At a special work session and then later at a regularly scheduled public meeting tonight, the Whitefish City Council will review a set of proposed changes to the city’s engineering and design standards for construction.
The standards were initially created in 1997 to outline specifications for engineers and contractors during construction projects. City officials believe it is time to update and revise the guidelines.
On Dec. 19, 2008, the Whitefish Public Works Department distributed preliminary copies of the updated standards to 22 design consultants and requested comments due by Jan. 7. Then on Dec. 31, city staff made the standards available to the public, but didn’t extend deadline for comments.
After people expressed concern over the brief review time, the comment period was extended to Jan. 20 and the public hearing pushed back until tonight’s meeting. John Wilson, public works director, has provided a staff report for the council. Councilors have also received a revised version of the original updated standards from last December.
The council will review the information provided by city staff, listen to public comment and then decide whether to amend or adopt the design and engineering standards.
The council’s work session to discuss the standards begins at 5:45 p.m. at City Hall. The public hearing will be held during the council’s regular meeting, which begins at 7:10 p.m.
The council will also discuss:
-Zone text amendment for boat/recreational vehicle storage
-Shifting from a city court system to a municipal court
-Letter from Katie Monroe alleging drug and alcohol abuse at Whitefish Mountain Resort
-Letter from Erin Harding regarding Central Avenue street and sidewalk improvements