Culbertson council advances LWCF bathhouse application and weighs levy or bond to cover local share

The Culbertson Town Council voted to pursue a Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) application for the town pool bathhouse and discussed how to fund the local match, including the possibility of a levy or a bond on a future ballot.

Mark Nelson, council member, moved to proceed with the LWCF application after engineers supplied updated estimates; Todd Gabriel seconded the motion and it passed without objection. Council discussed cost-reduction options and asked staff to return with firm numbers and timing to inform whether a levy or bond would be required.

County election staff advised the council to consider bringing a levy before voters at the June primary (per later council notes), which would shift any available funds into the 2024-25 budget year. The council said it will determine a final funding plan after confirming grant outcomes and getting concrete building cost estimates.

The action puts the bathhouse project into the grant-application pipeline and sets a local decision point: if the LWCF award requires a local match or if the town opts for a larger scope, council members indicated they will bring a funding question to voters rather than commit town general-fund dollars without approval.