Whitefish Council examines simplifying annexation process

Whitefish City Council on Tuesday during a work session will discuss streamlining its process for annexation.

Annexation is the process by which land in Flathead County becomes incorporated into the city. The process can be initiated by developers, by owners of existing developed land or as directed by Council when a parcel is wholly surrounded by city property or otherwise meets the criteria for annexation.

Due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday, Council will discuss its annexation policy beginning at 6:15 p.m. City Hall, 418 E Second St.

The regular meeting, in which Council has no public hearings scheduled, begins at 7:10 p.m.

Council directed city staff to create a more efficient process for annexation. Now, city staff has brought forth an updated process, along with a standalone annexation policy and information materials to better communicate the policies and process to the public.

The streamlined process would have the annexation and zone change for a property occur together in a two-step process. Council would pass a resolution of intent to annex and apply city zoning, then following a published notice hold a public hearing on the matter before voting.

“At the hearing, staff gives a recommendation, the public is invited to speak, pros or cons of the annexation and rezone request are considered by the Council, and then the Council would either accept or reject the annexation and zoning resolution by vote,” Planning Director Dave Taylor said in a memo. “If the vote is successful, the annexation and zone change would both fo into effect immediately.”

Under the current process, the Council acts on a petition for annexation, then a zoning change goes to the planning board. The zone change next moves to Council and if approved goes into effect in 30 days.

“There has been concern about the time lag between annexation and when the city zoning would go into effect as the property would remain under county zoning rules,” Taylor said. “With the proposed new process, the annexation and the zone change would both go into effect simultaneously.”

Council is expected to provide feedback to staff on the annexation process and then at a later date vote on the update at a regular meeting.

Also during its work session at 5:45 p.m., the Western Transportation Insitute will give a presentation to Council on the Go Gallatin public transit system.

Features Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or hdesch@dailyinterlake.com.