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CITY MANAGER’S REPORT October 13, 2020 COVID-19 PANDEMIC Community spread continues to increase in Flathead Valley. The City has issued another video as part of our Community Update Series in partnership with the Whitefish Convention and Visitors Bureau to urge citizens and visitors to help slow the spread of COVID-19. We are recommending that families find alternatives to traditional trick-or-treating, which has been deemed high risk by the CDC during the pandemic. We also would like to remind adults to plan a costume that includes a face covering and to remember to social distance while enjoying our downtown businesses. The City does not issue a special event permit for Halloween, nor have we had any requests so far this year. Therefore, it is up to each business to participate in any Halloween traditions, such as trick-or-treating on Central Avenue or providing any entertainment. We are monitoring the potential new restrictions proposed by the Flathead City-County Health Officer that will be considered by the Board of Health on October 15th. The detailed proposals can be found at www.flatheadhealth.org on the Board of Health’s agenda. We will respond with additional outreach once a decision is made. City Hall will remain closed through October 18th. We are hopeful for a reopening to the public on October 19th pending confirmation there are no new cases among City staff. Notice of the decision to reopen will be posted later this week. MEETINGS. On October 8th, the Whitefish Strategic Housing Plan Steering Committee held its meeting remotely via WebEx. The annual affordable housing report and the proposed updates from an annual review of the Legacy Homes Program required an additional meeting to be scheduled on Tuesday October 13th due to the in-depth discussions and considerations by the committee. These two reports will be reviewed during the City Council work session on October 19th and are included in the City Council packet. From October 6th through October 9th, I attended the virtual Montana League of Cities and Towns Annual Conference, along with certain Department Directors and other City staff. This was another great conference and tailored to our specific situations here in Montana. NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING The next City Council meeting will be held remotely via WebEx on Monday, November 2nd. For the work session, the City Council will interview interested individuals for board and committee openings. A discussion on the Resort Tax extension and re-allocation may occur as well pending available time. Respectfully submitted, Dana M. Smith, CPA City Manager