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Grant Will Help Toole County Prepare for Coming Economic Boost

By Charlie Keegan

Story Created: Feb 7, 2012 at 7:26 PM MDT

Story Updated: Feb 7, 2012 at 7:26 PM MDT

The Hi-Line city of Shelby is anticipating a boost to its local economy soon. A loading facility and several construction projects are in the works for the area. All of which have the potential to add jobs.

To help prepare for the influx in workers, the Montana Department of Commerce announced Tuesday Toole County will receive $15,000 to help analyze and identify infrastructure and economic needs as the region grows.

Projects include the Montana Alberta Tie Line and the beginning stages of the Rim Rock Wind Farm, but the new multi-modal loading facility may benefit the city most.

The Port of Northern Montana received nearly $10 million last year for the facility which will connect transportation modes like trains and trucks.

Construction has started and Mayor Larry Bonderud says the Shelby area could see between 600 and 800 new jobs soon. In the city of 4,000, the boost in employment could lead to revenue on Main Street.

Partnering with the county, Bonderud says the city is ready to handle the extra load. “We’re fortunate in that our infrastructure is in good shape, we’ve got room for capacity; there are 250 lots in Shelby to build houses on, and our water and sewer systems are up there. We know that, if in fact it should happen that we need man camps, we know where they should go and how they should be designed,” says Mayor Bonderud.

Work on the Rim Rock Wind Farm 20 miles northwest of Shelby should be done by 2012 according to Bonderud who expects to see generators and turbines roll through town soon.

While the temporary construction jobs are great, the mayor says he hopes to add permanent jobs to the local economy.

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