City updates water'sewer planning, approves bids and a skatepark grant

City Administrator Mr. Sykes told the Libby City Council that a recent tour with Lindsay Priora, division administrator for the Water Quality Division at the state DEQ, highlighted opportunities and constraints in current and future water infrastructure planning.

Sykes described the Cabinet Heights main upgrade and urged consideration of future-proofing mains when digging: "If you're already digging up a water main, why put out a million dollars for adequate water when you could upgrade for future growth and not waste funding," he said. He also reviewed sludge-management options at the sewage treatment plant and said the city is pursuing Class A treatment because it is less expensive to manage and could allow beneficial reuse or sale. He explained the composting requirement: solids must be kept above 131 degrees Fahrenheit for a sustained period (for within-vessel treatment, 131'F for three consecutive days; for windrow composting the pile must be maintained and turned five times within 15 days).

Sykes summarized grant activity for a needed lift station replacement: the mayor received an MSEP award of $500,000, RRGL funds of $125,000 have been received, and the project is roughly $1.2 million; staff will compete this fall for a CDBG grant expected to range from $400,000 to $600,000, which could leave a remaining local share to be covered by loans or capital-improvement funds depending on final awards.

Staff also said WWC Engineering will begin a hydrology/source-water protection study (phase one estimated at about $60,000 from a $250,000 NRDP grant) to evaluate whether to remove a spoils pile; test pits by Noble will identify spoil composition to inform bidding and next steps.

On procurement and contracts the council took several actions: it awarded the propane supply bid to City Service Falcon (the low bidder offering 25 cents over rack price versus 65 cents from the other bidder), approved a three-year audit contract with Nexus CPA Group to replace the prior firm (noting modest projected savings), and approved claims and two new business licenses (Bowie's Handyman Services and Mountain Edge Media LLC).

The council also approved a community-development grant of up to $5,000 (with receipts) to cover cost overruns at the new skatepark mini-ramp installed at Fireman's Park. Ben Montgomery, who requested the funding, said overages were driven by freight and materials and proposed adding sod and two benches; council members asked for receipts and installation details and approved the grant on a motion.

Unfinished business included research into an abandonment request for property off a city service road; staff reported deed and Department of Revenue discrepancies dating back to 1964 and will prepare options for the council at a future meeting.

The meeting closed with routine committee announcements and adjournment.