The Whitefish City Council will hold a work session tonight to consider a proposed pilot program that would offer $20 parking permits to employees of businesses downtown, where many spots are limited to two or three hours.

The program, which would run through July and August, would eliminate the need for workers to move their cars throughout the day by allowing them to park all day in three specified lots and the third level of the downtown parking garage. That could also free up downtown street parking and help ease traffic congestion.

An eight-member committee of city staff, school district staff and downtown business representatives recommended the council test the program by offering a maximum of 80 permits.

"Given the pilot program is only two months long, the committee agreed that it would be a huge success if enough permits are sold to fill a lot, thus opening up on-street parking for other downtown business customers," the committee wrote in a memo to the council.

During its regular meeting after the work session, the council will consider a resolution to continue holding its public meetings remotely due to concerns about COVID-19, and consider awarding a $45,000 contract to a firm called AP Triton to draft the city's fire department master plan.

The meeting will begin at 7:10 p.m. and be held remotely via Webex video conferencing. Instructions for tuning in and participating can be found on the city's website.

Reporter Chad Sokol can be reached at 758-4434 or [email protected]