The Boulder City Council on Feb. 20 formalized its project priorities for a grant application for state funding. The State-Local Infrastructure Partnership Act (SLIPA), established in 2023 under House Bill 355, will provide the city with an additional $110,000 for the repair and maintenance of public infrastructure.
Projects considered included new blowers and hoop barns for Boulder’s wastewater treatment plant, road improvements, and necessary repairs for the Boulder public pool.
“If we don’t do improvements to the pool, we may soon not have a pool,” said Mayor Rusty Giulio. “The pool is a larger one-time expense we don’t have other sources of income for. The roads do (have other income sources). And anyone who picks streets first should have to get out to the wastewater plant and work a day.”
As the Bridge and Road Safety Accountability Act already provides the city significant funding for road maintenance, the Council ultimately decided to prioritize equipment for the wastewater treatment plant and pool maintenance. These projects are expected to fully expend the grant’s $110,000, but any funds remaining will be used to supplement the city’s road improvement effort.
With project priority established, the city will now formally submit its SLIPA grant application to the Montana State Department of Commerce. Applications are due by Mar. 30.
