The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

So, let's talk roads, and not because no-one is talking about them. A small attempt at humor. Recently on television and radio, and in the Havre Daily Newspaper it has been reported about how Hill County Commissioners are applying for the BUILD grant. I stopped in Fort Benton to visit with the Chouteau County Commissioners; Clay Riehl, Bob Pasha, and Daren Schuster about the Grant. The BUILD (Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development) provides DOT Department of Transportation to help invest in roads. It was previously known as Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER Discretionary Grants. Darin Schuster said, "the funds are very very competitive nationwide." He said grants are given historically to rural areas with larger populations.

Since the BUILD grants are so difficult to obtain, I visited with the County Commissioners about the condition of Chouteau County roads. "We all do some of the same thing", Clay Riehl said. "Screening and crushing gravel." A special level was needed to fix our roads, it was presented and it did pass.

Daren Schuster said, "Part of our problem, everything in a pipe line gets taxed. But right now, they aren't moving anything through the pipes now." They are hoping with redoing NAFTA that they can once again get some funding being channeled to the counties. Bob Pasha found the historical oil and natural gas production tax distributed to Chouteau Country. In 2005 Chouteau County received $477,192.06 in oil and natural gas production tax distribution. It has gone down every year since. In 2015 Chouteau County received $29,731; 2016--$13,500; 2017 $24,830 and in 2018, through three quarters, Chouteau County received $9,232 in oil and gas production tax distributed funds to Chouteau County. These figures need to be divided between the three road districts in the county. This information was given to those who attended the meetings they held a couple of years ago to discuss the need for a special levee.

Last year there was some action taken on the roads around Chouteau County. Darin Schuster said, "We've been making a lot of gravel. Right now, I have enough gravel for 35 miles. We'll be graveling all summer long. Last fall we put some out on Cow Island and a few spotty areas." He is hoping people will be patient. "We are going to concentrate on

getting the gravel on the roads this summer. We don't have the man power or the time to do both road grading and gravelling this summer."

They did find some gravel pits: Bruce Peterson, Sibra Pit, IX Pit, Williams Brothers, and Larry Jappe. "We're always looking for more. It at least doubles' the price if you have to crush the gravel." And in the Big Sandy area it all needs to be crushed. "It costs around $10,000 to gravel one mile of country road. And it takes one day to gravel one mile."

Darin also mentioned he needs to hire a part time person. He also hopes a number of the farmers and ranchers with a CDL would work with the county for a couple of days each. You have to have a CDL to drive the trailers full of gravel. He is also looking at locating a couple of used trailers to purchase for use this summer.