October 26, 2005 | April 19, 2006 | January 17, 2007 | February 15, 2007 | May 29, 2007 | October 30, 2007 | March 19, 2008
Delegates and voting members of the Council of Councils present were: Ron Mathsen, Neighborhood Council #1; Phyllis Hemstad, Neighborhood Council #2; Tim Austin, Neighborhood Council #3; Sandra Guynn, Neighborhood Council #4; Nancy Anderson, Neighborhood Council #5; Carl Donovan, Neighborhood Council #6; Aaron Weissman, Neighborhood Council #7; Karen Grove, Neighborhood Council #8; Gary Schoenthal, Neighborhood Council #9; Mayor Dona Stebbins; and City Commissioner Mary Jolley. Others present: Patty Cadwell, Kerry Pribnow, Dawn Handa, Paul Cory, et al. Complete attendance listed at the end of this document.
The meeting was called to order by Neighborhood Council #1 representative Ron Mathsen. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Approval of minutes from the last meeting: The minutes of the October 30, 2007 Council of Councils meeting were approved as presented.
Park letter to Commissioners: Tim Austin of Neighborhood Council #3 read the new letter to the Commissioners addressing the Council of Council’s request for funding for neighborhood parks (letter attached 40k PDF). After a brief comment period, Tim made a motion to send the letter to the City Commission, asking them to address the concerns stated in the letter. The motion passed.
Sexual offenders at the Great Falls Prerelease: Kerry Pribnow of the Montana Department of Corrections (DOC) made a presentation to the Council of Councils regarding a request by the DOC to the Great Falls Prerelease (GFPR) that it begin a pilot program of accepting Tier 1 and 2 sexual offenders into its prerelease programming. He said the function of the GFPR would be to assist the inmates back into the community. A sexual offender program would treat the addictions, offer counseling, job assistance, resume training, and secondary education. The purpose of such a program would be to lower recidivism. Mr. Pribnow said that 97% of all inmates in the Montana corrections system would eventually be released. In addition, the State wishes to lower the prison population drastically this year. He said the sexual offenders will be released back into society whether there is a program or not. Many of the sexual offenders being released from prison have not had treatment in prison due to long waiting lists. With a program, their chances for reoffending would drop. The proposal is for the GFPR to accept 10 sexual offenders each year for two years. The DOC promises to fund monitoring devices for each of the offenders. The only offenders the GFPR would accept would be people who committed their crimes in our community—they would not come from other cities or areas. GFPR Director Paul Cory said the GFPR’s Board would make the final decision on DOC’s proposal. Members of the Board wanted to hear what the Councils thought of this proposal.
Comments and concerns: Representatives of Councils 2 and 7 were very concerned that many of the sexual offenders released from prison would return to their neighborhoods due to the many low income rentals available in their areas. Carl Donovan wanted to know how sexual offenders were rated—Pribnow said they were rated by the judge by factors such as severity of the offense, violence to the victim, and likelihood to re-offend. Nancy Anderson asked why the prisoners had not already had treatment and Pribnow replied that because of the long waiting lines for the treatment, many offenders are released before they can receive the treatment, and the treatment that would be offered by the GFPR would be more effective. Aaron was concerned about the number of walk-away offenders from the GFPR. Paul Cory said the GFPR has had a total of 1600 offenders in its programs; of that, 45 have walked away. Aaron also wanted to know what the DOC is going to do to train the GFPR to take sexual offenders. Pribnow said the GFPR will hire sex offender therapists to oversee the offenders’ treatment plans. Sheriff Dave Castle said investing in sex offenders has a very poor return and conveyed his strong feeling against DOC’s proposal to the GFPR. Chief Grove commented that the sexual offenders will be released into our community whether there is a program or not. If the GFPR accepts them into its programming, it will add help with monitoring. GFPD monitors all sexual offenders in the City. As sexual offenses are on the increase, GFPD will probably have to hire an additional officer to help with the monitoring. Bob Mehlhoff from Neighborhood Council#2 read a letter from his Council stating the members were firmly against GFPR accepting sexual offenders.
Vehicle/RV/Trailer parking on City Streets: Representatives from Neighborhood Councils 2, 5, 6, and 7 agreed that vehicles parked along city streets are becoming a real problem. Residents backing out their driveways cannot see around all the vehicles and RVs parked along the streets. In addition, some vehicles are parked too close to the corners, also causing visibility problems. Mayor Dona Stebbins and Commissioner Mary Jolley agreed on the severity of the problem. Mayor Stebbins said she will take this issue to the other Commissioners and to the City’s legal department to see what can be done and she will report back to the Council of Councils.
