Terry City Council dealing with growth problems

The Terry City Council met in special night session at the Terry Town Hall on October 27, 2011 to enact an emergency zoning ordinance. It would have prohibited the construction of any new trailer courts, campgrounds, work camps, hotels, motels, or other multi-unit housing complexes, within the Town of Terry and up to 1 mile beyond the corporate boundaries of the town to take effect immediately after passing for an initial period of 6 months with possible extensions for up to 2 1/2 years. Dire consequences, associated with any sudden influx of transient oil workers into the small town of Terry, were outlined in a handout given out to the attendees prior to the meeting.


Terry Town Council - Ron Kiosse, Mayor from right to left around the table from him are Lynn Strassheim, City Clerk, Becky Convery, City Attorney, Josh Helmuth, Tom Pisk, Clinton Rakes and Rolane Christofferson, City Council Members

The meeting was attended by an overflow crowd of about 85 residents, who were allowed to voice their opinions prior to the council taking the ordinance under consideration for their final vote, with most of them indicating opposition to the ordinance. Local Terry resident Steve Phipps, who consults with oil companies in the Bakken oil field, made one of the most eloquent comments defending the hard working people in the oil and pipeline industry. His remarks included the drug screen requirements in the pre-hiring process of any workers as well as ongoing random drug and alcohol testing being conducted by the companies working in the industry. One infraction of the rules, including being found under the influence of alcohol or drugs, may be cause for immediate termination and removal from any facility housing the individual involved.

Many other excellent points were made for and some against passing this ordinance by town’s people well as ranchers and farmers in Prairie County. But the one predominating theme during the hearing was the dampening effect it might have on attracting new people and businesses to move to the small town of Terry, which has a currently population count of 602 per the US census. This ordinance also would have sent a clear message to the oil companies they would not be wanted in Terry and their workers and corporate people would, if given the choice, avoid doing business in the town.

After hearing the comments against the ordinance during the public hearing Becky Convery recommended to the City Council she’d be allowed her to rework the onerously written ordinance. She said she could make it more palatable to any new residents as well as prospective businesses and make it conform with upcoming any growth and zoning studies once the committees complete their work.

Becky offered to take out the most of the offensive and confusing language. Instead of calling it an "emergency zoning ordinance" it would be re-titled an "urgent zoning ordinance". Exceptions could be made on a case to case basis for companies and persons inquiring to move their businesses or establish multi-unit homes in Terry. She agreed to take the word, "transients", which is usually referred to as being "homeless", out of any language in the proposed ordinance.

In addition Becky Convery advised the council during their discussions any previous actions dealing zoning issues, including previous ones limiting keeping horses and chickens on any property within the Terry city limits, cannot be enforced until a zoning and a growth plan first is first adopted by the Terry City Council.

About the Author - Bob van der Valk lives in Terry, Montana and is a Petroleum Industry Analyst with over 50 years of experience. He has been quoted by the news media as well as government entities and be contacted at: tridemoil@aol.com or (406) 853-4251.

How do you feel about having a man-camp in or near Terry?

The Terry Tribune is conducting a poll to register your opinion about a proposed emergency interim zoning ordinance by the City Council of the Town of Terry at:



http://terrytribune.com/home

This ordinance will prohibit the construction of any new trailer courts, camp grounds, work camps, hotels, motels or other multi-unit housing within the town of Terry and up to a one-mile radius of Terry's town limits. If passed it will be effective for an initial period of 6 months and, after another public hearing, can be extended for up to one year. This ordinance specifically addresses concerns we would have with problems associated with an influx of a large number of transient workers.

POLL

How do you feel about having a man-camp in or near Terry?

1. No, it would bring too many transients and increase crime in our town.

2. No, it would cause too much strain on our water, sewage services and other infrastructures.

3. Yes, businesses and Terry as a whole would benefit from the increase of people it would bring.

4. Yes, but the man-camps shouldn't neighbor our residential area of town.

Please pass this email along to anyone concerned with this issue and either register your opinion with the Terry Tribune on-line poll or respond to my email with your vote. You may also include your view points in your email responses, which I will present to the Terry City Council at the public hearing being held at 7 pm tonight, Thursday, October 27, 2011 at Terry Town Hall.

