Feb182017

Yellowstone County News offers Full Online version of print edition

Features • Home

HUNTLEY — Readers of the Yellowstone County News can now subscribe online and choose to receive the paper by mail and/or on the Internet.

The newspaper has unveiled a new subscription feature on its website, www.yellowstonecountynews.com, that will allow people to subscribe and pay online and log in to read the paper each week through a username and specific password associated with their subscription.

Readers will be able to access the Yellowstone County News from anywhere in the world. An online or mail subscription for a Yellowstone County reader costs $34; a subscription to both services costs $39.

Advertisers will also be able to choose whether to purchase advertising for the print edition, the online edition, or both.

The current edition will be available by Friday mornings, and editions from 2016 are available in the archives section for online subscribers.

To subscribe, please visit our subscription login page or call the local office in Huntley at 348-2650.

Feb92017

Lockwood high school bill advances without objection

Local • Lockwood • Top Stories • Yellowstone County

Originally published in the print edition of Yellowstone County News.

HELENA — A Senate committee on Wednesday afternoon voted unanimously to advance Senate Bill 139 for a full vote of the Montana Senate.

The Senate Education and Cultural Resources Committee voted 10-0 to send the bill to the Senate floor after Senator Tom Facey offered an amendment that was rejected by the committee. Lockwood school officials and community members urged the committee to vote in favor of the bill at a Feb. 1 hearing.

The measure, sponsored by Sen. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip, would allow elementary school districts with enrollment of at least 1,000 students to expand into high school districts.

That would allow Lockwood, for example, to begin budgeting and planning to build a high school estimated to enroll enough students to become a Class A school. However, this bill only allows the expansion of a K-8 school district into a full K-12 school district. Senate Bill 139 allows time for the community and school district members to decide and put a vote to the local read more

Feb92017

Scott Carter named new Shepherd superintendent

Top Stories • Yellowstone County • Shepherd

Scott Carter, named new Shepherd superintendent this week. He will start his new job July 1, 2017.

Originally published in the print edition of the Yellowstone County News.

SHEPHERD — Scott M. Carter will be the new superintendent of the Shepherd School District.

Carter, a superintendent in the Queets-Clearwater School District in Washington state, is scheduled to begin work July 1. He replaces Superintendent Dan Jamieson, whose retirement is effective June 30.

Jamieson said this week that Carter’s selection as superintendent was pending formal approval of Shepherd school trustees at their meeting Wednesday night.

Carter comes from a family of school superintendents, according to information from the Washington school district. He has served as principal and teacher in the Yukon Flats School District near the Arctic Circle and worked in education in Kansas and Kuwait.

More information will be available after the school board confirms read more

Feb92017

Wes Coy to retire from Huntley Project Schools

Top Stories • Yellowstone County • Huntley Project

Wes Coy, superintendent at Huntley Project Schools, pictured here, will be retiring at the end of the 2016-2017 school year.

Originally published in the print edition of Yellowstone County News 

WORDEN — Wes Coy is retiring as superintendent at Huntley Project Schools but will remain in education.

Coy announced his intent to retire on June 30 at special meeting of the Huntley School Board on Monday morning. He said he announced his plans now rather than waiting until the regular meeting on Feb. 20 to allow the board to begin planning how to replace him.

Coy has been superintendent since July 2009, coming on board while the district was in the early stages of replacing the high school building, which burned in September 2008.

“The old building was not demolished yet,” he said. “That was a big deal, building the new school, getting our kids and teachers into the building.”

Eight years later, the district is “still dealing with a couple” lingering effects of that fire, including spending the last year replacing the faulty high school roof and filing a lawsuit against the read more

Feb22017

Lockwood High School Bill gets warm response

Top Stories

Lockwood School District Superintendent Tobin Novasio testifying in front of the Senate Education Committee regarding Senate Bill 139 to revise School District laws.