Sandwich board advertising for Neighborhood Council meetings: Patty Cadwell will look into the legality of sandwich board advertising for Neighborhood Council meeting and will report back to the Councils.
Downtown Albertsons store closing: Aaron Weissman reported that the Albertson’s store on 7th Street and 1st Avenue North would close on April 17. He and his fellow Council members are circulating a petition asking Albertsons to keep the store open as the closing would create a major crisis for residents whose only way to shop was to walk to that store. He asked for volunteers to garner signatures at the store between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. from now until April 17. He hoped that the amount of signatures gained would convince Albertsons to keep the store open, or would be a strong incentive to another grocer to open in the downtown area.
Gary Schoenthal, Neighborhood Council #9—looking for new member.
Sandra Guynn, Neighborhood Council #4—working on two problem properties in the County and looking for a new member.
Carl Donovan, Neighborhood Council #6—going through problems with increased water pressure and main breaks.
Phyllis Hemstad, Neighborhood Council #2—each member of our Council has a job.
Tim Austin, Neighborhood Council #3—looking forward to improvements at Jaycee Park.
Karen Grove, Neighborhood Council #8—sexual offenders at the GF Prerelease (our area).
Ron Mathsen, Neighborhood Council #1—recently had School Board members present talking about the upcoming mill levy request.
Ron adjourned the meeting at 9:05 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Patty Cadwell
Neighborhood Council Coordinator
Dan Donovan | Blue Cornelinson |
Delegates and voting members of the Council of Councils present were: Phyllis Hemstad, Neighborhood Council #2; Tim Austin, Neighborhood Council #3; Bob Stubbs, Neighborhood Council #4; Matt Ott, Neighborhood Council #6; and Aaron Weissman, Neighborhood Council #7. Members not present were: Ron Mathsen, Neighborhood Council #1; Tawny Newth, Neighborhood Council #5; Karen Grove, Neighborhood Council #8; and Gary Schoenthal, Neighborhood Council #9.
Others present: Patty Cadwell, Andrew Finch, Steve Hester, Sarah McCafferty and others not accounted for.
Bob Stubbs made a motion there be a flag present at Council of Councils meeting for the Pledge of Allegiance. Aaron seconded the motion. The motion was voted on and passed.
Aaron brought up the letter regarding park funding that was delivered to the City Commissioners. Tim said the response letter from the Commissioners made reference only to development but did not address direct funding for capital improvement. Money from developers still is not going to parks in the area of the development. Tim stressed the Council of Councils’ objective is to see that at least a portion of developer funds paid in lieu of donated land go to fund development and/or equipment in parks in the area. Aaron reminded fellow delegates that money from the Park Trust fund had, in the past, gone to pave the golf course parking lot, not to neighborhood parks that needed equipment. Phyllis made reference to a grant that provided equipment for Bloomingdale Park. Tim read the Council of Councils’ past letter to the Commissioners and said he would be willing to draft a new letter. He will prepare it for the next meeting.
Disaster Preparedness: Assistant Fire Chief Steve Hester defined “disaster” as it relates to the City. He said disasters include events like Katrina and the fires in California, and excessive snowfall in Montana. He then asked the Council for questions. Bob Stubbs asked about a traffic problem at the recent Prospector fire. Steve agreed the closing of both 9th Street and Smelter Avenue was definitely an “inconvenience,” but explained why that happened. GFPD called MDOT and the Highway Patrol to block the roads for safety reasons (the building was expected to collapse). In future situations like the Prospector Casino fire, Steve promised to notify radio stations about the road closures. Rick Kavulla stated that radio notifications might attract unwanted lookers to the fire. Steve introduced Sarah McCafferty who let the Council know she’s just beginning planning efforts on possible disasters in our area. She says she has a long way to go. She will devise a City disaster plan that will dovetail with County and State plans. She stressed that the city and its citizens need to develop ways to take care of themselves, such as planning for a pandemic, continuity of operations, etc. She also said individual and family planning is important, as well as neighbors helping neighbors. Phyllis asked if Great Falls had a reverse 911 system. Sarah said we do not. Rick asked if Great Falls has emergency evacuation routes. Sarah said we do not. Andrew Finch said the problem with developing emergency routes is the type of disaster—routes could be different depending on the disaster. Other discussion took place around disaster warnings such as sirens, the emergency broadcast system, and church bells. Aaron asked if the B&B Pawn building was a safety issue; Steve responded “only if people are trying to gain access.”