Your neighbor,

Bob van der Valk
508 S. Washington Ave.
Terry, Montana 59349

tridemoil@aol.com

Terry’s Badlands Café Celebrates 2-Year Anniversary

It's been two years since they opened their doors in Terry, Montana, and to celebrate the Badlands Café and Scoop Shoppe is hoping you will drop by for a day of giveaways this coming Saturday, September 3rd between 11 am and 3 pm.

You might know their story already, the duo of Arline and Inger Koppenhaver – one born and raised in Montana the other, her daughter-in-law from California – who celebrated the grand opening of their café back on September 5, 2009.








In the above picture from the left Jerry is holding 6-week old Samuel standing along with Paul, Inger, Nathan, Emily, Kayla, Arline Koppenhaver, Bob and Tammy van der Valk at the grand opening of the Badlands Café and Scoop Shoppe in 2009.

While they came from different backgrounds, they have more in common than just their last names. They shared the inkling of an idea for a 50’s themed, family oriented, specialty cafe with many menu items that feature made from scratch items, a variety of unique ice cream flavors and tempting blended drinks plus a full espresso bar all located in the boutique town of Terry, Montana.


"We opened the restaurant during a really tough economy," says Inger.

"Of course our goal was to provide good food and service, but we wanted to do it with great prices as well and we have tried really hard to be able to accomplish our mission."

Arline recalls some of the feedback she received from friends and family when she told them about her plans to open a family restaurant.

"Some close friends threw up some alert flags letting us know that running a café takes lots of time and energy," she says.

"We have discovered that it's never easy in this business, but our hearts are warmed by the fun that we have with our local customers and those who stop in on their way to various vacation destinations. It has been two years and we are even more excited and ready to continue to serve great food to our local patrons and travelers in Eastern Montana."

In honor of their two year anniversary, Arline and Inger are asking you to make Prairie County your vacation destination for Labor Day Weekend to help celebrate their 2- year anniversary on Saturday, September 3rd. Sunday, September 4th is the date for the Fallon Harvest Festival, which annually draws large crowds to its traditional all day and evening Harvest Fest Fun. Plus, Terry is the home of Evelyn Cameron, Pioneer Photographer, and also hosts many delightful specialty shops that will satisfy the most discriminating shopper.



The café will be giving away free regular birthday cake ice cream cones while supplies last as well as featuring an “Off the Menu Surprise Special” on Saturday, September 3rd.



They will also have four big giveaways throughout the 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. day. Fill out a survey and enter it for a chance to win at 12, 1, 2, and 3! Biggest giveaway is a $25 gift Certificate!



Reaching 200 Facebook fans at: http://www.facebook.com/BadlandsCafeMT by Friday, September 2nd, will add another grand prize to be given away. They encourage you to become a fan of their page and pass along the information to others.



Labor Day weekend just might be a really great time for your family and friends to visit Prairie County, Montana. Please find out more at: www.visitterrymontana.com and click on “The 100 Top Things To Do In Terry, Montana” button for more ideas to help make your weekend trip to Terry the best vacation of the summer!.

Gas prices will fizzle out by October

The van der Valk Gas Price Advisory for September 1, 2009

Dateline: Terry, Montana

We have had some dog days here in Terry, Montana this summer and the price of gasoline has been scorching upward right along with the heat. The spot market for gasoline and diesel prices dropped like a rock Monday, but Tuesday morning brought new hope and both of them are both back up. Gasoline is heading the pack but the price of crude oil is back down some more to $68.05 down $1.91 a barrel for the day.

For a further explanation on why gasoline prices are going up while we are still suffering from a recession we look toward the stalwart of all banking institutions, Bank of America (BAC), and its subsidiary Merrill Lynch.

In a report to investors Francisco Blanch, head of commodities research at Merrill Lynch, said that investors are flocking back into commodities after substantial withdrawals in the second part of last year, on the back of rising prices and a recovery in risk appetite.

"Our estimates put the total amount of money currently invested in commodity indices at about $125 billion, up from a trough of $80 billion dollars in February," he said.

