EKALAKA TOWN COUNCIL MINUTES

Town Office, 103 N Main Street

February 7th, 2024

1) Call Meeting to Order

a) Roll Call Council - Melissa Lovec, Andy Wright, Rex McCord, Rich Brown, Buck Kratzer

b) Employees Present - Elston Loken, Robin Kawecki

c) Appointed Officials Present - Kamely Harkins

2) Pledge of Allegiance

3) Public Present - Walt Anderson, Trish & Denis Bishop, Mya Yonika, Dan Donnaly, Wizard Nemerson, Steve DeFord & Toni Kratzer

4) Public Comment - Walt Anderson had a comment on the raise of inactive water and sewer rates

5) Minutes from last meeting(s): read, correct (if needed) and approve Melissa moved to approve January minutes Andy second no discussion 4 ayes no nays.

6) Claims Approval - Andy moved to approve Claims as presented for the amount of $34,425.47. Rex seconded, no discussion 4 ayes no nays

7) Reports of Officers:

a) Public Works Director - Fire Hydrant over by Ryan Tooke is fixed and we have a cost of parts and labor put together. Parts $1825.62 and $ 375.00 for labor total of $ 2200.62. The fire hydrant that a trucker ran over is fixed and the cost of that was parts $350.00 and Labor $350.00 total of $650.00. The trucking company will pay for the repair to that fire hydrant.

b) Mayor - Discussed the ARPA money and how Great West is not getting to the project in time as the water project must be completed by October of 2024 and its February and bids haven’t even gone out, Mayor is going to see what he can do to maybe change engineering companies.

c) Attorney was on phone during meeting and is planning on coming to Ekalaka Thursday, February 8, 2024, to work on some ordinances that need to be updated

Council no concerns at this time.

8) Reports of Standing and Special Committees:

a) Administrative (Clerk/Treasurer) - All W2 and 1099 were sent out, Kamely couldn’t log in to IRS Fire and had to call a CPA to file 1099 with IRS that was a $30.00 cost, Town has licensed 73 dogs so far, with many more still license. Tara with Eastern Plains Economy Development thinks we could do a different thing with the survey of town, we can schedule a special meeting to meet with her and Mineral County Deputy County attorney and they can explain what Mineral County has done and, in a way less expensive of doing it. They could meet us on Wednesday February 21st, at 5 p.m.

b) Law Enforcement - Neil will take list of unlicensed dogs.

c) Streets - Robin was present and informed that he is going to be back next week and would be able to go back to blading town roads, Town is glad to see Robin back and doing well.

d) Library - has moved their meeting to 1st Thursday of each month so town and their finance can be done together.

e) Fire Department/Committee - met with them at 4:30 to discuss purchase of property and reup the agreement with town.

f) Parks - increase mill levy so town can offer more money to summer help

g) Pool - Kamely is doing online classes and will be taking Pool Operator test on February 14th, also increase mill levy to be able to offer more money to summer help and hope to have help.

h) Water/sewer - Kamely will attend MT Rural Water School on February 22nd in Forsyth and one in Baker on March 7th also signed up to take water operator test on March 22nd in Great Falls, where Elston and Kamely will attend a week of school and Kamely will test after, Sewer, MT Rural joined Kamely and caught up 2 years of wastewater discharge charting with EPA. Kamely is now able to do it every month.

i) Landfill - Corey with G & G garbage stopped in and let the town know that he no longer works for them, now we don’t know how often our dumpster will be exchanged, there is an affidavit in support to help Southeast Garbage LLC (Varner) out of Baker, MT get a license to haul garbage instead of G&G. Kamely has applied for a burn permit to burn untreated wood at the dump, waiting for response from DEQ, will have to advertise in the Eagle for the air quality control before burning.

j) Safety - no reports at this time

9) Presentation of Petitions and Communications: None

10) Unfinished Business

a) Community Plan - no action taken.

b) Pool Liner - Kamely will contact Wibaux about it.

c) Alex Lovec Central Ave Culvert - no action taken.

d) EVFD Building/Property Lease - no action taken.

e) Tennis Court - have some ideas of what to do with it, either enclose and use as rec center or fix it up with lights so it can be used in evenings, would need an estimate for what it would cost to fix it up to what the town would like it and town would apply for grants. No action taken.

11) New Business

a) Remove Elizabeth Barth from all bank accounts at Summit National Bank and add Melissa Lovec to all bank accounts at Summit National Bank.

