City eyes 20-year plan for streets, sidewalks

Havre officials are looking at a 20-year, $30 million project to renovate city streets and storm sewers.

Council members say the money is not all that is needed, but it will stave off some of the problems they see coming with the city’s aging infrastructure.

The proposal would raise taxes on a $100,000 home about $450, they figured. They are asking city officials to come up with more exact figures.

Voters would have to approve the proposal to hike taxes.

Members of City Council’s Streets and Sidewalks Committee proposed that nine projects listed by an engineering report last year as the biggest street challenges be tackled first. Then other problem areas could be dealt with. That would cost about $7 million.

They agreed there would be no shortage of bad streets that could be repaired.

“Every time there is a snowstorm or a rainstorm we come up with new candidates,” said Councilman Allen “Woody” Woodwick.

Council members agreed that the tax hike would be hard on some people, especially those on fixed incomes, but they said the alternative would be to see the city's infrastructure further decline.

When considered on a monthly basis, the tax increase is not so bad, said Havre resident Val Murri.

“I would be willing to pay that if the streets were improved,” he said.

They agreed it would be a tough sell.

“Landlords are going to howl,”Woodwick said.

“You have to be altruistic, said Councilwoman Terry Lilletvedt. “It might not be your street that gets done,” she said.

Officials were uncertain about whether sidewalks could be reconstructed at the same time.

Some said the sidewalks are crumbling in some parts of the city.

But Councilwoman Pam Hillery said people who have built their own sidewalks recently .

“If some have done their own sidewalks on their own dime and now you start paying for others, there is going to be an uproar,” she said.

Council members say they were concerned two weeks ago when the cost estimate was first figured. But they think now there will be public support for a major street repair project.

“I feel a lot more positive tonight,” said committee chair Councilman Matt Boucher after the meeting.

Council members will continue to look at the proposal at future meetings