A proposal to pave Jensen and Berne roads outside Columbia Falls came under heavy scrutiny at a meeting last week.

About 70 people attended an informational meeting on creating a rural improvement district to fund the paving project. Many folks spoke out against the proposal, which would raise tax bills to pay for the project.

A rural special improvement district (SID) is created when a majority of landowners petition the County Commissioners. Such districts are used to finance the building of a public improvement, such as paving a road.

The proposed boundary for the SID includes property along Jensen, Berne, Wildflower Lane, Martini Lane and Mountain Creek Road. The proposal would pave three sections of road: Jensen Road from Kelley Road north to the intersection with Berne Road; Jensen Road from Montana 206 east to the corner where it turns north; and Berne Road from Montana 206 east to the end of Jensen and the beginning of Mountain Creek Road and north.

"When we decided the boundaries we looked at who would utilize and benefit from Jensen and Berne being paved — who has logical and legal access on those dusty roads," said Linda Smith. She, along with Barbara Strouse, created the preliminary work for the SID as part of a project for Leadership Flathead.

Smith said she has 22 signatures on a petition asking the commissioners to create the SID. There are 115 tracts in the proposed SID.

Another 13 lots have a waiver of petitions on the face of the plats that guarantee inclusion in an SID if created. Those lots are in the Wildflower and Vista Bonita subdivisions, which had the waivers signed at the time of creation.

Several owners with lots containing the waiver took exception to their inclusion.

"I don't even access Jensen Road," said one Martini Lane resident. "I move we kill this immediately."

Thursday's meeting ended last week with no discernible decision on whether or not the project might move forward. A majority of landowners would have to petition the county to create the SID. Few folks spoke in favor of creation and those that did were hesitant without costs estimates for the project.

Until the project moves further forward in the process a cost estimate won't be available. Preliminary engineering work has been done on some sites, but more would need to be completed. Some residents said the SID could effectively double their tax bill.

IN THE LAST two years the county has created six SIDs for paving projects.

County Administrative Officer Mike Pence said a petition to the County Commissioners would start the process of creating the SID.

"If the commissioners feel there's enough to merit they'll pass a resolution of intent to form," said Pence. "That would open the door for each owner in the proposed district to protest or voice opinion on the project."

After the resolution is passed more detail work would be done on the cost estimates for the project.

Pence said one of the biggest concerns he hears from citizens is that rural areas are not paved, but the county has been unable to pave any new roads for the last three years. The average county tax bill includes $75 for such projects.

"We can't pave roads when we collect $75 in road taxes (per property)," said Pence.

Some residents disagree that the burden should be left solely up to those living on dirt roads.

"This is a health concern," said one resident. "The dust goes up into the valley from the road. It doesn't seem fair to put this on a few residents."

The county, however, is willing to help with the costs of the road paving.

Pence said the county would pay for the base work on the project and a percentage of the asphalt costs.

That percentage would be based on what percentage of traffic is determined to be generated from outside the neighborhood.

"The county is showing they would pay for a significant portion for this," said Pence.