City amends budget for downtown master plan

Following a meeting Monday night Havre City Council members amended the budget to include a Community Development Block Grant/Home Fund Grant to help with the cost of developing a downtown master plan.

Havre was awarded $20,000 by The Montana Department of Commerce through its Main Street Montana program to develop the master plan. The total cost of the master plan is expected to be between $40,000 and $50,000.

The Hill County Community Foundation has provided $5,000 in funding and an announcement concerning the remainder of funding being provided through the Big Sky Trust Fund is expected to occur later this month. 

The amending of the budget was approved unanimously.

The council also approved street closures of Fourth Avenue between Second and Third streets and the alley between Third and Fourth avenues for the purpose of holding an event to showcase Art Alley. The event will be put on by the Hi-Line Arts Council.

The Havre group Downtown Montana Matters has been working to beautify the alley, having strung LED lights in the alley and preparing it for use and events. The group filmed an introductory video in December showcasing local artists in mediums including dance, music, pottery and painting all came together in the alley.

The event is to coincide with the coming spring, celebrate Art Alley, and what Paul Tuss of Downtown Montana Matters said he hopes will be a return to pre-pandemic life for Havre’s citizens. Tuss said the event will be family friendly and will take place from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event will have multiple vendors and food trucks.

“We just think that the community is ready for something like this. The arts council is very supportive of this, and I think that you’re going to see probably quarterly events in this community put on by the Hi-Line Arts Council,” Tuss said.

The event was given the Hill County Health Departments approval in regard to COVID-19 as it is outdoors and will not have buffet lines.

A request to install a wooden sign in Memorial Park to illustrate Hill County’s progress in meeting the Hill County Health Department’s vaccination goal was removed from the meeting agenda. Mayor Tim Solomon said a new location has been found.

The council Ordinance Committee met after the regular council meeting and approved sending to the full council a proposal updating building permit fees for Havre for the first time since 1991.