Hall's facts wrong

After just having read Flathead County Commissioner Gary Hall's words in the Oct. 3 "Flathead Beacon," I feel compelled to tell a different version of what happened in 2003. I was also in the same meetings as Mr. Hall was, and I have a very different recollection of what happened.

What Mr. Hall failed to mention was that Whitefish and the county had had a fairly successful, though sometimes contentious, joint-planning relationship for the 4 1/2 mile extra-territorial area since 1969.

The old agreement involved joint planning; the new agreement gave the city total authority as well as total responsibility. There is nothing in the agreement about calling the county before a decision is made.

The county commissioners at the time, Bob Watne, Howard Gipe and Gary Hall, didn't want to work cooperatively to plan in the doughnut area. It was my impression that they didn't want to deal with Whitefish at all.

As most people are well aware, the city of Whitefish cares about the entrance to its community, and in my opinion, cares about good planning. Because the commissioners were intent on washing their hands of us, they were willing to abandon the people in the two-mile doughnut area.

At the hearings, people from the county asked the commissioners not to abandon them, but they did. Now, four years later, the council (of which there are only two of us left from that council, and I voted against it then) is trying to administer the agreement in good faith.

These issues about the county residents not having elected representation on the council were brought up at the time, and Mr. Hall blew them off. Now Mr. Hall is seeing the consequences of his actions and is trying to find someone else to blame.

I don't deny that the city has some strict planning regulations, but they have come about because that is what our citizens have asked for. Even though Mr. Hall doesn't mention it, there are people in the county who are grateful that they are under our jurisdiction.

I wish Mr. Hall would take full responsibility for his actions and apologize to his voters, rather than cast blame and dispersions on the city of Whitefish. Casting blame doesn't solve the problem, nor does it help the people in the doughnut area.

Velvet Phillips-Sullivan is a Whitefish City Councilor.