The five members of the public in attendance outnumbered the councilors at the Whitefish City Council meeting last week. Mayor John Muhlfeld along with Councilors Rebecca Norton and Steve Qunell were absent. Councilor Giuseppe Caltabiano joined online.

The agenda was similarly light but the meeting’s two public hearings featured some thoughtful interchanges. The first regarded an alleyway, and the second new parking regulations.

The council addressed a resolution to discontinue, abandon and vacate an alley between West Eighth Street and West Ninth Street.

Neal Bartleson and Kerry Kvigne were the two homeowners who requested the alley be abandoned. Bartleson told the council he is the fourth generation on West Eighth Street, as his great-grandparents acquired the property 88 years ago.

“It’s super clean and manicured,” Bartleson said of the alley easement. “There’s even a fence down the middle of it. When it was brought to my attention to propose abandonment, I thought it was a great idea.”

City staff had recommended the council deny the resolution. After asking a few questions about the alley, the council denied the request with a unanimous vote.

“Giving away public land to private landowners is fraught with peril,” said Councilor Ben Davis. “It’s not something that would ordinarily be done absent extenuating circumstances.”

THE SECOND HEARING regarded additional parking restrictions at four locations in the city. 

“The Public Works Department does receive pretty frequent requests from residents and property owners and business owners to evaluate various traffic and parking restrictions,” said Whitefish Public Works Director Craig Workman. “These requests are evaluated based on their merits.”

No parking is proposed on either side of the road on East Eighth Street, between Spokane Avenue and Kalispell Avenue, Karrow Avenue between West Second Street and West Seventh Street, and Shiloh Avenue between JP Road and Whitefish Avenue. 

The fourth location is Woodside Lane, where no parking is proposed on either side of the road within 100 feet of Wisconsin Avenue.

Kevin Kaltschmidt, general manager of Don “K” Chevrolet, asked if parking on the west side of Shiloh Avenue could remain until construction on the Snowy Mountain subdivision punches the road through.

Workman said construction is expected to begin on the Snowy Mountain development later this month. That project will connect Shiloh Avenue to Whitefish Avenue.

“We're trying to increase inventory storage across the street from Don “K” on the west side of the highway,” Kaltschmidt said. “We’d like to have a little bit more time because there’s not really anywhere to park at this point in time.”

After addressing Workman and Whitefish City Attorney Angela Jacobs, Davis moved to approve the parking ordinance with a modification allowing the restrictions to begin on Shiloh Avenue on Nov. 1. The motion passed unanimously.

THE COUNCIL voted unanimously to award this year’s Road Overlay Project to Nelcon for $1,193,506.

Workman said the project includes roadway milling, overlay paving, concrete sidewalk and curb replacement, adjusting existing manholes and valves to grade, and updated pavement markings. 

A total of four bids were received which ranged from about 5% lower to about 8% higher than the engineer's estimate of just over $1,260,000. Nelcon’s was the lowest bid.

THE WORK SESSION slated for last week to discuss potential changes to the way resort tax funds are rebated was rescheduled for Sept. 3.