TSA's park is one of the largest and most used in the county.
Treasure State Acres sits just north of Helena, Montana's city limits -- and just off Montana Avenue -- and is home to about 350 residences. It is a quiet neighborhood, yet close to Helena's fastest-growing commercial district, which includes Target, Winco Foods, Murdoch's, Albertson's, Lowe's, Home Depot and many other retail outlets. The subdivision is home to one of the state's two LDS temples. (The photo of the temple above was taken during the Fourth of July fireworks show that takes place in the TSA Park just to the east of the temple.)
TSA boasts its own sewer and water district, as well as a large park that includes a children's playground.
At Christmas-time, visitors from around the region drive through Treasure State Acres to see the spectacular Christmas lights with which residents have bedecked their homes, and the luminaries they have set along the streets. Another big attraction on Christmas Eve is the Nativity display at the LDS property located near the entrance to TSA. People who come to see the display donate thousands of pounds of food to the local food bank.
WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT STORM DRAIN PROBLEMS IN TSA?
As many of you may recall, the Treasure State Acres has been wrestling with the issue of how to handle flooding problems in certain parts of the subdivision caused by heavy rainstorms. The HOA hired Great West Engineering to analyze the storm-runoff problems and suggest solutions, and it proposed the installation of infiltration structures under several TSA streets. (You can find a copy of the Great West report on these infiltration structures on the top right portion of our “report and docs” page on the reports and documents page of our website.)
Great West identified three priority areas for installing the structures in order to catch the most water and keep costs down. It is estimated the structures would capture approximately 64 percent of the runoff. The priority areas are 1) Buffalo/Wolverine; 2) Bighorn/Cougar; and 3) Red Fox/Bighorn.
The estimated cost of Great West’s preferred option in December, 2023, was almost $1.1 million. For each TSA property owner, that would amount to about $338 a year for 15 years – plus a permanent annual cost of $44 a year for maintenance. The county would likely finance the project over 15 years.
It is unfortunate that we face the need to make improvements like these. But when our subdivision was developed decades ago, the storm-drainage system that was put in was inadequate – and now we’re paying the price.
The project proposed by Great West would require us to create a new RID (rural improvement district), and it would have to be approved by the county commissioners. To start the process, we needed to get 20 percent of the property owners in TSA to sign petitions requesting creation of an RID. Last fall we reached that 20 percent threshold, which is a little over 70 property owners. However, we have not yet requested that the county start the process of creating a new RID.
So why didn’t we do that? One reason is that, when we consulted with county officials, they told us that it might be difficult to convince the county commissioners if only 20 percent of our subdivision’s property owners have signed petitions and shown their support. One thing that happens when the process begins is that the county would give all property owners in TSA a chance to comment, or even protest. And we did hear from some TSA residents who, to varying degrees, opposed the idea.
One reason some opponents gave is that they didn’t think the project would benefit them. While it may be true that many would not see a direct benefit, one thing to consider is that everyone in the subdivision contributes to the water runoff problem, in one way or another, as water runs off their property and goes toward lower points of the subdivision where it sometimes floods peoples’ yards, driveways, garages and so on. County officials also tell us that a project like this would do a better job of getting water off our streets, and thus prolong their life spans.
Another concern for some TSA residents is just the additional cost to their tax bill. Many people in TSA are on fixed incomes, and any additional taxes or fees are difficult to fit into their budget.
Yet another concern we heard, as we moved along, was this: Would installation of these water-infiltration chambers work as planned because they are supposed to be buried under our streets in places where we also have sewer lines and other utility services running? When we asked Great West about this question, we were told that there could be some conflicts, and those would have to be identified by a utility location survey before final planning was done. It was also indicated that this issue poses the potential for higher costs.
Due to such questions and concerns, there are some who feel we should re-evaluate this plan and determine if there’s a less expensive, but still effective means, of dealing with our storm-drain problems. In essence, get a second opinion.
Mark Peterson is an engineer with TD&H Engineering who lives in TSA and specializes in storm-water issues. He believes there may be some less costly but still effective steps, and he’s offered to talk about them at our June meeting. Perhaps there are other ideas to consider.
We weren’t sure if we could handle some improvements to storm drains under our existing RID, and thus not have to go through the process of creating a new RID. The county’s special districts coordinator has just indicated that we probably can make some improvements without a new RID. However, if those sorts of improvements don’t work and we need to return to the Great West plan, she said we’d need to revisit their cost estimates before asking the county to create a new RID.
Anyway, it seems to us that, at this point, there are three options:
Move ahead with the request to the county to form a new RID. This would probably require getting more signatures on petitions to ensure that the county would look favorably on the idea.
Do nothing. This isn’t a good option, we believe, as we have a responsibility to help those who are having to bear the brunt of the water-runoff problems that most everyone in the subdivision contributes to.
Examine other alternatives that Mark Peterson or others might suggest – and see if less costly options couldn’t solve much of the problem – before we commit to a full-price plan.
Let us know what you think. If you can’t make it to the June 3 HOA meeting at the LDS Church, please send an email with your thoughts to sshirleymt@gmail.com
Steve Shirley, HOA president & Terry Atwood, treasurer
PS: Thanks much to those who previously signed the petitions. We appreciate your community spirit. Your willingness to help is part of what makes TSA a great place to live.
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HOA MEETING MINUTES POSTED
The minutes for our HOA meetings are posted on our "Reports & Documents" page. (And thanks again to the LDS Church for letting us use their meeting room, by the way!)
