4x4 RID listening session, discussion dominates Lincoln Government Day

A listening session to discuss and take comments on a potential Rural Improvement District that would cover the cost of applying dust control to the 4x4 Road filled the meeting room at the Lincoln Library for the monthly Lewis and Clark County Commission meeting last Friday.

A 4x4 Road RID has been in the works for several months, but suffered a setback in August when Commissioners denied the request to form the district after learning the boundary included a parcel of state school trust land, which is exempt from paying into the district. The school trust land, as well as concerns and confusion about the RID voiced by some residents during a meeting in Helena on the issue prompted commissioners to take the advice of county staff, who recommended scrapping the proposal.

"We have to go back to the start line, reconfigure the boundary and start with a new process," said County Planning Director Peter Italiano.

The new process opens the door to adjusting the boundaries of the district, which was among one of the concerns brought up at meetings in August, due to the 'benefitting properties' model the county uses to establish which properties will pay into the RID.

By using the benefitting properties standard, property owners who own a single large parcel will pay the same single assessment, whereas land owners with several smaller parcels will pay multiple assessments. Likewise, if a property can be accessed using any portion of the 4x4 Road are considered benefitting properties.

That idea doesn't sit well with Jesse Sallin, who owns two lots on Snow Fleury and uses about a third of a mile of 4x4 Road. She explained that she doesn't relish the idea of paying for the dust abatement since she would see very little benefit yet be charged the same per parcel as a property owner who lives directly on 4x4 Road.

Starting the RID process anew opens the door for possibly including Snow Drift, Snow Fleury and perhaps even Abe Lincoln Road in the district, but it's not a given.

"If we included them in one fell swoop, the assessment would be considerably higher," Italiano said. Including them would also mean property owners in the district who don't use any part of those roads would have to pay for a cost for a benefit they would never see, which bolsters an argument that those roads should seek supplementary RIDs for dust control. They would nevertheless still pay into the 4x4 Road RID, if it's approved.

Italiano explained that under state law there are only three methods available to the county for the assessment of RID costs: Assessed value, lineal foot and the flat rate for benefitted properties. He explained that assessed value varies greatly depending on a property's improvement. The idea there is that the more valuable a property, the more likely it is that the owner has money and uses the road more often. However, Italiano said he's never found that argument to hold up, in areas like Lincoln. The lineal foot method likewise disproportionality impacts property owners with corner lots.

Andy Hunthausen, the chairman of the County Commission, said they look at it as benefiting properties, since they have no way of knowing how many people may use a specific property in the future.

"Each one of them has pros and cons," said Commissioner Susan Good Geise. "The one that looks like it works the best is by lot. Is it perfect? No, it is not. Is it the best of the three? Probably, but I think it's fair that we request that planning look at that and see if that is the most equitable way."

She said as the process moves forward, there will be ample opportunity for people to participate, including protesting the RID.

Italiano explained that the requirement for a petition that kicks off the process should be satisfied by the one signed earlier this year, which means someone from the 4x4 area must simply formally request that they begin the RID process.

Law Enforcement Updates

In addition to the RID discussion, the meeting included an update from Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton, who said they are working on moving the Sheriff's Office into their new Law and Justice Center at 406 Fuller Avenue, which will allow work to begin on converting the old building into a three-floor detention facility.

Dutton also announced that Deputy Robert Rivera will take over as the Lincoln Deputy in December. Rivera has about five years of law enforcement experience, but is completing his probationary periods as Lewis and Clark County Deputy Sheriff.

"He was selected to be your deputy. He has an interest in this community, He's going to live in this community," Dutton said.

LCSO Captain Brent Colbert said in the meantime, other deputies are taking turns covering the Lincoln area.

"It's nice for the rest of our staff to get to know this town, this area, you people, everything," he said.

Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Jesse Knaff also addressed the group, to put concerns about her work in Lincoln to rest. Knaff said she's been confronted more than once by people saying they don't see her working in town, but she said she has actually been spending more time in Lincoln that she probably should, considering her area of responsibility spans from the Augusta area west past Clearwater Junction, and includes the areas south to Helena.

"Just because you don't see me, doesn't mean I'm not around," she said. "I'm out there, I promise."

Speed

In relation to speeding around Lincoln, the meeting involved a discussion about the speed limits east of town, out to the Lincoln Airport.

Given the increased traffic to the Lincoln Ranger Station, Sculpture in the Wild and the airport, the 70-mph speed limit in that area is seen by some locals as excessive

Hunthausen explained that the county has asked the Montana Department of Transportation for multiple traffic studies over the year, but have been repeatedly told that, under their standards, the current speed limit is as low as they can go in that area.

Bill Frisbee, chairman of the Upper Blackfoot Valley Community Council, has dealt with concerns about speed limits several times in recent years. He said under the MDT guidelines, if 80 percent of the people are going a certain speed, that determines the speed limit.

"If 80 percent of the people are going 90-miles an hour, they can make the argument that that's what the speed limit should be," he said.

Dawn Charron suggested a different solution, if the speeds can't be changed.

"What are the options of changing the passing zone? That would make a difference right there." She said. "Making the road from the edge of town to the airport a no-passing zone may help slow people down."

Although he doesn't hold out a lot of hope for a change, given experience, County Public Works Director Eric Griffin works agreed to contact MDT about the change in traffic patterns related to the number of people who visit Sculpture in the Wild, which he felt probably warrants a new look at speeds in the area.

Lincoln Gulch

Griffin also provided an update on the washout on North Lincoln Gulch Road. He said they've finalized the plan to install an 85-foot by 90-inch culvert at the Glory Hole, and are waiting on Permit approval from the Army Corps of Engineers. He admitted there's as possibility they may not be able to get the work done this year, depending on what Mother Nature throws this way.