Havre Ordinance Committee Tables AirBnB Issue

HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – After Havre’s City Council meeting Monday night, the Ordinance Committee met to vote on updating the qualifications for city firefighters. The current qualifications state that firefighter applicants must not be over the age of 35 and probably not enforceable. The Havre Fire Department would also like this language removed. The three-person committee approved to remove these qualifications and refer to the state qualifications and language. The only other requirement was that the prospective firefighter must be a city resident or live within the local fire district in the county in order for them to respond quickly to fires. This language will be sent to the City Attorney for review, then on to the full Council if approved.

Havre Police Chief Gabe Matosich also requested a similar change be made to the qualifications for city police officers.

After these items, the committee opened the floor up to the public. A few people again spoke out against having AirBnB’s in neighborhoods zoned for single-family units and a few spoke in favor of them. Committee member Lindsay Ratliff stated that she supports AirBnB’s in general, but people moved into these neighborhoods knowing the zones and most people have spoke against changing the zoning laws or adding AirBnB’s to the other variances allowed. She stated the issue should be closed. Karen Swenson and Caleb Hutchins agreed, saying that if the situation changes, they may reevaluate.