Cease approving or renewing development projects without adhering to established procedures and professional guidance.
Once again, our county commissioners and Planning Director Mr. Mack have chosen expediency over accountability—advancing a plat proposal without following established policy and process, despite clear environmental concerns.
At the recent public hearing, citizens cited documented violations identified by the Flathead Conservation District and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality following last fall’s investigations. Yet Mr. Mack responded that staff “did not have time” to review the final plat before it expired. That is not an explanation—it is an admission of failure. When there isn’t time to do the job correctly, the only responsible course is to delay the decision, not rush it.
This is not an isolated incident. We’ve seen the same pattern at Steamboat Landing, Lakeside Marina, and other developments: legitimate concerns about setbacks, traffic, and environmental impacts are raised, ignored, and then lawsuits follow. Predictably, once approval is granted, the damage—legal, financial, and environmental—is far harder to undo.
Now, multiple organizations—including Friends of Somers, Citizens for a Better Flathead, and even the county’s Conservation District—are suing the commissioners. That should be a wakeup call. Instead, it appears to be business as usual.
The cost of this approach is not abstract. Taxpayers are footing the bill for mounting legal defenses—costs that could be avoided by simply following the existing rules. County policies, processes, regulations, and Montana law are not suggestions; they are requirements. Ignoring them erodes public trust and invites the very legal challenges we are now seeing. Many of these processes, regulations, and policies come out of the commissioner’s very own Flathead County playbook!
Our community is informed, engaged, and increasingly unwilling to accept decisions made outside the bounds of transparency and accountability. People are paying attention—and they are ready to act.
County leadership needs to change course immediately. Follow the law and our existing county policies. Do the work before granting approvals. Anything less is a disservice to the public you represent.
Jim Mathieu lives in Somers.