CF City Council approves budget hike
By HEIDI DESCH
Hungry Horse News
The Columbia Falls City Council on Monday voted to approve a 2007-08 budget increase of 4.16 percent from last year.
The budget includes a tax increase estimated to be about $11 on a $150,000 home. The budget includes a total of 189.361 mills, up 7.561 mills from last year.
At a meeting earlier this month, the Council voted to use its total mills available to pay for improvements to the tennis courts at Columbia Park. The change brought the total general fund appropriation total to $1.98 million.
Total expected appropriations is to be $8.5 million.
The increase will include the first phase of a two-year, $1.1 million street levy approved in June. The tax bill on that had been expected to be about $46 for a $100,000 home.
There was little discussion on the budget before the vote. None of the council members chose to comment on the budget.
Only one person from the audience chose to comment during the public hearing.
Dan Schellinger asked the council to think about the people of Columbia Falls.
"Think about the people of Columbia Falls and not other people," he said.
The City is still also looking at water and sewer rate increases.
The council last year approved raising the base sewer rate by $1. But the water rates haven't changed for the last five years.
City Manager Bill Shaw has estimated that under current rate structures the fund will be short about $37,000 for operating costs.
Two options are being considered. Both would raise the base and volume water rates.
The Council is expected to take another look at the rate increases at its next meeting on Oct. 1.
City holds off on hazardous land regulation
By HEIDI DESCH
Hungry Horse News
The Columbia Falls City Council decided on Monday it might be unfair to impose rules on property outside the city limits.
Under consideration was a zoning text amendment that would have required city approval for building on sites deemed unsuitable. Those sites with steep slope, high-water table and hazardous conditions.
The city already regulates building on such lands when an area goes through subdivision review. However, if a site does not go through that process then the city does not have the authority to control what is done on the site.
City Manager Bill Shaw said that one site on Seventh Avenue West has already been stripped of its vegitation.
He said because the area is on a slope it might become unstable.
"It seems reasonable that someone wanting to build should have a plan and bring it to the city," Shaw said.
Exemptions to the amendment for those unable to build outside the hazards area would be allowed. The zoning administrator determines if proper mitigation had been taken to alleviate potential hazards.
Because the change involves zoning, it would be applied to the city's zoning jurisdiction, which is about a mile outside city limits.
The council voted to table the text amendment.
Councilman Don Barnhart said before the vote he'd be more comfortable with the change if it was in the city and not the zoning area.
"I wonder how many people didn't know we were going to impose this on them," Barnhart said. "I was voted as a representative by the city. There's nothing about that authority to impose on (those outside the city.)"
Councilman Doug Karper said he didn't necessarily agree with the amendment, but pointed out that the council routinely makes decisions affecting people outside the city limits.
"It may not have been the people that voted for us, but it doesn't make us any less responsible," he said. "We have to respond to this for safety reasons. We impose on people that can't vote for us all the time, but we've been given that responsibility."
The Council decided to table the issue to have more time to look into it.