Columbia Falls works toward new planning office

The Daily Inter Lake

First steps are under way for Columbia Falls' new planning office, and City Council members will get an update on that progress during their regular meeting at 7 p.m. today in City Hall.

With dissolution of the Tri-City Planning Office on July 1, the city will need to operate its own office to review and process planning and development applications.

Council members will set up a committee to request and review planning services contracts.

They will follow the same procedure for choosing a real estate professional.

At its last meeting, the council agreed to sell the city-owned land at the Cedar Creek Reservoir up the North Fork Road. Proceeds will establish a trust fund to fuel future development in the city.

Notice will be given of a community open forum and workshop is planned for 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 17 to take input on the city's new growth policy.

Members of the Columbia Falls City-County Planning Board have completed the document to the point of bringing it out for public review.

Council members tonight also will consider a pair of ordinances and a pair of resolutions.

First reading will be held on an ordinance to impose a penalty for more than two false alarms in a 90-day period to the same business or building, and on another ordinance to impose a 15-month moratorium on required sewer connections for properties annexed in the past year.

The latter should give the city time to find grants or other funding to help low-income property owners with the expense.

One of the resolutions will transfer the Cedar Creek property from the water fund to the general fund, laying the groundwork for the land sale and trust-fund establishment.

The other resolution calls for approving the final plat of the Fran Lou Subdivision.