City and County Government
I missed his news release* when I caught up on my stuffed email inbox. So please consider Morton introduced. I’ve been wondering why Missoula doesn’t figure out its own public insurance option for people in this area, and that’s the most interesting idea to me in Morton’s news release: “a Public Option Insurance Plan spun off the City’s self-insurance pool.”
He’s trying to oust Councilman Dave Strohmaier* in Ward 1. OK. Again. Happy weekend.
– Keila Szpaller
First, though, Billings has FIVE candidates running for mayor. OK, back to Missoula. We have one person running for mayor. That’s Mayor John Engen, whose coffers are filling up. It’ll be interesting to see how he chooses to spend the money.
Roy Houseman is one of two candidates taking on Councilman John Hendrickson in Ward 2. Cynthia Wolken is the other. Here’s Houseman’s news release.
O’Herron is taking on Dick Haines in Ward 5. And guess what? O’Herron cares about traffic too. The project manager for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation said he does a lot of thinking and talking and brainstorming with family and friends about solving problems in the public sector.
“It’s just time to step up and take my time in public service, and actually participate in problem-solving at the civic level,” O’Herron said.
One problem to tackle? “Traffic is a big deal for us at the south end of town, especially the Miller Creek area.”
Unlike Haines, though, O’Herron isn’t calling for a bridge. It looks like one isn’t coming to Miller Creek, and O’Herron said it’s time to look at other solutions, like more bus service.
“So we have to look for practical, common sense ways to alleviate traffic. And that’s one thing we’ll be talking a lot about.”
OK. I think Wolken is the only candidate left to introduce. And Ryan Morton. Happy July 4th.
– Keila Szpaller
The city can’t just take private property without a legal justification based on … the facts. The court tells the city to cough up those facts in this opinion on the Clark Fork Terrace 2 case. It’s Neighborhoods by Design v. Missoula City Council.
– Keila Szpaller
So I’m back in town — thanks to the people who responded to my question about ADUs. I wanted to return to find a couple more people had filed for city elections. Alas, that’s not the case. At least not yet. (See below: Ryan Morton filed in Ward 1.) You have ’til 5 p.m. TODAY to take on these folks, who are still running unopposed.
Ward 1 Councilman Dave Strohmaier. (Possible campaign slogan: “Doing More Behind the Wheel”)
Ward 2 Councilman John Hendrickson (Possible campaign slogan for opponent: “West Broadway works and sometimes I agree with the mayor”)
Ward 4 Councilman Jon Wilkins (Possible slogan: “Alley Houses for Four”)
Mayor John Engen
Judge Don Louden
– Keila Szpaller
Mike Mansfield has not only endorsed Missoula’s Tyler Gernant for Congress, but he’s apparently working on his campaign.
A tad perplexing, right?
I flinched when I first received an e-mail from the Gernant campaign, which contained a disclosure box at the bottom of the page that indicated Mike Mansfield, most notably thought of as Montana’s late and much-loved statesmen, was Gernant’s treasurer. At first I thought it was a joke, but every e-mail since has included the same disclosure box.
Gernant is vying for the Democratic nomination to take on Congressmen Denny Rehberg in November 2010. But first, he must win a primary election a year from now against Montana Democratic Party Chairman Dennis McDonald.
Figuring that campaign disclosure was something a candidate would probably not mess around with, I decided to call Gernant’s campaign manager, Nathan Kosted, to get the bottom of this.
“I remember having the exact same reaction,” he assured me.
Come to find out, Gernant’s treasurer is the late Montana senator’s nephew, whose name is also Mike. Gernant’s dad grew up with him in Great Falls, Kosted said.
Case closed.
– Chelsi Moy
At the meeting about those granny suites, Councilwoman Lyn Hellegaard asked an interesting question about how those pads affect tax value. One argument in favor of the units is that they increase affordability. Hellegaard, though, said in some places — I think she mentioned a place in California — the Tax (Wo)man will assess you for an ADU even if you don’t have one. Doesn’t seem to be part of the deal here but probably a good thing to know now.
After the meeting, Councilman Jon Wilkins said the compromise hurt him deep. He did it, though. He pitched the no-ADUs-in-single-family-hoods idea — and then also voted for Councilwoman Stacy Rye’s ADUs-by-right-in-multi-family-hoods deal. But he said it wasn’t an indication he would vote in favor of the whole document. He still worries about whether some of the changes are actual rezones. Three attorneys have said that isn’t a stunt the city is pulling. One is the city attorney.
Now a question. I understand how putting up an ADU would help a retired person earn more income and be able to afford to stay in their home. I also understand the social arguments around ADUs. But I’m missing another affordability piece. Adding a unit to a property adds value, and it seems like it puts properties that regular working folks could otherwise afford out of reach. So I’m all ears on this one. I walked past a pretty shoddy home in my neighborhood the other day, and was shocked at the high price. Then, I saw it had an in-law unit in the back. I think a working person could afford to buy the place and fix it up if it didn’t have the granny pad.
I anxiously await the missing a piece(s) of the puzzle.
– Keila Szpaller
So is swearing at council people. In some circles, I guess.
WGM Group’s Brent Campbell sent out the message below, a nasty-gram from Rocky Sehnert to Councilman Bob Jaffe. As you know, the council supported a new parking garage going up downtown by Macy’s. Downtown, clothing isn’t always cheap but you can get a burrito for under $5. And some council folks sit through those meetings that end past midnight AFTER going to their regular fulltime jobs.
Highway Girl blogged them live from Monday’s council meeting. If you want everyone’s comments, go to 4&20 Blackbirds. I bet she was home in her pajamas watching MCAT. With a warm couch and ice cream. Ah, jealousy. Maybe we can bring couches and ice cream to the next long hearing in council chambers. But I don’t want to see anyone in their pajamas.
Oh, I saw Jack Reidy in the audience — of council chambers. I asked him why he wasn’t sitting in The Jack Reidy Conference Room. He’s the longest-serving council member, was council president for years, and they named that spillover room next door after him. He’s Mr. Common Sense and always looked out for working folks. He said his wife, Alvina, made him come to the meeting and he’d better not have to sit in that other room. (He wouldn’t weigh in on the rewrite before the meeting — just said he was listening for now.)
Oh, and comment on the ADUs if you want. This invitation is open to schemers, evil-doers and name-callers of all walks of life. RedTape does not discriminate. (Except I did delete a couple things my spam filter didn’t catch.)
Chances are, plenty of folks will show up this evening at the Missoula City Council meeting to air their views on the zoning rewrite. (Watch out for the “schemers” and “evil doers” in the room. And, uh, the name callers.) OPG director Roger Millar has been sending out comparisons of the more contentious issues. The rules in the old code, and ones in the draft ordinance. Here are those summaries — it’s an insane amount of copy, but not compared with the whole book, which the planning board reviewed:
And you don’t even need to vote for her. Last night, Councilwoman Lyn Hellegaard congratulated Minez on her third place win in the state bus rodeo competition in Great Falls. Minez and her handy driving skills are with Mountain Line, so go Missoula!
In other business, Councilwoman Marilyn Marler finally has an opponent. Kathy Greathouse made good on her threat and filed today for Ward 6, according to this news release.*
Too bad Greathouse doesn’t live in Councilman Jon Wilkins’s ward. Last night, he sounded almost eager for a challenger. Bueller?
– Keila Szpaller