Council approves street-sweeper match and adopts sidewalk and Spruce Street safety recommendations

Councilor Burgerer reported a fast-turnaround invitation from the Montana Department of Transportation to apply for a replacement street sweeper. He said city staff identified a 2018 Schwarze A7 Tornado unit priced at $104,737 and that the local match in the application is 13.42 percent. Because the application deadline was short, Burgerer said he coordinated internally and asked council to approve the local match so the city could meet the grant deadline; council approved the match by motion and voice vote.

Burgerer told council the used unit would be shipped to Libby and would include one day of complimentary training. He said a new unit would cost about $400,000, and the used unit price would represent a substantial discount if the grant selection is successful.

Separately, the Light Streets and Sidewalks Committee reported unanimous recommendations to (1) put the annual sidewalk program out to bid to secure one contractor and standardize prices so city program money stretches further, and (2) install pedestrian crossing signage at two Spruce Street crossings, set a 20 mph speed limit on Spruce Street between Highway 2 and the port gate, and place no-parking signs on the south side of Spruce Street between the public restrooms and the end of the second court. Council approved the committee recommendations by voice vote.

Next steps: staff will complete the grant application and proceed with procurement steps if the grant is awarded; staff will also prepare the sidewalk bidding documents and install signage on Spruce Street as authorized.