“What we need is a final determination on what the city would like us to go forward with as far as the next public meeting,” said Ray Mengel, Glendive district administrator for the Montana Department of Transportation.
Mengel presented the following options:
 Department of Transportation • Orange would connect CR 126, north of town, then follow the ditch south to Ninth Avenue N.E. From the south end of Ninth, it would either turn west on 14th Street S.E., or west by the county parcel. (point H has been eliminated) Blue would connect MT 16 on the north to MT 200 on the south. (this option has been eliminated) Yellow would connect from Holly next to the fairgrounds, south to county parcel and east to MT 16 or south to CR 123 or MT 200. (this option has been eliminated) • Purple would follow Holly to Ninth Avenue N.E., south to 14th Street S.E., and west to Montana 16. (this is the present truck route) • Green would connect from Central to the north, following the ditch south to Ninth Avenue N.E., and along Ninth to 14th or west toward the county parcel. |
• A new road would be constructed on the county parcel between Dresser Oil Tools and Al’s Mini Storage on South Central (point F), then going northeast to Ninth Avenue S.E. and continuing north to County Road 126.
• Staying with the original truck route from the corner of 14th Street S.E. and Central, or UBC (point E on the map), follow 14th Street S.E. to Ninth Avenue S.E. On Ninth, head north to Holly, then west to MT 16 (point C).
Option A to B on the map was eliminated as well as option C to D.
Mengel told city council members the Central Avenue project – possibly making it into three lanes – will be postponed until 2010. Construction plans are still five years out as funds for the bypass are needed, Mengel said.
Sidney Mayor Bret Smelser neglected to make a decision Monday night. “I myself want to sit down with the stakeholders to make sure we’re on the same page here and then I presume we could do this in the next month or two,” he said.
Mengel told council members he will present data on the social and environmental impacts the project will have on Sidney residents along the truck route. That meeting is scheduled between mid and late February.
In other business during Monday’s meeting:
• A motion to swear in Tara Mathern as city clerk was carried. Mathern replaces Dorothy Paladichuk.
• Alderman Cal Oraw was reappointed to the City/County Planning Board.
• Resolution No. 3447 was passed, authorizing transferring tree removal fund cash and street maintenance fund cash to the gas tax fund cash.
• Smelser told council members he looks forward to working with them to complete unfinished projects. “Most importantly, I wish the community a peaceful and prosperous new year.”
reporter@sidneyherald.com
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