Originally published in the Yellowstone County News print edition on 2/3/17.

HELENA — Students, parents and school officials urged a Senate committee on Wednesday to support a bill that would allow school districts, including Lockwood, to create high schools.

Senate Bill 139, sponsored by Sen. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip, would allow elementary school districts with enrollment of at least 1,000 students to expand into high school districts.

That would allow Lockwood, for example, to begin budgeting and planning to build a high school estimated to enroll enough students to become a Class A school.

No one opposed the bill in testimony on Wednesday. The Senate Education and Cultural Resources Committee had not taken any action on the bill as of presstime Wednesday.

Chad Hanson, a father of a 7-year-old Lockwood student who hopes to someday graduate from Lockwood High School and a member of the community’s education committee, told the committee, whose hearing was broadcast on the Internet, that the goal of the proposed legislation is to help communities support their own students.

“We’d like a voice in deciding what’s best for our kids,” Hanson said.

Lockwood Superintendent Tobin Novasio said he believes the current version of the bill, which was reworked after narrowly failing in the 2015 session as Senate Bill 107, is “ready for …”  Read full story in Online Newspaper Here

Feb22017

Governor visits Lockwood Water & Sewer again

Top Stories • Yellowstone County • Lockwood

Gov. Steve Bullock, lower center in black coat, looks over the Lockwood’s water intake at the Yellowstone River on Wednesday morning, accompanied by Mike Ariztia, Lockwood Water and Sewer District manager, at right. Also on the tour were Yellowstone County Commissioner Robyn Driscoll, in the blue coat, Jill Cook of Morrison Maierle Inc. and Tony Reed, at top left, the assistant manager of the water-sewer district. (Jonathan McNiven photo)

Ariztia seeks governor’s help for aging water pumps

 

LOCKWOOD — Replacing a raw water pump station for the Lockwood Water and Sewer Dsitrict is exactly the kind of improvement Gov. Steve Bullock is hoping to make through infrastructure funding proposed through House Bill 14.

On Wednesday, the governor toured the district’s water treatment plant on the banks of the Yellowstone River near Interstate 90.

At the site, Mike Ariztia, the district’s manager, pointed out pumps that draw water from the river, which is then treated and supplied to the district’s 6,000-plus customers.

The problem is, he said, the pumps were installed at an angle and need constant maintenance and repair that costs the district around $50,000 per year.

“Realistically, you want the pumps vertical,” Ariztia said. A couple of years ago, two pumps went out at the same time and the district used Lockwood Irrigation District equipment to get water to customers, he said.

Ariztia told the governor that he hopes the infrastructure bill comes through the Legislature. A previous attempt died in waning days of the 2015 session. read more

Jan272017

Shepherd School Board taps 3 superintendent finalists, interviews next week

Top Stories

Originally published in the print edition of Yellowstone County News on 1/27/17

SHEPHERD — Three finalists will visit the Shepherd Schools campus next week to interview for school superintendent.

The finalists are Tom Meyer of Bellevue, Iowa, Kelly Haaland of Melstone and Scott Carter of Forks, Washington. After interviews next week, the Shepherd School Board intends to hire a new superintendent by Thursday, Feb. 2.

The Shepherd School board selected the three finalists last week from 18 applicants. Trustees have been working with consultant Don Hague of McPherson Jacobson, a recruitment specialist firm from Omaha, Nebraska.

Hague will also work with the board to establish performance objectives once the new superintendent is hired, according to a press release from the school system.

The three finalists will each spend a full day on campus. The schedule is the same for each candidate. Meyer will interview on Monday, Jan. 30. Haaland’s interview is Wednesday, Feb. 1 and Carter will be on campus on Thursday, Feb. 2.

Each day begins at 8:30 a.m. with a greeting by board President Carl Openshaw at the district office. Beginning at 8:45, each candidate will visit school buildings with High School Principal KJ Poepping. An administrative team led by Middle School Principal Rich Hash will meet with each candidate at 10 a.m. Student leaders will meet with each candidate at 11:30 a.m. at the high school.

