The Polson City Commission approved Push Play’s request to create a public splash pad behind the Seventh Avenue Skatepark.  

Push Play is a nonprofit organization composed of community members dedicated to building playgrounds across the reservation. The group recently completed a playground at the Ronan Skatepark and is now interested in removing the old playground equipment in the sand pit to advance the Polson City Park.  

George Simpson, interim city manager and Push Play member, presented the item to the commission during their most recent meeting on Monday, July 20. The splash pad will be about 2,000 square feet, encompassing the entire area of the current sand pit.  

Simpson said he spoke with Ashley Walker, the city public works director, who said there is already city infrastructure in place that would support this. He also noted that this equipment will be shut off during the winter months and that many components of the splash pad are motion-activated, meaning water will not flow continuously from this equipment.  

Simpson said this project has already been approved by the Parks Advisory Board, and the city will take over maintenance once everything is purchased and installed. The Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes have committed $100,000 to help fund this project, according to CSKT Financial Director Greg Spahr. 

Simpson noted that this will provide an activity for children and young families on that side of town. He said that currently there is really nothing on the west side, and if nothing is done to the park, it could become a blighted part of town.  

The commission unanimously approved Push Play's request.  

Also on the agenda was the approval to adopt the capital improvement plan for the City of Polson Fire Department. Simpson explained that as part of budget season, large departments within the city will bring the commission their five- to 10-year capital improvement plans.  

This will benefit the city through this year’s budgeting process, future savings and future budgets. Simpson also noted that this usually improves grant eligibility.  

The fire department presented a ten-year capital improvement plan that encompasses long-term strategic goals, including building a second station, maintaining and replacing apparatus and equipment, and increasing the department's ISO rating. The plan also detailed converting the current station into a training center and supporting volunteer recruitment, training and operational readiness.  

The plan document details the estimated costs of several items, from the new station property purchase at $300,000, a new command vehicle at $100,000, construction of the new station at $5-8 million, to smaller general equipment replacements.  

The document stated that the funding strategy should combine multiple sources, such as annual general fund allocations, dedicated apparatus and equipment funds reserves and grants. 

Fire Chief Kevin Straub presented the agenda item to the commission and said it gives the commission a good understanding of upcoming costs. He added that it also gives the department the opportunity to go after grants.  

Straub said this does not mean the commission is approving a $1.8 million ladder truck, but this plan is a way to look ahead and plan funding for those items. 

Commissioner Lisa Rehard told Straub that some of his deadlines are a bit optimistic, especially for the construction of the second station, which is listed as a 2028 project. However, Straub noted that this is a live document that will be accessed every one to two years.  

Rehard added that this plan provides continuity for the commission and keeps them all focused on the same goals, especially when the commissioners are ever-changing elected officials.  

The commission unanimously approved the fire department’s capital improvement plan.  

Prioritizing the people 

In addition to the regular meeting that evening, the commission also held a budget workshop at 5 p.m. The budget meeting included Finance Officer Jodi O’Sullivan and Simpson, who explained the different government funds the city has.  

O’Sullivan is just beginning to prepare the budget documents, utilizing last year's actual tax revenue, but the final property tax revenue will not be available to the city until possibly Aug. 3. O’Sullivan explained that it is difficult to estimate the city's typical property tax revenue this year due to recent changes in the state legislature.  

Simpson said currently he and O’Sullivan are working with department heads to determine their budgetary needs. The budget hearing is currently planned for mid-August.  

Based on his observations of previous commission meetings, he believes the commission would like to prioritize funding for street projects and create a full-time code enforcement officer position. As he and O’Sullivan work through the preliminary budget, they are determining how to fund a code enforcement position.  

He has also spoken to Walker about ensuring that extra funds are dedicated towards street and water projects. However, Simpson said he believes people should be the priority over projects, meaning raises should come before the project.  

“For example, we have three people in the streets department, and if we don't pay them, there's not going to be anybody to build that,” he said. “But that’s just my two cents … it’s very important.”  

Simpson explained that the funding for raises is difficult because, for example, he tries to buy a police vehicle every year as chief of police. But if he were to hold off and not purchase a car to fund officer raises, then he would be behind on his vehicle purchase and behind on his capital improvement plan.  

He explained that while he could provide raises that year, he would need to use those funds to purchase a vehicle the following year, leaving no funds for raises.  

Simpson said the commission has to assess what is an emergency project and what is the priority to keep “good, talented people here.”  

“All the departments have great people, and it just amazes me how many of them stick around for what we’re paying them, and that's how you know that you got the best people,” he said.

In other agenda items, the commission also approved a motion to allow the city’s contract engineering firm, HDR Engineering, to apply for a Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation grant.  

This grant will allow HDR to create a preliminary engineering report for the Transportation and Stormwater Master Plan. According to the agenda item summary, this grant value can be up to $40,000.  

The commission also received the contract from UAZ Law Firm, which is the law firm the commission requested to work with regarding the golf course lease. The commission had decided to work with a civil law firm to help determine the feasibility of a lease and the legal roadmap for it.  

According to the agenda item, the contract is estimated to cost $30,000 to $35,000. This work was broken down into two phases. Phase one is a feasibility assessment at an estimated cost of $8,000, and phase two is legal counsel, advice and representation for the city regarding a proposed lease at an estimated cost of $20,000-25,000.  

This money will come out of the golf enterprise fund. The commission approved the contract with one vote against from Commissioner Jake Holley. Holley said he was torn on which way to vote because he believes these funds could be used on projects at the golf course, but he also said he believes this information is important for the city to know.  

Also, during the commission meeting, Mayor Laura Dever swore in three new firefighters, Riley Hubbard, Elise Steinhoff and Ben Armstrong.  

The next commission meeting is Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.