City council seeks to authorize city to contract for water treatment plant expansion design

With state mandates bearing down on the city of Whitefish’s water treatment plant, the Whitefish City Council tonight is poised to authorize the city to contract for the design of a treatment plant expansion project.

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality recently informed the city the state is prohibiting any water extension, subdivision and Municipal Facilities Exclusion applications due to concerns the city is approaching its threshold for water storage and water source capacity. The state is requiring Whitefish to provide a capacity assessment and deviation request for review in order to accept any future projects, according to a memorandum from Public Works Director Craig Workman to the city.

“While the staff is actively working hard on getting DEQ the information they need in order to satisfy this requirement, we also realize that the final solution will require an increase in the treatment capacity of the water plant,” Workman’s memo stated.

In addition to the treatment plant expansion, other prongs of the upgrade include the extension of the Whitefish Lake intake structure, expansion of the intake pump station, installation of a parallel water main to the treatment plant and an extension of the sewer to the water plant.

The Public Works Department received two proposals for the $10 million to $12 million project, from Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services and Morrison-Maierle. The engineering fees will be about 10 percent of the project cost, but specific terms will be negotiated after a consultant is selected, Workman said.

He is recommending the city manager be authorized to execute a contract with Morrison-Maierle because of the firm’s local presence.

In other business, the council will hold a public hearing to consider a conditional-use permit request from Dan and Betsy Kohnstamm to build an accessory apartment at 573 Somers Ave.

The council will vote on an ordinance adding new sections to city zoning regulations, with development standards for multifamily developments and mixed-use and non-residential development.

The council will hold a closed executive session at 6:30 p.m. to consider possible property negotiation.

The regular meeting begins at 7:10 p.m. at Whitefish City Hall.