City of Shelby
Feature Business of the Week: City of Shelby
Written By: Lorette Carter
City of Shelby
112 1st Street South
Shelby, MT 59474
(406) 424-5222
We, as a community, are very fortunate to have dedicated and forward-thinking leaders who continually work to improve our community through improvements to our infrastructure – water, sewer, storm drainage, roads, and public facilities. These projects cause temporary disruption in services and accessibility issues within the community, but the end result is services that benefit the community now and for generations to come. The storm water drainage project, while inconvenient, will greatly improve how rain events and winter thaws move water within the community- positively impacting roads, households, and commercial businesses.
In addition to the stormwater drainage project, the city was able to install a new water transmission line on the north end of our community to the airport water tank, positively impacting water and fire flow to our north side residents, schools, and businesses. The replacement of the airport water tank to a larger tank is in progress at this time and emergency generators will be installed within our water system in the near future to further sustain adequate water flow in the event of a power outage within our community.
Next spring, the storm water drainage improvements will be completed and replacement of backup generators at our sewer lift stations will be installed. All these projects are critical in bringing our city infrastructure up-to-date and more efficient for the benefit of the community! The city is able to finance these improvements without impacting user fees because of ARPA and State grant funding.
The city has also been working on housing issues. As part of the Community Development Block Grant Program, the first of two low-and-moderate incomes homes is complete and for sale at 820 10th Avenue South. The second home is set to be completed by the end of the year. As per the grant program, homebuyers must meet income eligibility requirements to qualify for purchase of the 3 bedroom- 2 bath homes. Sale of these homes will be placed in a revolving loan fund in which to continue construction of single-family homes. Three additional LMI homes are planned for the former Bitterroot site as well as four market rate homes, further improving the community’s housing stock.
Also, part of ongoing projects, the city continues to work with the Federal Rail Administration, BNSF, and Montana Department of Transportation on rail safety. The city has been working with these agencies for several years in addressing safety at our Galena and Highway 2 crossings. The hope is to install wayside horns, greatly reducing the sound impact within our community and double-crossing arms.
The city tries to keep residents informed of projects and events going on weekly. Follow the city on the City of Shelby Facebook page.
Shelby is a great place to live, work and raise our families. Together as a community is the only way we can continue to improve Shelby now and for generations to come. Thank you!
Written By: Shane Adams
With my position at the Chamber I work closely with the people at the city on various projects. The City is and has been a proud member of the Chamber!! With the number 1 goal between us, to do our best to make Shelby as best as it can be. Shelby is a great little town and my goal is to keep it that way, or to do my best to make it even better!! As Lorette touched base on, while it might be inconvenient or frustrating with the repair/construction going on to the streets, it will pass, and the end result the infrastructure will be improved which benefits the community as a whole!
While there are many projects the Chamber and City work together on to write about, one that people actually could see with their own eyes is the Main Street Flowers Project this past summer. While the Chamber funded the actual purchase of the flowers (funds generated by Chamber Fundraising efforts, this year was the August Cash Calendar) and was responsible for watering the flowers all summer (or finding people to water). The city did provide the end loader (and driver) to raise myself & Lorette up to each flower basket to plant the flowers early this summer. The city provided the use of the water truck and access to the water station to fill the water tank as well. Without the City providing those items, the Main Street Flowers would not have been possible! That's just one example of the city and Chamber working together!
I thank the City of Shelby for the continued support they show towards the Chamber and I too support the city in all their efforts to keep Shelby great!! We have a great working relationship and look forward to keep working with them in the future!
