The City of Whitefish plans to refund North Valley Food Bank fees it paid to the city in constructing an expansion of the food bank building.

“The food bank has done a fantastic job this past year,” Mayor John Muhlfeld said. “It just amazes me that it was just a few years ago that the new building was constructed, and now there’s a need for an expansion so that speaks volumes about the work you’re doing.”

The food bank moved into its current building in 2013.

City Council approved providing a refund of about $5,200 in building and impact fees back to the food bank.

“Anything we can do as a city to support the food bank, we should do it,” Councilor Steve Qunell said. “There’s a big need and the people who come into the food bank are super grateful.”

Sophie Albert, executive director of the food bank, said roughly 500 people use the food bank’s food distribution services in Whitefish weekly. In the past year it has also added four mobile pantries in Essex, Evergreen, Trego and Olney, she noted.

“We are currently seeing an increase in customers not only because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but because of the affordable housing situation,” she said. “We support a healthy community and economy here in Whitefish.”

The food bank distributed 500,000 pounds of food in 2020.

The expansion of the food bank is a $1.1 million project with about half that amount already being fundraised. The food bank is expanding its building to increase refrigeration and freezer space to store and distribute perishable food. It is also expanding its dry-goods warehouse space and loading dock to keep up with additional delivery routes throughout the Flathead valley.

In the final phase of the project, the food bank intends to install a commercial kitchen in the building to allow it to offer food preparation skills training, and to preserve more food for distribution.

Once the pandemic subsides, the food bank is also planning to move to a choice model to offer its customers the option of selecting their own food each week instead of receiving pre-loaded boxes. The switch is aimed at reducing potential food waste since people will only receive food they select and it provides for a more dignified approach, the food bank notes.

City Manager Dana Smith says the city may be able to use CARES Act funding to pay for the refund to the food bank, but if not funds in the city’s general reserve fund would cover the amount.