One Way Conversion: Andrew Finch gave a PowerPoint presentation that highlighted the pros and cons of one-way streets, the benefits and losses encountered by other cities’ changes, information pertinent to the conversion proposal, etc. He said the presentation is available on the City’s website and stressed that the City does not take a position on the proposal; it is only providing information. Phyllis asked what the cost of the conversion would be. Andrew responded that the original $500,000 amount could be doubled or tripled. The conclusion presented in Andrew’s PowerPoint suggested the one-ways were not necessary, as anticipated growth did not take place. The one-way conversion proposal is still in the discussion phase. There will be a study to see how the conversion would impact traffic on 9th Street. Andrew said the Transit District’s object to the conversion would have an effect on a decision. The Council delegates were unanimous in their objection to the conversion on the basis of cost and felt the conversion was unnecessary.
Bob Stubbs--Neighborhood Council #4 is still attempting to get the City to annex the Home Place and enforce code violations. The County will not do anything further to enforce clean-up. The Council is also working on clean-up enforcement at two additional County properties that border the Council #4 area where contaminants could be present. Bob said he believes the Council of Councils meetings are “a good deal,” and he has enjoyed serving.
Aaron Weissman—Neighborhood Council #7 has three priorities: 9th Street and its increased, fast traffic, especially where school children must cross; problem properties with absentee owners that are creating major problems in the neighborhoods; and downtown crime in the skate park, bicycle thefts, hate crimes, and car vandalisms.
Phyllis Hemstad—Neighborhood Council #2 is working on West Bank Park, making sure it is developed in a way that’s beneficial to Westside residents. She said she was sorry to see the Park and Rec Director, Jim Sullivan, go and hopes that a new Director will be hired soon.
Tim Austin—Neighborhood Council #3 has lots of residential development going on. He wants to express his thanks to Matt Rosendale for funding and developing a park in the Eagle’s Crossing Addition. He said there’s lots of commercial development in his area, also. Tim expressed gratitude to Giles Salyer of the Park and Rec Department for writing the grant for the new equipment in Noah’s Ark Park. He let everyone know that the cutoff for the matching grant program for parks is December.
Phyllis adjourned the meeting at 8:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Patty Cadwell
Neighborhood Council Coordinator
Delegates and voting members of the Council of Councils present were: Ron Mathsen, Neighborhood Council #1; Phyllis Hemstad, Neighborhood Council #2; Tim Austin, Neighborhood Council #3; Tawny Newth, Neighborhood Council #5; Matt Ott, Neighborhood Council #6; Aaron Weissman, Neighborhood Council #7; and Gary Schoenthal, Neighborhood Council #9.
Others present were Brandyce Berg, Emily Costea, Shelby Lilley, Ashley Lilley, Shannon Newth, Betty Stimac, Larry Stimac, and Patty Cadwell.
The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. by acting Chairperson Gary Schoenthal, Delegate for Neighborhood Council #9.
The one order of Old Business was a discussion, and subsequent consensus of opinion, on the proposed Neighborhood Council boundary changes. All delegates present agreed that leaving the boundaries as they are would be best and several commented that “if it’s not broken, let’s not try to fix it.” All agreed, also, that a goal of trying to match Council boundaries to voter precincts would be unattainable, now and in the future. Matt Ott, NC #6, and Phyllis Hemstad, NC#2 both expressed their concern about the already small size of their Councils. Gary also reminded everyone that the County has decided to have the single voting location at the Montana Expo Park, but for those who can’t or don’t care to vote there, absentee ballots are available for any reason. Aaron commented that he believes the single voting location will present a hardship for many of the citizens in his Neighborhood Council area.
