Columbia Falls council approves $35,000 geotechnical evaluation for sloughing hillside

The Columbia Falls City Council authorized a $35,000 geotechnical evaluation to assess a sloughing hillside near Second Avenue East Loop and to guide potential mitigation work.

City staff and geotechnical consultants recommended the survey, which includes borings and a site assessment, as the next step to determine whether monitoring, non‑engineered mitigations or engineered solutions are appropriate. The city manager said the $35,000 study would help identify causes (including groundwater flow from Cedar Creek) and produce recommendations that could make the city eligible for grants or phased remediation.

Councilor [unnamed in the transcript] moved to authorize the city manager to execute the contract and a second was recorded. During a roll-call vote council members responded "Aye" and the motion carried. The city attorney noted contractual and insurance standards for contractors and subcontractors would remain in place.

Council members said they preferred not to delay and emphasized monitoring earlier slips and the likelihood of additional seasonal movement. Staff said the evaluation would produce engineering recommendations that could reduce liability and help prioritize higher-risk solutions.

Next steps: staff will execute the contract, monitor results and return to council with the geotechnical report and any funding options or grant opportunities identified by consultants.