Uncategorized
Legislative effort for additional infrastructure funding continues
Published
5 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersResort tax board looks to unify community
By Tyler Allen EBS Managing Editor
BIG SKY – At the Jan. 9 Big Sky Resort Area District meeting, the board discussed a number of topics, including an update on the community strategic plan, hiring the new position of district manager, streamlining the appropriation application, and enforcing business licenses for short-term vacation rentals.
Much of the meeting, however, was devoted to the lobbying effort in the 2019 Montana Legislature, and the draft bill to give resort areas and communities the ability to petition voters to approve an up to 1-percent increase in resort tax for infrastructure needs.
Board members Steve Johnson and Mike Scholz are on the district’s legislative steering community and attended the West Yellowstone Town Council meeting Jan. 3. Scholz said the council unanimously approved funding half of the contract with lobbyist Taylor Luther Group, and signed off on the contract. The Big Sky Resort Area District will pick up the other half of the contract, which will total $50,000 if the bill becomes law
The draft bill, available on the district’s website at resorttax.org, currently reads: “‘Infrastructure’ has the meaning specifically provided in the petition or resolution submitting the question of the additional resort tax to qualified electors.” However, Scholz noted that the language could change as it moves through the legislative process, and the definition could be tightened by each resort tax community that chooses to put a petition before its voters.
“The legislation enables the individual resort tax entities to deal with a petition, it says you can do this, it doesn’t say you have to,” Johnson said. “What we anticipate may come out in the process is an itemized list of what does constitute infrastructure.”
“Infrastructure … will include not just water and sewer but we will expect to see, on that list somewhere, workforce housing,” Johnson added.
As Scholz noted in a Jan. 16 interview with EBS, at least three major long-term community projects could necessitate funding in the future: the Big Sky Water and Sewer District is planning a nearly $22 million wastewater treatment plant upgrade; a study done eight years ago on a potential wastewater treatment facility in Gallatin Canyon projected a cost of approximately $20 million; and workforce housing in Big Sky is 400 to 600 units short of the current need.
The board discussed how different resort tax areas and communities will have different needs, and Treasurer Sarah Blechta mentioned how Whitefish is looking to address property-tax relief for its residents.
“A fundamental thing you’ve got to understand about this resort tax thing is that, in order to do anything, what you do has to be politically viable at two levels,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to do something that we can get through the Legislature, and we’ve got to bring it back here and get something that we can get through the local voter population.”
Johnson also said that it’s important to note that during their trip to West Yellowstone, one of their town councilmen said that Big Sky did not have a unified voice during the 2017 legislative session, when a similar bill earmarked for workforce housing died in a 25-25 vote in the Senate.
During the public comment period, Chairperson Kevin Germain read an email from Big Sky resident Dr. Alan Shaw, who also sent the email to West Yellowstone Town Manager Dan Sabolski: “‘I repeat my intention for all of us to work together to get this done in a smooth, non-contentious manner. In that regard, several of us who were involved in this matter at the last legislative session feel strongly that the word ‘infrastructure’ be clearly defined in the bill. Following is a suggested verbiage that you might find helpful. … The term infrastructure for the purposes of this bill shall be considered to be defined to include the basic physical systems of a community or municipality and shall include transportation, communications, sewage, water systems, and electric systems.’
“I sure would love to go to Helena with one voice,” Germain added. “I’ll use an expression to make a point, but legislation is sausage making. There’s a whole lot of stuff that’s going into there, and here is a first draft.”
Johnson and Scholz compiled a list of the organizations, governmental agencies around the state, and major Big Sky businesses that each board member would be responsible for contacting and educating about the legislation. As of EBS press time on Jan. 16, that process was ongoing.
“We just want to make sure everybody understands the bill and make sure we’re as transparent as possible,” Scholz said on Jan. 16. He added that the steering committee that emerges from the Big Sky Community Strategic Plan would be the ones to bring any petition before voters in this community, if the bill passes.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
april, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
more
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
Time
14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm
Event Details
Come join us at Cowboy Coffee as we celebrate a fun night of drinks, games, and meeting others within the community. This event is from 6-8 and all are welcome
Event Details
Come join us at Cowboy Coffee as we celebrate a fun night of drinks, games, and meeting others within the community. This event is from 6-8 and all are welcome to come, if you don’t know who to bring come alone this is a great mixer event! This is an event hosted by Big Sky OUT as we work to provide queer safe spaces throughout the community.
Time
(Sunday) 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location
Cowboy Coffee
25 Town Center Ave. Big Sky, MT 59716