The only item of New Business was a presentation by General Deltoro, Commander of the Montana Air National Guard (MANG). He was accompanied by and introduced Colonel Mike McDonald who will soon become the new Commander of the 120th Fighter Wing of the Guard. He stated that MANG also oversees the 219th Red Horse Squadron. He explained that MANG’s responsibilities are to uphold the Constitution of the United States and to uphold the Constitution of the State of Montana. The members of the Guard are local people who stay here to protect the citizens of Montana. They all have been or will be deployed to Iraq, acting to protect the Constitution of the US, but they work for the Governor of the State of Montana all the time. He pointed out that concern for new missions at Malmstrom may not be GF citizens’ highest priority—that building on the capacity of both MANG and Malmstrom would be the best benefit locally. Currently, MANG is working to implement a program where experienced MANG pilots will work with inexperienced Air Force pilots for the benefit of both. Other things MANG has done recently include development of a wireless system that enables MANG, GFPD, and Great Falls Fire Rescue to communicate, and chemical and biological detection and containment systems for disaster response. Future training for the Guard includes a train derailment exercise in August and a FEMA level exercise next year. General Deltoro also made a recruitment call to anyone in the audience who might be interested. Ron Mathsen and Phyllis Hemstad addressed the General on their concerns around the airplane noise containment issue which affects both of their areas.
In Other Business, the Council Delegates commented on their thoughts concerning the upcoming Animal Appeal process and their involvement in same. Aaron Weissman offered his displeasure with the City Commission for “dropping this in our laps,” referring to each Neighborhood Council’s option to hear the appeals of Neighborhood Council area citizens denied or revoked the permit to own multiple animals. Gary Schoenthal saw no problem with the appeal process but did have concerns about the fee schedule that goes with the new Animal Ordinance. Ron Mathsen pointed out that each Council has the privilege of opting out of hearing appeals. Tawny Newth was concerned that the Council members would not have clear instructions on how to hear the appeals and Tim Austin also wants training. Patty Cadwell mentioned that Kory Larsen did indicate that he would do a training prior to the Animal Ordinance’s effective date. Aaron Weissman anticipates problems with hearing some appeals and not hearing others. Ron Mathsen thought that hearings at neighborhood levels would be positive measures.
Also in Other Business, the Council Delegates expressed concern over the City Commission’s lack of response to their February letter requesting that the Commission put in place funding for capital improvements to the City parks. Patty said she would follow up on that. Tawny talked about the New Neighbor Packets that were being developed by the members of the ACTION Team. Also mentioned was an upcoming Leadership training opportunity and the Councils’ involvement in Riverfest.
Gary adjourned the meeting at 8:35 p.m.
Neighborhood Council #7 Delegate Aaron Weissman called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Other Neighborhood Council Delegates in attendance were: Tim Austin, NC3; Diane Gelernter, NC5; Karen Grove, NC8; Gary Schoenthal, NC9; Bob Stubbs, NC4; and Steve White, NC2.
Attending guests were: Assistant City Manager Cheryl Patton; Park and Recreation Department Director Jim Sullivan; Assistant Park and Rec Director Patty Rearden; Park Supervisor Giles Salyer; City Clerk Peggy Bourne; George Littlefield, Audrey Finlayson; Rick Kavulla; Lori Purpura; David Todd; and Patty Cadwell.
The minutes from the January 17, 2007 Council of Councils meeting were approved as presented.
Tim Austin posed the question, “Where do the funds paid by developers in lieu of land go?
Cheryl Patton, Patty Rearden, Giles Salyer, and Jim Sullivan each responded about how park funds are received and allocated:
The Council of Council members made several comments and voiced their concerns:
Cheryl suggested that if the Council of Councils wished to suggest alternatives to the current policy that they come up with a recommendation to present to the City Commission. Patty Cadwell will draft a letter asking the City Commission to re-visit the Park Master Plan and to target some funds from the Park Trust that were raised by Cash–in-lieu-of-Land be earmarked for park capital improvements, especially in areas where residential developments have expanded the population of those areas.
Patty will draft a letter and email it to the Councils for approval. The Councils will bring this matter up at their meetings over the next month.
City Clerk Peggy Bourne addressed the Council of Council members about a request from the election office to redefine their boundaries to coincide with current voting districts. Patty displayed a map that showed Council boundaries, voting districts, and the city limits.
The Council members asked Peggy to suggest some changes. Peggy agreed and said she would make 3 possible boundary change suggestions. She will bring those suggestions to the next Council of Councils meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
The next Council of Councils meeting will be March 15, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. in the Gibson Room.
Respectfully submitted,
Patty Cadwell
Neighborhood Council Coordinator
* Not available online.
