Don't polish away Whitefish's grittiness

As my term as a Whitefish city councilor ends, I want to take this opportunity to thank the citizens of Whitefish for trusting me and allowing me to serve you.

I also want to thank my colleagues, Ryan Friel, Turner Askew, Chris Hyatt, Phil Mitchell, Richard Hildner, Frank Sweeny, and John Anderson. I had the good fortune of serving with two fantastic mayors, Mike Jenson and John Muhlfeld — two men who I admire greatly for their dedication and service, and who I am honored to call my friends. I also want to thank the tireless city staff and department heads.

Trust me citizens, we are in good hands. It has been a privilege that I will never forget.

I ran for office because I love this town. This is where my wife and I decided to raise our family and to be our home. I have heard many say that Whitefish is a resort town. I disagree.

Our town has elements that make it very attractive to visitors such as a 36-hole golf course, a world class ski hill, wonderful restaurants, great shopping, and of course our lake.

However, on any given day you are likely to find Whitefish locals teeing off on the North Course, or waiting for first chair on a powder day, enjoying a special evening with friends on Central Avenue, or enjoying a day on the lake.

Every elected official has had one thing in common — we were elected by people with the zip code 59937, and we are obligated to make decisions that are in the best interest of those who call Whitefish home.

Whitefish is a hard place to live. We’ve all heard the saying, “The best way to make a small fortune in Whitefish is to bring a large fortune with you.” Perhaps that’s true.

But it’s critical for the character of our town that multi-generational nature remains. Expansion of our economic foundation beyond tourism, along with an affordable housing program focused on young people looking to make a difference in our town is necessary to keep our town authentic.

One of the characteristics that was the most attractive to me when I first visited Whitefish back in the 1980s was its authenticity. An authenticity that resulted in balance of practicality and grittiness. In my opinion, that authenticity, or grittiness, is what attracts so many visitors to our town. When they come to visit they can feel the heartbeat and the soul of a town full of people who are proud to call Whitefish home.

Now we see proposals for an updated downtown master plan with plans for “pedestrian retail loops,” and parking garages, along with design criteria that mandate a certain percentage of glass on the first floor of buildings. These are elements best suited for suburban shopping malls, not our town. If we aren’t careful, we are going to polish the grittiness away, and if we do, the character of our town will be forever changed.

I understand that we are faced with growing pains, and that balancing the needs of visitors and residents can be difficult. I don’t envy the next council and the laundry list of projects that face them. Proposals for an updated downtown master plan, new zoning districts, aquatic invasive species threats, septic lechate contamination of our lake, along with major infrastructure projects, and where to put our next cemetery. You will have your hands full and I thank you all for your dedication and devotion to our town.

I also encourage the citizens to stay plugged into the process and to be involved. Make your voices heard. Government works best when an informed citizenry is engaged, and dedicated to making itself heard.

Thanks again Whitefish, it has been an honor.

— Bill Kahle served four years as city councilor