Hungry Horse news., 1955-05-06
New Falls Council Has Busy Session

New business before Columbia |
Falls city council at their May
meeting Monday in addition to sal
aries, appointments and taking Of
flee included water rates, stop
lights and signs, dead end streets,
building inspections, chlorination
of water, electrician and plumber
licenses, indiscriminate trailer
parking, cesspool sizes, cleanup
and housing project improvements.
The meeting started at 8 and
lasted until after 11:30.
sPRINkLING FEE
Payable June / will be the an
nual sprinkling fee that was SIS
for two lots or So for one lot. The
blanket Is per cent increase on
water rates in effect this spring
will result in the sprinkling pay
ment becoming $625 for two lots
and 1918 for one lot. The council
found it did not have the legal
right to charge less without filing
an application with the Public
Service Commission in Helena.
Most of the council are on flat
rate.
However the council found it
could grant reduced rate to meter
users who have been paying more
for water than most residents on
fiat rates. Meter users will pay 10
cents a thousand gallons for
sprinkler use instead OF Is cents
as they did last summer.
Basis of computation in domestic
use is figured on the average
amount of water used during the
seven non growing months. Wa
ter used above this average will
be considered for sprinkling.
Meter users pay $1.8O for the
first $500 gallons used in a month
and then 40 cents for the next 500
gallons; after that it is 40 cents a
thousand gallons, except for
sprinkling it will be 10 cents for
each thousand gallons. Average
flat rate users pay $2.95 for all
the water they want.
AS was the case last fall, Column
bia Falls residents can water yards
every day if they desire from 6
am. to 10 pm. Supply of water is
viewed as adequate.
Sentiment OF the council is that
sprinkling and yard Improvement
helps the city's appearance.
Decision was to leave stop signs
at stop light corners for use when
the lights are turned off or not
working. Two of the four lights are
turned off part of the time.
STOP LIGHT TIMING
Police Chief Good informed the
council that new timers were COM
ing that would double the number
Of seconds lights were on green
for traffic from the side streets.
Ray Murphy and Basil Everin
requested permission to plant the
end of Fourth street East at the
bank into lawn and officially close
the dead end street. Councilman
Schoenberg is to meet with inter-
ested land owners adjacent to dead
end streets to see what provisions
can be worked out for landscaping
A discussion of building inspec-
lions was led by Howard Greene
water, housing commissioner and
building inspector. Fees charged
and fee split between the city and
inspector were discussed.
A letter from the State Board OF
Health to DIR. w. F. Bennett, city
health officer, about lack of chlor-
inators on the new city wells was
read. Chlorinators are to be in
stalled before the wells are usec
again. This is part of the contrac'
for the pump houses.
A favorable report from thu
Board Of Health on city water wa.
received.
LICENSED ELECTRICIANS
A letter from Casey Electric co
pointed out that the city had cleo
tricians at work who had not pait
the city's annual $40 fee. Licensed
electricians as of Wednesday arr
Fay Loveall, Joe Opalka, William
Schmidt, Ralph Smith, w. A. Bose
Rein Electric and Casey Electric
Licensed plumbers in Columbi'
Falls are Clarence Clapper, Jacl
Hoerner, L. A. Schamp and JAIME
Clark.
w. A. Bose had a written re-
quest before the courcil for per
mission to erect a concrete blocl
or sheet metal garage behind hi
building on Nucleus avenue. 1t wa
pointed out that the fire zone pro
hibits anything but brick and mas
onry construction, and that plan
should be submitted to the buildin
inspector.
Attorney Cumming asked tn
council to take action to have
new building code patterned on tn
National Board of Fire Under
writer's. The council agreed. 7
work on the new code will be May
or Benzien, Greene and Council
men Orndorf and Clark.
Also to be reviewed is the pres
ent obsolete traffic code.
CLEANUP NEEDED
Councilman Krona said that be
fore the city becomes too concern
ed about cleanup, the city ha
premises themselves should I
cleaned up.
Otter Of Clapper Motor Co., G.
Bank Of $40 for the antique steal
roller owned by the city was r.
ceived. Oliver Fredriksen offere
$50.
Tredriksen also pointed o.
to the council that indiscrimina'
placing OF trailers all over the CT
was diScouaging real estate sale
He was advised that the zoni1