POLSON — Papa Don’s owner Stephanie Clement told the Polson City Commissioners on Monday that the restaurant would not be renewing its lease with the city.

The restaurant has been operating out of the city golf course area since mid-March.

The announcement was in reaction to an agenda item to amend the lease the city has with the owners. Clement said in the letter that they gave it a whole-hearted try to run the restaurant, although they were “appalled by the language in the lease.”

“We thought we could meet everyone’s expectations,” Clement said, but certain aspects of the golf course held a sense of “entitlement” that made their hard work fall short.

After Clement spoke, commissioner Jim Sohm read a list of recommendations he had for future lease agreements, hinting that under the current stipulations he would find it hard for any establishment to make a profit. His recommendations included having the city and city employees run the restaurant and bar for a year and see if they turn a profit.

The commission later accepted Sohm’s letter of resignation. Stating personal reasons and a desire to follow his original retirement plan, Sohm is vacating his Ward One seat. Sohm offered to stay through the end of the year.

“I certainly apologize to those people who elected me that I didn’t fulfill my term,” he said. He later thanked everyone he’d worked with.

Several letters have already been received to fill Sohm’s seat. An agenda item to fill the remainder of the two-year term was tabled until the Dec. 21 meeting so commissioners can review the applicants.

Several residents spoke against the council making too quick a decision on the replacement. George Mahoney said it should wait until the seat is fully vacated to fill it.

Currently Mayor Lou Marchello, and residents Roland Godan, John Campbell and Donald Smith have submitted applications. Residents can view the resumes/application letters at www.cityofpolson.com.

Engineer Shari Johnson went over in detail the three proposed options for the city’s impending headworks and sewer treatment center options. Included are a $2 million to $3 million west side site, where the existing treatment lagoons sit; a $2.75 million to $3.75 million east side site, near the soccer fields on Kerr Dam road; and the $1.7 million Tamsco building site, which includes using the existing building.

All cost options are estimations brought to the board by Johnson, who examined existing projects and industry costs.

Pros and cons exist at each site. The west side site would take much altering because of the existing lagoons, the east side site would require the building of a new lift station and the Tamsco building has many facets that could complicate the construction, even with the existing building.

Johnson encouraged everyone to look at the site preparation costs and work that may go into each site, as compared to building costs.

Commissioner Mike Lies motioned to table a vote on the headworks site so information presented could be studied. The motion was passed.

The building, which will house a new “membrane” technology treatment center will take up around 5 acres, a much smaller footprint than older technology.

Polson’s existing system will be obsolete in seven years. The headworks system project is in its beginning phases and is the first step in the replacement of the entire system. The new $10 million sewer and water treatment facility system project will follow the headworks project.

The commission also heard a presentation from Dave DeGrandpre as he works to update the city’s development code. DeGrandpre said the work is slow but steady, work with the code development committee is going well.

The work will update zoning and subdivision regulations throughout the city and surrounding territories. A website has also been developed to open the information up more to the public. DeGrandpre said the final document would be more user friendly, as well as more complex. The final document will be up for public hearing and review once completed.

An agenda item to consider options for the all beverage license held by the city was tabled until city manager Todd Crossett was present. Mayor Lou Marchello said Crossett was held up because his car broke down on his way back from Idaho.

The commissioners voted unanimously to adopt resolution 1005 to annex wholly surrounded property in Skyline 1 and Skyline 3 additions after a public hearing was held on the issue earlier that night.

It also passed an approval of investments, a renewal of the Office of Emergency Management’s lease of a building near 11th Ave. for five more years, as well as reappointed commissioner Bruce Agrella to the Lake County Solid Waste Management Board.

Lastly, it set a public hearing on the preliminary engineering report for city stormwater treatment alternatives for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 16.