After lunch, a community visit led by Elementary Principal Autumn Kring is scheduled at 1 p.m., followed by a meeting with classified staff at 2:30, led by Bobby Trotter, the district’s transportation supervisor.

The candidates will each meet with teachers and Craig McKinney, president of the Shepherd Education Association, at 4 p.m. At 5 p.m., candidates are scheduled to meet with a community READ FULL STORY HERE BY SUBSCRIBING ONLINE HERE

 

Jan252017

Commissioners hope to name Airport Road after Conrad Burns

Local • Top Stories • Yellowstone County

-Originally printed in the Yellowstone County News print edition on 1/13/17 -by Evelyn Pyburn

BILLINGS — Airport Road in Billings, from Main Street in the Heights to the 27th Street roundabout, could soon be known as the Conrad Burns Memorial Highway, in honor of the late senator who represented Montana for three terms.

Upon the recommendation of County Commissioner Denis Pitman, Yellowstone County Commissioners are putting the process into motion by sending a letter with the request to Stefan Streeter, district manager of the Montana Department of Transportation. The Montana State Legislature must approve the request.

Pitman said that in talking to him, Streeter indicated that he would be glad to carry forth the proposal.

Pitman said he had also talked to Sen. Burn’s widow, Phyllis Burns, who was read more

Jan182017

Countwide ambulance proposal slowly taking shape

Top Stories • Yellowstone County • Huntley Project • Lockwood • Shepherd

Originally published in print edition of Yellowstone County News -by Evelyn Pyburn

SHEPHERD — A plan being developed for ambulance service in the county could mean that 70 percent of the rural population of Yellowstone County would be within 10 minutes of an ambulance.

To develop some kind of service for the county is being viewed by most emergency service providers in the county as critical because the services provided in the past are rapidly deteriorating.

A plan proposed by county officials and area fire districts, would be funded, in large part, by a designated property tax levy that would have to be put before voters for approval.

The soonest that a countywide ambulance service could be operational is sometime in 2019, according to Brad Shoemaker, director of emergency services for Yellowstone County. Shoemaker is working on a plan to establish the service as cost effectively as possible, and as soon as possible. He laid out the details of a plan for County Commissioners during discussion on Tuesday and for members of the Rural Fire Council, later that evening at the Shepherd Fire Station.

If the mill levy request should fail, County Commissioner John Ostlund said, the time is going to come – probably about mid-2019 – that someone is going to call for an ambulance and they will be told “that service is not provided in your area.” In fact, he added, “we are almost at that point now.”

For the rural county areas, “it is a fairly non-existent service,” said Ostlund, “but a lot of people believe we have a read more

Jan132017

Get ready for Shark Tank competition

Montana-Statewide • Top Stories

Originally published in the Yellowstone County News print edition on Jan. 6, 2017.

HELENA – The Montana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network has partnered with the Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Recreation to increase its reach to one of Montana’s leading industries. The Montana SBDC Network will host business consulting, business classes and its annual Shark Tank live pitch business plan competition at the conference.

“Tourism, recreation and business development go hand in hand,” said SBDC State Director Chad Moore. “This partnership is a real win for small business attendees, as they learn industry trends while also receiving consulting and training from expert SBDC advisors. They’ll also be entertained by Shark Tank, a first for the Governor’s Conference.”

Shark Tank creates a forum for local entrepreneurs to present their business plans and receive constructive feedback from a panel of industry professionals. First place in the contest will win $5,000, second place will win $2,500, and third place will win $1,000.

Ronald Turner, owner of Anchor Yanker, a Montana-based startup business based on a device that pulls, or “yanks,” rope efficiently was the winner of last year’s competition. Turner believes the winnings gave him a huge boost to help his business off the ground.

