Montana, - “Infrastructure does depreciate, you have to reinvest government statewide,” said John Tubbs, Dept. of Natural Resources and Conservation Director.
“That’s basically one of the core functions of government and somehow that vision’s been lost,” Executive Director, Cary Hegreberg.
“Like our forefathers we need to make the investments so our children can have a community thats ec
onomically viable and is good to live in,” said Tubbs.
Roads, bridges, state-run facilities, and water systems…. without a state funded infrastructure bill Montana officials say this will hurt future generations.
During the 2015 Legislative Session, the bill proposing The Build Montana Program failed and then the last all inclusive infrastructure bill passed in the Senate, but not in the House.
“And for the most part most legislators said it’s time to make these investments, but unfortunately a small group held us back from doing so,” said Governor Steve Bullock.
Despite the set back, the legislature did pass over 90 infrastructure bills funding projects all over the state.
Projects like reclamation of the Martina and Nine Mile Creek in Missoula, Missouri river in Cascade County, and state-wide roof repairs.
11 million dollars going to Lewis and Clark county alone, which includes phase three of the Ten Mile Creek Estates and Pleasant Valley Subdivisions Wastewater System Improvements in the Helena Valley with a $125,0000 grant.
However, if the large infrastructure package passed, the county would have received over 47 million and the 60-year-old Helena Irrigation District would have been one of the projects funded
“….and it provides all the irrigation water for green agricultural lands in the Helena Valley. Maybe it didn’t hurt us this time, but a long term solution needs to be found,” said Tubbs.
And when projects aren’t funded in state jobs are lost.
“We have contractors for a number of years that have been reaching outside the state of Montana for work and to keep their employees busy,” said Hegreberg.
“Here in the Lewis and Clark county I mean not only from basic water and sewer needs, but the Heritage Center has been a long time needed,” said Bullock.
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