Bigfork planner honored by award

Bigfork got state recognition for its neighborhood plan last week, as Shelley Gonzales, chairwoman of the Bigfork Land Use Advisory Committee, earned the Montana Association of Planners' "Community Planner Award."

Gonzales was the first recipient of the award, which was created to recognize excellence in community planning.

She was nominated for the award by BJ Grieve, Flathead County Planning Office assistant director, in recognition of her continued efforts on the "hard labor" of the Bigfork plan update.

The four-year project concluded this June when Flathead County Commissioners approved the updated Bigfork Neighborhood Plan.

Grieve said Gonzales acted as a liaison between the planning office and the committees and community in Bigfork, and played a large role in organizing and rewriting the plan.

Gonzales said many people worked on the plan, including past and present Bigfork Steering Committee members, BLUAC, and the hundreds of community members who made contributions to updating the plan ranging from tallying surveys and analyzing data to writing the plan.

"It's not just for me – it's for the entire community of Bigfork," Gonzales said when accepting the award plaque from MAP President Roger Millar before the commissioners Friday.

Gonzales said she would likely give the award to the Bigfork Area Chamber of Commerce to display.

"It will show that the work we do here (in Bigfork) is appreciated at the state level," Gonzales said.