“Winning the prize money helped get read more

Jan102017

Chief: New fire hall in Huntley could house county ambulance service

Yellowstone County • Custer • Huntley Project • Shepherd

by Judy Killen-originally published in the 1/6/17 print edition of YCN.  

WORDEN — The new fire station planned for Huntley may also house ambulances for the proposed countywide ambulance service.

Lance Taylor, chief of the Worden Volunteer Fire Department and president of the Yellowstone County Rural Fire Council, said Monday night that final plans have not been drawn up for the Huntley fire hall.

And the ambulance service proposal is also still in the works. Brad Shoemaker, director of the county’s emergency services department, said Wednesday that he’s preparing a resolution to create the countywide ambulance service to present to Yellowstone County Commissioners, probably in the third or fourth week of January.

The Worden department’s building committee is scheduled to meet this month to discuss the floor plan and consider an architect, Taylor said.

But the building likely will include at least one bay for an ambulance, and if the countywide service becomes a reality, then the fire hall would also need to include housing space for ambulance crew members, Taylor said.

The Yellowstone County Commissioners would oversee the countywide service, Taylor said.

Shoemaker said he and Taylor have discussed options for housing the ambulance service — but first, commissioners have to approve the resolution, followed by a 30-day comment period and, eventually, a vote by the people living in the proposed ambulance district.

At this point, Shoemaker said, the fire hall and the ambulance service are two projects “parallel to each other, which could lean on each other in the future.”

Housing the countywide ambulance service at the fire hall is “certainly a possibility,” Shoemaker said, but it’s too early to speculate.

The Huntley fire hall is a pretty good location, Taylor said. Worden would also be a good  READ full article by subscribing to the Electronic Version of YCN here

Dec72016

Holiday spirit fills Worden streets for record strollers

Features • Local • Huntley Project

Payton Christman chats with Santa Claus on Friday at the Worden VFW during the Christmas Stroll. Please see more photos from the Worden Christmas Stroll. (Jonathan McNiven photo)

WORDEN — An early dose of holiday spirit drew record numbers out on the town Friday night for the Worden Christmas Stroll.

Linda Holmes, one of the event organizers, said an estimated 450 people attended the annual event, a number based in part on the 397 passports that people filled out and turned in for a chance to win prizes.

“There’s also some who don’t turn in passports,” Holmes said.

The weather may have encouraged some people to come to the Stroll, she said. The events includes walking up and down Main Street and other parts of Worden, collecting signatures on passports and sampling food and beverages.

“We had good weather, so that helped,” she said. It seemed like everyone she heard from had fun.

“The comments that we heard were all good,” she said.

It was a busy night for Santa Claus, who visited read more

Dec62016

Huntley Stroll offers additional family fun

Events & More! • Features • Local • Huntley Project • Yellowstone County
Little Buckaroos Childcare Center decorated cart for the Huntley Christmas Stroll Golf Cart Pa-Looza.

Little Buckaroos Childcare Center decorated cart for the Huntley Christmas Stroll Golf Cart Pa-Looza.

Huntley Christmas Stroll Details

Don’t forget about the 17th Annual Huntley Christmas Stroll coming up on Sat. Dec. 17th in Huntley. This year’s event is sure to surpass last year’s event in that visitors have a lot to look forward to. Passports can be filled out during the day from 10am-5pm and then all visitors, businesses and strollers will meet at the Pryor Creek Golf Clubhouse at 5:30pm for caroling, drawings and then the Golf Cart Pa-Looza!

The Pryor Creek Clubhouse is a new dimension this year in that the whole building has been reserved for visitors, strollers and then community gathering starting at 5:30pm. With both upstairs and downstairs available, the Golf Cart Pa-Looza will also take place at the Clubhouse and grounds. No matter the weather conditions, there will be a warm place to be inside as well as outside this year.

