Whitefish City Council heard several concerns ranging from lake protections to the municipality's growth policy at a recent meeting. 

Cameron Dexter with Citizens for a Better Flathead commented about lake and lakeshore protection regulations with regard to a few alleged violations on Whitefish Lake. 

She asked that the city continue to work with the lakeshore protection committee to “support strong protections and take steps to make sure the county is aware of the community’s concerns regarding the lack of consistent enforcement of [regulations] on Whitefish Lake.” 

Flathead County has failed to enforce protection regulations, along with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and other state agencies, she said, and that must be addressed for the sake of the lake’s health and the enjoyment of the lake. 

Dexter asked Council and Whitefish residents to attend a workshop by the Flathead County Planning Board, tentatively scheduled for Jan. 14, to consider amendments to the county’s lake and lakeshore protection regulations as well as the county marina standards. 

“As community members, we must advocate for prompt and uniform enforcement of [lake and lakeshore protection regulations] to protect the long-term health of Whitefish Lake and all regional water bodies,” Dexter said. 

She added the county must be prevented from setting "a precedent that weakens or ignores essential problems.” 

Keegan Siebenaler, executive director of Shelter WF, meanwhile, expressed concerns over the “goings on” around the work on the transportation element of the growth policy.  

He said the troubling comment came during a public comment opportunity for the transportation element last week. 

“There is a downtown business organization that urged the Planning Commission to remove any reference to mixed use in the transportation element,” Siebenaler said, adding that the organization was the same one that rewrote the economic development draft. “We are quite worried that mixed use is going to be removed by the Planning Commission.” 

He said the comment was in the minority, and that mixed use was supported by many community members. 

“The number one community feedback to the city around the growth policy was that it should be a multimodal community,” he said. “We think that the transportation element is an important place where mixed use should be considered because of the close relationship between a multimodal community and mixed-use zoning.” 

Mayre Flowers with Citizens for a Better Flathead said the public participation process part of the growth policy update is “broken.” 

She asked the city to make the process more welcoming and clearly defined. 

“Making sure that the public really understands the process, which I do not think [it does],” she said. “I know we’re struggling with that, and I think others are, as well.”  

She said the Planning Commission has a determinative role. It should be setting agendas and going through public comments and basing decisions on findings. 

“The need to act quickly to restore a rigorous, healthy and clearly defined, welcoming exchange of ideas between the public and the Planning Commission is needed,” Flowers said. 

COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY approved an amendment to the license agreement with Verizon Wireless for the use of city property at Memorial Park. 

The agreement began in the beginning of 2015, which allowed Verizon to maintain a cellular tower there. 

Verizon and the city renegotiated the license agreement, since it expired this year. The new agreement is for five years with one automatic five-year term after. Verizon has paid this year’s annual rent of $26,644.40. Rent will increase for each five-year term by 12%. 

The new agreement means the amount received by the city will be about $11,000 less than the former agreement for the first term. For the second five-year term, that amount will be about $26,000. 

“Verizon has been reducing lease payments nationwide. It's not just us,” Whitefish City Attorney Angela Jacobs said. “When this came up for renewal, we did have to renegotiate with them.” 

The Glacier Twins organization has had exclusive use of the stadium at Memorial Park since 2002, when it entered into a lease agreement with the city. The two parties later agreed to disburse the funds received from Verizon to the Twins for maintenance of the stadium. 

“The Glacier Twins actually receive, I believe, 78% of the income that we receive from Verizon, so it’s roughly about $20,000 and that goes into their maintenance of Memorial Field,” Jacobs said. 

She said the Twins did not express concern about the reduction of income they will receive. 

Councilor Andy Feury said there has been criticism of the Twins organization this year, but he found them to be “super delightful” and not deserving of most of the criticisms. 

“One of the criticisms was that they just got this pot of money from the cell tower every year and so they did agree that we will change the accounting process and they will issue specific statements to us for things that they’re using that money for, and we’ll issue money at the time, the same way we do for the trail,” Feury said. “Hopefully, that’ll make it a little more transparent.” 

Jacobs said Council would have a chance to revisit the matter at its next meeting, as a letter from the Glacier Twins alumni’s lawyers will be on the agenda. 

Council also voted unanimously to annex about 2 acres located at 632 Lund Lane without further discussion or public comment.  

Councilors Giuseppe Caltabiano, Rebecca Norton and Ben Davis were absent.