Malta City Council recap for March

As temperatures rose in Phillips County last week, so too did tractor-buckets as the Malta City Public Works crew continues to remove snow from locations in the City to be deposited near the City Shop, south of town.

"A total of $28,992.50 has been spent so far and that does not include today's hauling," Malta Public Works Director Jim Truelove said of snow removal at last Tuesday's City Council meeting.

Malta Mayor John Demarais said the money for snow removal will come out of the street maintenance budget and Councilman David Rummel said that no money was used for snow removal in 2016-17. Mayor Demarais said that the City did receive complaints about how some streets and avenues were plowed, but for the most part, the comments he has received about the snow removal have been positive.

"When we first started out, we were kind of being bad-mouthed by a few people, but that was the vocal minority against the silent majority and the silent majority won I think," Mayor Demarais said. "You (Director Truelove) can tell your guys that they did a wonderful job considering the circumstances."

Director Truelove informed council that for the rest of the week, snow removal would focus on the area pinched in-between the Municipal Pool and Malta Elementary School as well as near the Malta Firehouse.

During the new business portion of the Monday night meeting (moved up one day because of scheduling conflicts), downtown angle parking was approved (four votes to none) for a second time in City limits this month, this time on the south side of South 1st Street East from the Great Northern Hotel to the front of the Stockman Bar and then the north side of South 1st Street West from Patty's Greenhouse to in front of 138 S. Street W. The change to how vehicles can park in certain areas of town follows a request from several business owners in the area. Parking near the GN and in front of such businesses as Todd's Technology, Hardware Hank and Family Matters have been of the angle sort since it was installed on a trial basis in 2004, but after last Monday meeting is now on the books as such.

Mayor Demarais read one letter asking to not approve angle parking near Central Avenue Pit Crew, but the motion to angle parking in that area had already been approved at the first City Council meeting the second week of March.

During his regular City Works report, Director Truelove informed the Council that he had recently talked with a representative from Big Sky Pools and learned that the Malta Municipal Pool should be repainted, repaired and ready to open around June 1 (the pool will be open for lifeguard training before that time.)

During new business, Mayor Demarais informed the council that the Malta City Gymnasium would be receiving a new Public Address system as several local organizations have donated money toward the project (including the Phillips County Hospital, Phillips County Motor Sports and Malta Chapter Walleyes Unlimited...each of the three organizations rent the gym for their annual banquets.)