Connect With Your Community!
Connect With Your Community!
The Three Forks City Council voted last week to pass a resolution to conduct the 2023 General Election by mail ballot only.
As part of Resolution 399-2023, the governing body has also requested the Gallatin County Election Administrator place a drop-off site for ballots at City Hall for the election of three expiring seats on the Council.
According to the Resolution, the Election Administrator Eric Semerad has informed the city that the costs of mail ballot elections are significantly less than the polling place elections and increase voter participation.
In the Resolution, the Council requests that ballots be mailed 20 days before the November 7 election.
The drop-off site will be accessible to voters during regular city hall hours before the election and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on November 7.
IMPACT FEE
The Council accepted an appeal from the Three Forks School District to waive $11,868 in wastewater, freshwater, and fire impact fees for two modular units on campus.
In a letter to the governing body, Superintendent Rhonda Uthlaut said over the past several years, the district has had two modular units on campus serving as various classrooms for students, and currently, students and staff must use restrooms within the main building or nearby storage shed.
"With the addition of safety procedures, travel and entrance into our main building is less accessible during the school day, therefore creating a need for restroom services within the current structures," Uthlaut said in the letter. "The district intends to add a small restroom and sinks to both structures. We feel this will not increase the burden to the city's system and respectfully request that the impact fees be waived."
A letter sent in May to Uthlaut from City Treasurer Kelly Smith stated, "by running water and sewer lines to the two school trailer buildings and making them permanent, this is considered an action that creates additional demand for public facilities. This prompts the payment of water, wastewater (sewer), and fire impact fees."
In other business from the meeting, the City Council voted unanimously to close all City Departments except for on-call services on Monday, July 3.
