Council authorizes bidding for Armory Park restroom and playground paths

The Whitefish City Council authorized staff on Aug. 18 to publicly bid construction of Armory Park restroom facilities and new playground paths as part of Phase 4 of the Armory Park master plan. Parks and Recreation Director Maria said staff completed final designs and that the preliminary construction estimate is $346,368.94. She told the council the FY2026 EAP has $792,000 of resort-tax dollars earmarked for Armory Park Phase 4. "Assuming that we are authorized to proceed with the bidding, we will hold the bid opening on September 9 with a council award on September 15," Maria said. She added staff expects to begin construction Oct. 13 with substantial completion by June 30. A councilor moved to authorize bidding; another councilor seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff said the resort-tax fund balance is sufficient to cover the expected cost and that the city will return to council for award after the public-bid process. By authorizing the bid, the council has directed staff to begin procurement and to return with a contract award recommendation in mid-September. The work is part of a broader Phase 4 plan that also includes softball field reconstruction and additional parking identified for later phases.