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Connect With Your Community!
Three Forks City Council members hosted a first reading for an ordinance amending the city’s Livestock and Fowl policies during its March 14 meeting, which would implement an annual renewal fee for residents holding a chicken permit.
If the amended ordinance is approved at the City Council’s April 11 meeting, those raising chickens within city limits would pay a $10 annual fee to maintain their permit and cover the “resources used to communicate with each chicken permit holder and verify the permit holder still [has] chickens,” reads the ordinance.
Currently, city ordinance allows only 30 chicken permits to be issued at $25 each with no annual renewal or inspection — which has caused some problems.
“Often permit holders have moved away and the chicken permit record number has not reflected the owners and chickens have moved, reserving this permit number rendering it unable for others,” reads the amended ordinance.
Sewer rates go down, water rates go up
The Three Forks City Council approved the first reading of a resolution which would effectively reduce the minimum rate households are charged for sewer services by five dollars and raise the minimum rate they are charged for water by five dollars.
The purpose of these changes is not to increase the funds the city receives, rather, to divert the funds received to different areas.
This would result in no change to the users’ monthly expenses but provide more revenue for the Water Fund while still meeting the needs of the Sewer Fund,” reads the resolution.
According to the resolution, Three Forks City Treasurer Kelly Smith estimates the change will provide approximately $58,000 for the Water Fund. Demand for more revenue in the Water Fund stems from the city’s recent expansion and renovation projects, as well as rising annual maintenance costs for the system.
The new rates will go into effect on May 1, if the City Council approves its second reading during its April 11 meeting.
Pool makes a splash
Three Forks City Council members discussed whether to open the wading pool for the 2023 summer season during its March 14 meeting.
Discussion focused primarily on the wading pool’s expenses: wages for two staff members, $3,500; daily E coli testing, $2,240; CPR training, $40; back flow preventer and labor — required by the Department of Environmental Quality — $2,500; treated water used, $11 each day or $440 for the season; and supplies to shock the system, $150.
In total, council members expect the wading pool to cost $8,441 for the season.
A motion was made in regards to opening the wading pool, but it died without a second.
