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.