Neighborhood Council #6 Delegate Matt Ott called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Other Neighborhood Council Delegates in attendance were: Tim Austin, NC3; Tawny Newth, NC5; Ron Mathsen, NC1; Karen Grove, NC8; Art Vendor, NC9; Aaron Weissman, NC7; Bob Stubbs, NC9; and Steve White, NC2.
Attending guests were: Mayor Dona Stebbins, City Commissioner Bill Beecher, George Littlefield, Zack Semanza, Ryan Beecroft, Garrett Burton, Don Calkins, Mary Jolley, Chris Rock, Rick Kavulla, Gadram Linden, Susan Hillstrom, David Todd, and Patty Cadwell.
The minutes from the August 29, 2006 Council of Councils meeting were approved.
Tim Austin questioned why the park funds charged to developers of new additions did not go to park improvements in the development area? He also wondered how Neighborhood Councils could solicit private donations and how those funds would be deposited. Patty Cadwell stated she believed the monies collected from developers in lieu of park land went into the general budget for park maintenance. She also said that any donations collected for park projects would be deposited to the specific Council’s trust account, which she administers, and donation checks could be made out to the City of Great Falls. There was lengthy discussion amongst the Council Delegates about past park projects—how they were handled, where the monies originated and how they were accounted for. Several motions were made and later withdrawn concerning a change in how the developer park funds are handled. The Council delegates decided they did not know enough about how the funds are currently handled. They agreed they needed more information from the Park and Rec Department and possibly the Fiscal Department before they could make a motion on future changes. They decided to have another meeting on February 15 at 7:00 p.m. in the Gibson Room for gaining more information before making a request for change.
Tawny Newth and Tim Austin presented information on a New Neighbor Welcome Packet they were developing. Tawny said the packet would include information on Neighborhood Councils, the City, public attractions, and possibly on local business, with promotional items such as coupons. The plan is to have Neighborhood Council members personally deliver the packets to new neighbors, so they can introduce themselves and information on their Council. Tim said any Council could participate or not, as they wished. He said this project was developed in conjunction with the ACTION Team, which is a collaboration of Neighborhood Housing Services, Neighborhood Watch, and the Neighborhood Councils. Tim said the packets and the personal visits serve the purpose of letting newcomers know how much Great Falls has to offer. Ron Mathsen agreed and said welcoming people would give a positive image to Great Falls. Rick Kavulla mentioned several places where the packets could be given out such as Job Service, museums, the Chamber, MAFB, etc. The idea received a positive response from all Council members present and they agreed to participate.
George Littlefield presented information on his and Council 4’s recent involvement in school safety which included participation in the bill passed by the last legislature that doubled fines for speeding in school zones, an effort to legally determine school zone boundaries, an effort to revise the Montana Drivers Manual to include specific information on school zone safety, and involvement in the repositioning of Great Falls school zone signs. George also distributed packets with information on a national program, backed by Oprah Winfrey, called “KeepKids Alive, Drive 25.” George mentioned that this program is being used in 47 states and over 800 communities and involves safety measures such as yard signs, traffic watches, handouts, and collaboration with city officials. He invited all Councils to participate. Aaron invited George to attend the next Council #7 meeting and explain the program.
Each delegate gave a brief report of goings-on in their councils:
NC1—Ron Mathsen reported on the recent formation of the Belview Palisades Park committee and on Council 1’s work in the prevention of another casino in their area. Ron thanked Mayor Stebbins and Commissioner Beecher for their part in denying the zone change that would have allowed the casino.
NC2—Steve White spoke on the newly formed West Bank Urban Renewal District which he hopes will bring monies to improve the West Bank Park. He said that Council 2 is keeping an eye on the project and looks forward to the park being a continuation of the trail system. He said it will be an excellent park for “westsiders” and all Great Falls citizens.
NC3—Tim Austin mentioned his Council’s concerns over park development. He reported that there will be a new play structure in Noah’s Ark Park from CDBG funding. He also mentioned how nice the 6th Street NW road project turned out. Council #3 is working on forming development committees for Skyline Park and Valleyview Park. He also reported that Westgate Shopping Mall now houses several businesses that offer children’s activities.
NC4—Bob Stubbs reported that Neighborhood Council #4 continues to present Good Neighbor Awards to any citizen of Great Falls and reminded council members to send their nominations to Patty. He also mentioned the recent resignation of one of the Council 4 members who failed to formally notify the council. He said Council #4 is going to amend its bylaws to require a letter of resignation directed to the Council chair.
