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Whitefish Council looks at cell tower contract

HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 months, 3 weeks AGO
by HEIDI DESCH
DEPUTY EDITOR, FEATURES Heidi Desch is the Deputy Editor at the Daily Inter Lake, overseeing coverage of arts, culture, lifestyle, community, and business. Desch leads reporters in developing stories that highlight the people, traditions, and events shaping Northwest Montana, guiding content across print and digital platforms. With more than 20 years of journalism experience, including serving as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, Desch is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism. She has received multiple Montana Newspaper Association awards, including part of the team leading the Daily Inter Lake to Best Daily Newspaper in Montana Award and the General Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025. IMPACT: Heidi’s work connects readers with stories that deepen the understanding of the community beyond daily news. | November 16, 2025 11:00 PM

Whitefish City Council on Monday will consider a new agreement for a cell tower located at Memorial Park.  

The city entered into a license agreement in 2015 with Gold Creek Cellular of Montana allowing Verizon to maintain a cell tower at the park. The original agreement expired and now the company is looking to enter into a new contract.  

City Council meets at 7:10 p.m. at City Hall, 418 E. Second St. 

The original license agreement provided an initial yearly payment of $18,000 with an annual increase.  

Due to market influences, Verizon has asked to renegotiate the terms of the license agreement, according to a memo by City Attorney Angela Jacobs. The new agreement would be for five years with an automatic extension for another term of five years, and the annual rent would be $26,644 for the first year and would increase annually by 12%.  

Under the new agreement, the city would receive about $11,000 less for the first five-year term. During the second five-year renewal period, the city would receive about $26,000 less. 

The Glacier Twins baseball team leases Memorial Park from the city. A memorandum of understanding provides that the funds from the cell tower be distributed to the Twins for maintenance of the stadium at Memorial Park.  

Also on the agenda is a request to annex 2 acres on Lund Lane into the city. Property owners Olivia Boyle and Danielle Hirshberg requested annexation of the parcel, which contains a single-family home and accessory buildings.  

Several lots to the north and west have been annexed into the city.  

During a work session at 6 p.m., Council is set to hear an update on the land use chapter of the city’s growth policy.  

Deputy Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 406-758-4421 or [email protected].

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