Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Constituent Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press Lewistown commission on zoning, roads and internet outage during public comment
Summary
Multiple residents used the public comment period to request help with zoning after annexation, road maintenance and potholes, property-boundary and tax questions, and concerns after a recent internet outage; city staff offered contact points and next steps.
Several Lewistown residents used the public-comment period at the Nov. 18 City Commission meeting to press city officials for help with local problems including zoning, road maintenance, weeds on adjacent properties, and an earlier internet outage that disrupted service across the community.
A resident identifying himself as Harold asked whether an area annexed into the city (Southland) had been "zoned in" since annexation around 2015 and said residents believed they were paying city taxes but not receiving services such as road plowing, gravel and sign maintenance. He provided a specific address (134 Southland Road) and described safety concerns when his family had to clear the road to get a vehicle out. City Manager Holly Phelps and staff urged the resident to leave contact information so the city planner (Doug Austerman) and code-enforcement staff could follow up and recommended that the resident call code enforcement to begin an investigation into property ownership and nuisance issues.
Another commenter said tax-assessment acreage on a parcel appeared inconsistent with measured acreage (cited as about 1.89 acres versus 2.5 acres that had been represented at purchase). Staff advised that the resident consult a land surveyor and, if appropriate, a property attorney, and that disputes can be pursued through the assessor's office (Department of Revenue) or clerk/recorder records.
Residents also complained about potholes—particularly near the hospital and on Joy Land Road—and speeding near stop signs. City staff said public-works crews have been performing pothole patching and that callers should report specific locations so crews or police can monitor the sites; staff noted ongoing work on signage improvements. The city reported paying a private utility-location service (811/ULC) for locates (83 locates in October at $145.25) and explained that the city locates mains and curb stops but does not mark private service lines on private property.
Separately, the city acknowledged a recent, community-wide internet outage that disrupted many services and said radio station KXLO helped relay emergency messaging; staff said they will examine redundancy and communications options to reduce impact from future outages.
What happened next: Staff promised to follow up with contact information supplied by speakers, direct code-enforcement and planning staff to investigate ownership and nuisance complaints, and relay road and traffic concerns to public works and the police department.
