Whitefish City Council last week awarded a contract for long anticipated viaduct improvements. 

After a long discussion, the council voted 3-2 in favor of awarding the contract for the viaduct improvement project.  

The work includes moving and relocating the Jersey barriers, removing the southbound slip lane on the west side at Railway Street, making Railway Street two-way between Lupfer Avenue and Baker Avenue, improving lighting and installing landscaping on both sides of the viaduct. 

The engineer’s estimate was $702,912. Two bids were received, and Razz Construction’s bid of $874,314.25 was the lowest. The other was over $1 million. 

Razz Construction has not worked for the city previously, but Public Works Director Craig Workman said the Montana Department of Transportation, the city of Tacoma, Washington, and the city of Thompson Falls, gave positive feedback about the company. 

The council questioned line items in the bid, from traffic control to mobilization. Councilors Steve Qunell and Ben Davis expressed unease with the bid and sought other options. 

“How should we be thinking about the fact that it is lower cost to bring a construction company out of Seattle all the way here to do this work than it is to try to find somebody locally,” Davis said. “Doesn’t that seem crazy?” 

Workman said local contractors are busy and the city is bound by statute to award the contract to the lowest bidder, if the contract is awarded. 

It was suggested to only do the lighting and landscaping components of the plan, to which Councilor Andy Feury said the most important element of the project is moving the Jersey barriers because it is a safety issue. 

“We need a bigger shared path on both sides and it needs to be done and it needs to be done soon or we’re going to have a problem, I guarantee you,” Feury said.  

Workman pointed out that moving Jersey barriers is not a simple operation. It involves 2,000 feet of median curb that needs to be removed and replaced. Federal Highway standard crash attenuators on each side will need to be replaced at a cost of $66,000. 

“I know it looks like a big number,” he said of the bid. “But I don’t think it’s going to get any cheaper.” 

After more talk of delaying or making changes to the project, Councilor Frank Sweeney said there was no economic benefit to waiting. He said it might be too expensive, but it won’t get less expensive and if the city waits, it will cost the taxpayer more money. 

“Cost aside, the biggest benefit ... is moving those Jersey barriers,” Sweeney said. “I think we just got to bite the bullet and do it."  

Sweeney moved to award the contract, and the vote was 3-2 in favor, with Councilors Giuseppe Caltabiano and Qunell in opposition. 

The project will be paid for by the city’s healthy street fund. 

THE COUNCIL unanimously approved a conditional use permit for a bar at The Larch House at 304 E. First St. The building is currently under construction. 

According to the staff report, the restaurant originally planned to operate with a restaurant beer and wine license, which does not require a conditional use permit, but has decided to operate with an all-beverage license.  

The restaurant will include a bar and seating in the main lobby area on the first floor, a speakeasy on the lower level and outdoor dining on the patio terrace between buildings. 

The Whitefish Community Development Board voted to unanimously recommend approval of the project. 

WHITEFISH CITY MANAGER Dana Smith introduced the Western Region Hazard Mitigation Plan and the council adopted the plan unanimously. 

“The purpose of this plan is simply to allow the county to then be able to apply for funds that would help us implement this plan and any additional things that we thought were necessary for our area,” Sweeney summarized. 

KIM MORISAKI, executive director of the Northwest Montana Community Land Trust requested and received the release of a deed restriction on another house in the Trailview neighborhood. 

The move allows the trust to add the property to its inventory which will lower the purchase price for the homebuyer. 

MAYOR JOHN Muhlfeld made quick work of rejecting a request from the appellants in the case of the revoked airport hangar permit. Kate McMahon, Robert Horne, Jack and Phyllis Quatman requested a refund of the fees they paid for the appeal after the council refunded William McKinney’s application fees. 

“You knew what you were getting into when you filed the appeal and at the end of the day you got the outcome that you desired,” Muhlfeld said. “In my opinion ... I do not think this application fee should be reimbursed back to the appellants.” 

In December, the Community Development Board sided with appellants in a hearing about the hangar. The board voted 5-2 in favor of revoking the permit due, in part, to an error in the code. 

The word “airport” is used in the code where the word “air strip” should have been, according to Whitefish Planning Director Dave Taylor.