RONAN — The Ronan City Council decided to keep the selection process for city justices an electoral one, shooting down an opportunity for the council’s authority to bypass elections and appoint local judges at Monday night’s meeting.

As the filing season for 2010 judicial position applicants approaches, council members discussed whether the best policy was continue to put the position up for election or appoint one — as the two different methods come with certain legal benefits.

Some councilors argued that an “appointment” method could allow city officials more say over hourly pay, residency, and severance if the judge should have extended health issues. Ronan Mayor Kim Aipperspach said a city the size of Ronan has the option to change to appointment and the matter was open to preference at this time.

Other councilors warned of controversy if the city should make the switch. Ultimately, a motion to keep city justices elected was passed by a 3-2 majority vote.

The mayor and council agreed to fine tune the rules on areas of concern for incoming elected judges this year. Applicants can begin to file this month as the application deadline closes on July 2. The primary, if necessary, is in September followed by election day on Nov. 3.

The city council also unanimously approved a resolution to annex in the R and J Major property across from the city shop.

In other news, the council heard a report on the services provided by the Ronan Public Library presented by Library Director Michelle Fenger and Library Board Chairman Frank Delgado.

“We wanted to let you know what your library is doing for your community and what a truly great asset it is,” Delgado said.

Fenger reported that Ronan Public Library has a service population in the area of over 8,000 people with over half of that being current regular library users over the past two years’ time. Out of the 80 public libraries in Montana, Ronan’s service population is the 25th largest, with the library also ranking 32nd in total circulation (checkouts) and 17th in turn over rate per capita.

The local library offers a lineup of services such as: a typewriter, photocopier, seven public computers and wireless Internet, search databases, microfilm, and old newspaper archives. New and unique additions include a Nintendo Wii to attract youngsters to the library’s game room and a Heritage Quest search system that allows people to research family lineage. The library offers a yoga class Monday nights and is looking to offer other adult education courses soon.

The director added that the revamped summer reading program, with prize incentives, saw a 31 percent increase in participation in 2008 and a 97 percent increase in total hours read.

Fenger said that on a weekly basis, 145 people use the computers and 715 items are checked out. On a monthly basis the library provides approximately $50,207 in services to the community.

Delgado mentioned that the library board would be returning to the council to discuss future plans and needs in the coming months.

The next council meeting will be at 6 p.m. Monday, March 23 followed by a planning commission meeting on March 30.

Ronan school board update

RONAN — The Ronan Board of Education made personnel hirings, thanked retiring/resigning staff for their service, adopted the 2009-10 school calendar and awarded a fuel bid for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years at Monday night’s meeting.

In budget report, Pamela Harris explained that in a preliminary look at the 2009-10 year the district is seeing a deficit for Ronan High School having a decrease of $552,511 from 2008. The elementary school’s enrollment boost has helped the school maintain a healthy budget increase of $229,513 from last year.

Superintendent Andy Holmlund reported that $800,000 in stimulus funds have been allotted by Congress to come back to Montana and be divided up by Gov. Brian Schweitzer and the legislature — $43 million of which is supposed to go to K-12 schools infrastructure around the state. Holmlund added that Schweitzer has already discussed using some of the money to infuse teacher retirement.

“As that money keeps coming in we will answer the big questions: No. 1, how much are we getting and No. 2, what it will available for?” Holmlund said.

The superintendent reminded administrators that the “soft money” from the stimulus package is recommended not to be put into staff positions as when the funding goes away job reductions would then have to be made.

- Reporter Ty Hampton