But it does not explain that people filling up their tanks are paying more and driving less due to a slacking economy. The unemployment rate has almost doubled from 5 % in April 2008 to 9.7 % in July 2009 per today's U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Crude prices have been driven higher since the first of this year by a combination of OPEC capacity cuts and continued strong demand from Asia, particularly China and India. China’s oil demand in July increased 3.5% over the same period last year as imports continue to rise. This has pushed the price of crude up even though consumption is down around the world. But the winter months will exacerbate this already clouded picture with crude oil expected to steep downward from the current $70 to $40 a barrel.

Crude oil and gasoline prices will be scorchers for just another month and like comets fizzle out over the horizon with a trail of rocks tailing behind. Fall will bring welcome relief to the exhausted gasoline consumers. The other good news they will be enjoying is lower heating oil and natural gas prices. Diesel prices will move down with crude oil prices and red dye diesel will be down to $1.50 per gallon in time for a cold winter predicted for most of the country. There seems to be no floor on the price of natural gas, which is now at around $2.50 per million cubic feet versus $16.25 just a year ago.

Why have crude oil and gasoline doubled in price this year?

Dateline: Terry, Montana
August 10, 2009 12.30 PM MDT

Gas prices are up 14 cents per gallon in the last 10 days across the country but crude oil has remained steady around $70 a barrel since the beginning of July. The American Petroleum Institute’s spokesman John Felmy would like you to reason that when the price of crude oil fluctuates up or down, it will have the same affect on the pump price for gasoline. However, that has not been the case so far in 2009.

The benchmark price for WTI crude oil decreased $1.00 on Friday, August 7th, to $70.93 a barrel after reaching an intra day high of $72.84 a barrel. There was no like response downward in the price for gasoline at U.S. and Canadian gas stations. In fact, gasoline prices have been going steadily upward and crude oil has followed instead of the other way around.

While U.S. gasoline demand usually reaches its ultimate level from June through August, refiners have on the other hand cut production in the three weeks ending July 31. Gasoline stockpiles on that date were 2.9 percent higher than a year earlier, while diesel stocks were 24 percent higher.
The US Energy Information Agency (EIA) reported that total daily fuel use averaged 18.9 million barrels in the four weeks ended July 31, which was 3.1 percent less than a year earlier. However, that is a deceptive number since it includes diesel and jet fuel demand, which has been as much as 20% below last year’s level.

Summer gasoline use is actually on the upswing and will reach its peak demand by Labor Day. This year the holiday weekend falls on September 7th well into the month in which refiners will be switching from producing summer to winter gasoline grade gasoline. That alone has in immediate affect on supply and brings about additional 10 percent of gasoline into the market. Refiners can produce an average of 22 gallons during the winter from a 42 gallon barrel of crude oil versus just 20 gallons out of that same barrel during the summer.

That is good for the consumers but bad for the oil refiners. They will be stuck in the same cycle that occurred last year with gasoline prices and crude oil prices going to a virtual free fall with profits turning into losses. The EIA chart below shows the history of US gasoline prices for the last two years. We started last year out at about $3 then increased to $4.15 per gallon by August. This year we began at $1.55 and went to $2.70 in that same time span.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is scheduled to have its next meeting on September 9th with crude oil prices currently hovering around $70 a barrel. That price was quoted as “not bad” and necessary to maintain investment according to OPEC President Botelho de Vasconcelos in Angola over the weekend. OPEC is responsible for 40 percent of global supplies of crude oil and will be reviewing production targets for member countries at their next meeting.

Their big bug-a-boo will be how to handle the massive cheating by some of their members who are exceeding their assigned quotas. July estimates leave the OPEC-11 about one million barrels in excess of the total assigned quota of 25 million barrels of output per day in order to be in compliance with the about 4 million barrels per day crude output agreed upon last year.

You can join the crowd if you are totally confused by all the facts and figures you are reading and hearing on exactly what drives gasoline prices. Yesterday morning I joined a couple of elderly ladies for a cup of coffee at a snack bar table during the Ranch Rodeo being held at the Prairie County Fairgrounds in my hometown of Terry, Montana.

Inevitably, the subject of gasoline prices came up and they wanted to know how they ended up paying almost $1.25 per gallon more at the Four Corners gas station in town since earlier this year. After trying to explain it to them they just rolled their eyes and one of them said that it was just the greedy oil companies making money.