Sorted by date Results 401 - 425 of 455
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Fire District Board of Trustees welcomed Connie Clark to the board. They discussed the need for paid officers and an assistant chief. No decisions were made. Continued discussion along with the budget approval are on November’s agenda. Clark was sworn in as the new board member filling Bruce Bourne’s term. The Missoula County Commissioners appointed Clark after being the only applicant for the open position. Fire Chief Bob Vanden Heuvel assigned Shelly Johnson and Kristy Pohlman as medical crew chiefs and will...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer Board signed a letter of intent to meet revised conditions for funding from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development (RD). The board also voted to create sub districts in place of the current phases at its regular monthly meeting Aug. 18. The RD funding offer consists of 5.7 million dollars in grants and 4.4 million in loans. The district has already secured the balance of the 12.75 million dollar project mainly in the form of grants. The funding package is only for the proposed...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Elementary (SLE) Board received a formal complaint regarding the sale of alcohol on school grounds. SLE Outside store’s function and relationship to the school was also discussed at the Aug. 16 board meeting. Seeley Lake resident LaRee Morris filed a complaint that alleges that the school violated the school board’s own policy when it allowed alcohol to be sold during SLE Outside’s Bob Marshall Music Festival. The complaint cites SLE board policy - Conduct on School Property 4015 (page 102) that states: “No p...
SWAN VALLEY - Republican candidate for the Missoula County Board of Commissioners Todd Geery of Bonner, Mont. spoke at the Swan Valley Community Council (SVCC) meeting Aug. 16. Swan Valley Fire Chief Randy Williams and Quick Response Unit (QRU) Medical Chief Dan Maloughney also commented on the issues they see with the proposed Flathead National Forest (FNF) Plan. Geery said his reason for joining the race is a deep passion to make a difference for all 111,000 residents of Missoula County. “I don’t want to be a politician, which can become a j...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer Board approved its annual special assessment after receiving several protests and despite the protest period not closing for another week. Several dozen citizens showed up at the Aug. 18 hearing on whether to continue the $47,620 assessment. There was no change in the proposed assessment from the previous year. Lots with a dwelling unit on them pay $79.80 per year while vacant and commercial lots pay approximately $63 per acre per year. District Manager Greg Robertson explained that the assessment was for...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Community Council (SLCC) was updated on the progress made in the last year toward resolving the issue that ended county road maintenance for Dogtown residents. The council also heard from the transportation commissioner who represents the area and discussed the council’s candidate forum at its Aug. 8 meeting. Missoula County Commissioner Jean Curtiss and Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) Clearwater Unit Manager Kristen Baker-Dickinson gave the update on the snowplowing issue. The issue was b...
SWAN VALLEY - Swan Valley resident John Keller spoke about his observations of the Missoula County growth plan process and gave his recommendations to help improve the Swan Valley Regional Plan (SVRP) at the Swan Valley Regional Planning Committee meeting Aug. 3. Chair Ken Donovan said he invited Keller to speak about what he has learned about the county plan and how it can be applied to the Swan Valley growth plan. Donovan said, “John has been to most of the [Missoula County Growth Plan] meetings and I think his observations will benefit o...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer Board (SLSB) was presented with a proposal to reduce projected costs for Phase I residential lots from $165 to $50 per month and commercial lots to $75 per month. With the new proposal, there may not be a vote on the proposed treatment plant and collection system but landowners would have a protest provision. At the July 21 board meeting, District Manager Greg Robertson explained how subsidies and changes in how the construction debt is spread across the district would accomplish this. The district currently...
SWAN VALLEY- Amy Robinson with the Montana Wilderness Association (MWA) related information about the proposed Flathead National Forest (FNF) draft plan to nearly 30 people at the Swan Valley Community Council (SVCC) on Tuesday, July 19. There was also a discussion about biker and traffic safety on the Swan Highway. Robinson said she wanted to speak to the council about how to participate in the Forest Service (FS) public land process. The FNF draft plan is a framework on how the lands will be managed for the next 20 years. Robinson said that...
SEELEY LAKE – Seeley Lake Rural Fire District Board of Trustees had the opportunity to view the new ambulance at their meeting July 19. Also at the meeting trustee Bruce Bourne resigned his position. Discussions about the assistant chief position, a stipend for officers and the mill levy were tabled until the board gets further information from Missoula County. The new ambulance arrived Monday, July 18. Seeley Lake Fire Chief Bob Vanden Heuvel said it needs to have the radios installed, the graphics and decals put on the outside and the p...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Community Council (SLCC) voted to send a letter requesting the Missoula County Commissioners expedite a solution to the issue of snow plowing in Dogtown. Also at the meeting, representatives from the county presented the latest plans for the fairgrounds in Missoula and the council was updated on the progress of their proposed safety improvements on Highway 83. During public comments it was asked, what has been done to resolve the snow plowing issue in Dogtown. The issue came to light last summer when Missoula...
SWAN VALLEY - The Swan Valley Regional Planning Committee (SVRPC) met July 13 to consider public comments and Missoula lawyer Colleen Dowdall’s edits to the draft regional plan. The committee addressed and edited sections in the Natural Resources and Environmental Element including Ground Water Quality, Noise and Light Pollution. The committee voted four to one to delete the entire Climate Change section. The SVRPC voted with two opposed to accept Dowdall’s edits to the first three paragraphs in Ground Water Quality which removed excess verbiag...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Elementary (SLE) School Board of Trustees approved the bus contract transfer from Diane’s Buses to Conley Transportation, discussed the recent theft and hired Erin Lynch to replace Julie Little in second grade and Brett Haines to replace Andy Seiges for physical education. They also heard a presentation on the PIECES Framework from teachers Angela Harris and Julie Haines. Owner of Diane’s Buses, Diane Bourne retired and sold the buses and the business to Conley Transportation this spring. As of July 1, Conley Trans...
