Chicken regs given the nod

By RICHARD HANNERS / Whitefish Pilot

Number increased from 3 to 5, but ducks are out

An ordinance that will allow residents to have hens as pets instead of livestock was approved by the Whitefish City Council on a first reading by 5-1, with councilor Turner Askew in opposition and mayor Mike Jenson absent.

As originally motioned by councilor Shirley Jacobson — at her last city council meeting — the number of hens was increased from three to five. An amendment proposed by councilor Nick Palmer to allow ducks failed on a tied 3-3 vote, with Askew, deputy mayor Nancy Woodruff and councilor John Muhlfeld opposed.

Woodruff later noted that New York City allows residents to have unlimited numbers of chickens.

Askew said he was concerned about unintended consequences. He noted that the city requires special bearproof trash containers for grizzly bears and wondered if chickens in backyards might attract dangerous animals.

"Once you pass this, it's hard to go back," he said, adding, "We're getting overjoyed about how cute this is."

Jacobson called all the opposition to owning chickens "hilarious."

"Dogs are worse — noisy and running loose," she said. "Here we're talking about a few chickens that could benefit a family."

In other city council news:

? The council unanimously agreed to renew its commitment to dedicate the first $100,000 in its Housing Fund to the Whitefish Housing Authority's 2009-2010 Homeownership Program.

The council approved the Housing Authority's request to apply for a $450,000 community development block grant at its Nov. 17 meeting.

The housing program has received four units and is currently pledged two units and $1.6 million, but no payments have yet been made to the city's Housing Fund.

Askew said he'd vote for the measure, but he wanted the city to take a second look at the city's voluntary inclusionary zoning provision.

? A resolution authorizing a $2.211 million state loan for the city's wastewater treatment plant was revised to take into account that Whitefish is a "hardship community."

That means the interest rate for the first $500,000 should be 2.75 percent rather than 3.75 percent, saving the city $62,903 over the loan's 20-year life.

? Final plats were approved for the 10-lot phase 2 of Winter Sports Inc.'s Northern Lights West subdivision on Big Mountain and the 51-lot Old Town subdivision on Haugen Heights Road. The council also agreed to abandon a piece of roadway on the southwest corner of the Old Town subdivision.

? The city collected $66,154 in impact fees for the fiscal year ending June 30 this year. That broke down to $3,800 for paved trails, $7,571 for a new emergency services building, $6,639 for a new city hall, $1,809 for stormwater, $20,430 for water, $25,643 for wastewater and $253 for the city's recently constructed park maintenance building.

? The council approved a request by Bernard Papp for a preliminary plat for a two-lot subdivision on Mountain Park Drive.

? The council approved a raise for city court clerk Pam Cotton from $13.89 to $14.17 to keep her wages in line with the city's pay steps. The vote was 5-1 with Woodruff opposed.

Palmer referred to the "tense arms-length" relationship that once existed between the city court and the council, and he commented on how much better the court clerk's office was running now.