Andy motioned to Remove Elizabeth Barth from all bank accounts at Summit National Bank and add Melissa Lovec to all bank accounts at Summit National Bank. Rex second no discussion 4 ayes no nays.

b) Parks, Pool, and Library levy for 2024 Primary Election

Melissa moved to approve resolution and increase Park and Pool levy for the June 4th primary election. Andy second no discussion 4 ayes no nays

c) Town website - Kamely presented a website host that can make alerting town residents easier and efficient with a low cost and IT Help. Melissa moved to approve to set the website Rich second no discussion 4 ayes no nays .

d) Dog needs removed from town - Town and Sheriff’s department has received complaints of a certain dog being vicious to other dogs, Sheriff department has also gotten many noise disturbance complaints, Dan Donnelly is the dog owner, he claims the dog is not very old and he has done everything to fix the problem, the owners have installed electric fence, raised the fence and bark collar, He also claims that he has never had anyone go to him to complain and anytime this has happened they have been out of town, he also claims this dogs is his Twin boys best friend, he claims the only time he has ever seen his dog vicious was only when a fluffy white dog went in his private yard when gate was open, Denis Bishop also spoke and said if town would give them a chance he would make sure the fence would be fixed to specs. The council discussed the vicious dog ordinance, in the ordinance, it states the requirement for fencing. 4-3A-13: Confinement/Unconfined: If such dog is not securely confined indoors or confined in a securely enclosed and locked pen or structure upon the premises of the person described in B of this section. Such Pen or structure must have secure sides and a secure top. If the pen or structure has no bottom secured to the sides, the sides must be embedded in the ground no less than two feet (2’) Section B Confinement Required: No person owning, harboring, or having the care of a vicious dog shall suffer or permit such animal to go unconfined on the premises of such person.

Melissa motion to let Dog stay with exceptions of no other complaints from public of dog being vicious towards another dog and owners have until March 6th, 2024, to have fence up to specs of town ordinance. Andy second no more discussion 4 ayes no nays.

e) Steve DeFord Infrastructure town ownership Melissa moves to table until more information from lawyer Andy second no discussion 4 ayes no nays.

f) Naming of Alley (Red Five Ln or way?) Andy moves to name the alley Red Five Ln, rex second, No discussion 4 ayes and no nays.

g) Purchase Manhole frame from DeFord $641.10, Melissa motioned to table the purchase manhole frame Andy second 4 ayes no nays no discussion

h) Advertisement for Pool and Summer Park/Street help - Andy moved to approve advertising for pool and summer park/streets help Rich second no discussion 4 ayes no nays

i) Burn Permit - Rex moved to approve Kjell Jacobson burn permit Andy second , discussion was had he has to make sure we have moisture and wind is not blowing when doing so. 4 ayes no nays

j) County Planning committee to appoint a member, town is to have a representative in the planning committee and Stephen DeFord has been the Andy has been attending these meeting and volunteered to be the town representative, Melissa motioned to appoint Andy as town representative. Rex second no discussion 4 ayes no nays. Town appreciate Stephen DeFord for being the past representative!

12)Announcements - Kamely will be gone some days for training and office will be closed on February 14th for Kamely to take pool test, Council will have a special meeting on February 21st to talk about survey of town.

13) Next Meeting Date: March 6th, 2024

14) Adjourn Andy moved to adjourn meeting Rich second no discussion 4 ayes no nays meeting adjourned at 7:15 p.m.

/s/ Buck Kratzer, Mayor

Attest:/s/ Kamely Harkins, Clerk/ Treasurer

Special Meeting

Town Office, 103 N Main Street

February 21, 2024 at 5 p.m.

A. Call Meeting to Order

a. Roll Call Council - Melissa Lovec, Rich Brown, Rex McCord, Andy Wright & Mayor Buck Kratzer

b. Employees Present - No employee present

c. Appointed Officials Present - Kamely Harkins

B. Pledge of Allegiance

C. Public Comment -No public present

D. New Business

a. Tara Burman Easter Plains Economic Development Corp. In conjunction with County Attorney from Missoula explained how to Platt town with less expense and a more efficient way and explained the process of how to do it. No action was taken this was just an explanation

b. Minute Approval (February 7th meeting) - Summit, Melissa Lovec signature line Andy moved to add Melissa Lovec to all summit national bank signature line, no discussion 4 ayes no nays.

c. Urban Supervisor, (Carter County Conservation District) - Town needs to appoint one, Lucas Waterland would do it. Andy moved to appoint Lucas Waterland to the Carter County Conservation District as town person. Rex second no discussion 4 ayes no nays.

d. Incorporate water and sewer main that DeFord installed at Red Five Ln. Andy made motion to Incorporate the water and sewer main that Stephen DeFord Installed on Red Five Ln into the Town’s Water and sewer system (these mains were installed with prior approval and authorization by the Town Council) Rich second. no discussion 4 ayes no nays.

E. Next meeting: March 6th, 2024 at 5 p.m.

F. Adjourn - Andy moved to adjourn, Rich second 4 ayes no nays meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m.