NC5—Tawny Newth reported that Council #5 had no projects they were working on at this time, though there is an abundance of activity in their area: the med-tech park, the controversial east end development, and new residential developments. She said there have been a multitude of complaints in her area concerning on-street parking causing safety problems. She also mentioned Council 5’s new location in the Great Falls Clinic Specialty Center.
NC6—Matt Ott mentioned the new improvements to the Holiday Village Mall and said he would suggest to his council that they send a thank you letter to the Mall.
NC7—Aaron Weissman mentioned that his council meets in alternating locations: in the Gibson Room and, the following month, in the Heisey with the Northside Neighborhood Watch. He reported that his council members got together on National Good Neighbor Day and worked on Sue Buck’s property, scraping, painting and removing bushes. He said his council is currently very concerned about people attempting to cross 9th Street North, and South, due to traffic speeds. He also questioned the City not removing the graffiti at the skate park when city ordinance required citizens to remove graffiti within 72 hours. He was happy that the new Animal Ordinance could involve Neighborhood Council involvement.
NC8—Karen Grove had to leave before this part of the meeting.
NC9—Art Vendor mentioned that the widening of 10th Avenue South has kept his council busy with requests for left turn lights at 20th and 23rd Streets.
Art’s remarks evoked other comments about traffic problems and Aaron suggested there should be a formal process for addressing traffic concerns.
All Council members in attendance remarked on how much they liked the meeting format, as opposed to past Council of Council meetings that were devoted to outside presentations.
Matt adjourned the meeting at 8:55 p.m.
The next Council of Councils meeting will be February 15, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. in the Gibson Room.
Respectfully submitted,
Patty Cadwell
Neighborhood Council Coordinator
Great Falls Citizen’s Council
Council of Councils Meeting Minutes
April 19, 2006
Delegates and voting members of the Council of Councils present were: Jesse O’Hara, Neighborhood Council #1; Phyllis Hemstad, Neighborhood Council #2; Tim Austin, Neighborhood Council #3; Bob Stubbs, Neighborhood Council #4; Sharon Odden, Neighborhood Council #5; Ken Robison, Neighborhood Council #6; Aaron Weissman, Neighborhood Council #7; Karen Grove, Neighborhood Council #8; and Gary Schoenthal, Neighborhood Council #9.
Others present were: Local Government Study Commission members Sharon Gerhart, Marie Mares, Jane Meyer, Bob Deming, and Bill Wiseman; City Commissioner Sandy Hinz; Mayor Dona Stebbins; Park and Rec staff Patty Rearden, Giles Salyer, and Jon Thompson; NC#2 member Steve White; NC#4 members Audrey Finlayson and Rick Kavulla; NC#5 members Diane Gelernter and Tawny Newth; NC#6 member Marge Anderson; NC#8 member Carl Donovan; NC#9 members Art Vender and Don Calkins; RSVP Neighborhood Watch Coordinator Jan Wolfe; other unnamed citizens and high school students.
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Neighborhood Council Coordinator Patty Cadwell.
The first order of Old Business was a discussion of an organizational structure for the Council of Councils meetings:
After discussion it was moved, seconded and approved to have three Council of Councils meetings per year, dates to be determined.
After discussion it was moved, seconded and approved that the Chairperson for each Council of Councils meeting be rotated from Council to Council, beginning with Council #4—Bob Stubbs. The next Chairperson will be the delegate from Council #5. It was also approved that the Secretary/Minute-taker/Agenda-setter be Neighborhood Council Coordinator Patty Cadwell.
There was discussion on the purpose of the Council of Councils. The Charter and its corresponding City Ordinance was quoted as follows:
City Charter: Organization of a Great Falls Citizen’s Council: A majority of the neighborhood councils may provide for creation of a Great Falls citizen’s council, consisting of one (1) member from each of the participating neighborhood councils. The Citizen’s council may determine its rules of organization and operation, except that no rules adopted shall be inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter or the laws of Montana. The City Commission may provide model by-laws for use by the Council in draft of its own by-laws. The purpose of the Citizen’s Council shall be set forth in paragraph (a) of this section.
