Uh thank you.

I would like to call the public works committee meeting, April twenty second, twenty twenty-six, six thirty.

Uh courthouse, uh council chambers.

Our first communication on the docket is communication number twenty twenty-four five four four, Michelle Shea, District Two Commissioner, request a status update and public works committee review of the condition of the walking trail tunnel under Harrison Avenue, south of Dickie's barbecue.

Um I guess I should go back one more.

I kind of skipped something here.

Everybody that's in present is the Josh O'Neill vice chair's present.

Dan Callahan is present, Bill Boyle is present, uh Russell Airy is absent, and Trudy Healy is present.

Uh Mark Neary here of Public Works.

Um I think I would turn the floor to Director Neary for an update on communication number twenty twenty four dash five four four.

Thank you, Chairman's Umce the I think this was in the suspense file for a few months.

We're still under the same understanding that's covert, it's no longer a it isn't a tunnel, it isn't a walking trail under Harrison Avenue.

It was something that we I think was put in without an agreement.

Um it's Montana Department of Transportation's culvert and their responsibility.

The we're talking about in our last MDT meeting, we talked about maybe putting a push button in the there's a refuge in the middle of the of Harrison Avenue that if they didn't make it all the way across, there is a place for them to stand right there.

We talked about putting a push button there too to help the situation.

Um one of the things that's tough in that area is if you wait for the the light to turn green and take off walking, the light changes faster than if you push the button.

And I don't know that everybody knows that.

Some people push it, some people don't.

Um I know uh Commissioner Healy actually witnessed somebody that didn't make it all the way across, but I don't know whether they push the button or they were um what happened there, but that would be that's one thing we're looking into right now.

Um the as far as there being a tunnel, a walking pedestrian tunnel under Harrison Avenue, there isn't one.

There isn't one in the works.

Maybe when the culverts fail, maybe they'll look at it then.

But um the culverts were put in there for to handle the large storm for Blacktail Creek.

If you look Lexington, Oregon, the overpass, they all have the same size culverts, and there's two.

Just this one would we tried to make into a trail that worked good for a while, but it's just not feasible right now to do.

Thank you, Director Neary, on that.

So just for the clarif clarification for the public out there listening, um that the responsibility is from the Montana Transportation Department.

It's a culvert.

There will be no tunnel or walkway proceeding forward with this.

Um with that being said, um, so will they close that entryway so pedestrians or anybody else could not go through there anymore?

And so we could alleviate um this whole tunnel and walkway and get it back to the culvert status.

Chair Mankins, that's what we plan on doing.

It is blocked off right now, but if you wanted to, you could get over the and uh walk through it.

But that's what we plan on doing is taking the ramps back out, just to just be a culvert.

Yeah, um thank you, Director Neary, for that clarification again.

Um just so the public is hearing that that is um the ramps will be taken out and it is back to the status of the culvert.

Again, the responsibility of that culvert is the Montana Transportation Department.

Um with that being said, also is there anything on the question that anybody else would like to um weigh in on this?

Commissioner Callahan.

Thank you, Chair Mankins.

I guess my question would be the button in the middle.

Would that be something they hit to make the lat light last longer?

Or if the light changes, what what will the button in the middle do?

Chair Mankins, Commissioner Callahan, I believe that would give it would notify that there is a pedestrian in the middle.

I think in what they were talking about, some places around the state they do have that.

So there must be somehow that they can tie it together.

Never really elaborated on it a whole bunch, but it I just said it came out of the suspense fund.

We just got to start talking about it again, but that's we're gonna that's hopefully that's what we're gonna try and do, but I'm sure it's not gonna happen overnight.

Uh thank you for the question, Mr.

Callahan on that, and then follow up on that button.

Is um is there a way that when you meet with your monthly meeting with the Montana Transportation?

Could you ask to see if there could be some kind of um somebody from their department could come and either show this procedure how it would work uh with the button and to kind of see a visual that maybe could be sent in and sent out to the public if they open up a PDF or something to show them exactly how this works.

Chairman Mankins, if there is a description or uh pamphlet that would explain, I definitely would bring it and explain it to you to the group.

Um thank you.

Um Commissioner O'Neill.

Thank you, Chairman Manikins.

Um question on like barricade and will they put like a cage or a fence or something so you can't go under there?

So I'd stop riding underneath there.

Thank you.