Whitefish officer to help with city police chief duties
The City of Columbia Falls has begun advertising for a new police chief, but until it hires a new one, Whitefish Assistant Police Chief Mike Ferda will help run the department.
The deal, approved by city council in its consent agenda Monday night, will pay Whitefish $54.74 an hour for eight hours of work a week, for 12-16 weeks while the city looks for new applicants.
Ferda could work more than that in the beginning, the agreement notes.
The city fired longtime police Chief Dave Perry last month.
Ferda told council he’s met with the city’s officers and looks forward to working with them and “light fires under their butts a bit.”
He said he wasn’t coming to Columbia Falls to usurp, but to be a team builder, noting there’s a lot in common with the two cities.
“The administrative personnel provided by the City of Whitefish will work directly with the city’s senior staff member, Sgt. Sean Murphy, in coordinating the administrative functions and oversight of all department personnel,” the contract reads. “The administrative personnel will report directly to the Columbia Falls city manager, as needed. The scope of services may be amended by mutual consent of both parties as described above based on the needs of the Columbia Falls Police Department.”
Columbia Falls has nine officers on its staff. According to the contract, Ferda’s work is to not exceed $15,000. The Whitefish city council also approved the agreement Monday.
In other city news:
• The Columbia Falls board of adjustment last week approved a zoning variance for new lights at the Columbia Falls soccer fields. The School District 6 Board, in turn approved the installation of new lights at its meeting Monday.
• Council approved a zone change and conditional use permit for Patrick Rose to convert a former commercial property — the old Stop and Shop gas station — into a three-plex apartment complex. The gas tanks have been removed and the property has been given a clean bill of health by the state, planner Eric Mulcahy noted. The zone change also includes property owned by Salvador Maldonado, which is adjacent to the Rose property, which could allow for more apartments in the future.
• Council will continue a public hearing on the city’s budget to the next meeting. The $7.4 million budget is less than last year’s. But the city can’t calculate the projected impact on residential taxes until it receives its certified value from the state. That didn’t come before the meeting. The budget is available for public review at the city’s offices.