Sign up for the free Missoula This Week newsletter and stay in the loop on Missoula city government, public school meetings, business news and upcoming entertainment and events. Sign up 10/25/2024“Missoula This Week” is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to [email protected] utility rates set to increase Jan. 1 The Missoula City Council on Monday approved utility rate increases for the next three years, despite some concerns about the effect on residents’ bills. The public works department proposed the increases to water, sewer and stormwater utility rates to keep up with inflation, replace aging infrastructure and boost savings to pay for existing loans, said Logan McInnis, the city’s deputy public works director. Wastewater rates will increase 9% in 2025, 2026 and 2027; water rates will increase 7% in 2025 and 8% in 2026 and 2027; and stormwater rates will increase 2% in 2025 and 3% in 2026 and 2027. The increases apply to residential and commercial bills, and the new rates take effect Jan. 1, 2025. The overall increase to the average residential monthly utility bill will be $4.18 in 2025, $4.92 in 2026 and $5.33 in 2027, according to the city.  Money from the increased rates will help pay for water and sewer main replacements, treatment facility repairs, adding solar panels to pump facilities, hiring a utility engineer to save money on consultants, increasing some wages and improving stormwater discharge to the Bitterroot River, McInnis said. Revenue will also go toward a program helping customers replace leaking service lines, which connect houses to the city’s water main, he said. The increased rates will help build water and wastewater reserves needed to cover debt and maintain a good bond rating, McInnis said. While the city recently received a good rating, it was given a bad outlook because of marginal reserves and a lack of recent rate increases, he said. As part of the rate increase, the department proposed increasing the discount for low-income water customers by about the same percentage. The current discount of $7 has been the same since before the city acquired the water utility in 2017, McInnis said. The discount will increase to $8.50 in 2025, $9.25 in 2026 and $10 in 2027. Council Member Daniel Carlino proposed increasing the low-income discount to $25 because of concerns about Missoula’s high cost of living. Other council members questioned how that would affect the bills of other customers who offset the discounts and the utility’s finances. McInnis said approximately 200 residences use the discount and the increase wouldn’t significantly impact the water utility’s finances. The $25 discount may cover some customers’ full monthly bills, particularly during low-use months, he said. The city has to be mindful of the state law requiring municipalities to charge equitable utility rates, McInnis said. Council Member Kristen Jordan said the proposal is a creative way to address housing affordability and keep people housed. Several council members said they appreciated the thought behind the amendment but would rather consider changes to the low-income discount during a rate study process next year. The amendment failed in an 8-2 vote with Carlino and Jordan in favor. Two members of the public voiced concerns that the three-year timeline would lead to a lack of oversight or review of spending. McInnis said a three-year increase helps the department plan for the long term, including for projects that typically take multiple years. Proposing a rate increase takes time, effort and money, he said. Council Member Gwen Jones said the council provides oversight during the annual budget process and as projects come for approval throughout the year. “I’m in support of these [increases],” Jones said. “We’ve definitely had some emails from folks who are concerned about extra costs; I appreciate that. I think we’re always balancing that. …Liberty Algonquin was the most recent owner of the water company prior to the city taking ownership. I just want people to be aware of the fact that the shareholders report they shared said that every year they were going to be raising rates, so that is the value of having a municipality own their own water company. Huge, huge difference. Because of that, we’re in a much lower-rate scenario than we would have been otherwise.” The council approved the stormwater and sewer rate increases on 8-2 votes, with Bob Campbell and Sandra Vasecka opposed. The water rate increases passed on a 6-4 vote, with Campbell, Vasecka, Carlino and Jordan opposed. “I am really uncomfortable with deferring maintenance for infrastructure,” Vasecka said. “Increasing the average residential ratepayer to pay almost $900 a year in 2027 when we’re already struggling to keep roofs over our heads and groceries on table is something I’m even more uncomfortable with.” Public Notice On Wednesday, the Missoula City Council set a public hearing on proposed changes to the city’s urban camping rules for Dec. 2, 2024. The changes would include banning camping in all city parks and making a violation punishable by a misdemeanor instead of a civil infraction. READ MORE: Missoula City Council considers changes to rules restricting camping on city propertyVerbatim “We recognize the significant challenges many of our Missoula County neighbors face in securing rental housing, and we view this partnership as an opportunity to expand the range of available housing options. By addressing the link between housing insecurity and incarceration among our justice-involved community members, we aim to enhance personal stability and community safety.” —Homeword Executive Director Karissa Trujillo, in a press release announcing that the housing organization and Missoula County were selected to participate in the Just Home Project, a national program to break the link between homelessness and incarceration. The program is led by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Urban Institute. The county will receive $246,250 to design local intervention strategies to disrupt the cycle of homelessness and repeated encounters with the criminal justice system, the press release said. This will include exploring the feasibility of building housing for this population and other policy changes that could remove barriers to housing. At the end of the planning process, Missoula is eligible for more funding from the MacArthur Foundation to implement the plan and acquire or develop housing for those not currently served by existing resources. Homelessness substantially increases individuals’ exposure to the criminal justice system and those with a criminal record have limited access to housing assistance and face challenges while applying for housing, according to the press release.  