Article published Apr 30, 2007

Pets, hotels, pools fill city's agenda

By RICHARD ECKE

Tribune Staff Writer

Cats, hotels and swimming pools all will receive the attention of city commissioners on Tuesday.

Here's a rundown on Tuesday night's 5:30 p.m. work session and 7 p.m. regular meeting at the of the Civic Center, 2 Park Drive S.:

A new animal-control ordinance, including a requirement that people register their cats, will take effect on July 1.

But fees and fines associated with the ordinance have yet to be pinned down.

The city's chief prosecutor, Kory Larsen, will present a fee proposal to city commissioners Tuesday at the work session in the Gibson Room.

Commissioners won't vote on the new fees on Tuesday.

Also at the work session, Coleen Balzarini, city fiscal officer, will discuss how the city intends to float bonds for this year's swimming pool improvements.

The City Commission is expected to wrap up the bond financing with a vote on June 5.

Officials say construction is expected to begin first at the Water Tower Pool on the east end. Work at Mitchell Pool will begin after the swimming season ends following this summer. Jaycee Pool is expected to stay open this summer, with its renovation set for later.

General obligation bonds will amount to $2.27 million for the swimming pool work.

A public hearing will be held on a proposal for a five-story Hilton Garden Inn in the Great Falls Marketplace east of the Home Depot building during the 7 p.m. regular commission meeting in the commission chambers.

Members of the City Planning Board recommended approving the proposal. At least one neighbor in Bel-View Palisades has expressed concerns about parking. Final action may be taken at the meeting.

The City Commission is expected to set prices for the core customers of its electric utility, Electric City Power, for 2009 to 2011, before a proposed coal-fired power plant is scheduled to come online. City staff recommended rates of $51.34 per month per megawatt for the core customers, effective Jan. 1, 2009, with rates to rise to $51.85 per megawatt on July 1, 2009, and to $52.37 per megawatt on July 1, 2010.

Rates for city government and Veolia Water, which runs the city sewage-treatment plant, would rise July 1 this year from $42.91 to $47.21 per megawatt, then increase to $50.83 per megawatt on July 1, 2008. A city memo noted that NorthWestern Energy's default supply rate was $55.12 per megawatt in May.