Sign up for the free Great Falls This Week newsletter and stay in the loop on Great Falls city government, public school meetings, business news and upcoming entertainment and events. Sign up 02/16/2026 Sun Prairie department plans to construct equipment building Cascade County will grant a parcel of unused land to the Sun Prairie Volunteer Fire Department for an equipment storage building. While the commissioners support the proposal, transferring or allowing use of the land is not a straightforward move. “It’s just amazing how complex the law can make a simple process,” County Commissioner Joe Briggs said during a meeting last week. The volunteer fire department hopes to build a 70-foot-by-50-foot building next to its current facility off Grant Drive in Sun Prairie. The new structure would be a secure storage facility for fire engines and other equipment. “Our board of trustees has set aside $230,000 for our building to be put up, put into place, utilities put in and to also maintain the property,” Sun Prairie Fire Chief Dereck Belz told commissioners. The department requested use of a small parcel within a 9.2-acre county park, which is maintained by the public works department. The building wouldn’t affect the existing basketball court and picnic tables. Credit: Courtesy of Cascade County Counties have several options for transferring property to “political subdivisions,” which in this case is the fire department. They include a lease agreement, a title transfer or an easement.  County planning staff said in a report that the lease option is more suited to a temporary land use, and the fire department intends to use the parcel indefinitely. A fee title transfer would require the county to follow subdivision rules, which would come with additional planning, surveys and other preparation at a cost of “considerable tax dollars,” the report said. Planning staff said that the easement option is the most cost-effective. The county can define boundaries, use restrictions and other guardrails for the property and vest the land-use rights with the fire department. The arrangement is similar to the sewer and water district using easements to place wells in the park, according to the report. County commissioners voted unanimously to give staff the green light to pursue the project. A resolution passed on Feb. 11 requires the planning department to create a site plan, define property boundaries, prepare a land-use agreement and conduct any required surveys or reviews. The resolution didn’t finalize the land transfer or easement agreement but set in motion the process. Deputy County Attorney Carey Ann Haight advised commissioners to think far ahead for potential implications for that land. If the fire department builds a permanent structure on the parcel, it could complicate a future situation in which the county needs the parkland for another use. “This is going to be a roughly $200,000-plus improvement that’s going to be sitting on the land,” Haight told commissioners. “And so in the event that there needs to be some action by future commission with regard to these improvements, it’s perhaps going to be a little difficult with a very large expensive improvement to remedy whatever problem there may be.” Commissioners directed staff to prepare options for land transfer in addition to simply using the land. “Now the real work starts,” Briggs said. Malteurop water lease under review The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission has approved a six-month extension to a water supply lease used by Malteurop, a malting plant on Great Falls’ north side. Malteurop sought a 10-year extension to its water lease, which has been in place since 2004 and was last renewed in 2015 for a decade. The lease was already on a six-month extension that expires at the end of February. Malteurop pays $500,000 per year for 1,936 acre-feet per year of water from Giant Springs. The water is pumped through pipes below the Missouri and up the hill to Malteurop. The fee increases by 2.15% annually, according to commission documents. During a meeting on Feb. 12, Commissioner K.C. Walsh said that $500,000 seemed low for the amount of water used. He said it’s tough to compare water leases across the state, but suggested more research into the fee and the lease term. “We’re living in a dynamic state with water valuations,” Walsh said. “And 10 years seems like a heck of a lot of time on this.” Joel Grosser, Malteurop’s director of operations for North America, said during the meeting that the company has worked well with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks over the years and is committed to working through this lease renewal. An acre-foot is a unit of water volume that represents the amount of water needed to cover one acre with one foot of water. It’s about 325,851 gallons. The average household uses about 0.5 acre-feet of water per year. Malteurop’s use of up to 1,936 acre-feet per year is non-consumptive. The plant sends the water through the city’s wastewater treatment facility for release back to the river, according to commission documents. Malteurop uses an additional 300 gallons per minute consumptively for its operations. The fees from Malteurop’s water use go into a fisheries mitigation trust fund, which supports projects such as hatcheries, fish health initiatives, instream flow enhancement and other related projects. This newsletter is here so you don’t have to follow every committee agenda to know what’s happening. If it helps you stay informed about Great Falls, consider becoming a monthly supporter. Support local reporting! 5 Things to Know in Great Falls The Great Falls Public Schools Foundation announced that Katelyn Marsik will be its next executive director. Former director Stephanie Becker is stepping down after five years. “We believe that as we enter this next chapter, the GFPS Foundation will continue to grow in meaningful ways that support students, educators, and our community,” foundation board chair Jamie Marshall’s statement said in part. The Great Falls Public Library will hold a welcome event for new director Amy Dissmeyer Feb. 17 at 5 p.m. The event coincides with the conclusion of the Love Your Library Campaign, which solicited community love letters to the public library. The event will include desserts from local businesses and two storytime readings for children in honor of beloved community member Debbie Kuntz. Great Falls College is seeking judges for upcoming regional science and engineering fairs. The high school and middle school fair is March 10, and the elementary school fair is March 12. Volunteers can sign up here by selecting “create account” and then “judge.” Scientific expertise is not necessary. Interim Park and Recreation Director Jessica Compton will present a department update to city commissioners during a work session Feb. 17. The presentation will include discussions about the Aim High Big Sky recreation center and the ongoing fee study and department review. The work session begins at 5:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Civic Center. A former U.S. Postal Service employee working in Bainville pleaded guilty to misappropriating postal funds by issuing herself more than 30 money orders worth more than $1,000. Court documents say that Danielle M. Harms also admitted to taking money from the post office till. She told authorities that she used the money for “things like rent.” Sentencing is set for June 18 in U.S. District Court in Great Falls. The post Sun Prairie fire department seeks county land appeared first on Montana Free Press. ...read more read less