Peter, Sandra, and Steve Dogiakos at the 2023 3 Rivers Annual MEeting

Unlocking the Potential of Rural Communities: The Power of Community, High-Speed Internet, and AI

Rural communities across the country are facing new challenges and opportunities as we move deeper into the 21st century. From economic development to community building, there are countless ways in which we can work together to build stronger, more vibrant communities that can thrive for generations to come. In this speech, Steve Dogiakos, a community leader and entrepreneur, explores the power of community, the importance of high-speed internet, and the potential for AI to transform rural communities like ours. Through his own experiences in Choteau, Montana, Steve demonstrates the incredible potential of rural communities when we come together to support one another, invest in our infrastructure, and embrace new technologies. Join us as we explore the possibilities for unlocking the full potential of rural communities, and discover how we can build a brighter future for ourselves and for generations to come.

My #ScoutMeIn Story

This is a story I haven’t shared with many people.

Scouting is important to me because as a program it helped me through low points in my childhood, including the period after my dad suffered from a stroke. I am grateful for all the Scouters who supported me in Scouting.

Choteau's Railroad Crossings - Informational Update

BNSF Update

I wanted to take a moment and update the citizens of Choteau about the status of the BNSF railroad crossings, particularly the crossing east of Rex’s on Hwy 221. Mayor Lannen and I have been reaching out to a variety of contacts at BNSF over the last few months to find someone who could help us address the damaged crossings. Frankly, most of our outreach resulted in phone calls that ended in excuses as to why the work could not be undertaken.

After navigating our personal and professional networks to find a contact at BNSF willing to take responsibility I found Ross Lane, BNSF’s Regional Public Affairs Director. Ross recognized the urgency of the safety issues with the BNSF railroad crossings and agreed to help Choteau by coordinating with several BNSF departments to create a plan to address our safety concerns.

Within the week of first contacting him, Ross promptly got back to me and formulated a plan to bring the interested parties to the table to fix the problem. By Friday of last week, Ross, his team, and I made a plan for a temporary patch repair to be completed this month (November 2018) and a permanent fix involving MTDOT and BNSF next spring. I have made a commitment to follow up with Ross and the BNSF maintenance team to make sure they fulfill their promise to Choteau in a few weeks and in the spring.

For immediate and up to date information about this and many other issues facing our City, please Like Steve “Dee” Dogiakos on Facebook at https://facebook.com/dogiakos

Thank you to all the community members for their concern and input, and thanks to Mr. Lane for helping us advocate for our rural community.

NLC Insurance Deck Cover

NLC Service Line Program

The City is considering an agreement with Utility Service Partners to provide optional insurance to anyone with a service line from the City’s water system.

"...We have identified a dozen key projects to stimulate Choteau’s economy, ranging from public works projects, led by Choteau’s Public Works Director Mike Maples, to community enhancement projects like revitalizing our very own Choteau/Teton Public Library as a technology and community hub over the next couple of years."

Choteau Acantha: Main Street Montana Announcement

“I’m passionate about Choteau. I’m passionate about Choteau’s economy and the ski resort is an integral piece of our economy. In the winter months when we don’t have the park to park tourists and visitors, the ski resort helps provide a buoyancy to our economy.”

KRTV Teton Pass Ski Resort Grant Story

Choteau Childcare Townhall Meeting


Want more to be update on the child care discussion in Choteau or want to get involved?
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City Council Report July 17, 2018


Good evening, at tonight’s City Council meeting we approved the minutes of the July 3rd meeting. (00:01:19) We approved Councilman Major’s request to be out of state between tonight and the next scheduled meeting of the Council (00:02:01), and we elected Councilman Merja as the Council President (00:02:38).