| City Commission Work Session | Mayor Joan Bennett presiding |
CALL TO ORDER: 5:45 P.M.
PRESENT: Mayor Bennett, Commissioners Beecher, Downer, Gray, and Rosenbaum. Also present were City Manager, City Attorney, Directors of Community Development, Acting Director of the Fairgrounds, Park & Recreation, Fiscal Control, Management Information Services, Planning, Library, Public Works, Fire Chief, Police Chief, and City Clerk.
Chief Jones reviewed the crime statistics for the previous year. He indicated that Great Falls has been following the national trend whereby there is a decrease in Part 1 offences and an increase in offences such as check fraud. After a brief question and answer period, the Commission thanked Chief Jones for his report.
Battalion Chief Steve Gonser explained that in the past, the Fire Department used a high school work program for the painting of the fire hydrants. Mr. Gonser stated that approximately 100 hydrants need painting annually. He added that the high school work program did not work as well as expected because the workers required too much supervision.
Mr. Gonser proposed to the City Commission that the Fire Department ask interested neighborhood councils if they would be willing to take on the painting task as a fund raiser. The City Commission concurred with this idea and encouraged Mr. Gonser to begin the communication with the neighborhood councils.
Jerry Sepich, Park and Recreation Director, updated the City Commission on the proposed 4th of July Community Celebration. He stated that there will be a parade this year which will begin a half hour earlier than in previous years in order to accommodate the scheduling of the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center dedication. He added that following the parade, there will be entertainment in the Gibson Park Bandshell during the afternoon and a band playing in Elks-Riverside Park in the evening prior to the fireworks display.
Mr. Sepich stated that after a request for proposal process, City staff proposed to contract with the same pyrotechnician as last year which was Rasmark from the Bozeman area.
There being no further business to come before the Commission, the regular work session on June 2, 1998, adjourned at 6:45 p.m.