Rickert Development Asks for Long Term Commitment for South Broadwater Infrastructure Plan
 | Author:
Nancy Marks
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
Rickert Development Asks for Long Term Commitment for South Broadwater Infrastructure Plan
Craig Rickert of Rickert Development is asking Broadwater County Commissioners to pass a resolution to commit $616,000 in the next ten years to his commercial development of 36 acres located on Highway 287 near the I90 Interchange. In a meeting last Wednesday Richert said his company, operating under the name of Montana CrossRoads, LLC, would build all the roads, sewage plant, and wastewater system and drill the wells if the county would pledge Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to get him started raising the financing for the years-long project.
Rickert gave several examples of towns that have used TIF funds to bring in roads and wastewater systems. He said Fort Benton and Great Falls both had used the funds to build their nearby subdivisions. His company has done “horizontal” construction (sewer, roads, wells) for 32 years.
Richert explained it this way: “If a developer comes in to put in the needed utilities for a subdivision, then the county lowers the taxes to pay back the utility investment via the Wheatland Targeted Economic Development District(TEDD) of which his commercial subdivision is a part. Bridger Brewing is also a part of the TEDD in South Broadwater. It is like priming the pump to attract businesses to the subdivision who then will eventually pay taxes to Broadwater County,” he said.
Headwater Utility District in South Broadwater is already in place under the TEDD provisions. Deputy County Attorney Jania Hatfield asked Richert why the county would make a commitment so early. “We already have a wastewater treatment plant in place down there,” she said. Nathan Bileau, Richert’s attorney explained if Richert can get enough money in his ”kitty” he can build on that. Bileau explained that tax increment financing is a pass-through for the county, and that the county is not liable for the funds if the developer should fail.
The Commission took Rickert’s request for a resolution under consideration. No decision was made.
Community Planning and Development Director Nichole Brown presented a request for a decision to allow a family transfer of land for the Leep family on Jack Russell Road, on a parcel south of the I90 interchange.
The Leep family wants to subdivide their 17-acre parcel into two parcels. Discussion surrounding present subdivision regulations that do not include ongoing changes for legal access for fire or emergency services. Surveyor Bernadette Swenson cautioned the commissioners about attaching an affidavit to the survey about those issues. “Although I realize the future owners of such properties need to know about fire and emergency service access, we surveyors are limited as to what we can and cannot put on the survey plat,” she advised. The Leep Family Transfer was approved.
In other news, Chairperson Debi Randolph submitted a lengthy report on the Pacific Northwest Economic Region and Passenger Rail Authority Summit in Boise, Idaho last week. Townsend and Broadwater County are included in the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority which is working towards returning passenger rail service via the Hiawatha Trail which was the former southern route through Montana.
