Project fees reduced; sister city proposed
Whitefish City Council unanimously
approved a resolution to establish project fees for various
services provided by the Whitefish Planning and Building
Department.
Sign variance fees were lowered to $660
for churches, schools and nonprofits. Commercial variances were
changed to $660, plus $200 for each additional sign, not to exceed
the standard variance fee.
A subdivision vacation fee was
suggested to be $750, but councilor Phil Mitchell asked that it be
lowered to $500. The council unanimously agreed.
• Council voted 4-2 to approve the
preliminary 2012 city budget. Councilors Turner Askew and Mitchell
were opposed. The $38 million budget won’t be finalized until
August.
• The idea of installing directional
signs around Whitefish will be explored. The small signs would
point visitors to major landmarks in town, including City Beach,
the Stumptown Ice Den and the skatepark. The signs would exclude
commercial properties.
Councilor Chris Hyatt said he liked the
idea of directional signs alongside the soon-to-be-released
Whitefish Convention and Visitor Bureau smartphone application.
Planning director David Tayor noted
that if the signs are built correctly, they can be discrete while
still allowing visitors to easily read and follow them.
• Whitefish resident Colin Sellwood
will explore the idea of establishing a sister city relationship
with Queenstown, New Zealand.
Mayor Mike Jenson noted that Queenstown
is a vacation area with wind surfing, bungee jumping and nearby ski
areas. He said local schools could benefit from a sister city
relationship through cultural exchanges.