Fire Board candidates have their say at Seeley Lake Community Council meeting

Seeley Lake Rural Fire District Board candidates sparred in a short open forum discussion at the Seeley Lake Community Council meeting on Monday, April 10.

Each candidate was given a short time to introduce themself and explain why they are running for the fire board seat as well as explain a little bit of their platform and proposed changes.

"This has been a long-term life commitment to fire and medical because it's one of the ways I give back to the community," said Scott Kennedy, the incumbent candidate who is running for his seventh term.

"I desire to continue helping to lead the district and providing fire and EMS services at advanced levels while providing the best equipment available," Kennedy said. "Tons of substantial effort has been expended bringing operations administration and staffing together in unison."

Kennedy is being opposed in the election by Susan Monahan, a first-time contender for the board seat who wants to increase transparency between the voters and fire board which she feels has been a major shortcoming under Kennedy's tenure.

"One question will be asked about an item on the budget and [the chief] doesn't know the answer," Monahan said. "And when does that get answered? I haven't seen it answered and followed up at a board meeting."

"Every board is different and it's hard, - I will say this from being elected to other boards, - and when you get on the board, you learn a lot about why things were done the way they are and so you have to go into it with a curiosity," Monahan said.

"I know Scott and Rita [Rossi] have both been on the board, Scott said seven terms and I believe Anita has three terms," Monahan said. "Sometimes that's where we all fall down in life is when we've been doing something for a really long time. We forget to be curious."

Rita Rossi who has been serving on the board alongside Kennedy for years spoke about her time on the fire board and having the experience to help the department grow and succeed.

"I just want to say that our board has grown in a positive way, and that we've met many challenges along the way," Rossi said. "We want to continue in this direction."

"I think that's what's going to help me as a board member," Rossi said. "I believe it's helped me because you can sit there and over finances but you don't know what the needs of the department are. That's through the volunteers because I know when things are needed. I know when things have to be fixed."

A question submitted via the zoom chat regarding the morale of the fire department, Kennedy and Rossi both stated that while morale had been low in the past the issues had been addressed and now everyone involved in the fire department is happy to be there.

When the question was passed to Monahan she mostly abstained from answering, saying that she wasn't privy to enough of the inner workings to answer the question with any certitude.

"I'm not really going to speak to that because I would need to be on the board to have a better idea of what the reality is," Monahan said. 

They opened the forum for public questions, and Kennedy addressed some of Monahan's accusations regarding the budget and transparency, but the forum was only meant for short introductions, and had to be ended before becoming a debate.

Also at the meeting:

- Concerned residents of the Elbow Lake area near Clearwater Junction came to discuss the impending application by the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) and LHC Inc. to open a gravel pit and asphalt processing plant near Highway 83.

Residents are pleased with how transparent the DNRC has been, but still feel that they aren't being given enough consideration and feel cheated, residents shared.

"All I know is we were sold a piece of recreational property seven years ago, and we can't do anything commercial in our area as it was mandated," said Cheryl Schwenck, a resident of the Elbow Lake area. "Now within a half mile radius of our property they want to put a commercial operation on the ground and put an asphalt plant along with it."

According to the residents who spoke with the DNRC, they need to submit substantial claims about how the environment would be harmed by the project, or find suitable alternative locations to suggest.

John Richards, who owns other gravel pits in the area voiced his dislike of the project's close proximity to the Seeley Lake Cemetery.

"People go to the cemetery to pay respects and be respected," Richards said. "Having an asphalt plant right across the highway from it is pretty disrespectful on the part of the state and the county commissioners."

The project has not progressed to the second level of permit applications yet but the DNRC will no longer be accepting public comment after April 16.

The Board made a motion to formally request that the DNRC extend their public comment period in light of the potential impact to the area and what they feel was a lack of proper notice.

The motion was passed by all board members other than Richards who abstained because of a possible conflict of interest.

- Adriane Beck of the Missoula Office of Emergency Management addressed the council to explain the importance of the citizen survey which has been sent to the residents of Seeley Lake. The survey seeks to gauge where county funding should go for emergency preventative measures. 

Every five years the office conducts surveys in their jurisdiction to figure out what problems are affecting the area and where they should be looking for recurring issues with infrastructure.

"Every five years, we have to go through a process of re -analyzing and re-profiling, the natural hazards that we are most susceptible to in our particular region," Beck said. "We need to go through this process of updating our plan. And so the community survey is one of the best ways for us to validate what those hazards are."

The survey will be shared by to the Seeley Lake Community Council Facebook page and can be found on missoulacountyvoice.com

- Kristin Mason spoke about changes for the Missoula Aging Services (MAS) in Seeley Lake.

The biggest of which being that MAS is able to increase their hours in the Seeley Foundation Building and will now be open Monday-Friday from 8 a. m. to 5 p. m. 

They are currently accepting donations for their annual jewelry sale and donations can be brought to the Foundation Building. All proceeds from the sale will go toward the local Meals on Wheels program which is also seeking volunteers for consistent or inconsistent delivery schedules.

"Even if you just want to do it on an occasional basis, please come to the Senior Center and let them know you're interested to drive for Meals on Wheels," Mason said.

- A representative from New Fields property development came to inform the board and Seeley residence that they offer services in appraising property for pre-construction cleanup and grants to fund the subsequent work.

New Fields will inspect a property for new buyers or for owners who wish to sell or redevelop land. They do inspections of industrial pollution or even just demolition and removal of old structures.

They also advise and assist in the application to Brownfield Project Grants, a federal system to offer assistance to landowners or prospective buyers who want to clean up a property for redevelopment.

- A presentation was given about the rise in death by suicide in the state of Montana.

A focus was given to the local schools and Josh Gibbs, principal and superintendent of Seeley Lake Elementary talked about ways in which the school staff tries to make sure their students feel heard and supported.