With no public hearings on the agenda, the Whitefish City Council, led by Deputy Mayor Frank Sweeney, addressed a letter last week regarding the Whitefish Housing Authority’s placement process.

Elizabeth Weber, who stated she was skipped over for an apartment in Whitefish View Manor, detailed the situation in a letter to City Council. 

Weber explained that she had been told the Housing Authority needed to reprocess her application after she believed she had been granted one of two available units. 

“I would never get a response back,” Weber said. “I’m supposed to sign a lease and all of the sudden, I’m not doing it.” 

Riss Getts, executive director of the authority, addressed questions from councilors about the letter. 

Getts said the Housing Authority has a grievance process wherein she decides the issue first. People can appeal the decision to the board. If there is still a disagreement, the issue can go to the state Housing and Urban Development representative, and the citizen can report the Housing Authority to Montana Fair Housing. 

“I will say, in this instance, none of that happened,” Getts said. “It came straight to the city. This is the first I’ve seen those emails.” 

She said the organization did some restructuring internally at the time of Weber’s issues to ensure that miscommunications didn’t happen again, although Getts said she didn’t know about Weber’s situation until later. 

“It kind of shocks me that you didn’t know that this was even an issue with your staff telling a person that they had a placement and then telling them they didn’t have a placement,” Councilor Rebecca Norton said. “I’m just wondering what the process is and who is in charge and how much oversight there actually is from you and the board on these decisions so that people are not harmed.” 

Councilor Ben Davis said the Housing Authority is an independent entity, and it is “nigh impossible for the City Council to have the information or understanding necessary to deal with case-by-case issues like this.” 

“I just think that there are procedures that need to be followed here that probably haven’t been,” he continued. “I think we should allow the Housing Authority to do their job and I trust a fair resolution can be determined for this.” 

THE COUNCIL unanimously approved amendments to the city’s memorandum of understanding with the North Whitefish Lake Community Fire Association. 

Whitefish City Manager Dana Meeker said the city has been working with the organization, and the Council initially approved the document in September 2025.  

“They have identified a parcel of land at the north end of the lake that is on DNRC trust lands that they would like to apply for an easement,” Meeker said. “They can’t do that as a nonprofit organization, but the city can.” 

The area is part of the Whitefish Fire Service Area, and Meeker said the amendments were not significant but does state that the city will hold the easement, and language was changed to clarify how a potential transfer of the easement would go. 

The Council also agreed to replace the deed restriction on a home on Trailview Way with a Northwest Montana Community Land Trust ground lease, and give $50,000 from the commercial housing account of the resort tax fund to the Land Trust to keep the home affordable. 

It’s the fourth Trailview home the land trust has purchased this year. 

Kim Morisaki, executive director of Northwest Montana Community Land Trust, said the group was able to purchase the house for $400,000 and sell it for $320,000. She said the buyer works for a school in Whitefish and earns less than 100% of the area median income. 

According to the land trust, 100% of the area median income for a single person household is $71,000. Four a family of four, 100% area median income is $101,000. 

The Council also voted unanimously to proceed with obtaining a ballot box to be located at City Hall for general, primary and municipal elections. Currently, voters can drop ballots at the Whitefish Community Center, the Armory and the Moose Lodge in Whitefish on Election Day. 

Sweeney read a proclamation declaring Sept. 11 as a day of service and remembrance. 

Reporter Julie Engler can be reached at 406-862-3505 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at whitefishpilot.com/support.