Six appointed to city planning board

Whitefish’s new planning board is taking shape as the city looks to move past the Supreme Court decision that gave Flathead County jurisdiction over Whitefish’s planning doughnut.

Whitefish City Council unanimously approved an emergency ordinance Aug. 18 to create a seven-member city planning board. Six of the members were appointed that night.

Mayor John Muhlfeld recommended and council approved Ken Stein, Scott Wurster, Greg Gunderson and John Ellis as members on the board. All four served on the most recent version of the now defunct city-county planning board.

Ken Meckle was the fifth member appointed by council. He also served on the city-county board.

City Councilor Frank Sweeney was appointed as the council member on the new board.

Flathead County Commissioners will appoint the seventh member. The county has 45 days to designate a representative.

Board members will serve two-year terms.

Whitefish was hopeful the county would choose to maintain a city-county planning board following the Montana Supreme Court’s ruling. Commissioners, however, passed on the offer and gave the city approval to create its own planning board.

The city planning board meets the third Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. at City Hall.