|
Bonners Ferry accomplishes much in 2011 |
|
December 30, 2011 |
By Bonners Ferry Mayor David Anderson
This is the time of year we look back at the
successes and challenges of the past year and
look forward to the challenges and opportunities
of the coming year, both personally and as a
city organization.
The City of Bonners Ferry has accomplished a
number of things this year.
While new construction was down, we did install
a number of new utility services, including the
new Kaniksu Health Center and the Border Patrol
station.
We have continued to invest effort on sidewalks
and parking, with our big street projects this
year being the Alderson Lane sidewalk and
resurfacing project.
We also continued to maintain our infrastructure
with concrete repair on the Moyie Dam, major
structural work on the roof of our steel water
tank and levee repairs.
Our city fire department has continued to work
hard to upground our fire equipment and fleet. A
number of the upgrades made this year came from
donations by larger fire departments and grants
from organizations as diverse as the Union
Pacific Railroad and the Trans Canada Pipeline.
Under the American Reinvestment program, the
City of Bonners Ferry, the City of Moyie Springs
and Boundary County were able to work together
to do a significant number of energy
conservation programs. The public buildings that
received better windows, insulation, lighting
and heating systems will provide a return for
the tax payers of our community for years to
come.
These buildings included the Moyie Springs Fire
Hall and shop, the Boundary County Restorium,
Boundary Community Hospital, Bonners Ferry City
Hall and the Bonners Ferry Fire Hall.
Another focus over the past couple of years has
been to extend the life of the Boundary County
Landfill by increasing recycling. The city has
worked with the Frederickson's Bonners Ferry
Garbage Company and installed two recycling test
sites in town. With the success of these sites,
the city will move forward and weigh the cost
benefit of these sites and develop options.
Another project we focused on this year was the
new Super 1 grocery store. To facilitate this
project, the city formed an urban renewal
agency, or URA, a formal district which allows
for financing of public infrastructure. The
public infrastructure associated with the Super
1 store include a center turn bay on Highway 95,
rebuilding a section of Kennedy Street and the
installation of significant water and sewer
infrastructure.
Looking forward to next year, we know that we
will need to continue to maintain the
significant infrastructure of which we are
stewards.
There will be more concrete work on the Moyie
Dam, the water transmission line across Deep
Creek will be replaced and some of the old
four-inch water lines in town will be replaced.
Over most of the past decade, we have focused on
our water system; looking forward, our focus
will likely be on the city's sewer system.
While these systems need maintenance just like
any system installed by our grandparent's
generation, the biggest driver now are the ever
increasing Environmental Protection Agency
regulations by which we must abide.
We have seen a number of personnel changes over
the past year; perhaps the most notable being
the upcoming retirement of Bonners Ferry Police
Chief Rick Alonzo after 20 years with the city.
His contributions to the city aren't ending, as
he'll soon be taking the City Council seat he
was recently elected to.
Jeannie Robinson and Dan Williams both retired
this year, and we gained new employees Kevin
Cossairt, Willie Cowell, Eddy Invernon and Sunny
Kimball.
The city employee voted by her co-workers as
"Most Valuable Worker" this year was Christine
McNair.
With the great citizens we as a City server with
our exceptional employee team, we are ready to
face whatever challenges arise in 2012, and we
are ready to grab opportunities as they come
along. |
|
Questions or comments? Click
here to
email! |
|
|
|
|
