PONDERAY — The City Council unanimously approved the development of a new capital improvement and pavement management plan during a lengthier meeting Monday where street projects dominated discussion.

The plan, set to be completed by Century West Engineering, will review the surfaces and grade all the paved roads in Ponderay. Ryan Luttmann, a representative of Century West, said the review will help the city establish what roads need attention first and create a better plan for the future. 

“When we look at the dollars towards pavement maintenance and preservation, kind of understanding and your justification as to why you selected the roads that you did,” Luttmann said. “It gives us an empirical understanding of why we're looking at what roads, as opposed to, well, we picked these three because of the sound of the name.” 

Ponderay Planning Director Kayleigh Miller said the city needs to update the plan to stay competitive with grants. Councilor Brenda Thompson said she wanted to ensure money from the city’s recently passed local option tax goes toward maintaining the city’s current roads.  

“I know we will be building new roads. That is going to happen,” Thompson said. “But I don't want to see us building so many roads that when this local option tax ends, we don't have the means to maintain that.” 

In addition to the approved plan, the council also unanimously approved the execution of a memorandum of agreement considering signage at the Brownfield site near the historic smelter site. The MOA establishes the basic layout of signage with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Idaho State Historic Preservation office. 

Thompson expressed concern that the signage might be too big and overbearing on the natural landscape. Miller said the approval set a minimum size for the signage at around 1,200 square inches and that the council would have more time to give input on content, size and location once the MOA was signed. 

“I think we can stipulate what style of the sign would be at each of those locations based on where it's going and what makes sense with the trail around there,” Miller said. “Then the agreement would require us to consult with SHIPO, the [Kalispell] tribe and the Historical Society regarding the content that we put on the signs and the design at the time.” 

Miller said she hopes to get this squared away soon so that construction can begin on the project. Ponderay’s Brownfield grant funds, which come from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, need to be spent by September 2026, making this a high priority item for the city. 

The council also approved a modification to their contract with Alta, which is managing the construction of the project alongside DEQ. Miller said this change would streamline the process significantly while keeping it within budget.  

Mayor Steve Geiger said the groups are expecting a two-month construction timeline, once work at the site begins.  

“It's just amazing all the work, agencies and people that have put so much time and energy into this thing for so many years,” Geiger said. “It's going to boil down to construction projects in a year, once we get going, maybe two months.” 

In addition to those projects, the council also approved the modification of the drainage for Warbonnet Way, a new paved street behind the Bonner Mall. Miller said with the modifications, the road should be paved and completed this year. 

Ponderay City Council’s next scheduled meeting is on Feb. 17 at 5:30 p.m. in council chambers.