OCCGF 2.50.090 Great Falls Citizen’s Council: A. The purpose of the Great Falls Citizen’s Council (GFCC) is to act as a forum to address issues of community wide concern and to resolve disputes among the individual neighborhood councils.
The first order of New Business was a report given by Local Government Study Commission (LGSC) member Bob Deming. This report is attached to the minutes.*
There was discussion on the LGSC’s recommended change to the City Charter to change the number of City Commissioners from 4 to 6, bringing the composition of the City Commission to 7 members total. Several Council of Councils members questioned the reasoning behind this recommendation. LGSC member Sharon Gerhart said the purpose would be to broaden representation on the City Commission.
One Council of Councils member asked the LGSC why they did not consider staggering the terms of Neighborhood Council members for the purpose of always having experienced members on a council. LGSC member Marie Mares responded by saying that, with one exception, there has not be a complete turnover in any council. Council #9 member Don Calkins remarked that with the new training provided to incoming Neighborhood Council members, the concern about all new members to a Neighborhood Council was lessened.
The second order of New Business was a short report on the GF Park and Recreation Department’s function and budget given by Acting Director Patty Rearden (attached to the minutes*). Several Council of Council members asked questions of Patty, Giles, and Jon Thompson:
Q. Where do the park funds paid by developers go?
R. Developers can choose to donate land for parks or cash in lieu that goes to the Park Trust Fund, which is never used, but the interest received from this fund is used to match funds generated by park committees. The cash in lieu is based on the value of the undeveloped land and is never enough to fully develop a park.
Q. Does the cash in lieu go to parks in the development area?
R. No, it goes into the Park Trust Fund, the interest of which can go to any park. In addition, Park and Rec staff provide in kind labor to park developments.
Q. What is the capital improvement budget for Park and Rec?
R. There is no capital improvement budget, but this year $66,000 has been requested to replace 2 deteriorated play structures.
Q. Is the City going to stop sweeping Gibson Park?
R. No, but it is very challenging to keep up with the amount of bird dung deposited daily from the Canada geese and the sea gulls.
Comments from Council of Councils members to Park and Rec staff and the City Commission were as follows:
Under Other Business, Council of Councils member Ken Robison make a motion to recommend to the Local Government Study Commission that they make a recommendation to the City Commission that the terms of Neighborhood Council members be changed to 4 years to allow for staggering terms. The motion was seconded and voted upon. The motion failed.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Patty Cadwell
Neighborhood Council Coordinator
* Attachment not available online, but is available through the Neighborhood Council Coordinator’s office.
Council of Councils Meeting
October 26, 2005
7:00 p.m.
Civic Center Gibson Room
City Commissioners present: Commissioner Beecher, Commissioner Hinz, Commissioner Jovick-Kuntz, and Commissioner Rosenbaum
Neighborhood Council members present: Jesse O'Hara (Council 1); Phyllis Hemstad, Kelly Manzer (Council 2); Sue Della Rossa, Jan Cahill (Council 3), George Littlefield, Audrey Finlayson (Council 4); Diane Gelernter, Katie Meyers (Council 5); Ken Robison (Council 6); Dona Stebbins (Council 7); Karen Grove (Council 8); and Art Vender (Council 9).
Guests: Captain Grove (GFPD), Senior Patrolman Travis Tillman (GFPD), Kris Dunn (Great Falls Weed and Seed), Collette Gray (Opportunities Inc), Bob Deming (Study Commission), Marie Mares (Study Commission), Sharon Gerhart (Study Commission), Bill Wiseman (Study Commission), Rick Kavulla (Council 4 candidates), Jason Carnahan (Council 4 candidate), Tim Austin (Council 3 candidate), Mike Taylor (Council 7 candidate) and wife, Tawny Newth (Council 5 candidate), Paul Zallek (Council 7 candidate), Ryan Burke and John Stevens (City Commission candidates).
City Staff: Patty Cadwell Neighborhood Council Liaison
Presentation: Travis Tillman GFPD, member of Neighbors. Right. Here. gave a 20 minute presentation on drugs and their effects on our community. Questions and comments lasted 10 minutes.
Patty Cadwell facilitated agreement on ground rules for the Goals and Visions discussion portion of the meeting.
Karen Grove shared her notes and thoughts from Mickey Fearn's presentation at the Council Retreat.
City Commissioners were each given 5 minutes to talk about their goals and priorities for the City.
