Bird flu and pay cuts
The current global recession and credit crisis is not just impacting banks, manufacturers and homeowners — it’s also got state and local governments hustling to balance budgets and find financing for capital projects.
The economic situation came up several times during the Whitefish City Council’s Dec. 5 meeting. When councilor Ryan Friel asked about holding informal long-term planning talks in addition to their annual goal-setting session, councilor Nick Palmer raised the issue of pandemics.
Palmer has expressed concern about Asian bird flu in the past and the lack of planning by the city. Councilor Turner Askew, who also sits on the North Valley Hospital Board, said the hospital would be more than happy to have the city help pay for bird flu vaccine.
Palmer also noted that the Department of Defense’s 2008 Unified Command Plan gives the “Northern Command” responsibility for handling social unrest in the U.S. due to influenza or food shortages.
Councilor Nancy Woodruff said she liked the idea of “looking at the big picture,” but she felt planning for a pandemic should initially be handled at the committee level.
Palmer also broached the subject of city workers accepting pay cuts to save others’ jobs. While one senior worker strongly opposed the idea when asked by Palmer, the city court judge and his staff had already discussed pay cuts and were amenable to the idea, Palmer said.
In other council news:
• The council met in closed executive session to discuss the Walton lawsuit. The Waltons sued the city after they were denied a building permit for a home on a 45-percent slope overlooking Whitefish Lake. The Waltons won their case in a jury trial, and a settlement conference was scheduled for Jan. 7.
• The council unanimously agreed to spend $17,913 to purchase an easement across Michael Goguen’s land for the A Trail Runs Through It recreational trail project.
The city recently received a check for $3 million from the Silicon Valley entrepreneur for the trail project. Goguen has agreed to use his own money to build the trail across his own land. The easement purchase was due to technicality relating to his land exchange with the state.
• The city will take steps to make the public aware that its “dark skies” ordinance will go into effect in August this year.
Jan Metzmaker and Lisa Jones, who worked on the ordinance, brought the subject up during public comment. They showed a recent copy of National Geographic with a cover article on lighting pollution.
City planning director David Taylor said plans were being made to inventory noncompliant outdoor lights and send letters to city residents.
Noting that current economic conditions could make it difficult for some commercial properties to comply, Taylor said alternatives existed to completely new fixtures, like mogul extensions for light bulbs.
Councilor John Muhlfeld noted that property owners could also get an extension to the deadline date.
• The city should make a statement on the state’s plans for a timber harvest that could impact the viewshed for homes on the east side of Whitefish Lake, Woodruff said.
One of those property owners, Charlie Abell, has already approached the city about the issue. Mayor Mike Jenson said Abell was trying to be proactive, not reactive.
City manager Chuck Stearns said the decision is on state forest unit manager Brian Manning’s desk, but the state was willing to make a presentation to the council about the project in February.
• The city abandoned land set aside for a “public highway” 90 years ago for use by the Old Town subdivision.
• Wayne Franklin withdrew his request for a conditional-use permit for a bed and breakfast business on Big Mountain Road across from the electrical substation.
• Frank Sweeney, whom the council appointed to replace Shirley Jacobson as councilor, agreed to take on all of her councilor assignments — Resort Tax Monitoring Committee, Impact Fee Advisory Committee and alternate on the 911 emergency services committee.
• Ken Meckel was re-appointed as the Flathead Conservation District representative to the Whitefish City-County Planning Board.
• City project engineer Karin Hilding was appointed technical adviser to the Whitefish Lake Institute, and Palmer agreed to be the city representative on the institute’s citizens advisory committee.