Page 24 - Flathead Beacon // 5.27.2015

24 | MAY 27, 2015 OPINION
LETTERS
WHITEFISH COUNCIL NEEDS TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD
Are “We the People” being represented by our local government? The council and mayor were elected to their position but they have forgotten who they are representing. I agree the current City Hall building is no longer acceptable, but at what cost? The council needs to go back to the drawing board and come up with something more fiscally responsible.
We are just coming out of a recession and many of us are barely holding onto our homes. Our council should be supporting all our citizens by finding ways to keep our property taxes low. To be a successful tourist town you need year-round citizens. It is partially because of the services we provide that tourist come here.
When I ask other people in the community how they feel about the new City Hall, I have heard an unanimous response. Tone down the current building plans and, most importantly, the cost to build it. People have agreed it needs to be moved from its current location and near the police and fire department.
As to the land where our current City Hall is, make it a parking lot! The council keeps saying it is trying to revamp downtown to make it more tourist friendly, but it is almost impossible to park. We have more and more quality entertainment coming to downtown, but the struggle to find parking is preventing people from coming. Give the property a more park like feel with a “Welcome to Downtown Whitefish” sign, American and Canadian flags, and how about one area set up for local mobile food concessionaires? The concessionaires could rotate weekly so tourist could quickly sample local food.
Has our current council and mayor been talking and listening to the people they are supposed to be representing or are they being led by a report written by an out-of-state company? “We the People” are saying clearly we are not happy with the current plan. It is not too late to correct the mistake.
Elizabeth Askew Whitefish
KALISPELL COUNCIL SHOULD HEED VOTERS’ WISHES FOR CITY AIRPORT
Here we go again on the city airport with a new city manager, new consultants and some new faces on a divided city council. Same topic: since 1979 it has been known that a rehabilitation of the airport was necessary in order to maintain a self supporting, special interest facility. The city airport has existed since 1928.
About 1979 that council came up with a plan for rehabilitation and safety improvements. Councils since then
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wrestled with financing. Finally in the 1990s a plan was initiated to (1) sell city owned property used for ball parks, some on airport land and some nearby, which sales did generate over $2 million, (2) move the ball parks with about $1 million of the sale proceeds to leased property north of Kalispell now known as Kidsports and (3) use the remaining proceeds of about another $1 million to make the airport improvements. Also, a tax increment financing (TIF) district was formed for the purpose of helping finance a portion of South Kalispell that meshed with the airport rehabilitation.
In the late 1990s a NEW plan was developed to move the existing 3,600 foot runway southerly about 1,000 feet, build a B-1 category airport for smaller aircraft with a 3,700 foot runway, then later to expand the runway to 4,600 feet, which falls within the B-2 category and can use FAA 90 percent funding. An Environmental Assessment (EA) was made that stated the council would accept the FAA funding to build the new 3,700 foot runway, but “they may never build beyond that.” At the same time they would not close the door to future councils on future expansion. The council approved the EA about 2002 with that non-expansion caveat.
But planning was afoot within city government to actually override the EA and build an airport to the ultimate length. Mr. Gates, representing FAA, during a visit to a council workshop, stated that FAA would only finance a B-2 facility, but not a B-1. Then a local citizen group alerted the city council of FAA regulations called “Assurances” that essentially took control of the airport out from the jurisdiction of the city regulation if FAA was used for financing. Noise, hours of operation and usages of other than small aircraft were of main concern of which the city would have no jurisdiction.
By a 5-4 vote, the council decided to proceed with FAA financing for a B-2 facility. By a citizen initiative, sufficient signatures were collected and the issue went to the vote of the people who overturned the council vote thereby negating FAA financing.
So will the council now override citizen votes? A small B-1 airport cannot receive FAA financing.
My opinion is that the council should listen to the voters and follow the purpose of the land sales and the TIF district by rehabilitating the city airport in its present footprint. The existing small airport is, and can continue to be, an asset to the south Kalispell area.
Bob Hafferman former Kalispell city councilor
MONTANA VALUES SHAPED LAWMAKING DURING SESSION
As we celebrate summer graduations and holidays that honor our service men and women, and parents and families, it’s a good time to point out how our shared Montana values shaped lawmaking in the recent legislative session – values like the
equal opportunity of public education, healthy and hard-working families and communities, and service to country and each other.
Here are a few examples of laws passed that reflect these values. The HELP Act will provide access to health and mental healthcare for thousands of working Montanans – veterans, neighbors, friends and family members who struggle to make ends meet but cannot afford healthcare, a basic human right. We passed several mental health bills, including suicide prevention training in schools, community based services, and one bill that I sponsored to eliminate stigmatizing language about mental illness from Montana Code Annotated, the state’s official law book. Legislators funded public education and froze tuition at state colleges and universities. So when you congratulate a high school or college graduate, be proud that your tax dollars helped them get there. I don’t think there’s a better graduation gift or better way to give back money to taxpayers than this priceless investment in people, our human capital.
Legislators passed the CSKT water compact that honors and shares our most precious natural resource. We passed a tax benefit for Montana’s National Guardsmen and women on active duty. The campaign finance disclosure law shines light on dark money, makes it clear that Montana votes are not for sale to the highest bidder, and ensures that voters can know who stands behind a candidate. We passed the state budget to fund essential services and fuel our state’s wonderful quality of life. It includes fair compensation for state employees who administer those services like maintaining our roads, parks and public lands, protecting our public health and safety, and educating our kids.
Sure, there were times during the 87 days of session that we held our noses to make sausage, engaged in heated debates, bad bills became law, good bills died, and much more still needs to be done. Yet, for the most part, the majority of legislators dropped ideology and partisan labels, and worked together with each other, dedicated staff and members of the public to serve our great state. We identified those common values that Montanans hold dear.
Rep. Mary Ann Dunwell D-Helena
CORRECTION
A May 13 story titled “Ride Guy Denies Assault Allegations” incorrectly stated that police had searched Brian Murchie and found the alleged victim’s phone in his pocket. Court records only say that Murchie was in “possession” of the phone. The story should have also clarified that The Ride Guy is an organization, not one individual.
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CORRECTIONS
If a Beacon story includes a factual error, please tell us about it. Call Kellyn Brown at 257-9220; or e-mail to [email protected]; or fax to 257-9231.
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