SWAN VALLEY - The Swan Valley Regional Planning Committee (SVRPC) met June 24 to revise the draft plan. They addressed sections of the Natural Resources and Environment Element. Changes were applied to sections pertaining to fencing, timber management and air quality. After consideration of submitted comments, some of Missoula attorney Colleen Dowdall’s edits were used as well as SVRPC member Dave Johnson’s additions and rewording. The SVRPC agreed to take out the word stock to describe fencing. According to SVRPC member Dwayne Forder, the...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Fire Board discussed the possibility of an Assistant Fire Chief and providing a stipend for officers at their June 21 meeting. Seeley Lake Fire Chief Bob Vanden Heuvel told the board he needs more time to determine what duties and responsibilities he would ask of an assistant chief and of his officers and what it is worth to the department and the individuals. Vanden Heuvel said that the most important thing now is for those in charge to be able to cover the chief’s duties and assist with some of the projects. H...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer District (SLSD) board passed a resolution clarifying the responsibilities of the district and landowners if the proposed system is built. The board also discussed the funding package and next fiscal year’s budget at its June 16 meeting. The resolution states that the district will continue to include the cost of hooking up customers who connect as the collection system is initially constructed. However, restoration of improvements will be the responsibility of the landowner. The sewer district will bear t...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Community Council (SLCC) hosted discussion on U.S. Forest Service (USFS) trails maintenance and provided an update on its traffic study at its June 13 meeting. The council also endorsed the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project (BCSP). Seeley Lake District Ranger Rachel Feigley gave an overview of the trails on the district. There are 126 miles of trail in the Scapegoat Wilderness, 263 miles of hiking and horse trails outside the wilderness and 312 miles of snowmobile trails. Feigley explained that there are a...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Elementary (SLE) school board accepted the resignation of Brenda Ashmore and Angela Good from their current positions for the 2016-2017 school year. They also approved all the teachers and staff contracts with the exception of the physical education teacher. Ashmore will be retiring at the end of the year after 10 years at SLE. Good submitted her resignation from the preschool. The board voted unanimously to hire all the teachers and specialists with the exception of physical education teacher Andy Sieges. Board m...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Community Council (SLCC) was informed at its May 9 meeting that a new study would be done on crosswalks across Highway 83 in Seeley Lake. The council's budget and appointed position was also discussed. The new study is a step toward implementing some of the council's recommendations for pedestrian safety created during its traffic project last summer. Councilman Duane Schlabach reported that he met with Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and Missoula County...
SWAN VALLEY - The Swan Valley Regional Planning Committee (SVRPC) met to address and edit more of the Swan Valley Regional Draft Plan (SVRP) May 11. Edits and comments from Swan Valley Elementary District No. 33 School Board and residents were utilized. The committee voted to table Section 1.2 Habitat Types of the SVRP until the next meeting. It was agreed the comments needed further study. SVRPC member Dave Johnson said that since none on the committee were well versed in habitat types, the committee should come back to it. He said the...
SWAN VALLEY - The Swan Valley Regional Planning Committee (SVRPC) met May 4 to continue edits to the Swan Valley Regional Plan (SVRP). They considered comments from residents and Missoula lawyer Colleen Dowdall. Comments from Swan Valley residents about the definition of the word goal on page 61 of the draft were discussed. SVRPC member Dwayne Forder said that the definition as written was hard to interpret and gave too much leeway for interpretation when the county considers the plan. “We need to make it [the definition] more clear,” For...
SEELEY LAKE - The addition of the Seeley-Swan High School (SSHS) stage and other improvements was discussed at the Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS) board meeting, April 26 in Seeley Lake. The construction is being put out to bid this week (see page 14 for the Bid Notice). It is scheduled to begin June 11, the day after the last day of school, and be completed in August before school resumes. The improvements to SSHS are funded by the MCPS bond that was passed last November. Jake Zander, with CTA Architects Engineers, presented the plans...
SWAN VALLEY - Three candidates running for two vacant Swan Valley Community Council (SVCC) seats spoke and responded to a question during the SVCC regular meeting Tuesday, April 19. The Swan River’s eligibility to become a Wild and Scenic River under the Wild and Scenic Act of 1968 was also discussed. Candidates Elda (Ellie) Greenough, Lacey McNutt and Henry S. Westra spoke about why they were qualified to win a seat on the SVCC. Greenough moved to the Swan Valley in 1978 from the Midwest where she was raised on a farm. She has held many j... Full story
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Elementary board adopted the 2016-2017 calendar at its April 19 meeting. Students will attend school five days a week starting Sept. 6. Summer break begins June 2. Christmas break will only be one week this year. A four-day week was not discussed. In other business, Superintendent Chris Stout said that he would have recommendations for a new second grade teacher at the board’s May meeting. The current second grade teacher Julie Little is out on maternity leave and will not return next year. All other teachers a...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer District (SLSD) board had a special meeting April 15 to discuss details of a funding offer they received in March. The board is currently negotiating some aspects of the offer in attempt to lower the projected monthly rates. Representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development (RD) were on hand to further explain the offer. The funding package consists of $5.7 million in grants and $4.4 million in loans for the construction of the proposed wastewater treatment plant and Phase I...
