Community Assessment Projects
 | Author:
Nancy Marks
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
Town Hall Attendees Rank Future Community Projects Nancy Marks A group of twenty residents who attended a town hall meeting Wednesday at the Methodist Church ranked forming a Community Land Trust, a seniors' aging-in-place project and looking into building a multigenerational Community Center as most important to the community.
These ideas were among many projects presented by Broadwater County‘s Community Action Team which presented months-long plans of projects for upgrading and enhancing the community’s lack of housing and social service activities. Housing and planning, emergency services, senior and social services, community childcare, broadband improvement and a community recreation center were among the topics presented.
Montana Economic Development Association (MEDA) which performed the first review for Broadwater County in 2004 organized this session as well.
Community Development Specialist, Marci Miller, of the University of Idaho Extension Service, Moscow, Idaho, opened the town hall meeting by reviewing work that had been covered earlier in the day by various groups. Miller explained the process used by the working groups to expand on their basic ideas about community planning while eliminating ideas they thought were not viable. “Many good ideas come up in these groups, but just can’t be implemented for various reasons such as lack of infrastructure or no long-term sustainability,” she said.
CITIZENS CHOOSE THREE PLANS
Leader Samantha Ferrat explained how a Community Land Trust would promote affordable housing. The nonprofit trust would permanently own multiple tracts of land. Housing built on the land would be privately owned and could be sold at a profit when ownership changed. Sale of the homes would be limited to purchase by low and middle-income families. This housing would qualify for USDA Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants and loans.
Working group member, Vickie Rauser, explained housing development by the community must be proactive, not be left for the government to accomplish. JB Howick expressed enthusiasm over the idea of building tiny houses and more homes on less land to help seniors and workforce people find places to live economically in this community.
John Hahn led a second group that looked at ideas to enhance community life in Broadwater County. He explained the idea of a community Multiple-Use Facility with an indoor pool for use by seniors, as a teen center, and as a large meeting place. As an example, he said Poplar, Montana built a $23 million facility which has been very successful.
Hahn also explained a plan for nonmotorized vehicle and pedestrian trail development around Broadwater County including a cantilevered bridge attached to the river bridge to connect the present pedestrian trail from town to the Silos area. An asphalt trail from town to the Fairgrounds on Hwy 12 would be included in this plan.
Montana Business Assistance Connection (MBA) specialist, Katherine Anderson, presented ideas for enhancing social services. The group project for childcare solutions included recruiting high school students to babysit after school. The group also pursued aging-in-place solutions for senior citizens desiring to spend their last days at home. This would include working with present mental health organizations, the local health department, emergency assistance departments and the hospital and clinics in town. She also talked about upgrading broadband services in Broadwater County.
STEERING COMMITTEE COMES NEXT
Phase 2, according to Miller, is to elect a steering Committee and identify a coach to keep the process going. She explained there are multiple resources for accessing grant monies, and for gaining support from government and business interests. She thanked Broadwater Community Development Corporation members Craig Vietz, John Hahn and Vickie Rauser, the Montana State University Extension Agent Allison Kosto, and Katherine Anderson of MBAC for their help in organizing the community development assessment.
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PhotoCredit: Nancy Marks
Image 1 Caption: On the left City Council member Vickie Rauser and retired Clerk and Recorder Ann Rauser (Photo credit: Nancy Marks)
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