Town of Superior SUPERIOR NEWS Volume Issue Fall 2017 FIRE DEPARTMENT As we roll into fall, we can look back at a pretty exciting and active summer. At the time of my writing this, we had no calls in June, eight calls in July (many were vegetation fires and three of which were fireworks related), and three calls so far in August (that s 23 on the year). The new Water Tender from the DNRC arrived, as promised, before the middle of July and just in time for an eventful fire season. Sunrise/Burdette Fire As of August 24th, the lightning caused fire was at 25,321 acres, 57% contained, with 580 personnel assigned to it. We have seen three different Incident Management teams since the scale went beyond a type 3 incident. Pearson s Type 2 IMT from Northern Idaho, Turman s Type 1 IMT, and for another week Lund s Type 1 IMT from the Great Basin. No homes have been lost, and the remaining hot spots are mostly on the west flank. There is some potential to hook back onto upper Trout Creek and Quartz Creek if the heat, terrain, fuels and winds don t cooperate, but things are looking so much better now than before. People may be surprise of our low level of involvement, but one of the main goals of these IMT teams is to keep the local resources available to handle local emergencies. We helped out on a few days when high winds and lightening were forecasted in Lozeau and Tarkio. We also aided their Structure Protection leader when we assessed the Pellet Mile and Bark Plant, at the end of Diamond Match Road, when fire threatened that area. Our largest involvement came when the Pearson s Team offered us the opportunity to provide Crash Rescue for the airport. We used the Rural Fire District s pumper with class B foam and a crew of 2. They started on July 29 and they will probably need our support until mid-september. Grants We have recently received 3 grants. The first was from the Town Pump Charitable Foundation in the amount of $15,000 to be used in replacing our wildland gear, including personal protective clothing (which has a life span of ten years), packs, radio holders, etc. Since the funding came in late June, the gear has been slow to arrive, due to peak season for wildland fire crews. The second grant was from FM Global in the amount of $2,500 to be used for fire alarms for the hearing impaired. These alarms are also known as Bed Shakers as the vibrate under your pillow when they detect the nearby smoke alarm ringing, so even people who remove their hearing aids at night will be alerted to a fire and have time to get out. We have 15 bed shakers and know of at least 8 homes that need them that we discovered when we installed new smoke alarms over the past year. We ll still have some left for those we have not met yet. The third grant comes from Kidde, the same maker as our smoke alarms. We received 25 Carbon Monoxide Alarms and are working on qualifications for distribution. Here s hoping you have a great and safe fall! Rob Torrey Fire Chief Inside this issue: Dog licensing 2 Library News 3 Street & Alley Excavations 4 Sewer & Water Connections 4 FREE SMOKE ALARMS 4 Sheriff s News 5 Swimming Pool 6 Exttras 6 Mayor & Town Council Mayor Roni Phillips Ward 1: _Emily Ornelas Kelly Dillon Ward 2: Shirley Iwata Richard Lewis Ward 3: Thomas McCloskey Bonnie Fuller
Page 2 SUPERIOR NEWS DOG LICENSING EVERY DOG IS REQUIRED TO HAVE ONE A person keeping, harboring or maintaining a Dog over 6 months old in the Town must register & license the dog. LICENCE FEES Annual license fee is $10.00 for unneutered male and Un-spayed female dogs Lifetime license fee is $5.00 for neutered male or spayed female dogs. ALL DOGS MUST HAVE A RABIES VACCINATION Proof of Rabies Vaccination is required for all dogs Proof of neutering or spaying is required for a lifetime license Annual licenses expire on January 1 following the issuance of the license. Lifetime licenses are renewable upon proof of rabies vaccination. Any dog found off the owner s premises without a license tag will be considered unlicensed even though a license has been issued for the dog. License tags are not transferable from one dog to another and it shall be unlawful for any person to place a license tag upon a dog for which it has not been issued. DOGS RUNNING AT LARGE Dogs must be under restraint at all times, owners shall no allow dogs to run-at-large. The definition for restraint: Controlled by a leash not longer than six (6) feet; or at heel beside a competent person and obedient to the person s commands; or within a vehicle with permission of the owner; or within the property limits of premises controlled by the owner or other consenting person. PENALTIES Fines for violations of the Town Dog Ordinances are as follows: 1st offense $50.00 2nd offense - $200.00 3rd offense -A fine not exceeding $500.00, or by imprisonment not to exceed 6 months, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and the option to remove and dispose of the dog. NUMBER OF DOGS The maximum number of dogs that can be kept in the Town of Superior is 2 dogs over the age of six months. Exception: 1. Special permit approved by the Town Council for 3-5 dogs 2. A Kennel license for 5 or more dogs approved by the Town Council. The special permit and kennel license require a public hearing before approval is given by the Town Council.
