There’s no time like the present to get

involved in city government, Life Noell maintains.

At 29, the lift attendant at Whitefish

Mountain Resort is the youngest in a slate of six candidates for

three open seats on the Whitefish City Council.

Noell has become active at the

committee level in Whitefish over the past couple of years, serving

on the Park Board, the Weed Control Advisory Committee and the

Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail Committee.

While his campaign has been fairly

low-key — he’s spending $50 total on publicity for business cards —

Noell said he’s passionate about people and the outdoors and simply

wants to offer his energy to preserving the quality of life in

Whitefish and “protecting these things that we share.”

Critical areas ordinance

“I am interested in the transformation

of the critical areas ordinance,” Noell said. “I support

simplifying it and it sounds like they’re trying to move [the

oversight of some regulations] to the Public Works Department.”

He supports changes to the law that

make it more understandable and user-friendly. The city is on the

right track, he said, by looking at changes to the slope and

administration/enforcement sections of the ordinance.

“It’s a good document; it’s just hard

to grow when a document impedes growth,” he said.  

The “doughnut”

Noell is concerned about the city’s

“apparent communication breakdown in our interlocal agreement with

the county.” He’s referring to the agreement that governs planning

control for the two-mile area outside Whitefish city limits.

With Flathead County recently giving

Whitefish a one-year termination notice to back out of the 2010

revised interlocal agreement, and city residents set to vote on a

referendum to repeal that revised agreement, Noell said it’s time

for resolution.

“The doughnut has been far too long in

the fryer,” he said. “I want to look into it and I’ve got the time

to do it.”

Noell would like to see some kind of

committee or council established to represent doughnut-area

residents, even though he realizes such a group wouldn’t have any

regulatory authority. His idea is to record doughnut residents’

positions on issues “and retain them until the law gives them a

structure to have a voice.

“Their informal positions are extremely

important,” Noell said about doughnut residents. “When you talk

about them not paying for the betterment of the city, you’d be

wrong. I recognize the contributions of the doughnut

residents.”

City Hall

Noell said he believes the city should

either keep City Hall where it is or build a facility on the north

half of the current City Hall block and use the south half of the

high-profile corner of Baker Avenue and Second Street for retail

development, if warranted.

He supports using some of the city’s

tax increment revenue for renovations to Whitefish High School and

is seeking community input on that proposal.

“The future issues will be solved by

minds coming out of that high school,” he said. “It’s a cornerstone

to our success.”

Budget

“I trust city government and the money

handlers,” he said. “I entrust our city management to do a good

job. I admire the jobs being done by our city staff.”

He said he believes resort tax revenue

has been well spent and he particularly likes the investment the

city has made in parks and trails.

Perception

“I recognize all classes of people in

Whitefish. The rich and poor share the same activities,” Noell

observed. “And I notice growth coming to Whitefish because of its

uniqueness.”

Overall, Noell said he doesn’t believe

the laws on Whitefish’s books are impeding growth. “Whitefish is

the way it is because regulations are in place,” he added.

“I want to see that our river is

cleaned right and that our lake stays as clean as possible,” Noell

continued. “Also, I would like to encourage our citizens to get

involved and to offer their ideas on how to help our economy bounce

back and strengthen.”