AROUND HELENA, CITY AND COUNTY
LEADERS ARE ALREADY THINKING
ABOUT HOW THEY'LL USE THE
ADDITIONAL MONEY. M-T-N'S
JONATHON AMBARIAN LOOKS AT SOME
OF THE PROJECTS THE
NEW REVENUE COULD PAY FOR.
TAKE PKG: X1:28 OC..SOC.
LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY ENGINEER
DAN KARLIN SAYS ADDITIONAL GAS
TAX REVENUE WILL EXPAND OPTIONS
FOR HOW LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
ADDRESS THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE.
"IT GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO
ACTUALLY DO SOME BIGGER
PROJECTS."
KARLIN SAYS THE COUNTY WANTS TO
USE THEIR WHOLE ALLOTMENT FOR A
SINGLE PROJECT, TO SIMPLIFY THE
PROCESS THE FIRST TIME THEY
CLAIM THE FUNDING.
ONE POSSIBILITY IS USING IT TO
REBUILD THE INTERSECTION OF
LEWIS STREET AND LAKE HELENA
DRIVE, NEAR EASTGATE
ELEMENTARY.
CG: DAN KARLIN, LEWIS CLARK
COUNTY ENGINEER
"IT'S DETERIORATING PRETTY
BADLY, WE HAVE SOME
DRAINAGE ISSUES GOING THERE, I'M
SURE PEOPLE HAVE NOTICED.
IT'S A PRETTY DECENT SIZED DIP.
WE WOULD LIKE TO POSSIBLY SELECT
THAT AS THE PROJECT AND DO A
RECONSTRUCTION OF THAT
INTERSECTION. HELENA PUBLIC
WORKS DIRECTOR RANDALL CAMP SAID
THE NEW TAX MONEY WILL BECOME A
BIG PART OF THE CITY'S STREET
REPAIR
BUDGET.
"IT'S A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE FOR
US, YES." HE SAYS THE CITY HAS
IDENTIFIED MILES OF STREETS THAT
WILL
EVENTUALLY NEED TO BE REPLACED.
CG: RANDALL CAMP, HELENA PUBLIC
WORKS DIRECTOR
"PAVING PROJECTS ARE TYPICALLY
RIGHT AROUND A MILLION DOLLARS A
MILE, AND THAT'S NOT COUNTING
THE INFRASTRUCTURE UNDER THE
STREETS."
THE HELENA CITY COMMISSION WILL
MAKE THE FINAL DECISION ON HOW
TO USE THE GAS TAX REVENUE.
CAMP SAYS ONE OPTION IS TO SPEND
SOME OF IT ON TWO LARGE-
SCALE PROJECTS.
ONE ON WEST MAIN STREET SOUTH OF
DOWNTOWN, AND ONE ALONG FRONT
STREET NEAR THE GREAT NORTHERN.
BOTH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY SAY
THEY HAVE MADE NO FINAL
DECISIONS, AND A LOT OF PLANNING
IS STILL LEFT TO DO.
"IT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING WORKING
OUT THE BUDGETS AND
FIGURING OUT WHERE WE CAN BEST
UTILIZE THE TAX DOLLARS."
JONATHON AMBARIAN, M-T-N NEWS,
HELENA.
ON CAMERA TAG
HELENA PUBLIC WORKS WILL PRESENT
THE CITY COMMISSION WITH UPDATES
ON SOME OF THEIR PLANNED
PROJECTS DURING AN
ADMINISTRATIVE MEETING TOMORROW
AFTERNOON. THEY COULD START
DISCUSSING WHERE GAS TAX REVENUE
SHOULD
BE DIRECTED.
