Libby council approves updated 20‑year water agreement with International Paper

The Libby City Council voted to approve an updated water supply agreement with International Paper following a presentation by the company’s legal representative and a brief public comment period. Attorney Alan Payne told the council the deal is an update of a 2010 agreement and called it “the best agreement the city could possibly have.”

The agreement was moved, seconded and approved by a voice vote. Council did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript; the motion was announced as carrying. The packet included a mayoral fact sheet that multiple members of the public criticized as incomplete before the vote.

Why it matters: The contract restores a long-standing relationship between the city and a major industrial water user and commits the city to negotiated terms the council said have been under negotiation for many years. The public raised concerns about transparency and past legal handling related to an EPA grant (B968341), urging that citizens be given fuller documentation before a binding vote.

Public concerns and responses: A commenter identifying themselves as “DCR” of 1117 Nevada Avenue read a lengthy written statement saying the mayor’s fact sheet contained “omissions and errors” and asked for a forensic audit of funds tied to an EPA grant covering 2010–2020. The commenter alleged secret negotiations and suggested the settlement process disadvantaged residents affected by pollution. The council let the comments be entered into the record but proceeded to vote. Alan Payne, summarizing the negotiations, said he hoped council members had had the opportunity to review the memo and characterized the outcome as the best deal the city could obtain after a “long slog.”

What’s next: The agreement is approved as recorded in the meeting minutes and will move into implementation steps per the contract terms. No timeline for implementation or detailed budgetary effects were provided in the public discussion; specific financial impacts were not specified in the transcript.

Quotes: “I think this is the best agreement the city could possibly have,” said Alan Payne, who represented the negotiating side. A public commenter said the fact sheet contained “omissions and errors” and urged greater transparency and a forensic audit.

Provenance: Discussion and vote on the IP water agreement took place in the transcript beginning at SEG 179 with the introduction of the agreement and concluding at SEG 349 when the council announced the motion carried.