Improvements planned for Nucleus

There’s some good news out of the Columbia Falls preliminary budget, city manager Susan Nicosia told council last week. For one, the city won’t look to increase the special street and lighting assessments this year.

That fund is used to pay for street lights and street maintenance and is based on the frontage each property has on a street.

The city’s permissive medical levy also won’t see an increase. The levy is used to pay for a portion of city employee’s health insurance.

Health care costs for the city’s 19 employees have stayed steady over the past year, Nicosia noted.

In other news:

- Council approved a $167,610.75 contract with Knife River Construction to improve the intersections of 7th Street and 6th Street West and Nucleus Avenue. The work, which is expected to start after Labor Day, will add “bulb out” pedestrian crossings, which are designed to make it easier to cross the road. Right now, pedestrians have to keep a close eye out for traffic, even though the city has put up warning signs that pedestrians have the right-of-way.

The new crossings will have flashing lights to warn motorists that pedestrians are about to cross.