Happy Thursday, readers. As I make my way through the work day, I’m attempting to cage my anticipation for a weekend in the water at Paddle Palooza. Maybe you picked up a copy of last summer’s Flathead Living magazine or caught the online edition of my colleague Maggie Dresser’s coverage of the event and its background. If you didn’t, it’s a multi-day affair, full of outrigger canoe and SUP events with teams hailing from Hawai‘i and Tahiti. Tonight’s poker paddle starting at 6 p.m. at the Polson Fairgrounds is open to the public, and if you find yourself with some down time I recommend stopping in to watch some sprints or the opening ceremony on Friday.
Before I let the waves of excitement fully seep into my consciousness, I have an update on the temporary housing committee created by Kalispell City Council. Zoë Buhrmaster here. Let’s dive into it.
Councilors approved the formation of a temporary committee in June to develop a request for proposals for an affordable housing study and help design a housing plan with policy recommendations. The proposed $126,000 study is set to be funded by a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The city received 23 applications for the seven-person committee, a notable display of interest considering city committees often have ongoing vacancies (see the current list of open seats here). On Monday, councilors reviewed Mayor Ryan Hunter’s suggested appointments.
Hunter’s original list of recommendations included a list of developers, business owners, property managers, and affordable housing focused nonprofits.
While some councilors supported the balance of backgrounds in Hunter’s recommendations, others said they would like to see Kalispell’s burgeoning senior population represented.
Taking in councilors feedback, Hunter motioned a new list that received unanimous approval from the council. Serving on the committee will be:
Erica Wirtala, the public affairs director for the Northwest Montana Association of REALTORS
Dina Rose, a retiree with a PhD in sociology and experience creating studies around homelessness and crime
Mike Smith, market president at Glacier Bank
Cassidy Kipp, executive director at Samaritan House
Jill Davis, a property manager with housing instability experience
Sean Patrick O’Neill, resource manager at the Flathead Warming Center
Kim Morisaki, executive director of the Northwest Montana Community Land Trust
That’s all for today, folks. See you down on the water.
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