Stack and Muhlfeld announce resignation from lakeshore protection committee

By RICHARD HANNERS/Whitefish Pilot

The chairman and the vice chairman of the Whitefish Lake and Lakeshore Protection Committee have both announced they are resigning.

Jim Stack, who has served 16 years on the committee and 10 years as chairman, told the city council on Monday his last day will be no later than Sept. 30.

John Muhlfeld, who has served 10 years on the committee and is also a city councilor, resigned effective immediately.

Both cited problems in how the city deals with violations as the main reason for their resignations, but both also said they've served a long time as volunteers and want time off from the sometimes controversial position.

Lisa Stack, Jim's wife, will also step down as a committee assistant. She has kept minutes and records for more than 11 years.

The watchdog committee keeps an eye on water quality and lakeshore development for Whitefish, Lost Coon and Blanchard lakes, a task that has grown more and more difficult in recent years, Stack said.

"If there is a critical 'no-return' point, then we are either there or even past it," he said. "Violations have piled up at a record rate this spring, now demanding as much planning staff time as new lakeshore permits. In the meantime, three-year-old violations sit unresolved in apparent legal-limbo land. The newest violations are some of the most flagrant and willful in years — by property owners who are fully aware of the regulations."

Both Stack and Muhlfeld agreed that changes need to be made in how violations are handled, but both praised the work of city planner Nikki Bond. Muhlfeld said she is "the best administrator the city has ever had on the committee, and she is doing a fantastic job."

Stack said he is concerned that something needs to be done about violations or "eventually it will destroy the regulations, as a growing minority of property owners violate the regulations, knowing there will be no consequences."