Andrea Drinkwalter and Rebecca Meredith driving their Gloss Studio Golf Cart at the Pryor Creek Clubhouse at the 1st Annual Golf Cart Pa-Looza. Photo by Jonathan McNiven-Yellowstone County News.

Andrea Drinkwalter and Rebecca Meredith driving their Gloss Studio Golf Cart at the Pryor Creek Clubhouse at the 1st Annual Golf Cart Pa-Looza. Photo by Jonathan McNiven-Yellowstone County News.

Events during the day from 10am-5pm include filling out your passport (can be picked up from any participating business or cut out of the Yellowstone County News), free yummy food and treats, gingerbread house contest, Craft fair and vender booths, Free wagon rides and Santa’s visit. Wrapping up the day’s events at the Pryor Creek Golf Course Clubhouse starting at 5:30pm, prize drawings at 6pm and finally the Golf Cart Pa-Looza and Parade at the Golf Course Clubhouse.
The following are the details for each event during the day:

Huntley Bucks and Passport Eligibility
15 local businesses will be participating in the Huntley Passport this year. Either cut the passport out of the Yellowstone County News or pick up one at a local participating business. Take your passport and visit the participating businesses to receive your stamped passport. Once your

Pete Robison driving the R&R Trading Golf Cart while wife Becky Robison, middle, and Darlene Burnette, left enjoy the ride at Pryor Creek Golf Clubhouse.

Pete Robison driving the R&R Trading Golf Cart while wife Becky Robison, middle, and Darlene Burnette, left enjoy the ride at Pryor Creek Golf Clubhouse.

passport is filled out and completed, take it to the Pryor Creek Golf Clubhouse to be eligible to win read more

Dec42016

Shepherd, Huntley Project face shifting Class B football conferences

Local • Huntley Project • Shepherd • Sports

HUNTLEY — Class B football across Montana will look a lot different next fall.

Last week, the Montana High School Association approved a realignment that removes 11 schools from Class B. Libby and Ronan will move up to Class A. Choteau, Forsyth, Joliet, Lame Deer, Lodge Grass, Rocky Boy, St. Ignatius, St. Labre and Troy move down to Class C to play 8-man football — although those schools will be in Class B for all other sports.

Activities directors at both Shepherd and Huntley Project schools expressed concern about some of the changes, which could increase travel time and expense. Huntley and Shepherd will go into the East division with Baker, Colstrip, Poplar, Roundup and Wolf Point. Conferences have not been set in those divisions.

“I think by and large they have the best interests” of Class B and Class C schools in mind, said Jeff Armstong, Shepherd’s athletic and activity director. Baker is already a long trip, and adding Poplar and Wolf Point will stretch the district’s

travel budget, he said, and complicate the district’s route busing system, since the Department of Transportation limits the number of hours a bus driver can put in during a 24-hour period.

“It adds up,” he said, “It adds to our overall costs,” to go to Wolf Point or Poplar, and there isn’t room in the district budget for an overnight stay in either town.

At first glance, Shepherd and Huntley lose rival opponent Forsyth, since no Class C schools field 11-man teams.

But for schools with dwindling enrollment, moving to Class C is a good fit, Armstrong said.

“When you field 13-14 kids,” he said. “You can not play 11-man football.”

Custer/Hysham will remain in Class C 6-man. State 6-man champion Hot Springs and Box Elder will move up to 8-man,

Changing Class B divisions read more

Dec22016

County commissioners approve TEDD proposal

Top Stories • Yellowstone County • Lockwood
This image shows the boundaries of the Lockwood Targeted Economic Development District, or TEDD, approved by the Yellowstone County Commission. (Image courtesy of Sanderson Stuart)

This image shows the boundaries of the Lockwood Targeted Economic Development District, or TEDD, approved by the Yellowstone County Commission. Click on image to enlarge.  (Image courtesy of Sanderson Stuart)

Published originally in the print edition of the Yellowstone County News.  

