Forum looks at improving local government

Both praises and frustrations with the city were publicly aired last week at a forum asking residents to share their thoughts on the good, bad and sometimes ugly aspects of local government.

The Whitefish Local Government Study Commission organized the July 8 meeting as part of its two-year review of the city government. The commission eventually will release a report with final recommendations for improvements.

The study commission is made up of chairman Ken Williams, Turner Askew and Rebecca Norton. Vanice Woodbeck, assistant city clerk, serves as the ex-officio member.

A handful of community leaders were invited to open the forum by providing a snapshot of the past 10 years in Whitefish and to offer suggestions for improving government going forward.

Whitefish Chamber of Commerce director Kevin Gartland said Whitefish has emerged from the Great Recession in good shape.

“Things seem to be very strong in town,” Gartland said. “Tourism is booming. Real estate and construction is rebounding very well.”

He noted commercial investments happening both downtown and on the Highway 93 strip.

Still, economic diversity, a limited labor force and workforce housing remain areas the city needs to address, Gartland said.

“The economy is mostly tourism based,” he said. “There’s not a lot of diversity.”

Whitefish Convention and Visitor Bureau director Dylan Boyle reiterated the booming tourism industry and applauded the city for its efforts in helping create a strong downtown.

“We have seen in the last 10 years a steady growth in visitation throughout the year,” Boyle said. “I’ve been really encouraged by our city government. Some of the decisions they’ve made will effect tourism positively.”

Glacier Bank branch president Lin Akey called Whitefish an “ant hill” crawling with visitors that have boosted the economy.

Like Gartland, he is concerned about the limited labor force in Whitefish and cautioned of a return to inflated real-estate speculation and a weakening Canadian economy.

School board trustee Dave Fern praised the city and community for its support of the local schools. He said workforce housing needs to be looked at in order to keep good teachers in the community.

“I would like to think that when we hire a teacher, that professionals can live in the community,” Fern said. “That’s a far-fetched dream right now.”

The commission has been studying the possibility of paying the mayor and city councilors for their positions, an idea that received mixed reviews at the forum.

Akey said paying councilors would spur more people to run for election, and in turn create more diversity on council.

Councilman Richard Hildner disagreed, saying it’s important to retain the volunteer nature of the job.

“I like that I’m not paid,” he said. “It’s important that I serve as a volunteer.”

Heart of Whitefish member Rhonda Fitzgerald said that divisive elections are keeping residents from entering local politics, not a lack of pay.

“If we can clean up politics a little bit, we’d have more qualified candidates say they’re willing to run,” she said.

The idea of establishing wards for councilors also is being studied by the commission. Currently, councilors are elected to serve the entire city, but under a ward system would have to live in and would represent different geographic areas of the city.

Hildner turned down the idea, saying councilors should represent all residents, not just a single neighborhood.

Willams noted that wards were eliminated in Whitefish years ago because it was too difficult to field enough candidates.

Whitefish resident Bill Berg suggested the city create a mechanism where major projects are put up to a public vote. He called the planned $14.9 million City Hall and parking structure project “appalling.”

“There should be a way to confirm the voices of city councilors,” he said.

Mike Collins, former chief executive of Winter Sports Inc., said the city needs to improve its financial review and analysis capabilities, calling it a “weakness” of the local government.

“To make better decisions for the immediate-term and long-term, all of us need to have a better understanding [of the finances,]” he said.

The commission also is looking into the idea of establishing an ombudsman, or a person who investigates complaints against the city.

“Someone who takes your concerns and guides you through city government,” Norton explained.

The study commission has planned a follow-up meeting to take place in two weeks.