The Columbia Falls City Council has approved a “statement of blight” document that is part of the public process to establish a tax-increment finance district in the city. 

Once the district is established, tax-increment revenue will be used to promote economic development.

Drafted by Butte consultant Janet Cornish of Community Development Services of Montana, the 14-page document defines the legal term “blight” and provides an overview of the city, with historic, geographic, demographic and economic information. 

It also provides a short but succinct description of blighted conditions facing the city.

The loss of good-paying jobs at timber companies and the nearby aluminum smelter has made an impact on the city, the document states.

“Once known as the ‘Industrial Hub of the Flathead Valley,’ the economy of Columbia Falls is now largely service-based,” the document states. “The loss of jobs in manufacturing and timber-related activities has taken its toll on downtown Columbia Falls. Many of the retail spaces are vacant and buildings are deteriorating.”

According to U.S. census data, about 4,800 people live in Columbia Falls and about 2,200 residents over 16 years old are employed. 

The top four employment sectors are education, health care and social assistance at 19 percent; arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodations and food at 18.3 percent; retail at 11.9 percent; and construction at 10.8 percent. Manufacturing came in sixth at 7.5 percent.

The city’s poverty rate is 17.3 percent, higher than Montana’s or the nation’s — both are under 15 percent. The median income in Columbia Falls is $38,546, significantly lower than the state’s $45,456 or the nation’s $53,046.

Economic hardships can explain cracked sidewalks and unpaved alleys, but other problems exist — particularly residential, commercial and industrial properties butting up against each other.

“While these uses all contribute to the area’s economy, the various uses are not always clearly separated, creating unsightly and unsafe conditions,” the document states.

Blighted conditions in Columbia Falls include physical deterioration of buildings and properties, defective street layout, inappropriate or mixed uses of land or buildings, and unsanitary and unsafe conditions that endanger life or property by fire or other causes.

“Physically, downtown Columbia Falls is suffering from deferred maintenance and deterioration of both buildings and empty spaces,” the document states. “The designs of parking lots, alleyways and driveways create blighted conditions that diminish the value of property in the area and present hazards for pedestrians.”