PHILLIPS — The Phillips City Council unanimously agreed to a resolution declaring its support for a nonprofit developer group in its application for a multi-million dollar grant program at the March 12 regular meeting.
The group, Price County United, is applying for a Community Change Grant with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The program is designed for rural nonprofits but requires partnerships within the community and the city is an ideal partner for potential development projects across the city. The legal obligations for approving the resolution are “low-risk”, according to meeting information, as there is not financial stake in city matching dollars required.
The group will be seeking to fund $10 million to $20 million in projects over two phases, according to Price County United president Lyn Ludwig at the meeting. The projects must address climate and reduce pollution while also improving communities.
After an initial application phase in spring, if selected, the application would enter another more detailed phase to move forward for further consideration in November.
The council was seeking more input and support from the business sector and community as the projects would impact the business corridor with plans to improve visibility, develop trails and improve residential properties with potential improvement funds.
Ludwig said the public can review more details and provide their own input with the online survey at pricecountyunited.org. There will also be public meetings with the next occurring at 5:30 p.m. March 20 and again on April 3 at the Phillips Public Library.
In other business, the council 4-1 approved moving forward with an ordinance to open State Highway 13 for the ATV/UTV route to go from County Road F and South Airport Road to Fayette St as recommended by the Committee of the Whole.
Council member Marty Stephan was the no-vote, who shared some of the concerns that were expressed in the Committee of the Whole meeting prior to its recommendation a week earlier.
“I don’t like seeing all these UTVs running around town,” Stephan said at the meeting. “I think you’re going to have them going from all the way down (Highway) 13 right into town because I don’t think they follow the rules.”
The council approved a $40,960 bid from Huotari Construction to complete the Phillips Fire Department overhead door project as recommended by the Committee of the Whole. The council also approved a Committee of the Whole recommendation for the purchase of a Police Department squad vehicle to total $72,061.60 after finishing work.
In the public comment forum a group was present to protest what they allege was library fiscal mismanagement and for placing a graphic novel chap book with sexual illustrations and text in the youth reading section until a complaint resulted in its placement in the adult section.
The group, who blame Phillips Public Library Director Rebecca Puhl for allowing the material to be placed in an area designed for youth browsing, suggested that the mayor is ultimately responsible for appointing library board members, the library spending, and is therefore accountable for their actions.
Mayor Charles Peterson said the library budget is largely county funding and while the library director reports to the city the mayor and the library board members are representatives with limited powers with overlapping funding sources and governmental entities.
Peterson asked the group to request the topic to be placed on a future city council meeting agenda to allow for a discussion. The public comment session does not allow for extended discussion on non-agenda items.
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