Council gives OK to taxes

The Havre City Council Tuesday unanimously approved the first readings of resolutions setting the taxes and fees needed to pay for flood control, street maintenance, street lights and garbage removal for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

Council President Allen "Woody" Woodwick presided over the meeting. Havre Mayor Tim Solomon and Council members Gerry Veis and Janet Trethewey were excused from attending the meeting, Woodwick said.

The assessments were broken down by service, with the total for flood control in the Bull Hook Maintenance District requiring property owners to pay a share of a total of $112,069 for the year.

The property tax assessment for street maintenance was set at a total of $446,285, with property owners paying a share of that charge based on the length of street fronting their property.

City Clerk and Finance Director Lowell Swenson, responding to a question from Alderman Bob Kaftan, said the amount for street light maintenance is more complex. A separate exhibit detailed the amounts for that, with the amount dependent on which district designated by NorthWestern Energy the property sits, Swenson said.

In its preliminary budget for the year, the city has set $282,000 for street light maintenance, with $275,000 of that budgeted for electricity.

The last item was for solid waste, or garbage collection and disposal. The amount approved in the first reading was for $109.54 per residence.

The resolution set a charge of $54.77 for each additional living unit per property.

The charge for large roll-off containers hauled to the landfill and emptied by the city was set at $1,766.12 for 16-cubic-yard containers with an additional charge of $80 per extra dump.

For 20-cubic-yard containers, the charge is $1,875.08 a year, with a $100 charge per extra dump.

Responding to a question from Alderman Bob Kaul, Swenson said the garbage assessment would be an increase of about $10 a year.

Havre City Council Tuesday unanimously approved the first readings of resolutions setting the taxes and fees needed to pay for flood control, street maintenance, street lights and garbage removal for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

Council President Allen "Woody" Woodwick presided over the meeting. Havre Mayor Tim Solomon and Council members Gerry Veis and Janet Trethewey were excused from attending the meeting, Woodwick said.

The assessments were broken down by service, with the total for flood control in the Bull Hook Maintenance District requiring property owners to pay a share of a total of $112,069 for the year.

The property tax assessment for street maintenance was set at a total of $446,285, with property owners paying a share of that charge based on the length of street fronting their property.

City Clerk and Finance Director Lowell Swenson, responding to a question from Alderman Bob Kaftan, said the amount for street light maintenance is more complex. A separate exhibit detailed the amounts for that, with the amount dependent on which district designated by NorthWestern Energy the property sits, Swenson said.

In its preliminary budget for the year, the city has set $282,000 for street light maintenance, with $275,000 of that budgeted for electricity.

The last item was for solid waste, or garbage collection and disposal. The amount approved in the first reading was for $109.54 per residence.

The resolution set a charge of $54.77 for each additional living unit per property.

The charge for large roll-off containers hauled to the landfill and emptied by the city was set at $1,766.12 for 16-cubic-yard containers with an additional charge of $80 per extra dump.

For 20-cubic-yard containers, the charge is $1,875.08 a year, with a $100 charge per extra dump.

Responding to a question from Alderman Bob Kaul, Swenson said the garbage assessment would be an increase of about $10 a year.