Council discusses flooding, new skid-steer, greenway

Last week, Plains Mayor Danny Rowan along with council members met at Town Hall for their monthly meeting.

The council was given a brief update on the wastewater treatment lagoons, to which most members were aware of the impending threat caused by rising flood waters in the Clark Fork River.

With continued spring runoff and rain expected in coming weeks, Rowan is working closely with representatives of the county and the Army Corps of Engineers to ensure they are doing what they can to slow the erosion of the bank and keep the lagoons.

“The sewer lagoons are still intact. The rising water has washed out the access road to the lagoons. Water has crested and receded approximately 1 foot as of 7 p.m. Sunday [May 13] evening,” said Rowan.

“The Army Corps of Engineers informed me today that they are predicting even higher water toward the end of the week, so we aren’t out of danger yet. They are still placing rip rap on the riverbanks and anticipate being done Tuesday. No flooding has been reported within the city limits,” he added.

Also in the meeting the Plains Public Works Department requested the town purchase a skid-steer to add to the fleet of machinery. The skid-steer would be a pivotal piece of equipment that could be used across all seasons and all departments.

Council members agreed that it would be a smart purchase for the city and one that will allow for more effective work when it comes to intricate jobs within the town.

Mayor Rowan also made mention that when it comes to road work or any water line breaks in tight spaces, that the front-end loader would potentially struggle due to its size.

The other benefit they agreed to is that a purchase of a skid-steer would have the ability to be used year-round.

Greg Welty, who heads the Public Works Department, spoke briefly during the meeting and answered the council’s questions. He recommend a local purchase of a skid-steer after researching prices and availability.

Council members took into consideration the availability and would look at the details to ensure a purchase of new equipment could be afforded in the budget.

Next on the agenda, there was talk of creating a greenway access to the main greenway of Plains that sits across from the Public Library.

The greenway access project was approved and will look similar to the one that sits across from Rocky Mountain Bank. This will allow those with limited mobility to access the greenway from the road without the risk of possibly falling while attempting to cross through the ditch.

The Plains Police Department Ford Expedition was also spoken about during the meeting.

The vehicle used mainly by Officer Harvey has in past years been failing. The vehicle recently failed again with an expected $3,000 mechanic bill to bring it back to operational standards.

Due to its continuation of expending money and mechanical issues, council decided that it would be in the long-term interest to decommission the vehicle until such time they could purchase a new one.

At present the police department is using the reserve vehicle they have in the fleet. They are also waiting on hopeful grants that were submitted earlier in the year that would aid in the department purchasing a new fleet vehicle.

Definitive news also broke that Plains City Judge Joe Eisenbrandt had officially retired from office. Rowan expressed thanks to Eisenbrandt for his almost eight years of service to the community and wished him a happy retirement.

With the job vacancy now open, Rowan also expressed that they are currently seeking his replacement. Until they can secure a new judge, Judge Dryden will be hearing cases at City Hall. However he will be handling paperwork and calls from his office in Thompson Falls.

Finally the meeting talked of the upcoming clean-up day for Plains. Rowan said plans for the event continue to progress forward.

“Studs, Gambles and Plains Drug have committed to supplying gloves, trash bags and hand sanitizer,” he said.

“Blackfoot has committed to supplying $200, 15cases of bottled water and also four tree trimmers and a bucket truck,” he added.

These donations from local businesses aid in helping the town keep costs down, and also effectively allow volunteers to help those that are in need to get their years cleaned. At this stage, with the event being of a volunteer nature it shouldn’t cost the town any expenses to fund it.

The Public Works Department will also be looking to work on this event on Friday as part of their work day.

The tree trimming alone is expected to save a couple of thousand dollars, as officials have identified at least several trees that will need trimming and or removal. Costs per tree had been estimated to cost over $700.

The county also informed Rowan that they will bring a dumpster to town and waive the fee for refrigerators and non-typical garbage for the elderly and disable.

“We will have a collection point across the street from the public works building for tires at a cost of $1.25 a piece. This is a reduction in price compared to taking the to the dump,” said Rowan.

He also acknowledged Amber Diamond who went door-to-door recently speaking with residents, and also compiled a list of those who would like help.