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CITY MANAGER’S REPORT February 25, 2020 WWTP UPGRADE PROJECT The City was notified on February 24th that is has been awarded $270,000 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade Project. This new funding source will help reduce the amount required to be financed through Montana’s State Revolving Fund Loan Program. A special thanks goes out to all who helped secure this funding for our community! MEETINGS AND UPDATES On Thursday, February 25th, Administrative Services Director/City Clerk, Michelle Howke, and I met with our Crisis Communications Agency of Record (LJ Communications) and Explore Whitefish Executive Director Dylan Boyle. While we have taken great steps to have a plan in place for when a crisis situation arises, it is always good to review the plan and ensure we are prepared for any issues that may happen in the future. We are working to make sure the plan is properly updated as contact information changes and that all City leaders have access to the plan. City staff continues to work on implementation of the Parking Management Plan. Our new parking vehicle will be arriving shortly, and we are working to secure new software to help increase efficiencies and the effectiveness of our enforcement of parking requirements. Staff is also working on a proposed pilot permit parking program for the new Parking Permit Implementation Committee to consider and provide feedback. We are working together to determine the number of spaces to lease, duration of leases, lease terms, costs, and locations of leased parking spaces. We intend for this program to roll-out this summer. City staff is also working on our new website development. We will have many new capabilities with the new website and hope to have a more robust online presence for purchasing services or submitting plans and permit applications. The website will also allow individuals the option to sign up for email or text notifications in a variety of areas including meetings and agendas, bid opportunities, emergencies, etc. We anticipate the website will go live in mid-summer. REMINDERS AND SPECIAL EVENTS March 5th: The Montana Department of Transportation, City of Whitefish, and Robert Peccia and Associates are holding an open house from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at City Hall for those interested in learning more about the Whitefish Downtown Highway Study. For more information about the event, please see the attached notice. ---PAGE BREAK--- NEXT COUNCIL MEETING The next City Council meeting will be held Monday, March 16th. The work session is tentatively scheduled for a review of the draft Sustainable Tourism Management Plan. Respectfully submitted, Dana M. Smith, CPA City Manager ---PAGE BREAK--- As Whitefish continues to flourish, the corresponding increase in downtown traffic has created challenges for the community. The City of Whitefish is joining with Montana Department of Transportation and Robert Peccia and Associates to study possible options for improving the flow of traffic on Highway 93 through downtown. If you’re interested in learning more and providing input for the Downtown Whitefish Highway Study, please join us for at our upcoming open house. There will not be a formal presentation, so please attend at your convenience. For More Information: Courtenay Sprunger [PHONE REDACTED] Check out the project website for additional details about the project: Join us for an OPEN HOUSE March 5, 2020 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM City Council Chambers, Whitefish City Hall