July 7, 2026

City of Townsend Council Meeting                                                                                               July 7, 2026

Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance:  Mayor Rauser called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.  Council members present are Angie Wintrow, JB Howick, Vivian Boaz, and Nate Brown.  Peter Simon called in absent.  Also present are John Fuchs, Nicole Simon, Eric Crusch, and Kari Williams.  Jeanne Steele arrived at the end of the meeting. 

Public Hearing:  Mayor Rauser opened the public hearing to amend the 2025-2026 Budget to increase Urban Forestry Fund by $10,000 to cover increased watering due to warmer temperatures over the winter.  Angie made a motion to approve the budget amendment for the Urban Forestry Fund using the fund’s own cash reserves.  JB seconded the motion.  All in favor, motion carried. 

Public Comment:  Any matter not on the agenda, but under the City’s jurisdiction (none)

Minutes from June 16, 2026:  JB made a motion to approve the June 16th minutes.  Vivian seconded the motion.  All in favor, motion carried. 

Current Items for Discussion and Decision: 

  • John Fuchs asked if the City would waive the $2 million/$4 million event insurance requirement for the 2026 Rodeo Street Dance based on the State of Montana only requiring a $500,000 insurance requirement and comparisons of other nearby cities requiring a $1 million/$2 million coverage.  JB made a motion to waive the higher insurance requirement for this year (2026), giving the council time to research the coverage requirements for next year.  Angie seconded the motion.  All in favor, motion carried. 
  • The Rotary Club’s application for Townsend’s Fall Fest 2026 was reviewed. The application was praised for completeness, including a map of street closures. Council noted that solicitor’s licenses are automatically covered under the new event ordinance, eliminating the need for separate applications. A suggestion was made to rename the “event reservation application” to “amenity reservation” to reduce confusion between park amenities and full events.  Angie made a motion to approve the Fall Fest Event for dates October 1-4th.  JB seconded the motion.  All in favor, motion carried.
  • 2026-2027 Budget was presented to council.  JB moved to approve the preliminary 2026-2027 budget, allowing it to advance to the public hearing phase. Angie seconded the motion. The motion carried without discussion, acknowledging the months of prior work on the budget. 

Claims for June 2026:  Nate made a motion to approve the June 2026 Claims.  JB seconded the motion.  All in favor, motion carried.

Pending/Continuing Business

  • Short Term Investment Pool with State Board of Investments vs. Opportunity Bank:  Mayor Rauser & Kari met with a representative from Opportunity Bank to discuss the interest rates, which are currently at 3%.  This is an improvement resulting from  reduced administrative fees and higher interest returns.  Mayor Rauser commented that with Opportunity Bank, all money is FDIC insured.  Staff recommended continuing to monitor rates and maintain local banking relationships, noting that the bank appreciates advance notice of large withdrawals to manage lending operations.
  • Title I and II Review: Both are ready for legal review. A minor clarification to Title II regarding working meetings will be included. Council will review both titles at the next meeting, with a reminder email to be sent.
  • There will be a Water System meeting on July 14th at 11:00 a.m. for a progress report. 
  • All other pending items are a work in progress. 

Round Table

  • Eric/Public Works:  Eric stated that there as been some issues with the pool. He had a walk through with a pool inspector and there are a few things that need to be fixed. He stated that he’d like to meet with the pool committee for direction on what to fix and what not to fix. A pool committee has been set up for Thursday July 16th at 5:00 p.m.

Eric also stated that the new water tank was successfully filled with no leaks or system failures. The process took longer than expected during the final stages due to increased head pressure but overall was deemed a success. An alarm system has been added to detect communication failures with remote monitoring systems.  A recent water system pressure alert was traced to a Global Net internet port failure, not city equipment. This exposed a vulnerability in system communication, prompting the implementation of new loss-of-communication alerts across all facilities. With all three wells operational, PFAS testing will be conducted. Changes have been made to the lead and copper rules. Additionally, new DEQ regulations require the city to document water supply connections to schools and daycares.                                                                                                                A new blower has been installed at the Sewer Lagoon and is functioning properly.

North Cherry Street construction is delayed due to difficulties compacting the base material; an engineer is scheduled to assess the issue. Pothole repairs on I Street and Maple Street are planned to be coordinated with upcoming paving work to reduce costs.  Gravel and Chip Sealing was successful. and the gavel pickup after chip sealing was successful, with only minor residual spots of heavier gravel.            

Eric stated that there was minimal trash collected after the 4th of July, indicating improved public cleanup.

  • Clerk/Kari:  SID 5 and 6 loans are paid off, though fund balances went negative. Reserves from the revolving fund will have the appropriation increased to cover the shortfall, requiring council approval but not an overall budget increase. 
  • Fire Department:  The parade was successful, but safety concerns included the streets were not blocked off in time, which required last-minute coordination. Pedestrians crossed Main Street during setup, nearly being struck by vehicles.  Also, barricades were easily bypassed, by pedestrians and vehicles. 

Council:  Discussion was held between members of the council proposed temporary speed limit signs, vehicle removal notices, and improved barricading. Council also discussed long-term funding challenges for the fire department.

  • Mayor Rauser stated that the military vehicle convoy event will rest in Heritage Park on August 2, with public viewing encouraged. Residents on the first two blocks of South Pine Street will receive advance notice via letter.  A notice on the property at 203 Broadway was placed in the newspaper, on social media, and on our website.
  • Public Comment:  Jeanne Steele came in at the end of the meeting and expressed discomfort with being discussed in local businesses and requested direct communication.  JB asked if he could respond, and Mayor Rauser stated this is not on the agenda.

ADJOURNMENT:  Nate made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Angie seconded the motion.  All in favor, motion carried.