Page 3 Come Celebrate!! At the Library September 19, 2017 4:00pm COME JOIN US MOTHER MOOSE TALES Babies and Tots Story Circle 0-3 years with parent THURSDAYS 11:00 am to 11:30 am at the Library ANNUAL PUMPKIN PARTY At the Library CAKLS Crochet and Knit Lovers MEET TUESDAYS 2:00-3:00 pm In the Superior Library Lobby!! Kids come in your costumes! Saturday October 28, 2017 At 1 PM CONNECT WITH US Webpage: mineralcountylibrary.org Facebook: Mineral County Library Email: gchaberek@co.mineral.mt.us MEETS THURSDAYS 2:00 pm Superior Library Lobby!! Check it out Ebooks and Audio Books at Montanalibrary2go.org FREE books birth to 5 Dolly Parton s Imagination Library Imaginationlibrary.com FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY MEETING 3RD WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH NOON at Library mcplcircdesk@blackfoot.net Mineral County Library 301 2nd Ave E, Superior Monday through Thursday 10:30 am to 5:00 pm Saturday 10:30 am to 2:30 pm Closed Friday and Sunday Phone Number: 822-3563
Page 4 SUPERIOR NEWS for the STREET AND ALLEY EXCAVATION Anyone who needs to dig in a Town Street or alley MUST contact the Town Office and get a permit excavation. The permit must be completed and approved prior to the excavation. The permit will require the time, place (location) and purpose of the excavation. A deposit is required at the turbed area settles at a later time you are responsible to fill the are until no more settling occurs. The contractor or the person doing the excavation MUST call (ONE CALL) before you dig or the excavation will not be allowed. FREE SMOKE ALARMS Superior Volunteer Fire Department is still actively working throughout the community installing smoke alarms in area homes. The smoke alarms (with ten year batteries) are supplied by the American Red Cross and SVFD members provide installation. We can install up to three alarms per home. We want to help the American Red Cross reach their goal of reducing fire deaths by 25% by 2019. Contact Superior s Fire Chief, Rob Torrey at firechief@blackfoot.net or call 822-4900 or 822-4672 to sign up. To date, we have visited 92 homes and installed 254 new smoke alarms. Hope to hear from you soon and take advantage of this great opportunity! HOMES VISTIED 92 ALARMS INSTALLED-254 PENDING-9 ALARMS IN STOCK 54 (CAN GET MORE)
Page 5 A MESSAGE FROM THE SHERIFF Slow Down: Back to School Means Sharing the Road School days bring congestion: Yellow school buses are picking up their charges, kids on bikes are hurrying to get to school before the bell rings, and harried parents are trying to drop their kids off before work. It's never more important for drivers to slow down and pay attention than when kids are present especially before and after school. Schools often have very specific drop-off procedures for the school year. Make sure you know them for the safety of all kids. The following apply to all school zones: Don't double park; it blocks visibility for other children and vehicles Don't load or unload children across the street from the school Carpool to reduce the number of vehicles at the school According to research by the National Safety Council, most of the children who lose their lives in bus-related incidents are 4 to 7 years old, and they're walking. They are hit by the bus, or by a motorist illegally passing a stopped bus. A few precautions go a long way toward keeping children safe: Don't block the crosswalk when stopped at a stop sign or waiting to make a turn, forcing pedestrians to go around you; this could put them in the path of moving traffic Take extra care to look out for children in school zones, near playgrounds and parks, and in all residential areas Don't honk or rev your engine to scare a pedestrian, even if you have the right of way Never pass a vehicle stopped for pedestrians Always use extreme caution to avoid striking pedestrians wherever they may be, no matter who has the right of way If you're driving behind a bus, allow a greater following distance than if you were driving behind a car. It will give you more time to stop once the yellow and red lights start flashing. It is illegal to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children. Never pass a bus from behind or from either direction if you're on an undivided road if it is stopped to load or unload children If the yellow or red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, traffic must stop The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough back to allow them space to safely enter and exit the bus Be alert; children often are unpredictable, and they tend to ignore hazards and take risks On most roads, bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as vehicles. Children riding bikes create special problems for drivers because usually they are not able to properly determine traffic conditions. The most common cause of collision is a driver turning left in front of a bicyclist. When passing a bicyclist, proceed in the same direction slowly, and leave 3 feet between your car and the cyclist When turning left and a bicyclist is approaching in the opposite direction, wait for the rider to pass If you're turning right and a bicyclists is approaching from behind on the right, let the rider go through the intersection first, and always use your turn signals Watch for bike riders turning in front of you without looking or signaling; children especially have a tendency to do this Be extra vigilant in school zones and residential neighborhoods Watch for bikes coming from driveways or behind parked cars By exercising a little extra care and caution, drivers and pedestrians can co-exist safely in school zones. Mineral County Sheriff, Tom Bauer
Town of Superior 105 Cedar Street PO Box 729 Superior, MT 59872 FREE SMOKE ALARMS CALL 822-4672 townofsuperior@blackfoot.net Phone: 406-822-4672 Fax: 406-822-3594 Website: http://townofsuperiormontana.org COUNCIL SCHEDULE Council meeting are at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at 105 Cedar Street SWIMMING POOL October 9, 2017 November 13, 2017 December 11, 2017 This past fiscal year 2016-2017 the pool revenues covered 17% of the expenses paid to operate the pool. Revenues decreased 5% this past year from the year before. The difference between revenues and expenses is paid from Town resident property taxes. The daily cost to operate the swimming pool was $609..00. Expenses for the daily operation and maintenance of the swimming pool include, propane to heat the pool, electricity, phone, wages, training for employees, chemicals, repairs, general maintenance, supplies, etc. Not included in the daily costs are liability and property insurance, which increases the daily amount another 15% ($700.00 per day). In 2017 (June 12 through August 18, 2017) there were a total of 3098 users. Average 46 users per day. The swimming pool was used for morning lap swim, swimming lessons, public swimming, family swimming, physical therapy, water aerobics and pool parties. EXTRAS The schedule for the Council meeting Agenda and council packets is: All items to be on the Agenda and information for the council packets must be to the Town Clerk by the Thursday before the meeting at 2:00 p.m. This allows the information to be put in the packet and the Agenda posted. Someone may speak at a meeting about a non-agenda item during public comment. The Council can not take action on matters brought up under the public comment period until the item is scheduled on the Agenda for the next meeting. Agendas will be posted at the Town Hall, Post Office and Castles. The Agenda will also be posted on the Website. The 2017-2018 budget has been completed, adopted and submitted to the State of Montana.