Thursday, April 28, 2011

Neighborhood Councils - Week of April 25, 2011

Only one council is meeting this week:

NC#4
When: Thursday, April 28 at 6:30pm
Where: Heritage Baptist Church, 900 52nd Street North

Agenda:
School Mill Levy presentations:
KEY (Kids Education Yes)
Citizens Against Higher Taxes

School board candidate David Schuler
Committee reports
Update on the property located at 4727 2nd Avenue North
Neighborhood concerns

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

April 19, 2011 City Commission Work Session

When:  Tonight at 5:45pm
Where: Gibson Room

Agenda:
1.Propertyroom.com (disposition of property/evidence) – Chief Grove

2.Emergency Medical Dispatch Program – Chief McCamley

Chickens Back On The Agenda

Due to what appears to be a parliamentary misstep, the City Commissioners will once again be deciding the fate of the chicken ordinance at tonight's meeting.

Commissioners Burow and  Jones have indicated they will vote for the ordinance, if folks who want to raise chickens, first get permission from their neighbors. At tonight's meeting, Commissioner Bronson may give an amendment to his previously amended wording of the ordinance.

(At the April 5 meeting, the Commission voted 3-2 to not allowing chickens. Bronson and Jolley were the dissenting votes).

Neighborhood Councils - Week of April 18, 2011

Two councils are meeting this week:

NC#5
When: Monday, April 18 at 7:00pm
Where: GF Clinic Specialty Center, conference room

Agenda:
School board candidates, Mary Moe and David Schuler
Info. on the upcoming school mill levy from Citizens Against Higher Taxes
Committee reports
Neighborhood concerns

NC#8
When: Thursday, April 21 at 6:00pm
Where: GF PreRelease Center, women's annex

Agenda:
School board candidates, Mary Moe and David Schuler
Info. on the upcoming school mill levy from Kids Education Yes and Citizens Against Higher Taxes
Committee reports
Neighborhood concerns

Council 8 is currently looking for a registered voter and a resident of the neighborhood to serve on the council. If interested, you may contact Patty Cadwell at 455-8496.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Election Information

This is a general election year when folks can run for positions on the City Commission, Neighborhood Councils, and Municipal Judge.

Open positions on the City Commission are mayor, and two commissioner seats currently held by Mary Jolley and Bill Bronson. All Neighborhood Council positions are open.

For more information click here.

If you are interested in running for an office, you must complete a Declaration For Nomination and Oath of Candidacy form.

Neighborhood Councils - Week of April 11, 2011

Three councils are meeting this week:

NC#7
When: Monday, April 11 at 7:00pm
Where: Civic Center, Gibson Room

Agenda:
Info. about the school levy from KEYS (Kids Education Yes), and from Citizens Against Higher Taxes
School board candidates, Mary Moe and David Schuler

NC#1
When: Tuesday, April 12 at 7:00pm
Where: Meadow Lark School library

Agenda:
Info. about the school levy from KEYS (Kids Education Yes), and from Citizens Against Higher Taxes
School board candidates, Mary Moe and David Schuler
Update on the residential sound insulation project near the airport

NC#9
When:  Thursday, April 14 at 7:00pm
Where: Great Falls High School, South Campus, room 105

Agenda:
Info. about the school levy from KEYS (Kids Education Yes), and from Citizens Against Higher Taxes
School board candidates, Mary Moe and David Schuler
Plans for the MApril cleanup project

NC#2
When: Wednesday, April 13 - CANCELED (not enough members for a quorum)

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Urban Chickens

The City Commission will be deciding tonight whether or not to allow chickens in the city.

While I don't have any intentions of raising them, I would much prefer having a few chickens living next door to me than a barking, obnoxious dog.

This is an issue that a few malcontents have blown completely out of proportion. According to an article in Monday's Tribune, other cities in Montana have had few chicken complaints:

Helena - out of 2,510 animal complaints in 2010, 7 involved chickens; chickens running at large; roosters crowing (roosters would not be allowed in Great Falls); other animals trying to break into coops.

Bozeman - 1 chicken complaint last year; chicken got loose and was struck by a vehicle. Owner was warned for having an unrestrained chicken.

Whitefish - No formal complaints since their ordinance went into effect in 2009.

Missoula - 23 calls about chickens in 2010. They included; two calls about abandoned chickens; three calls about injured chickens; two calls about compliance; one call about neglect, and 13 calls reporting stray chickens. Their animal control director does not view chickens as a very big problem. 

It's kind of interesting that the vast majority of these calls are not unique to having chickens. What's the difference between a crowing rooster and an incessant, barking dog, or stray chickens vs. stray dogs and cats?

City Commission Work Session

When: Tuesday, April 5 at 5:45pm
Where:  Gibson Room, Civic Center

Agenda:
1. 2012 Revenue Forecast – Melissa Kinzler
2. 5-Year Financial Trends – Melissa Kinzler

Neighborhood Councils - Week of April 4, 2011

Two councils are meeting this week:
When: Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Where: Sunnyside School music room

Agenda
:
Info. from the Kids Education Yes group and Concerned Citizens
School board candidate, Mary Moe Committee reports
Neighborhood concerns

NC#3
When: Thursday, April 7 at 7:00pm
Where: Riverview School library

Agenda
:
Info. on the Great Bear Industrial Park
Info. from the Kids Education Yes group and Concerned Citizens
Info. on the North Middle School food pantry
School board candidate, Mary Moe
Committee reports
Neighborhood concerns