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Libby council discusses Community Development Fund and a youth‑baseball funding request
Summary
Councilors discussed revisions to the Community Development Fund application and policy, heard a request for $1–$4,450 to improve Rump Field ahead of a June tournament, and asked the applicant to return April 7 with final numbers; staff reported about $8 million in past fund dispersals.
Councilors continued a multi‑meeting discussion about the City of Libby Community Development Fund and heard a funding request from the Loggertown Baseball Club.
Kelly Morford (speaker 11) described plans to host a regional youth tournament in June with roughly 16 visiting teams from locations including Flathead Valley, Missoula, Bozeman, Butte and Calgary. Morford requested between $1 and $4,450 to address immediate field needs—nets for a T‑ball field, fresh dirt, a wind screen, and a second batting cage—and said Roundup for Safety had pledged about $4,000 toward fencing materials.
Council discussed how the Community Development Fund should be administered. One council member recommended removing the term "infrastructure" from the application because the fund should prioritize downtown appearance and functional enhancements rather than major water and sewer projects. Building Official Sykes (speaker 8) said a rough accounting review identified about $8,000,000 in past dispersals from the fund and offered to provide a more detailed breakdown covering the last five to 10 years.
Council asked Morford to return to the April 7 meeting with precise numbers and a contract to clarify the city's involvement; one councilor suggested a matching grant approach. Council member (speaker 4) recommended approving a $4,450 match in principle but the council did not finalize a funding award on March 7—Morford was asked to return with exact figures for formal action.
Council also approved updates to committee procedures and said staff will implement the revised rules; public commenters urged that committee practices meet Montana Code Annotated requirements for minutes and public deliberation.
(Reporting based on discussion and public comment during the March 7 meeting.)
