The Whitefish City Council discussed wildfire risks and motorized vehicles at a work session last week. 

Whitefish Fire Chief Cole Hadley suggested regulations regarding flammable vegetation and an additional work session will be scheduled for the council to continue the discussion before it will be considered at a public hearing. 

Meanwhile, staff will clarify definitions, explore options to address potential hardships and investigate addressing higher risk properties, as suggested by some councilors. 

"Over the past year, we reviewed and discussed strategies to reduce wildfire risk within the city limits,” Hadley said. “One of the easiest starting points for us is some of the unimproved properties, vacant land, anything that's going to have unmitigated grass, unirrigated, unmitigated light, flashy fuels that are right for a wildfire start.” 

The proposed flammable vegetation ordinance would require property owners and occupants to reduce and maintain dry grass, weeds and brush on their property between May 1 and Sept. 30. 

Hadley said those dates represent what is considered the beginning and “roughly the end” of the wildfire season. 

Responsibilities of property owners under the proposed ordinance vary depending on lot size. 

Owners with properties of less than 1 acre would trim, cut or remove flammable vegetation as close to the ground as is reasonable. The duties of owners with properties greater than 1 acre are the same. In addition, the larger properties must build and maintain a 20-foot fuel break around the entire perimeter as well as around any structures, vehicles, and infrastructure that would contribute to a fire hazard. 

“If there're any buildings on the property, sheds, homes, cars, anything like that, that may be parked on that property, that also would have to have that same 20-foot mitigation,” he said. “Essentially, if they have a lot on that property, it’d be easier for them to just mow the entire thing.” 

He said the purpose of the 20-foot swath is to help prevent the fire from leaving the first property and going to neighboring properties.  

Councilors Ben Davis and Steve Qunell seemed incredulous that longer grass at a small property in town would be a significant risk. They asked if a homeowner on Columbia Avenue who does not mow the yard is a significant risk, especially with manicured lawns on either side of the property. 

"I just wonder if there is a lot size limit that underneath would just be exempt from this ordinance,” Qunell said. “I just don't think that a tenth of an acre city lot with unmowed grass -- it's hard for me to believe that that could cause the catastrophic wildfire to spread through to other places.” 

Hadley responded quickly and assuredly. 

“I don't think a fire on a tenth of an acre on Columbia Avenue is going to burn Big Mountain down,” he said. “But it could spread to the neighboring property or to their own home or to the shed or to the garage.” 

He said it makes sense from a fire safety standpoint that smaller properties are involved in the regulations because they allow fire to spread more quickly and be more dangerous. 

Hadley agreed, however, there is a balance to be struck between mitigating the target hazards and the burdening the citizens. 

THE POLICE, Parks and Recreation, and Public Works departments evaluate the city code regularly to make sure that it stays current with the needs, interests and actions of the public. 

A boom in alternative transportation methods caused the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee to suggest revisions to the code regarding the use of motorized and nonmotorized vehicles on paths and other public ways earlier this year. 

Motorized vehicles are defined as having a throttle. Human powered vehicles are not considered motorized if the motor assists pedal power. 

Whitefish Police Chief Bridger Kelch said the proposed new sections of code pertain to what kind of vehicles are allowed on sidewalks and shared-use paths. 

“This new section of the code was created to prohibit any person from driving or operating a motor vehicle on a shared-use path,” Kelch said. “It also added a 15 mile an hour speed limit to all permitted vehicles on a shared use path.” 

The overall goal of the measures is public safety. Vehicle operators must drive in a way that is safe and prudent. 

“You're liable if you're passing six people that are walking down the shared-use path, you swing by and going 25 miles an hour ... and you hurt somebody. 

Qunell said all the vehicles discussed, including scooters, hoverboards and E bikes are “a nuisance.” 

“Anything with a throttle should not be on our shared-use paths,” he added.  

Kelch said there have been multiple complaints about the use of golf carts on the roads in recent years.  

He said the ordinance allows golf carts on city streets, with certain conditions. The carts must be registered and equipped with headlights, taillights, blinkers and seat belts. A driver's license is required, as is liability insurance. Also, they must be able to keep up with traffic. 

“Golf carts are specifically prohibited from operating on public streets or highways for which the posted speed exceeds the manufacturers maximum recommended speed,” Kelch said.  

Additional changes to the state laws are expected, so work on the draft is ongoing.