Hope Blooms For Glasgow Farmer's Marker

The Glasgow City Council heard some encouraging words about the old Magruder property, better known as Red Rock Plaza or the Farmer’s Market on the Fort Peck Highway. Long delinquent on taxes, it has not been accepted as a gift from the owners to the city because of suspected soil contamination.

Shelli Isle of Great Northern Development Corporation said they have the money to assess the brownfield property. There was probably a 660-gallon underground tank that has been dry forever, but there might be a migratory problems from spills offsite. Holes will be drilled to hit the ground water and test it.

“We can clean it up,” Isle said.

She said she hopes the city is interested in taking over the property at the end of the process. It could be put back into tax status or become functional green space.

After years of inactivity, things are moving fast, Mayor Dan Carney said. A company will be here May 29 to remove the tank.

Director of Public Works Bob Kompel said the Montana Department of Environmental Quality has a company lined up to clean up the old Sinclair station on U.S. 2 that belonged to Tommy Rodgers. They will remove the building, remove contaminated dirt and refill the space.

Sean Schoenfelder was hired for a summer intern program for the Glasgow Police Department. Chief Bruce Barstad said Action for Eastern Montana was in partnership with the department and Dawson Community College. Action for Eastern Montana has committed to pay for 25 hours a week for three months. Barstad wants 40 hours a week. The Council agreed to pay for the additional 15 hours at $9.25 an hour.

“If we continue to do this, we will get a pool of applicants,” Barstad said. “We know them, they know us.”

The city has a surplus office trailer. The Council called for bids with a minimum of $1,300. The trailer, parked beside the Civic Center, is available for public viewing.

Ben Williams has asked if the city would sell the empty lot adjacent to his property on U.S. 2, which used to be the Church of the Nazarene. Kompel will research a reasonable minimum bid and City Attorney Dave Gorton will draw up a resolution for taking bids on the property. It has been put with real estate agents before with no interest at a price of $25,000.

Josh Thompson, having passed a six-month probationary period as second assistant chief, was appointed second assistant chief of the Glasgow Fire Department.

The Council as a whole will negotiate contracts with the Teamster’s Union and the police for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. They turned aside Mayor Carney’s preference for appointing a committee to negotiate. A special meeting will be held on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Kompel said this year’s paving project will focus on two sections of streets that have been on the previous priority list, 4th Street South between 1st and 2nd Avenues South and 8th Street South between 2nd and 3rd Avenues South. One new critical street has been added, Kolstad and Lasar Drive, a heavily traveled, highly visibly school route.

He said Century Construction is about a week behind on beginning work on Hillside Drive.