LOCKWOOD — A proposed Targeted Economic Development District (TEDD) in Lockwood was finally approved just before Thanksgiving, by Yellowstone County Commissioners, following two years of research, study and planning. The TEDD — a tax increment financing district — will help finance infrastructure for an industrial park proposed by Big Sky Economic Development (BSED).

“I think the commissioners made a decision that is a big step in the right direction,” said Steve Arveschoug, BSED executive director. The whole goal is to help the community and land developers ready an industrial space that will advance economic development, he said.

The TEDD, however, is just one tool.

“We will look at other grants and tools to capitalize on the development of that area, consistent with the comprehensive development plan,” Arveschoug said.

The TEDD steering committee that has helped direct the process, so far, will be meeting this month with Deputy County Attorney Dan Schwarz, who will answer any legal questions the group may have.

The next step in the process, said Arveschoug, will be to ask the County Commissioners to appoint the advisory board provided for in the TEDD, which will help plan and direct “the process moving forward.” The final step in the process is to send the documentation to the Department of Revenue, which will set the tax base year as 2016 and start calculating the increment.

“We have to assume there will not be a lot of increment” for a few years to start any project, but they will be looking at other potential revenues and grants to serve as a catalyst, said Arveschoug.

While the TEDD is aimed at providing some of the financing that will be needed to develop an industrial park, for many of those from Lockwood who testified in support of the TEDD, the benefits they see are for planned growth, as well as an opportunity for Lockwood to read more

Nov242016

Holiday events span two weekends downtown

Top Stories • Yellowstone County

BILLINGS — Several events will celebrate the holiday season in downtown Billings.

On Friday, Nov. 25, the Downtown Billings Alliance (DBA) presents “A Parade of Trees,” the 32nd annual Holiday Parade.

The parade will be preceded by Santa’s Dash for Cash, a fun run that will follow the traditional city parade route. Saturday, Nov. 26 is Small Business Saturday, a nationwide campaign to share in the shopping tradition of Black Friday with a “shop local” focus for the community. The Christmas Stroll and the Holiday ArtWalk will take place from 5-9 p.m. on the following Friday, Dec. 2.

Friday’s Holiday Parade will begin at 7 p.m. at N North 27th Street & 3rd Avenue North. Santa’s Dash for Cash will begin 15 minutes prior to the parade and participants crossing the finish line under Skypoint at Broadway and 2nd Avenue North will receive holiday prizes. Santa’s float will be the grand finale of the parade and teddy bears sponsored by Darwin George will be distributed to children in the crowd. On Small Business Saturday, the DBA will announce read more

Nov232016

Shrinking revenues may prompt Lockwood mill levy request

Top Stories • Lockwood

by Evelyn Pyburn- Originally published in the Yellowstone County News on 11/18/16.

LOCKWOOD — The Lockwood School Board of Trustees is facing the prospect of asking for a mill levy increase for next year’s budget.

Because of continued enrollment declines, Lockwood School faces a $75,000 budget shortfall for next year, reported School Clerk Laurie Noonkester during the board’s meeting last week.

The shortfall involves being short by $75,000 of covering the same size budget as this year. It does not consider any increases in the budget, including “moving just one step” in the teachers’ pay grid, which adds $69,000 to the budget – and not including an increase in pay for the para professionals and administration.

The highest increase in revenue the district can have with a vote of the electorate is $288,000. The district will most likely need all that, according to Noonkester, who said that without the voter approved levy, “the cuts would be dramatic and painful.”

Other additional budget increases expected for next year include:

The school pays $1.5 million for health insurance and is expecting a 5 to 10 percent increase in premiums – an increase of $75,000. And, that does not include any increases in coverage such as the addition of family members.

Based upon current taxable value numbers, such a proposed mill levy increase would increase taxes on a $100,000 by $16.17 and on a $200,000 home, $32.35. The overall total tax for the school district on a $100,000 home would be $89.50.

