Capital Improvement Plan & Impact Fee Project

The City in the midst of defining a new Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The CIP would then define what projects are needed due to growth or capacity changes. Projects due to growth can have an impact fee set in order to meet that new growths’ requirement.

Check out our project-specific page explaining more on CIP and Impact Fees.

(Image of project timeline for capital improvement project)


legal services request for proposals

The City of Three Forks is seeking proposals from qualified firms or individuals to provide legal services for the City.  Applicants must be currently licensed to practice law in the State of Montana, before the Montana Supreme Court, and Federal Courts.  Applicants are required to have a minimum of three years of experience in county or municipal law.  A complete scope of work to be provided under the contract may be obtained by contacting the City of Three Forks, P.O. Box 187, 206 Main Street, Three Forks, MT, 59752, (406) 285-3431, or by email at mayor@threeforksmontana.us.

Proposals must be received no later than 5:00 PM, Friday April 26, 2024. 

 

Legal Services Scope of Work

The work covered by this RFP includes but will not be limited to the following:

1.        Provide legal advice, counsel, and render such legal services as required by the City Council.

2.        Provide legal advice, counsel, and render such legal services as requested by authorized City staff members and/or Mayor.

3.        Prepare, and/or review drafted, all necessary legal documents, ordinances, contracts, and letters.

4.        Render legal opinions for the City.

5.        Act on behalf of the City in all criminal City Court and civil City Court matters as required.

6.        Represent the City before all agencies of government and private parties having business with the City.

7.        Appear on behalf of the City to prosecute and defend all civil and criminal cases in Montana district courts, federal courts of the United States, and before any other administrative or quasi-judicial board, committee, tribunal, or other person or corporate body.

8.        Attend City Council, board and committee meetings as required by the City.

9.        Perform other duties which may be required by the statutes of the State of Montana or the Charter or Ordinance #1-7B of the City of Three Forks.

10.    Perform such other services as are customarily performed by corporate counsel.

11.    Submittal of monthly billing invoices/statements, as applicable.

 

Proposal Information 

When responding to this RFP, please include the following:

1.        A description of the firm/individual’s prior experience

2.        A summary of the experience of the firm/individual’s key personnel

3.        Past and current work in the local area

4.        The firm/individual’s projected workload over the next two years for clients other than the City of Three Forks

5.        Unique or extraordinary skills or qualifications

6.        Cost per hour for regular legal services

7.        Cost per hour for paralegal or secondary legal services

8.        Charges for travel time and travel expenses

9.        Charges for other expenses incurred while performing the duties outlined in the scope of work including but not limited to: photocopies, faxes, long-distance phone calls, etc.


(Image of Library’s logo)

Three Forks Community Library—Basement Office Space for Rent

The basement of the Library is currently available for use as office space, preferable to one tenant but could be individual offices with shared common and bathroom spaces.

Available 2/1/2024

$1,600/month—Approximately 800 square feet. 4 private offices and a large common area which would be used a conference or break area. The basement has a private entrance, paved parking, and a kitchenette. Rent includes water, sewer, gas/electric, Internet, trash and snow removal.

Contact Jaime Ewan at 406-285-3747


What is the Local Government Review election?

Established as part of the 1972 Constitution, the Local Government Review election is to be held by each city and county government every 10 years. Three Forks will be holding an election during the June primary asking our voters whether or not you wish to conduct a local government review and establish a study commission to do so.

Three Forks passed a resolution calling for the election at its February 13, 2024 meeting. The Council set that three people will comprise Study Commission who would run for election on the November ballot, and the budget if the people elect to review our form of government was set at $5,000.

You can learn more here.

new law regarding dogs to take effect 3/14

The ordinance changing the name of a “kennel” to “additional dog permit” and the process for one to obtain an additional dog permit (meaning more than 3 dogs on any one property), was approved for the second reading at the City Council meeting on 2/13/2024. This ordinance becomes law on 3/14/2024. Click the link below to see the full document.

