Whitefish looks at parking-garage tax
Earlier this summer the Whitefish City Council narrowly approved the construction of a parking garage with its forthcoming new City Hall. Now comes the task of determining how to pay for the ongoing operation and maintenance of the three-story structure.
The council meets in a work session today to begin the discussion of whether a Business Improvement District or other assessment district is feasible for the parking garage.
The work session starts at 5 p.m. at Whitefish City Hall and will last about an hour.
A working group of city officials, Heart of Whitefish and Chamber of Commerce representatives was formed to research parking assessments. That group met three times this summer and came up with three viable options, but chose to focus on a Special Improvement District.
A consulting firm has estimated annual maintenance of the parking structure might be in the $100,000 to $125,000 range, which equates to $492 per parking space per year. The group then learned that other Montana cities have much lower costs for ongoing maintenance, so a range of $50,000 to $75,000 seems more likely, according to a city staff report.
Business owners would share the costs of a Special Improvement District, though if some of the spaces in the parking structure were leased, it could bring in revenue to offset the ongoing costs.
Following the discussion the parking assessment, the council will talk about a proposal to petition the state to restrict motorized watercraft on a six-mile stretch of Whitefish River from the railroad trestle to the bridge at Montana 40.
The formal council meeting begins at 7:10 p.m., offering six public hearings.
First up is the hearing on the plan to restrict motorized watercraft on the Whitefish River.
Next is a request for a conditional-use permit request by Marty Beale for a professional office and triplex at 118 W. Second St.
Kevin and Melinda Johnson have asked for a conditional-use permit for a guest house at 815 Delrey Road.
Corrie Colbert and Neil Stuber are seeking an after-the-fact conditional-use permit for a temporary expansion of their home-based vegan lip-balm business, Hurraw!, at 103 Dakota Ave.
The two final hearings both relate to the 2nd Street Residences project and are continued from the Aug. 19 meeting. Since the application has been pulled by Community Infill Partners, those hearings won’t be held.