As a MacArthur Foundation Safety and Justice Challenge site, Missoula County has received more than $1.8 million in grants to reduce recidivism and its jail population. Comings and Goings Credit: Katie Fairbanks / MTFPOn Wednesday, Montana Knife Company broke ground on a 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at the historic stockyards at the Wye west of Missoula. The $18 million facility will house 150 to 200 employees, about double the current number, co-founder Josh Smith said during the groundbreaking. Smith said he and co-founder Brandon Horoho started the company in 2020, and it quickly grew from operating in a two-car garage to employing 75 people.  “It’s kind of surreal, but it also shows that it’s still possible to achieve really great things in this country,” Smith told Montana Free Press. “And we’re just really proud of the impact that we’re having on our small community.” Once the new building is completed in about a year, the company will move operations from its current Frenchtown location, Smith said. Along with manufacturing and preparing orders, the new facility will include a retail store and a Black Rifle Coffee location where visitors can watch knives being made, he said. Missoula County Commissioner Josh Slotnick congratulated the company and said the facility will anchor future development in the Wye area. 5 Things to Know in Missoula Residents interested in learning more about Missoula County elections can observe parts of the process during six tours scheduled throughout the next three weeks. Elections Administrator Bradley Seaman told MTFP that the department began hosting tours in 2020 to give voters insight into election work, and that “even the strongest critics come out feeling more confident.” While the office is open to observation during regular hours, the tours are scheduled during equipment testing and processing, Seaman said. Tour dates and times are listed on the Missoula County Elections website. On Tuesday, the Missoula County commissioners moved forward with a $5.8 million improvement project for the Lolo wastewater treatment system, funded by federal ARPA money. The commissioners approved the $6.6 million contract with Prospect Construction and a change order to reduce the cost by about $1 million to bring the project within budget. The work will upgrade the system but does not add capacity, said Erik Dickson, assistant public works director. The Maclay Bridge on River Pines Road is available for adoption by public or private entities, as the Montana Department of Transportation plans to construct a new bridge over the Bitterroot River at South Avenue. The department and Missoula County are collaborating on the new bridge, with construction tentatively planned for 2026. The Maclay Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Interested parties must submit initial screening materials on or before Dec. 16, 2024. The Scott Street-Ravara housing development on Missoula’s Northside took a step forward last week when project partners signed final documents transferring ownership of about three acres to the North Missoula Development Corporation. The community land trust property will include 89 for-sale condos and townhomes, about half of which will be income-qualified for households earning 120% of the area’s median income. Building construction is underway. Construction of 220 to 225 apartments and 35,000 square feet of commercial space on the other six acres will follow.Farmers market season is wrapping up, with the Missoula Farmers Market and Clark Fork River Market open for their last day of the year on Saturday. The Missoula Farmers Market, on the north end of Higgins Avenue by the XXXXs, runs from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Clark Fork River Market, at 225 S. Pattee St., runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Both markets include a variety of vendors offering produce, meat, baked goods, flowers and other products. Might be Fun The Montana Actors’ Theatre is presenting four showings of the Rocky Horror Show Live! at the Wilma Theater at 8 p.m. and midnight on Friday, Oct. 25, and Saturday, Oct. 26. The show isn’t a screening of the film, but a live production of the musical with a band. General admission tickets and reserved table seating are available online. All ages are welcome, but parental discretion is advised. To kick off Native American Heritage Month, All Nations Health Center, Indigenous Made Montana and Cora Kay Productions are hosting Trends and Traditions of the Plains: Indigenous Film Festival and Fashion Show on Nov. 1 at the Wilma Theater. The film festival begins at 1:30 p.m., showing six films, followed by a community dinner of bison stew catered by Indigenous-owned Qene’s Catering at Caras Park Pavilion. The fashion show features nine designers and begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are available online. VIP tickets get front-row seats.  The post Missoula increases utility rates appeared first on Montana Free Press.