Highlights include that there will no longer be more than 4 dogs permitted on any property that obtains an additional dog permit. The fees for these applications/renewals are scheduled for 3/12/2024, so keep reading here on our homepage for upcoming hearings.


Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.
— Howard Zinn

(Image of volunteers raising hands)

City of Three Forks Seeks Volunteers for Citizen Advisory Board Vacancies

The City advertises “vacancies” for all boards as terms expire, providing for the opportunity for those who would like to “toss their hat in the ring” to apply, as well as we send a letter asking the current board member if they wish to be reconsidered for another term.

  • Three Forks Zoning & Planning Board has one seat available for residents of the 1-mile jurisdiction boundary (potential growth area just outside of city limits).  Do you live adjacent to the city limits and are interested in how we grow as the city limits expand?  If so, this is the board for you!!  This is a seven-member board, serving staggered 3-year terms.  The purpose of the Board is to consider applications to the Zoning ordinances which are conditional, or Planned Unit Developments, but also make recommendations to the Growth Policy update and zoning ordinances.  Do you want a say in how Three Forks grows and where?  This is your chance! The appointment is filling the remainder of a three year term, expiring on December 31, 2024.  This board only meets monthly as applications are received (historically 10 times/year).


(Image demonstrating the public right-of-way parking and walking areas.)

PERPENDICULAR PARKING ISSUES

Throughout town parking occurs perpendicular to the "street edge". It is much harder to see the "street edge" on a gravel vs. paved road. The attached picture shows how it is supposed to work...which is easier to see when there is a sidewalk, boulevard, curb and then where the PARKING AREA is. However, the same should be followed on gravel roads too.

Let's pretend an 18-foot long truck is parked with its wheels parallel to the curb or street edge. It takes up just 7 feet wide of the right-of-way (R/W). When that same truck is parked perpendicular it extends an extra 11 feet into the R/W. In some areas around town this has gone on for so many years grass "boulevards" are now 15-20 feet from the property line (because many streets also do not have sidewalks or curbs). When a vehicle parks on the remaining travelled gravel road, it is now parking in the area designated for general traffic flow.

This just exacerbates the maintenance issue to grade the right-of-way to its full driving width. Several folks have called in asking us to grade their street to the boulevard, yet they have vehicles parked incorrectly so we were unable to grade the full R/W. Like we said, this has gone on for many years that where vegetation grows, it is now a major cleanup job in order to get that width back. It is also a violation of Ordinance #7-2-5D:

"Except as otherwise provided, a vehicle parked upon a public street or thoroughfare shall be parked or STOPPED PARALLEL TO THE TRAVELLED WAY FACING THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE TRAFFIC FLOW upon such street or thoroughfare. Further, parking or stopping shall be of such a distance as to not block, inhibit or impair the travelled way in any manner, including but not limited to opening doors shall not interfere or cross the plane of the travelled way."

The purpose of all that explanation is to get to this:

We respectfully ask that if you are used to perpendicular parking, you begin retraining your parking habits to park parallel to the street edge from now on. In spring when the grounds thaws, our Public Works crew will have a much easier time grading the gravel roads. We plan to grade that vegetation back, but it will require someone behind the grader picking up all the "sod" that will come up and disposing of it, then grading it again. Once that is complete, regular maintenance will be much easier as long as we have your cooperation to park parallel to the street edge.


NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE is hereby given for a PUBLIC HEARING to be held before the Board of Adjustments/Appeals, at 6:00 P.M., on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at City Hall, 206 Main Street, Three Forks, Montana.

A)   An Application for a VARIANCE has been requested by Sean McKenna (AKA GV Builds, LLC. and Laurel Hills Holding, LLC.) for the property at Lot 7, Block 32 of Three Forks Original Townsite, commonly known as 306 E. Fir Street.

1)       Applicant request is for a variance from Three Forks City Ordinance 11-6A-6 requiring a 15-foot front yard setback. The request is for an 8-foot variance from the 15-foot front yard setback for an enclosed entryway (vestibule) and stairs.

2)       Applicant also requests a variance from Three Forks City Ordinance 11-6A-5 requiring “not more than 35% of the lot shall be occupied by the principal and accessory buildings”.  The request is for a variance of up to 8.5% (43.5% coverage) or 600 square feet.

