MREC: Still no resolution in sight for Ronan parcel

Lake County Commissioners met with Ronan Pioneer Days representatives Kim Aipperspach and Mike Bartel Monday afternoon to discuss the future of the Mission Range Event Center. 

The Pioneer Days organization hopes to build the center on land located on Mink Lane in Ronan, behind Western Building Center on the west side of town. 

The parcel originally belonged jointly to Lake County, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and the city of Ronan. One third of the remaining 33-acre parcel belongs to Lake County and one-third belongs to Ronan while CSKT has plans to build a meat-processing plant on a portion of their property.

At a meeting in September of 2023, the commissioners told the Pioneer Days reps they had no interest in leasing their share of the land to the nonprofit organization.  

That spurred the Pioneer Days group into action. A Pioneer Days contingent attended the March 13 Ronan City Council meeting and  asked them to buy the remaining MREC land from Lake County, with Pioneer Days providing the funds – $20,000 from 19 years ago when the idea for MREC first sprouted, plus $82,000. 

At that point, Pioneer Days would want a long-term lease from Ronan to start developing the property. 

That was the impetus for Monday's meeting: to ask the commissioners to sell the county’s piece of MREC to the City of Ronan since it’s easier for a government entity to buy property from another government entity. 

County Commission Chair Gale Decker called the MREC story “long and tangled,” and added, “I would love to see a baseball facility at MREC.” 

That has not worked out, however. Decker said he had hoped to trade the county’s portion of the MREC land to the City of Ronan for use as a baseball complex, which would also allow for the potential expansion of the Lake County Fairgrounds in Ronan. 

The baseball fields, located east of the fairgrounds, are a byzantine mesh of tribal, city, county, and school property. And with the advent of high school baseball, Decker said he's concerned that the current high school field “barely meets Montana High School Association standards” and has minimal seating.  

“We’ve got to get something better for our fields,” Decker said. He speculated about what would happen if there was a baseball game and a track meet at the same time, since javelin and shot-put competitors use the baseball fields.

A group of volunteers got together and built the ball fields in Polson, Commissioner Steve Stanley said, suggesting that Ronan take a similar approach.

“This (land swap) has been brought up to council,” said Ronan Mayor Chris Adler. “People on the council now, their kids and grandkids have played ball there, and they want the fields to stay.” 

Who's holding who hostage?

Decker asked what Pioneer Days would do first if the City of Ronan buys the land from the county and leases it to them.

An engineer has been lined up, Bartel said, and they’ll formulate a business plan and get an arena up. Pioneer Days would like to have their annual rodeo there, as well as other events, including concerts and powwows. 

The space would be multi-purpose, according to Aipperspach. “Snowmobile races, maybe … we want to be open to all sorts of activities.” 

Bartel brought up issues he notices with the current set-up for the Pioneer Days Rodeo at the Ronan fairgrounds. Parking is difficult, he said, and there’s not enough room for trailers. 

A sign goes up at 7 p.m. telling the crowd that seating is limited, and the rodeo doesn’t start until 7:30. Those limitations have contributed to a drop in attendance and contestant numbers.

“It’s just not a big enough area for a rodeo,” he added. 

There were questions about the impact of moving Pioneer Days rodeo to the MREC property or even moving the fairgrounds.  

At a prior meeting, the commissioners indicated they had no interest in moving the fairgrounds, which Commissioner Bill Barron estimated would cost $10 to $20 million. 

The commissioners brought up the fact they’ve invested a million dollars into infrastructure at the fairgrounds in Ronan, mostly in water and sewer work. The county has plans for another million dollars worth of investments, including new bathrooms in the community center and new barn roofs.

“Sometimes I feel we’re held hostage by some of the summer baseball people,” Decker added. “... My fear is projects will get started and then run out of money.”

“You're holding us hostage, too,” Aipperspach replied. 

Conclusion: "Same old, same old"

Barron, in making a point about construction expenses, said Lake County has spent $150,000 on the new boat ramp in Polson “and we haven’t built anything yet.” 

Decker agreed that costs are high and “engineering costs are astronomical.”

Barron noted he’d like more control over who leased the MREC property. He also asked Adler if the City of Ronan would consider selling their piece of the MREC pie to the county.

Stanley said he thinks one entity being responsible for the future of the parcel makes more sense than two, and noted that it directly affects the city of Ronan.

Decker’s rebuttal was that it’s not just the city’s decision since the county also owns part of the parcel. 

This project would not just be a rodeo grounds, Bartel reiterated. “It would be a bigger venue for many activities.”

After more conversation, Barron suggested that the Ronan group submit a written proposal “so we can get together a counter offer.”

“Get a proposal, and then a resolution of interest,” Stanley said. 

Decker said a written proposal would trigger a public hearing, and then a resolution of intent could be adopted, tabled or allowed to die. 

“I want to make sure it’s a benefit to Ronan,” Decker said.

“We need an official offer to make a decision,” Barron added.

“Same old, same old,” Aipperspach concluded.