Mayor Ryan Corum and the Ronan City Council took care of business quickly at their Jan. 28 meeting.

After bills and other housekeeping items, the council unanimously voted to appoint Jody Hooker to the Ronan Board of Adjustments for a two-year term from Jan. 28, 2026, to Feb. 28, 2028.

Ronan city attorney Ben Anciaux referred Hooker to the mt.gov website and code 76-2-223 to learn more about the responsibilities of the board.

In unfinished business, council member Larry Hall moved to approve an added explanation to the quick claim deed from the City of Ronan to Pines of Ronan. The motion was seconded by Lindsey Meyers. This action was recommended by Anciaux and the Lake County Clerk and Recorder to reaffirm the transfer.

“Basically, we (the City of Ronan) traded PAL Memory Care 30 feet from the city’s property in front of PAL’s property for 30 feet (of PAL’s) at the back of their property,” explained Dan Miller, Ronan’s director of public works. “That would be half a street if the property ever gets developed.”

The motion was unanimously approved.

In response to a question about the final product for the GPS Mapping item that appeared in the bills, Miller said it would be both a paper and an electronic plat of the city’s water system, where the meters are, etc., that could be added to as the city grows. The map could be viewed on a laptop or a tablet.

Miller noted that Rehbein Construction is planning to build 16 fourplexes between the city shop and the hospital. He doesn’t’ know if they will be for sale or for rent.

“Expand housing, we expand our tax base,” Miller added.

City Clerk Kaylene Melton said she was glad to have new administrative worker Gwen Zolda on board.

Before the meeting adjourned, Mayor Corum said Fire Chief Chris Adler wanted him to extend an invitation to the council members for the annual fire department banquet. It will be held Feb. 28 at Cheers in Pablo with a social hour at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m.

Corum asked council members to let him know at the Feb. 11 city council meeting if they would attend.

The mayor said he’d like to see the speed limit lowered from about Ace Hardware to Don Aadsen Ford and wanted to see what council members thought about the idea. There have been some wrecks there, and it’s a busy area with Valley Bank, the Dollar Store, a coffee shop, Harvest Foods, McDonald’s, Cenex and the Old Creamery Mall.

“People coming into town are haulin’,” he said.

Council discussed the issue, and Miller suggested starting by talking to Dan Marinen at the highway department shop to see where to start.

Another project Corum and Council member Larry Hall had talked about was working more closely with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, a major ally for Ronan. Hall suggested a quarterly meeting with the tribes.

The next council meeting will be Feb. 11.