By Anthony Varriano
Ranger-Review Staff Writer
The Glendive City Council approved seven resolutions that set taxes for citizens in the upcoming year, among a laundry list of other new business items at City Hall, Tuesday night.
While nearly 20 votes and two public hearings took place — one on the preliminary budget for the next fiscal year and another on setting mills for city employees’ premium contributions for group health benefits — no one from the public spoke for or against either of the proposals, speeding things along.
The City Council adopted the final budget for 2016-17, approved tax levies of 197.06 mills ($1,386,951) for the next fiscal year, and approved tax levies for citizens relying on city streetlights, street cleaning and repairs to sidewalks, curbs and gutters.
Of the 197.06 mills, 183 mills cover general purposes, liability insurance, Montana Public Employee Retirement, hospitalization, police pension and firemen’s relief. The remaining 14.06 mills were approved to cover a part of city employees’ medical benefits and was required due to an increase in employees, said the city’s Director of Operations Kevin Dorwart.
In all, mills increased by 1.64 ($12,426.28), which Dorwart called “a rather small amount.”
The City Council also accepted multiple resignations and approved requests to advertise for open positions. Dan Roznowski, who has been with Glendive Public Works for two years, reportedly took a job in Sidney and is moving to Savage, Public Works Director Jack Rice informed. The council approved a request to advertise for the public works utility worker position.
The Glendive Police Department also lost Josh Krielus and KariLyn Gifford. Chief Brad Mitchell was given word to advertise for the patrolman and lieutenant positions.
“It’s really tough for us to wait, because there are a lot of agencies around the area that will want to hire at the same time,” he explained. “I’ve got a good crew, but I’ve got a very young crew … I think we need to fill the upper management positions to help further the young officers and take some of the work off the administration.”
The Glendive Fire Department might be getting two new, part-time, part-paid firefighters, as the council approved the hiring of Shane Macioroski and Ian Francis, pending the passing of their background checks and fire department testing. Both work full time for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, and Fire Chief George Lane said the department isn’t even close to filling all of its available positions.
“We have room for 30, and the highest I’ve seen is 24,” he said. “We have 10 right now … so anyone looking to help their community should apply.”
The council also revised and approved its revisions of ordinance 02-2016 governing parking in certain privately owned lots in Glendive for a first reading that’s open to the public on Sept. 20. Those lots include the Casitas Del Rio mobile home park, the Glendive Plaza (Albertson’s), West Plaza Shopping Center and the city-leased parking lot on the 100 block of North Merrill Avenue.
The parking ordinance limits the lots to cars and trucks less than one ton, unless you are unloading, in which case you have 30 minutes to park. It sets the absolute limit for parking in the lots at five days and disallows trailers of any type.
The council also approved a pair of two-year, tentative agreements with the police and dispatchers union, AFSCME 853, and the firefighters union, IAFF 2242.
The department heads also gave their reports, with Rice saying the city went through its “500 tons of cold mix quite rapidly doing alley and street repairs,” and that Glendive’s water samples came in well under the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations for lead and copper. Also, painting of curbs has been completed just before much of the temporary, summer help takes off this month.
Recreation department head Dean Svenvold said the pool is closed and the splash park could remain that way unless temperatures increase.
He reported that 262 children will be participating the city’s soccer program, and that they’re working on preparing the fields for play.
The Boys and Girls Club will hold a Block Party on Bell Street on Saturday, and Bell Street Bridge Day follows on Sunday at Eyer Park, Mayor Jerry Jimison informed. The event will honor first responders on the 15th anniversary of 9/11.
Reach Anthony Varriano at rrsports@rangerreview.com.