C.F. Council takes up growth policy

Land use takes the stage at tonight's Columbia Falls City Council meeting.

A public hearing on changes to the city's subdivision regulations that had been scheduled for tonight has been canceled.

Instead, because of extensive proposed changes, it has been put on Tuesday night's planning board agenda.

After the board makes recommendations, the document will come back to the council.

The Columbia Falls growth policy, however, will be on the council agenda tonight.

After the city recently contracted with LH Land Use Consulting and Applied Communications to carry out planning and zoning duties for Columbia Falls, the team checked the policy for state code compliance and alignment with current and planned land uses.

The policy had been completed by the Tri-City Planning Office staff just before the office was dissolved in July.

City Manager Bill Shaw is asking the council to review recommended changes and decide whether to incorporate them into the policy.

Changes to the trust fund agreement for holding and disbursing proceeds from the Cedar Creek Reservoir property sale also are on the agenda.

When the council adopted the city budget at its last meeting, it agreed to remove from the general fund the costs related to the property.

Those costs could include surveying, establishing subdivision boundaries and even building rudimentary roads for the property to bring the best return.

Those costs should not come from the general fund but should come directly from the trust, the council said. The trust fund may have a balance by the end of the year if a pending sale on about 130 acres of the land goes through.

Council members also will:

- Deal with an annexation request from Jakes LLC, a developer who wants to connect land on the east side of town to city sewer and water.

- Formally adopt this year's pay scales for certain city employees, as provided through collective bargaining.

- Congratulate police officer Sean Murphy for proper use of a Taser to control disorderly conduct in a restaurant, thereby avoiding the need for violence.

- Advertise for two vacancies: One on the council, to replace Tad Rosenberry who resigned as of Sept. 1; and the other on the police commission, to replace Vic Darling, who recently died.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in City Hall.