Public Facilities and Services Addressed – Implementation Element Tabled

SWAN VALLEY - The Swan Valley Regional Planning Committee edited the Public Facilities and Services, the sixth element, and reviewed the final Implementation element of the draft growth plan at their Oct. 18 and Oct. 25 meetings.

At the Oct. 25 meeting, the committee accepted edits to the remaining sections of the sixth elements except for the section entitled Parks and Recreation, pending edits from appropriate sources in Missoula County. They also addressed the goals, policies and actions of the sixth element.

The Public Facilities and Services Element states, “Some facilities and services are needed by ALL communities, and this element will focus primarily on those.”

The edits which updated the numbers of volunteers, firefighter and emergency medical technicians to the fire services and law enforcement sections were accepted.

The edits to the law enforcement section were accepted that eliminated excess verbiage.

The committee accepted the edits made to the Schools Section which updated the numbers of students and staff in the Swan Valley Elementary School.

In the Swan Valley Connections section, the committee voted to accept the edits which condensed the original wording into list form. It now reads: Swan Valley Connections is an education and conservation nonprofit that serves landowners in the Swan watershed. Swan Valley Connections offers technical and funding assistance including:

• Swan Valley Bear Resources

• Forest Stewardship (Beetle Pheromones, Fuel Reduction)

• Noxious Weed Control and Eradication

• Wetland Restoration

• Visitor Services (on behalf of the US Forest Service)

• Natural Resource Education for all ages

The committee accepted the edits to the Aging Services section. Excess verbiage was removed and information about the Missoula Aging Services Resource Specialist was added. The specialist is based in Seeley Lake for Seeley-Swan residents. She provides assistance for transportation, Medicare, Medicaid, nutrition programs, in home services, caregiver support, volunteer opportunities and more than 600 resources for Missoula County seniors.

The SVRPC accepted the edits to the Refuse Disposal section that removed excess wording and condensed it into a single paragraph that now reads, “Household and commercial refuse disposal in the planning area is provided on a monthly fee basis by Republic Services. Collection is once per week and Republic sends collection packers down most county roads. For a fee, some Swan residents opt to haul trash to Seeley Lake or to the Lake County Transfer site.”

Minor edits and updates to the Swan Valley Library and Museum sections of the draft plan were accepted by the SVRPC.

The committee retained the wording of the Goals and Policies except for the second policy which after reducing the verbiage now reads that developers mitigate impacts of development on public services. The committee voted to combine Action one and four together which now reads that the community can explore the feasibility of a trash transfer station along with a community recycling program. The remaining Actions were retained as originally worded.

After reviewing the seventh and final element, the committee tabled the edits. They agreed to contact Missoula County Community and Planning Services (CAPS) to get a clearer idea of the direction the element should take stating the community’s vision for the Swan Valley and how to implement those visions while working with Missoula County.

SVRPC member Pat Sinz said, “We want to do this right so we should wait until we get more information [from the county].”

Member Sara Halm agreed that this planning document is an important communication tool from the community to the county.

The next meeting will be Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Swan Valley Community Hall.