Altering agenda could be costly in Whitefish

Voluntarily pulling a project off the Whitefish City Council agenda after it’s been publicly advertised could cost applicants a pretty penny from here on out.

During a public hearing tonight, the council will consider imposing a $500 fee for pulling an item off the agenda when the project is undergoing a major revision and the city is required to reissue a public notice. A lesser fee of $200 would be charged if an agenda item simply needs to be readvertised.

Currently the city doesn’t charge for alterations to the agenda.

The city proposes to lower a couple of architectural review fees. The fee for reviewing minor facade changes would drop from $265 to $200 if approved by the council, and the fee to review a change in paint color would decrease from $265 to $75.

A new fee of $25 would be charged for a short-term rental application; previously there was no fee for this service. Also new would be a fee for the renewal of a conditional-use permit that has expired; the fee would be 50 percent of the original fee.

A second public hearing will consider an ordinance granting NorthWestern Energy a non-exclusive franchise and fixing the terms under which the company can construct and operate natural-gas delivery facilities within the city.

City Manager Chuck Stearns noted in his council report that he and City Attorney Mary VanBuskirk have been working with Rick Burt of NorthWestern Energy on the revised language.

“It is a non-exclusive franchise, meaning that another natural gas company could enter the market and have the same rights to use the right of way,” Stearns said.

The city would benefit slightly from a new requirement that NorthWestern Energy obtain excavation permits prior to excavating in the right of way, except in emergency repair situations, he said.

The council will consider a request from Whitefish Credit Union, on behalf of Lookout Ridge Investors, for a two-year extension of the Lookout Ridge preliminary plat for 139 dwelling units on 267 acres north of the Iron Horse and Ptarmigan subdivisions off Big Mountain Road.

At a work session from 6 to 7 p.m., the council will meet with the Whitefish Community Wastewater Committee to discuss the draft management program and recommendations for implementation.

The regular meeting begins at 7:10 p.m.; both meetings are at Whitefish City Hall.