Mitchell stays focused on city budget
Councilor Phil Mitchell reported his
continuing concerns about next year’s city budget during the
Whitefish City Council’s March 7 meeting. He says he believes this
year’s budget talks will start out with the city at about $620,000
in the hole.
Mitchell based his opinion on the
$380,000 in revolving money and street-repair funds used to balance
this year’s budget, the $200,000 that will go to a “27th pay
period” in next year’s budget, and declining housing starts that
affect the planning and building office.
City manager Chuck Stearns, however,
noted that some figures were missing from the “positive” side of
Mitchell’s table. Higher resort taxes, for example, which are used
to rebate local taxpayers, will wipe out the “27th pay period”
problem, Stearns said.
Councilors Turner Askew and Chris Hyatt
said they shared Mitchell’s concerns about the budget.
“My concern is that we keep pushing it
further and further down the road,” Askew said.
Councilor Ryan Friel said he has faith
that city staff will “do what’s best for the city,” and mayor Mike
Jenson noted that the budget process was moved up one month earlier
this year to address budget issues.
“We had a balanced budget last year,
and we will again next year,” Jenson said.
• The council unanimously approved a
resolution creating a Railroad District Committee. Hyatt noted his
concern that this could set a precedent leading to a proliferation
of similar neighborhood committees.
District property owner Ian Collins
said the committee was critical because of the important issues
facing the neighborhood.
City resident Jan Metzmaker said the
committee should stay focused on potential pollution problems
caused by historical diesel spills on adjacent BNSF Railway
property, a point councilor John Muhlfeld echoed.
Councilor Bill Kahle, a property owner
in the district, pointed out that drilling sampling conducted by
the city showed no evidence of underground diesel plumes in the
Railroad District.
• The council unanimously awarded a
$26,870 contract to Thomas Dean & Hoskins Engineers to do final
design work for a bike path along Second Street from Armory Road to
Armory Park, near the dogpark.
Because this is a Community
Transportation Enhancement Program (CTEP) project, the state will
pay 86.6 percent of the cost, leaving the city’s share at $3,600,
which will be paid for with resort taxes.
• In response to concerns by the
Haskill Basin Watershed Council, the city council directed staff to
draft a resolution stating that the city will not divert more water
than needed for its water customers in order to make money by
generating more power at the city’s hydroelectric plant.
Stearns noted that resolutions can be
changed later by future councils. He also pointed out that the size
of the pipe from the diversion dams on Big Mountain to the
reservoir limits how much water can be used by the hydro plant.
• The council approved changing the
name of about 100 feet of West 13th Street to Flathead Avenue. This
means West 13th Street will end at the Baker Avenue four-way stop,
and Flathead Avenue will start at Baker Avenue and continue to the
city’s Emergency Services Center.
• Doug Wise was appointed to the Park
Board, and John Phelps was appointed to the Pedestrian and Bicycle
Path Advisory Committee.
• Whitefish Convention and Visitor
Bureau executive director Jan Metzmaker said the bureau has begun
work on its 2012 budget, which has increased in part because Grouse
Mountain Lodge has joined the WCVB.