Bill Beecher provided a framework of the goals and visions for the city, gave information regarding how budget process works and how the Commissioners ask departments how they are working toward the priorities. His priorities are economic development, public safety, community vitality, a visually appealing community, and efficient and effective public services.
John Rosenbaum stated that leisure opportunities for citizens in Great Falls was his number 1 priority, youth issues, swimming pools, the Rec. center, skate park, and the need to provide essential services.
Diane Jovick- Kuntz stated that Great Falls Development was her number one priority. She said that it will take 10 years to see progress in economic development from their efforts. Beautification in the community is important. She is especially proud of the downtown beautification, the trees on 10th Ave South and the entrance from Havre Highway. Her concerns are working to get a Park and Recreation Director, looking forward to the Golf Course report, the old swimming pools and skate park are issues, working with the healthcare communities, public safety including police and fire, getting more people to attend public hearings which has increased in the last 6 years. Kids need to be responsible at the skate park or they will have to fence it and charge admission like they are charging to use Broadwater Bay. She also said that we need to be in control of our Electric Utilities.
Sandy Hinz talked about the Goals and Vision packets briefly. She said that the commission doesn't revisit the 10 priorities very often and they have been the same for the past 6 years. She is looking forward to an Independent Study of the 1st responders and the Fire Department. Her priorities are safe neighborhoods, Electric City Power, an open dialogue around the proposed coal plant, and selling power to selves and the airport and schools. She is also looking forward to the Golf Course review. They now have the final report on Explore the Big Sky.
Questions and comments to the Commission from Neighborhood Council Members
Dona Stebbins, NC#7: Fire Department does 1st work and then ambulance comes next and there is no compensation to the Fire Department. Sandy Hinz responded that there is lots of cost to becoming ambulance transport carriers. There was further discussion from the commissioners regarding the fact that medical supplies are used by the fire department and then once the ambulance shows up, the ambulance service takes over and the fire department is not reimbursed for those supplies.
Art Vender, NC#9, brought up the fact that the Boys and Girls Club is again trying to build a facility in Chowen Springs Park. Council 9 is opposed to this for two main reasons. Chowen Springs is a drainage area and not suitable for a building, and the proposed site plan is to take out already limited parking on Chowen Springs Loop. John Rosenbaum said that this was news to him. Sandy Hinz said that she knew they were working on a Capitol Campaign but had not made a presentation to the Commission as of yet.
Karen Grove, NC#8, asked if the Carrico grant was still in existence or if that had gone away. The Commission stated that the grant was done and 15-18 Firemen had received EMS training and equipment from the grant. Audrey Finlayson, NC#4, suggested providing the opportunity for the youth to be involved rather than telling them what to do. She has been to several other skate parks such as Helena, Denver, and San Diego and they do not have the problems that Great Falls is having because the communities have involved youth throughout the process. Surveillance should not be a function of the GFPD.
George Littlefield, NC#4, stated that he agreed with Audrey and that the youth needed to be involved and this is a park and recreation function not police.
Jan Cahill, NC#3: On November 7th the Great Falls School District is having a Food for Thought meeting at Paris Gibson School Cafeteria to discuss options of future use of the school. He encouraged everyone to attend and bring their thoughts.
Katie Meyers, NC#5, would like to see more people be involved and have that as part of the City Commissions goals.
Phyllis Hemstad, NC#2, commented that at one point years ago, the City ran Ambulance service and then Bicsak took over. She said that the service that the Fire Department offered was important.
Other comments:
Diane Jovick-Knutz said "Do we need another Walmart?"
John Stephens, candidate for City Commission, provided the group with some humor and stated that 90% of the world's problems are from communication.
Rick Kavulla, candidate for NC#4, asked if there was a plan in the event of the demise of MAFB. The commissioners responded that they are trying to get additional missions into Great Falls. Commissioner Beecher commented that this is why they are trying to diversify the economy. Commissioner Jovick-Kuntz said this is why the commission needs to be proactive in bringing business to Great Falls. She attends trade shows encouraging businesses like Centene to come to our community.
Tim Austin, candidate for NC#3, is interested in more park pride. Part of the problem with the local pools is the conditions have deteriorated because the structures have not been maintained. He also said that he agreed with the comments regarding the skate park and having the youth involved.
Respectfully submitted,
Audrey Finlayson
Neighborhood Council #4
Home => Contact Us => Community Development => Neighborhood Councils