The Polson City Commission council chambers were full of support Monday night for Andrew Perkins, owner of Salt Cafe, who has been awaiting funding from the Tax Increment Finance District grant he received nearly three years ago. 

The commission approved Perkins’ $64,800 grant application for Salt Cafe in 2023 for a remodeling project on the former Polson Home Floor Covering building on Main Street. Perkins had applied for four extensions over the years until 2025, when the TIF District expired. 

According to the agenda item summary, a significant portion of the delays in meeting the grant requirements was due to an encroachment permit needed from the Montana Department of Transportation. Further complications were also caused by the requirement that Perkins rebuild the sidewalk and handicap ramp.  

City Manager Ed Meece said the administration ensured the TIF District funds remained available in case the commission wished to grant any portion of the grant. Recently, the MDT granted the encroachment permit, and the city entered into a maintenance agreement with MDT.  

This allowed Perkins to submit a written request to the city for the grant funds. Meece noted during the meeting that the commission can grant Perkins either the full amount or less than the full amount.  

Meece added that $425,000 in TIF District funds remain in the account and were allocated to four projects. These projects include the Sacajawea Park entrance road, Salish Point parking lot, wayfinding signage and repaving and rebuilding First Street East.  

The commission approved Perkins' full grant amount for the cafe.  

Farmers’ Market vendors protest weight change 

During the Jan. 21 commission meeting, Commissioner Carolyn Pardini advocated for Meece to begin the process of securing a permanent location for the Polson Farmers’ Market before their season kicks off, according to Leader reporting.  

There has been past confusion and arguments over a potential location change for the market. To block the city street, the market is required to apply for a special use permit. The market later filled out an application and was required to meet with the city administration.  

Joe Arnold, owner of Flathead Lake Cheese and a market participant, made a public comment during the Monday night meeting to update the commission on the meeting with the city. Arnold said they had a very productive meeting, and his only point of contention was the amount of weight required to stabilize vendors' tents.  

He noted that neither Kalispell or Whitefish’s market regulations specify the required weight; only Missoula does, at 20 pounds per tent in an open field. However, the city is requiring 40 pounds per leg on the tent, and Arnold said that most of the market is shielded from wind by buildings.  

He noted that the city recommended filling five-gallon buckets with water to achieve the 40 pounds, and in that case, Arnold said he believes the city should supply these buckets. He also explained that there would be around 20 buckets and that, to avoid antagonizing local shop owners, the best solution would be for the city to supply the 600 gallons of water needed to fill them.  

Meece said that this was the weight requirement that came from the new fire chief, Kevin Straub. During this discussion, Commissioner Tracie McDonald said she’s been a market vendor for 23 years and can’t lift 40 pounds.  

“And I'm a young one on the market. There's a lot of people older than me,” McDonald said. “Not only that, I cannot fit a five-gallon bucket, four of them in my car. I weigh each leg down with almost 15 pounds on each leg. And it's been adequate for any kind of windstorm we’ve had.”  

She added she’s not hauling 40 pounds unless she wants to injure herself. McDonald said she would like to see the research to understand why that’s being required.  

Pardini also added that Meece is getting off easy if he’s only had two meetings with the market because she has received 15 to 20 phone calls about the administration being against small businesses.  

“It’s not true,” Meece said.  

“I’m not saying if it’s true or not true, I’m saying that the general perception is that the City of Polson administration is anti-small business, and that does not bode well for our success,” Pardini said.  

Commissioner Lisa Rehard also commented that the real problem is the rules changing over the last year and that “we need an explanation for why,” so that “we can establish that we’re not engaging in any kind of retribution for the pushback that we’ve got.”  

Meece explained that the city had been discussing this change, and the transition occurred with Straub, which is based on the manufacturer’s recommended standards, but these standards are not a part of the fire code.  

Meece said this is the requirement for both the farmers' market and the Flathead Cherry Festival. However, Pardini said there needs to be a clear distinction between the festival, which is set up for multiple days, and the market, which is set up for three hours.  

Pardini brought up the first discussion the commission had about creating a paid assistant fire chief position to conduct safety checks on businesses, which drew pushback from local businesses due to it being authoritative. She noted that the argument was that it would be educational and not authoritative.  

“These requirements that are coming out are definitely authoritative,” she said.   

“From memory, the weights are the only thing on that application that are not directly out of the International Fire Code, which we've adopted as the city, and so we're going to enforce,” Meece said.  

Other agenda items 

Community Development Director Robert Edington, along with Dawn Brunson, community planner, presented the GovWell online permitting system.  

Edington said phase one is focused on including the building department and will have online building permits and associated permits such as electrical, mechanical and plumbing. He said phase two will come later this spring and will focus on planning, zoning, and subdivision review.  

Edington explained that there will be constant online access, allowing users to track permits, schedule inspections, and receive permits electronically. GovWell will create a more streamlined and secure system.  

Later in the meeting, during public comment, Brett Mays, a parent of children who attend Cherry Valley Elementary School, notified the commission of his safety concerns at the Cherry Valley crosswalk. He said every day he picks his children up, he watches cars speed by at 35 to 40 miles an hour.  

“I watched drunks and tweakers walking across school grounds right in the middle of the day,” Mays said. “My issue is, where is the police presence?”  

He said there should be an officer at both Cherry Valley and Linderman for the 45 minutes before school dismissal. 

“Somebody's child's going to get hurt, somebody's child is going to get run over. The superintendent has brought in two extra crossing guards,” he said.  

Pardini asked Meece where the solar-powered speed signs are, and he said Police Chief Simpson put them away because the limited sunlight during the winter was not enough to power them. Meece said that Simpson plans to bring them out this week or next.  

However, Pardini questioned why they were ever removed when the Pablo solar-powered crosswalk sign works, and her solar-powered electric fence works. Meece responded that he is just relaying what Simpson told him.  

“And I’m just saying it’s a phony, poor excuse,” Pardini said.  

The commission also passed the second reading of amending municipal code to address changes made by the 2025 Montana Legislature. This changed zoning laws to not review RV and mobile home lots as subdivisions, according to previous Leader reporting.  

Other old business included considering Blackhorn Investments' special-use permit for a campground with four RV campsites behind The Shoe restaurant, owned by Scott Biggs. This item was tabled by the commission earlier this year because the developer was not present.  

With this permit, Biggs may be required to maintain a $20,000 surety bond, which the city would use to restore the land if the project isn’t completed. The commission approved the special use permit for four RV campsites, subject to conditions from the zoning board. The other suggested motion provided by the city attorney was to include the bond.  

Since the first motion passed by one vote, the bond was not motioned.