shut-offs starting October 1. Late fees apply to any payment made 60 days from when the bill
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Total mill levies:
Some notable capital projects included in the 2021 budget include: - $25,000 Library roof replacement, 50% shared with Bitterroot Public Library, - $600,000 Fairgrounds Road + from Stonegate to Kurtz
Park restroom, carryover from prior year, - $150,000 Vester Wilson parking lot, - $45,000 Hieronymus Park parking lot, - $385,000 Big Corral transmission water line, carryover from prior year, - $120,000 Sewer Jet Truck building, carryover from prior year, - $205,000 Water & Sewer SCADA system, in progress from prior year, - $100,000 Sewer New York lift station, - $370,000 Sewer screw pump replacement, carryover from prior year, - $33,000 Topsoil screen, split into five departmental and enterprise funds, - $22,000 for Grizzly Bar Screen, - $8,800 charging station at city hall, all paid by grant or local
See FIRE, page 2
was received. If the bill is not paid in 120 days, shut-off may occur. The council also approved moving forward with a $15,000 upgrade to the Town’s phone system. Mayor Dewey said the town’s phone system was in poor condition and that service has become more complicated as the town’s services are spreading out around the community from the sewer and water plants to the new location of the Police Department. He said by upgrading their system and tying it to the town’s computers and the internet that there would also be related cost savings and it would resolve the problem of having employees use their cell phones for town business by using a special app. The Stevensville Booster Club got permission to paint Yel-
The Hamilton City Council has adopted a budget for the 2020-2021 Fiscal Year that will not impose any increases in property taxes over the previous year, while maintaining tax levels at the level allowed with only a slight adjustment amount that is statutorily provided for. There is newly taxable property that allows for a slight increase of tax revenues. The City is not seeking any rate increases for water and sewer services this fiscal year. Budgeted expenditures for the coming year total $11,349,336 while revenues are forecast to be $ $9,602,718. The mill value, $10,437.55 for 2020-2021 has increased over the $10,261 from the 2019-2020 year. Tax revenues are limited by state statutes and the City is allowed to apply an inflation adjustment, this year it was 1.05% that generated $23,576 additional tax revenue, and there was newly taxable property on the tax rolls that provided an additional $41,108, for a total $64,684 increase. Taxes cannot simply be increased without voter approval.
- $131,000 Wayfinding signage ($75,000 from Tourism grant, $14,000 from AARP grant), -$50,000 for City portion of Skalkaho Park outlay; - $150,000 Claudia Driscoll
The following is a summary of the city’s revenues and expenses in the new budget compared to last year’s budget showing the increases and decreases compared to the previous year:
to see new fires, and aviation resources may be limited due
Stevi to reinstate late fees and shut-offs for utility billing
By Michael Howell
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
www.bitterrootstar.com
lowjackets on the sidewalks on Main Street. Fran Schmitz, who is organizing the event as a fund raiser for the club, said that in the past the Yellowjackets were painted in front of the businesses who donated to the club, but this time they would be painted at regular intervals down the street with no consideration for who donated and who did not. The permission was granted with a provision for “extended maintenance” so that they could be re-painted every year without seeking any further permission. The Council set a time-limit on public comment on nonagenda items of 5 minutes and a time-limit on agenda items of 8 minutes. This will apply to all See STEVI, page 2
See HAMIILTON, page 2
Scarecrow Brewfest will go on By Michael Howell
Although scarecrows will no longer be lining the bike path from Stevensville to the river this fall, they will still be dropping in to attend the second annual Scarecrow Brewfest in downtown Stevensville, thanks to Jim Edwards, owner of Burnt Fork Market. Stevensville’s annual Scarecrow Festival was the brainchild of former resident Gary Knapp and the Stevensville Art and Sculpture Society. It was then adopted by the Stevensville Main Street Association which managed and promoted the event successfully for a number of years. When the Main Street organization dissolved, however, the Scarecrow Festival fell into limbo. Faced with a lack of leadership in maintaining the event, Edwards decided to do what he could to keep the spirit of the event alive by combining it with his annual Brewfest. This year the Scarecrow Brewfest is set to happen once again in the heart of downtown Stevensville. One block of East Third Street from Main to Church will be closed
for the event. The bandstand will be located in the parking lot behind Rocky Mountain Bank and right across the street from the Stevensville Hotel. Music will be provided by the popular band Mudslide Charlie. The festival starts at 3 p.m. and the band will perform from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 3rd. According to Edwards, there will be some food trucks parked nearby and, of course, some scarecrows and some fire pits. He said there would be some scarecrows at Burnt Fork Market and at Mission Bistro, too. He said he was encouraging other businesses in town to put scarecrows out as well. The $25 ticket price includes a commemorative glass and drinks and the profits from the event will go to the Stevensville Civic Club, according to Edwards. Tickets may be purchased at the Tin Can, at Burnt Fork Market and at the Pattee Creek Market in Missoula. Edwards said that he felt lucky to have so many local brewers coming to Stevensville to share their passion for what they do. The locals include Bitterroot Brewing,
Higher Ground, Bayern, Kettle House and Draft Works. A couple of out-of-state brewers will also be there, including Ten Barrel and Dogfish Head breweries. Edwards said that one of his favorite outof-state brews comes from the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Delaware and he’s excited about people getting a chance to taste it. If beer is not your thing, you could try another kind of brew provided by the Black Rifle Coffee Company. Edwards said that there were a few other surprises that he was still working on and waiting for word to come back. He said the venue was good because it gives people a lot of room to spread out for social distancing purposes. “I could have easily let this thing go and not do it, but I just couldn’t let it go,” said Edwards. He said he was extremely disappointed that the community wasn’t pulling together to hold the Scarecrow Festival this year. He said after tying it to his Brewfest last year, he was not going to let it go down on his watch.
MARSHALL Paid for by Ron Marshall for HD 87 . 840 South 1st . Hamilton, MT 59840
See BREWFEST, page 2
HD 87