City Council approves loan to Havre Eagles Manor

Havre City Council approved a $125,000 loan Monday to the Havre Eagles Manor to make repairs in the retirement living facility.

Affiliated Developers Inc., a Michigan nonprofit, is in the process of purchasing the Eagles Manor, working in conjunction with a Montana company during this process, Havre City Clerk and Finance Director Doug Kaercher said in an interview Monday.

The loan is guaranteed by the nonprofit, Havre Mayor Tim Solomon said during Monday's council meeting.

That guarantee is in place even if the sale falls through, Kaercher said this morning.

Push to keep fighting on Amtrak

During the meeting, council member Terry Lilletvedt also brought up the status of the Amtrak station.

Amtrak, which closed its ticket office in Havre June 1, still has not responded to the council, the mayor or the state's members of Congress who have attempted to contact Amtrak President and CEO Richard H. Anderson, Solomon said.

He added that the Amtrak representative who spoke by telephone at the special City Council meeting May 24 has yet to answer the majority of the concerns that were brought to him during the special meeting.

Solomon said the only concern that the representative addressed was pre-tickets for railroad retirees, saying that people who use the pre-tickets should talk to BNSF or whoever issued the pre-tickets for more details.

Lilletvedt said community members should continue to contact their members of Congress and continue voicing their concerns with Amtrak.

Lilletvedt added that she has spoken to Butte-based Town Pump, and company representatives suggested that their two locations within Havre could possibly sell Amtrak tickets if permitted by the national passenger rail service.

Rehabilitation of Eagles Manor

In the Eagles Manor sale, the City of Havre loan is for repairing and upgrading the elevator, which has been out of service for the past year, as well as replacing heat pumps and making other small repairs. The loan from the city is short-term, requiring the nonprofit to repay it within the next two to three years, Solomon said.

The money is from a Rental Rehabilitation Fund which passes from the federal government through the state to local governments, set up for housing, and is specifically designated for projects such as this, Kaercher said during the meeting.

The loan has been approved by the state for this project and once the loan has been repaid it will be available for use outside of housing rehabilitation, making it available for other projects and programs within the city of Havre, Solomon said.

Kirk Bruce, executive director for Affiliated Developers, said this morning that the company has worked in Montana for a number of years and is focused on affordable housing. It has taken over management of two other properties in the state in recent years, Franklin School Apartments in Great Falls and another location in Helena.

In addition to the Havre Eagles Manor, the company is also planning to purchase Oakwood Village here and is working to finalize the purchases, Bruce said. He said the company also plans substantial rehabilitation on the Eagles Manor, with the intent to spend $35,000-$45,000 per unit.

He said he was unsure how long it would take to finalize the sale.

Officers appointed - and commended

During Monday's meeting, Havre Police Chief Gabe Matosich introduced to the council the two officers he recommended appointing to the force. He recommended appointing dispatcher Larry Virts to the position of probationary officer back with the Havre Police Department and to confirm the appointment of Probationary Officer Brandon Olson as a full officer in the department.

He said Virts has been involved with the Police Department since 2005 and has worked as a dispatcher for the past several years and now will continue his career as a patrol officer. Virts was previously an officer for Havre police as well as the Hill County Sheriff's Office, has an extensive training record and has met all the necessary requirements for this position, Matosich said.

"I believe Larry will continue to be a great asset to Havre PD and would recommend him for the position of probationary patrol officer effective June 8th," Matosich said.

The council approved the motion and Virts was sworn in.

Matosich also introduced  Olson to the council. Olson will complete his one-year probationary period June 12 and has met all the requirements as a police officer, Matosich said.

Matosich added that Olson has proven to be to be a hard worker and has great professional skills to continue his work as a police officer.

"I believe Brandon will be a tremendous asset to the Havre PD and would recommend him to the position of Patrol Officer effective June 12," Matosich said.

The council approved the motion.

Matosich also presented Olson with a commendation recommended by Olson's sergeant for his professionalism.

April 9, a person reported a man was constantly parking outside her residence for hours, creating a great amount of fear and concern for the caller and her daughter, which made them unable to sleep at night, Matosich said.

He said Olson responded to the residence to investigate the incident. Olson was able to identify the man from a previous complaint, where he sat in his parked car for long periods of time. The man told Olson he was playing Pokemon Go, where people use an app installed on their phone to catch virtual Pokemon.

Olson told the caller this, eliminating her and her daughter's fears, Matosich said. The caller called back later to commend Olson for his professionalism and said that he was very nice and she was proud to have spoken with him.

Matosich presented Officer Olson with a certificate of commendation in addition to a commendation pin to be worn on the officer's uniform.