Chouteau County Community Input

Economic Development (private business)

  • Create job opportunities for young people, year-round, wages higher than minimum wage
  • Improve presentation of Main Street area to entice highway traffic
  • Improve quality of older housing to attract new residents
  • Improve water and sewer infrastructure to attract new businesses
  • Keep current businesses on Main Street
  • Attract entrepreneurs who work from home via internet
  • Attract young families and year-round residents
  • Create incentives for hiring locally on new projects
  • Continue infrastructure improvements
  • Establish a land trust
  • Expand local industry beyond agriculture
  • Secure consistent, faster, Internet access
  • Develop local veterinarian clinic
  • Develop local auto/ag machinery mechanics shop
  • Develop meat processing business
  • Develop local law enforcement

Energy

  • Encourage cooperation to start up wind projects, solar projects, coal production
  • Negotiate transmission lines for wind projects
  • Produce biofuels on larger scale
  • Develop wind energy, water energy
  • Develop transmission lines to energy markets
  • Seek grants to develop alternative energy sources like wind farm

Environment

  • Pave roads and sidewalks
  • More recycling
  • Develop secondary water source
  • Mitigate saline seep (alfalfa)

Health

  • Create walking paths for exercise
  • Access to fresh fruits and vegetables
  • Offer more services and housing to attract resident doctor
  • Establish bus service to Great Falls

Housing

  • Improve quality of older housing to attract new residents
  • Improve quality of older housing to increase value, improve availability, make resale easier
  • Develop a 4-plex apartment
  • Seniors need housing (retirement home with medical and transit services)
  • Seek a benefactor (like Winifred or Harlem)

Parks & Recreation

  • Create indoor recreation center for cold weather months
  • Develop RV area between depot and RR with water and sewer
  • Place signage to direct visitors from rest stop
  • Update community center to include youth center
  • Make walking/bike trail on old RR between Geraldine and Great Falls

Transportation

  • Pave streets and add sidewalks
  • Coordinate with public transit from Havre to Great Falls
  • Improved handicapped, railroad parking
  • Encourage Burlington Northern Rail Road to retain rail service
  • Resident Spending Priorities
  • Develop local transit system (8-passenger van)
  • Improve options with existing transit systems
  • Support Snowy Mountains Development efforts to rebuild trestle and railroad
  • Reopen airport

Other Ideas

  • Create incentives or enforce town codes to persuade residents to clean up lots
  • Attract a child care business to start in town
  • Fund a municipal swimming pool for kids
  • Upgrade sewer and water systems to attract new residents
  • Grow vegetables year round; community gardens; farm-to-cafeteria program
  • Create more forums for community involvement, share information about available resources and services
  • Improve “curb appeal” by enforcing blight ordinance to clean up unkempt lots
  • Provide incentive to improve local yards and lots

Employment

  • Add diversity to employers to better balance public vs. private businesses
  • Attract service providers to keep local dollars in town
  • Take more risks

Education

  • Improve Internet access
  • Continue to attract teachers (assist them to find housing)