Some positive changes that might mitigate some of the cost would be an increase in the taxable property value for the district, which usually runs at about 3 percent.

And, enrollment could still increase, which would increase the school’s ANB revenues (Annual Number Belonging) from the state. And, what the Legislature might do that could help the situation is still unknown.

Lockwood’s levy is currently at about the same level as two years ago, said Superintendent Tobin Novasio.

Lockwood has not requested a general mill levy increase for seven or eight years.

“We have cut down to such a low level it is hard to adjust,” said Novasio. There may be reduced read more

Nov232016

Big subdivision on the map north of Highway 312

Yellowstone County • Billings • Billings-Heights

by Evelyn Pyburn-originally published in the Yellowstone County News print edition on 11/18/16.

BILLINGS — Plans for a major subdivision received final approval from Yellowstone County Commissioners on Tuesday.

Bar 11 Subdivision engulfs 206 acres in an area about one mile north of Highway 312, north of the Billings Heights and west of Bitterroot Drive. It will create 162 lots for single-family residences in phased development. The lots range in size from a half-acre to four acres.

The subdivision, being developed by Jerry read more

Nov232016

KTCR – Cat Country 102.9 Flakesgiving Help

Top Stories • Billings
Students from Huntley Project Schools volunteered at the annual KCTR Flakesgiving prep on Friday at MetraPark. Students from wrestling, special education and FCCLA groups were on hand to help prepare meal boxes that will feed an estimated 10,000 people. Each box contains a 10-15 pound turkey, 10 pounds of potatoes, celery, onions, corn, stuffing, gravy mix, rolls and boxes of macaroni and cheese. (Photo courtesy of Scot Eenhulis)

Students from Huntley Project Schools volunteered at the annual KCTR Flakesgiving prep on Friday at MetraPark. Students from wrestling, special education and FCCLA groups were on hand to help prepare meal boxes that will feed an estimated 10,000 people. Each box contains a 10-15 pound turkey, 10 pounds of potatoes, celery, onions, corn, stuffing, gravy mix, rolls and boxes of macaroni and cheese. (Photo courtesy of Scot Eenhulis)

Nov222016

Lockwood Water, sewer district wraps up second phase of sewer project

Top Stories • Lockwood

by Evelyn Pyburn-Originally published in the print edition of the Yellowstone County News on 11/18/16.  

LOCKWOOD — At last week’s Lockwood Water and Sewer District (LWSD) board meeting, the board issued a “final completion” determination to COP Construction for the Phase II Sewer project. A one-year warranty period is now in place.

LWSD made final payment to COP Construction for the Construction of Sewer Project Phase II. The project, like the first phase, was completed under the construction budget. The amount the district anticipated having to borrow to build the sewer was $6.5 million but because of savings the district had to borrow only $6 million, according to Mike Ariztia, LWSD manager.

“We didn’t have to tap into $500,000 in funding we had lined up,” he said.

Jill Cook of Morrison Maierle reported that engineering costs also came in $50,000 under budget. In addition the district was able to take advantage of the construction process to install water lines, which could be done at substantial savings by taking advantage of open lines and construction crews in the field for the sewer.

The water district put in new water lines to the tune of $1,363,000.

During the meeting the board got an update regarding the rate study that is being conducted for the sewer district. They urged the company conducting the study, Raftelis Financial Consultants, to “fast track” that portion of it that will deal with the charges the district will ask of ExxonMobil, to use the system. They are in the process of ironing out the details of an agreement that ExxonMobil is seeking to use the Lockwood sewer system to transport up to 2 million gallons of waste a day to the Billings treatment plant.

It was also suggested that perhaps the pending rate study could be used as incentive to encourage residents in Lockwood to hook up to the system sooner rather than later, when connection fees will undoubtedly be higher once changed after the study is completed.

Ariztia said that 55 properties in Phase II have connected to the read more