:The Laurel Outlook:News

The Laurel School District and the sports complex action committee will host a town forum to discus the proposed track/football complex project next Tuesday evening, July 22, at 7 pm., at the Depot multi-purpose room, at Laurel High School.

Laurel businessman Tim Casey, who is spear-heading the project, Laurel School District Business Manager Roger Heimbigner and project designer Paul Bishop will attend the meeting and be available to answer questions.

Laurel voters defeated a requested $4.68 million bond issue in 2004 to improve the fields and track, as well as to add an auxiliary gym and weight room. At that time, the voters approved a $12 million bond issue for a new middle school.

Although the field bond issue failed, many residents thought the improvements were too vague and wanted to run a bond again with better planning and explanation to the community of what these improvements would entail, according to Casey.

Casey started an action committee to evaluate the current facility and recommend improvements in January 2006. He said the committee also attempted to raise private funding for the project but was surprised and disappointed that the largest employers in the area demonstrated no leadership in moving this project along. While many smaller businesses were enthused, the group needed a large business to make an initial pledge to get the project started.

When it was reported to the school board that those private funding efforts were not moving along, the board took the action committee's improvement suggestions, refined them and unanimously approved to conduct a bond referendum for $3.67 million by a mail ballot.

The ballots will be mailed to eligible voters on Aug. 13 and must be returned by Sept. 4. The results will be announced Sept. 5. A simple majority is needed to approve the bond. The goal of the board and the action committee is to make this complex the centerpiece of the community and attract regional and state events.

Some of the improvements called for include:

€ Field with synthetic turf, suitable for both football and soccer;

€ 10-lane track that can host regional and state meets;

€ Spectator seating for 4,500 people;

€ VIP seating available; and

€ Restrooms/concessions, storage, team warming, press box and ticket booths.

“As one of the largest class A schools in the state, Laurel has an outdated facility that is not fan friendly. It has simply outlived its useful life,” Casey observed. “A new facility will be a revenue maker for local businesses because it will allow hosting of numerous events,” he added.

The bonds are to have an interest rate of no more than 7 percent and will be paid off over a 20-year time period.

School Superintendent Josh Middleton told the board at a meeting last May that he believed this new proposal is more of a grass roots effort than the earlier plan, and he believes the public should get a chance to vote on the new proposal to make their wishes known.

The resolution calling for the election asks voters to approve issuance of General Obligation School Building Bonds up to $3.687 million for the purpose of paying the costs of improving the Laurel High School campus by designing and constructing an all-weather track, football field, drainage system, concessions, restrooms, and grandstand/bleacher seating, related improvements, and the costs associated with the sale of the bonds.

Board members voting for the resolution were April Thorson, Randy Peers, Mike Longbottom, Julie Johnson, Andrew Davis and Bryan Wood. Board member Clete Knaub did not attend the meeting.

“We are one of the largest Class A schools in the state and we can't even hold our own track meet, because we don't have a decent facility here. It's kind of an embarrassment,” school board member Peers said. He predicted the new facilities will also improve student participation in extra-curricular activities.

“It's just time for us to tackle this project,” said Peers. “It needs to be done. I believe we have been judicious with taxpayers' money. We have lived within our budgets. We haven't asked for a General Fund mill levy for three years,” he said.

The plan calls for moving the current football field location south of its current site, toward Graff Elementary School and moving the grandstands to the north side of the field. The grandstands will have a seating capacity of 4,500 with sections designated for visitors, adults and students.

The estimated tax increase for property owners of residential property with a 2007 phase-in value of $100,000, with a 2007 taxable market value of $66,800 and a 2007 taxable value of $2,051 will be $27.05 annually.

To calculate the tax impact of the bonds on your residential or commercial property, go to the website gis.mt.gov to determine your 2007 Taxable Market Value. Multiple that amount by .000404933 to determine the total estimated annual tax impact. The formula is not valid for calculating the impact on agricultural property.