Chinook City Council Holds June Meeting

Chinook City Council meeting took place on 8 June 2026 at 7 PM in the Chinook City Hall conference room. The Mayor, City Clerk, and three of the four City Council Members were present. Council member Hall attended via telephone. After the Pledge of Allegiance, the meeting began. Councilman Henderson requested an amendment to the minutes of the last city council meeting. The amendment included Superintendent Nordboe’s activities for April, such as mowing and setting up sprinklers. The amendment was voted in the affirmative.

Fire Chief Gallus was first to report for May. There was no new news. He did mention he will be out of town and back on 15 June. He was happy to report that the recent rainfall provided much-needed moisture.

Police Chief Zarn reported one officer had a fender bender with a police department vehicle. The accident pushed the grill guard into the grill and hood. No injury was reported. Chief Zarn is also waiting for information from Bear Paw Development regarding a vehicle grant. The mayor reported that he had not heard anything and would check for more information. Mayor Hauer commented on vehicles from another city, he spoke with another mayor from Montana about receiving their police vehicles. Chief Zarn and Mayor Hauer determined such old, high-mileage vehicles was not feasible. There were two candidates for the police department. Both applicants were rejected. Chief Zarn continued, stating the police department will be shorthanded in the coming days. There will be a period where Chief Zarn will have to work 24 hours a day for six days straight without the much-needed help. He also asked City Clerk Dunkin to adjust the ad notice for police applications to include pay dependent on experience.

Street Superintendent Nordboe reported that a manhole cover was broken into three pieces on Highway Two. There is currently a temporary fix, but the state will have to supply a permanent repair. He spent a lot of time working at the pool to prepare it for its grand opening this month. The pool is coming along nicely. Workers started filling the dry pool on the 10th with water. There was a small sinkhole over a recent sewage line installation. Cop Construction will dig it up, pack it, and refill it. The sinkhole was due to recent rain.

Wastewater Superintendent Miller stated they had two issues and replaced parts on facility equipment. The system is old enough that the manufacturer no longer builds or supplies parts. Those parts would either have to be rebuilt or found elsewhere. He reported that he also successfully attended a safety class. He will be leaving on 15 June and may be back sometime in July for family matters.

Water Plant Superintendent Harry was not in attendance. He left a report with Clerk Dunkin, who stated the Department of Industry inspection went well except for a few paperwork issues. Superintendent Miller mentioned that his department had the same result from the inspection. The City Clerk announced there was a new hire in the office. Her name is Kyleigh Knight. She is the new assistant clerk and is on a 90-day probation period. Committee reports from city council members and the mayor indicated no new business or information to share.

In old business, Heather Depriest, spokeswoman for Friends of the Pool and Park Foundation, reported the liner and pad have been installed. A sample was on display at the meeting, [the padding will be a great safety factor for the pool floor]. A vote was required for the playground. Pictures and samples of playground equipment and matting were on display for council members and attendees. Votes on both items were required that evening. Gray matting was approved for the playground, and the equipment was approved as well. The council voted on new shading equipment for the pool patio area. The shades will be orange with white poles supporting them. The equipment is hurricane-proof, and the orange vinyl will be removed at the end of the season for storage. The 22’ x 14’ shades cost $14,000. The committee is trying to find the best deal. The price may cover two or possibly three shades. Spokeswoman Depriest and the others were disappointed to learn that the vintage spring riders could not be salvaged. Hopes were to buy and install new springs on the metal animal riders in the park playground. New spring riders will be ordered and installed with the playground equipment, but they will not have the nostalgic vibe of the old ones. She was happy to report that the pool Facebook page is set up. Individuals can friend and find pool information and updates online. Discussion ensued about the pool passes. Family passes will be limited to six members in the same household, and the price will increase by $15 this season. There is also a grandparent pass, that price will not increase. This pass is for grandparents and visiting grandchildren. The maximum number of family members on that pass is also six. On a high note, one council member and one superintendent donated two pool passes each to individuals in need of assistance. City Council voted in the affirmative on the pool price increase and the closing dates for this summer requested by the new pool manager. These dates are 27 June and a half day on 4 July. There will also be a half-day for the fair derby. Chinook pool passes remain the lowest in the Hi Line area. Pool hours are 1 to 5 PM and 7 to 9 PM.

The council voted in the affirmative on wastewater project items. Checks to be written exceed $220,000. During the discussion of the wastewater project, council member Henderson asked if there were any compaction reports. The Mayor and Superintendent Nordboe reported that they have not seen any reports. Council member Henderson requested that these be obtained.

Last in old business was the discussion of official posting locations for city council agendas. The decided locations are the Blaine County courthouse, the Blaine County Journal, the post office, and Facebook. Council member Henderson led a discussion about receiving the agenda from the clerk at least a week prior to the meeting, so council members can prepare possible discussion topics at the meeting. Getting it the weekend before the council meeting left too little time to read and prepare.

Discussion followed about hiring an assistant pool manager. Three candidates had submitted applications. The pool manager and council attendees made no recommendations. However, one applicant was in attendance. Discussion was halted for a closed meeting after the city council meeting. Appointments for the representative of the Blaine County planning board and the sewer grievance committee were discussed. Council member Munari volunteered for the planning board. Council member Henderson volunteered for the sewer grievance committee. The city council voted and approved both positions.

The city council meetings are held on the second Monday of each month at 7 PM in the Chinook City Hall conference room. If you have matters to discuss, please be present and listed on the agenda to voice your concerns, comments, or praises for city matters. Call City Hall at least a week and a half before the meeting to get on the agenda. City members do not have to be on the agenda for public discussion. There is an open forum at the end of each meeting for city members to be heard. However, the city council cannot vote on these discussions or resolutions at that meeting. These may be postponed to the next meeting. The next city council meeting will be held on the 13th of July.