Stevensville council adopts county land into River Park, pledges cleanup but no immediate improvements

Stevensville — The Town Council voted 4–0 on March 26 to adopt Resolution 415A, incorporating a 1.52‑acre parcel donated by the county (Ravalli County Resolution 3600) into the Stevensville River Park. Mayor Jim Cruz told the council the vote simply formalizes park boundaries and does not authorize immediate capital work beyond cleanup.

Mayor Jim Cruz read the legal history and the deed language the council relied on to accept the parcel, noting the county’s donation included an attachment describing the tract and a five‑year reversion clause. "This resolution is strictly to adopt that part of the property into the Stevensville River Park," he said, adding that ‘‘if we want to do improvements, those things would come back before council." The mayor reiterated that the parcel cannot be sold without public consent.

The move grew out of a 2017 acceptance of the land and a desire by town officials to honor the original intent of the donation. Town treasurer Gina cautioned the council about insurance implications: designating acreage as a formal "park" can change the town’s liability exposure under Montana recreational‑use statutes, whereas leaving land categorized more generically as recreational land has different insurance consequences.

During public comment, Cindy Brown urged caution about taking on more maintenance obligations. "Be careful on giving any property away because the town does not have money to purchase any property back," Brown said, noting past river‑course changes and access issues. Other public commenters said the parcel preserves river access on the east bank and recommended the town protect the public’s river access.

Council members asked operational questions about immediate upkeep; town staff and the mayor said the first step will be organizing trash pickup and basic cleanup. Any future benches, railings or bank stabilization would require additional permits and separate council approvals.

The council’s roll call on the resolution recorded four affirmative votes. The mayor said the action protects public access to the river and keeps the parcel from reverting or being sold without public input.