B)   An Application for a VARIANCE has been requested by Kenneth Keltz Gibson and Barrett Logan Snyder for the property at Lot 1 & 2, Block 4 of the Northwest Townsite, commonly known as 623 E. Neal Street.

1)       Applicants request a variance from the Floodplain Ordinance #12-1-9-C2e, which requires all residential new construction be constructed on suitable fill that is at least 2 feet above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE).  Applicants request is to build on piers, instead of fill.  The BFE at this location is currently 3+ feet above the ground level and based on the new proposed FEMA maps the BFE would be 6+ feet above the existing ground.

2)       Applicants are also requesting a variance from Three Forks City Ordinance 11-6A-9 requiring a maximum building height of 36-feet for a dwelling. The request is for a little over a 3-foot variance for the dwelling height of 39-feet 1-inch.

ORAL TESTIMONY will be taken in support of or in opposition to this request at said hearing.  Written testimony may be submitted prior to the hearing at ksmith@threeforksmontana.us or mailing to City Hall PO Box 187, Three Forks, MT 59752.

The site plan for this proposed application may be reviewed at the City Office.  For any questions concerning this request, please contact Ms. Kelly Smith, City Zoning Official (phone 285-3431).


(Flooding logo, image of house with rain cloud over it flood waters rushing by it)

Did you know you may be in the 1% chance of flooding based on FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Map? Check out our floodplain page to learn more about the regulations on flood-proofing, and how you can best prepare in the event of a flood.

Madison-Ruby-Jefferson River Watersheds Flood Maps Update

Madison, Jefferson, Gallatin, and Broadwater Counties have been working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) to produce new floodplain maps for portions of the Madison, Ruby, Jefferson, Beaverhead and South Boulder Rivers, and Mill and Indian Creeks.

(Image of existing Jefferson floodplain overlay in Three Forks. *Does not include the Madison River Floodplain.)

(Image of proposed new maps overlaying Three Forks - floodWAY penetrates within the city limits on the west side of town)

(Image of what the Jefferson River Floodplain would look like if the mitigation channel were constructed in this location. *Please note this does not include any mapping of the Madison River Floodplain.)

Jefferson Floodplain Mitigation Project

The City of Three Forks submitted funding applications to FEMA in January 2022 for the purposes of funding a flood mitigation project to reduce flood risk from the Jefferson River. The proposed mitigation is a grass-lined conveyance channel and culvert crossing improvement project that will intercept flood waters west of town and divert them back to the Jefferson River before ever reaching the city.

The conveyance channel would be approximately 8,000 lineal feet. Channel dimensions are anticipated to be 100-feet wide, 5-feet deep, with 3:1 side slopes. The project will include a culvert crossing structure to carry water underneath MT state highway 2 before terminating into a natural side channel of the Jefferson River. The project cost is estimated at $5.5 million.

The City learned that FEMA has selected Three Forks for final review of a Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant at 75% of the total project cost.

The remaining 25% will be funded through a Special Improvement District (SID). The SID represents an area in which landowners would be assessed to fund improvements that benefit the district, and the maintenance thereof. Landowners have the opportunity to protest the creation of this district during the protest period. A Notice of Intent to Create was first published on October 4, 2022, beginning the 17-day protest period. (Protest period began 10/4/2022, the date of first publication in a newspaper of general circulation within Gallatin County. Three Forks also advertised in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Belgrade News, and the Three Forks Voice. Protest period ended on 10/21/2022 at 5PM.)

public hearings

Public hearings have been held on 9/27/2022 and 10/25/2022 to Create Special Improvement District #34 “Jefferson River Floodplain Mitigation Project & Maintenance”. Zero written protests were received, and the Council approved the creation of this SID at its 10/25/2022 meeting.

next steps

We have sent the District details to the Treasurer’s office to be on the 2023 tax rolls.

We also have met with the affected landowners where the proposed channel would be located, and will work soon on the environmental and historical assessment surveys.