Weekly roundup: C-Falls mulls use for tax-increment revenue
The city of Columbia Falls will have about $441,000 in tax increment financing revenue to spend next year.
Residents can weigh in on how the city might spend the funds at a public hearing at 7 p.m. Dec. 7 in the City Council chambers. Past suggestions have included improving the streetlights on Nucleus Avenue, improving internet service and rebuilding streets.
TIF funds are created through a special district that includes businesses on Nucleus Avenue and U.S. 2.
The district sets aside the additional property tax that would have normally been collected when the TIF was formed.
Last year the city earmarked about $350,000 in TIF funds toward Twelfth Avenue West, as the road is in bad shape and it now serves the new Cedar Palace Medical Center.
The city, however, is still awaiting word on whether federal grants will come through, which could pay for as much as 80% of the roughly $1.6 million project.
Last year the city also committed $15,000 toward irrigation and beautification of South Nucleus Avenue. The city also set aside $75,000 for alleyway and sidewalk improvements and about $32,500 toward Nucleus Avenue lights.
— Hungry Horse News
Half of Mineral County Sheriff’s staff quarantined
The Mineral County Sheriff’s Office is operating at half capacity due to COVID-19 exposure from a woman who was detained for her own safety.
While it is not known if or how many officers have the virus, their exposure to the woman requires a quarantine period.
“All shifts are being covered,” Sheriff Mike Toth said.
If officers under quarantine don’t test positive they may return to work Nov. 16, Toth added.
— Mineral Independent
Voters support levy for Eureka Dispatch District
Tobacco Valley voters passed a levy for the Eureka Dispatch District in the Nov. 3 election, the Tobacco Valley News reported.
The boundaries are the same as the Eureka School District. The levy adds 4 mills to bring in an extra $66,000 annually for dispatch district operational expenses.
— Tobacco Valley News
Whitefish tweaks architectural standards
Whitefish has updated its architectural design standards that apply to commercial and industrial buildings, and residential projects with two or more units.
The city has had architectural review design standards since 2003, first voluntary and later mandatory standards.
City Council recently unanimously approved the changes to the standards.
One of the more notable changes is to extend the Old Town South District from East Sixth Street to the Whitefish River along Spokane Avenue, instead of the area being part of the highway design district.
The committee chose to make the change to acknowledge the relatively smaller lots and slower vehicle speeds and transitional nature to downtown compared to the highway zoning further south.
Some updates are intended to further implement the downtown master plan, including requiring materials to also match the downtown rhythm of 25 to 50 feet building height, making sure new buildings match the existing blocks. and requiring that awning overhangs align with the edge of the curb.
Changes to the standards also encourage outdoor spaces for residents and customers in all architectural districts.
For the highway district, changes were made based on the work of the committee drafting a Highway 93 South corridor plan. Changes include orienting buildings toward public streets and locating parking lots to the side and rear of lots. In addition, buildings must be arranged to give prominence to a pedestrian corridor and an outdoor gathering space with seating.
The standards also now require a mock-up for buildings with a footprint of 10,000 square feet or larger in the highway district and 7,500 square feet or larger in the Old Town district or if adequate detailing information isn’t provided.
— Whitefish Pilot