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PLEASE PAY HOA DUES
If you haven't paid your 2025 TSA dues, please send a check for $25 to treasurer Terry Atwood, 4230 Wolverine Dr., Helena, MT 59602 (Make out to TSA Homeowners Association). These funds pay such costs as legal expenses & the annual Christmas luminarias display.
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We’ve gotten complaints about weeds as well as bushes and shrubs at street intersections. Please keep weeds in your yard under control, and if you are pruning in your yard, pare back any shrubs or bushes you have that may block the vision of motorists on street intersections. Our covenants require it.
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On the Fourth of July holiday, county rules allow fireworks in county parks such as the TSA park between the hours of 8 a.m. and 1 a.m. from July 2 to July 6.
Violations of the county ordinance can be punished by a fine of up to $500. You can find a copy of the complete ordinance at this link. By the way, the HOA doesn't have the ability to enforce violations of the county ordinance. That's up to the county.
Meanwhile, we urge fireworks users to be courteous to neighbors in terms of when and how they discharge fireworks and to clean up their debris.
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If you have a question on a TSA matter, have a suggestion for this web site, or want to get on our email list, let us know at: sshirleymt@gmail.com.
TSA HAS NEW PLOWER (posted 2023)
Mike Cote, who lives in Treasure State Acres, will be plowing our streets again this winter. That should be a real plus as he will be able to see first-hand the snow conditions we have, and he can jump right in when snow plowing is needed. At the same time, we expect to be able to be in close contact with Mike to deal with any special conditions that arise.
Mike has extensive experience. He has plowed roads for many years for the state and as a private contractor.
We’re hoping – and expecting – that Mike will help us get past some of the plowing problems we’ve had in the past. Most of you will remember, for example, a few years back when we had a series of bad storms that dumped a lot of snow on the valley, and the firm that was supposed to plow TSA didn’t show up for days on end. It also wasn’t answering our calls. Apparently it had signed up with too many customers and just couldn’t meet the demand. We finally sought out other plowers – most everyone was completely booked – until we eventually found help.
After that experience, we lined up a more reliable plowing outfit, but it then ran afoul of the county’s accounting rules. So once again we were in the hunt for a new plower.
Just FYI, you should know that, as a subdivision, we can’t hire just anyone who has a plow on their truck. Our plowers are paid through our county-administered RID fund, and so plowers must meet financial rules and other conditions set forth by the county. And in recent years the number of those qualified to be on the county’s plowers’ list has shrunk. An additional complication is that plowers usually contract with businesses, which have first dibs on any plowing that’s done when snow hits.
Calob Marquis of the county road department helped us get set up with Mike, who will be able to call on his brother for assistance with plowing if needed.
Calob also has helped us develop a new strategy for plowing that we’ll try this winter. In the past, we’ve generally given our plowers this guideline: Start plowing when we’ve gotten 3 to 4 inches of snow. (obviously, that often didn’t happen for a variety of reasons, one being that our plowers got tied up handling business customers first). Mike Cote doesn’t have many business customers, so we don’t think that will be a problem.
Our new strategy will be to try to start plowing what generally seem to be the most heavily used streets (Bobcat, Bighorn, Beaverhead, Pondera, Buffalo, Cougar) after we get 2 or so inches of snow. The attached map shows those routes. The other streets will remain will remain at 4 inches. The idea is to make more of an effort to keep streets from getting packed down with snow and ice – and inevitably rutty and then mushy.
Now, these guidelines won’t necessarily be hard and fast rules. Say, for example, that weather forecasters predict that the Helena Valley will get 8 inches of snow in 24 hours, but 4 inches will come early in the day and 4 inches will fall later in the day. Will we want to rush right out after 4 inches have fallen and plow the entire subdivision? Probably not. We might just plow our most heavily used roads early on, then come back and do everything after all the predicted snow has fallen. In other words, we’d play things by ear in order to use our RID funds responsibly.
Mike’s fees, by the way, are $135 an hour – among the most economical rates on the county’s list. (There’s an additional charge for such things as sanding at corners.)
In the past, we’ve gotten complaints from some TSA residents who don’t like the fact that plowers have left a berm along the sides of the streets that blocked, to some degree, their driveways or sidewalks. Unfortunately, we don’t see a way to get around this. To have our plowers stop and push the berms away from everyone’s driveways would push our plowing costs through the roof.
We do realize that, especially when we get heavy snows, shoveling these berms can be a hardship for folks who are elderly or disabled. If you have a neighbor who needs help, consider pitching in. It’s good exercise.
Mike Cote also says he could return -- once he’s done with regular plowing chores -- and plow away berms from individual driveways for a fee. He can be reached at 406-431-6144.
During the last storm, Mike A., who lives on Mustang, posted on Facebook that he can help people with shoveling. You can text him at 406-581-8664. Others, such as Little Lawn Guy (406-788-8032), also provide this service.
If you have questions or concerns, let me know. Or if you want to work out a special plowing plan with Mike in advance, you can reach him at the number above.
--- Steve Shirley
HOA President
Large, popular park
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
Treasure State Acres: One of Lewis & Clark County's largest, friendliest subdivisions
Treasure State Acres boasts one of Montana's best displays of Christmas tree lights and street luminarias.
PLACES OF WORSHIP
TSA hosts one of Helena's two LDS meetinghouses, as well as one of Montana's two LDS temples.