In a wide-ranging meeting that went from bears to development setbacks on rivers and streams, the Columbia Falls Planning Board earlier this month looked at a host of issues facing the city after the implementation of the Montana land Use Planning Act earlier this year.

On the subject of bears, the city is looking at codifying its zoning to deal with bear problems, particularly east of town. In bad berry years, the neighborhoods near the Flathead River can see frequent bear encounters as the bruins come into town looking for food, which can range from fruit trees to garbage.

One idea is a zoning ordinance that would split the city into zones, with more restrictions, like bear-resistant container requirements, or trash securing requirements, focused on the east side of the city.

It would be based on bear activity in the area. If there were bear issues in other zones, they could implement rules in those areas.

The one concern from the commission was bear resistant dumpster requirements in commercial areas, like restaurants, since they’re expensive.

One less expensive alternative might be electric fencing that’s turned on at night, when bears are most active.

In other matters, the planning board discussed setbacks for developments for rivers, streams and wetlands, the general consensus was the more restrictive setbacks, particularly near the Flathead River, were most appropriate.

Resident Mike Burr suggested referencing 310 permits, like the Flathead Conservation district does. The commission agreed that protecting the Flathead River was important and setting restrictions now made sense, rather than the piecemeal approach of the past.

Burr noted the river, and its health, were what made Columbia Falls an attractive community and was one of its best assets, so it was important to protect it and the vegetation as well.

As the city grows, Garnier Creek and Trumble Creek will also need protections as well.

What was less clear were the wildlife corridors and how to protect them. The city hasn’t received any clear guidance from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and some of the city’s goals, such as high density development, aren’t always in alignment with preserving wildlife habitat.

One way to protect corridors to a degree is to have high density development and then open space in between, rather than sprawling subdivisions.

But some large subdivisions have high density development and still impinge on wildlife corridors.

Historically, Columbia Falls was a large wildlife corridor, with large open fields. Over the past 30 years, many of those fields are now subdivisions.

Another issue was people living in RVs in the city limits. In short, living in an RV is illegal for an extended period of time, (save for someone visiting for a couple of weeks)  but plenty of people are doing it, some in the city right of way.

Not everyone is poor, either. Resident Frank Alamnza said his neighbors own vacant lots on either side of his house and have lived on those lots in their RVs in the summer months.

One even parked right on the property line in front of his kitchen window.

Almanza suggested several changes to city code, but City Manager Eric Hanks noted there’s already a law on the books restricting any long-term camping in the city.

But still, the city could clamp down further on camping and RVs. With new personnel in the city’s code enforcement division being hired in the coming months, they could clamp down even further.

The question was a social one, as much as a legal one, as Columbia Falls residents have for a long time not raised many complaints about RVs.

The commission also talked about a possible ordinance that would preserve trees on lands that could be annexed into the city. Some projects have come to the city after all the trees were cut down, which has obvious aesthetic and conservation impacts.