Members of Whitefish Community Partners, a politically diverse group of Whitefish leaders, say they'll support a bond issue for the Whitefish High School reconstruction project regardless of the City Council's decision on the use of city tax-increment revenue for the project.

The council on Tuesday is scheduled to discuss the tax-increment proposal and a recent request from the Whitefish School Board for $2.5 million in tax-increment money for the high school reconstruction.

In November there was a council consensus but no formal vote for contributing $1.75 million in TIF money to the school project.

Whitefish Community Partners initially issued a letter on Dec. 16 to the city supporting the proposed $1.75 million allocation of tax increment funds for the high school project. In that letter the group said it "agreed not to advocate for either a higher or lower contribution from the TIF."

However, a subsequent letter sent to the city by the group on Dec. 22 offers a clarification, namely that it will continue to support the school bond even if the tax-increment allocation is more or less than $1.75 million.

"Despite the fact that we do not know at this time at what level the bond will be set, we are committed to doing everything in our power to help the bond pass, as we believe that construction of a new high school is critical to the community," group facilitator Brian Muldoon said in the latest letter to the city.

The school district plans to ask voters to approve $14 million in construction bonds for the $19 million project. Other funding would come from private contributions, city tax increment money, a state grant and matching funds and a portion of tax increment funds the school district already gets on a continuing basis.

MULDOON, A professional facilitator who helped negotiate a compromise for expanded retail uses on the U.S. 93 strip in Whitefish last year, said he sees Whitefish Community Partners taking on a facilitator role of its own for key issues such as the school project.

As time goes on, he envisions the group having a website and town hall meetings to create community discussions and collaborative ways of working together.

"This is an experimental process," he said. "It's not typical for adversaries to get together, but it's what our community requires."

Directors of Whitefish Community Partners include Dan Weinberg, Mike Jopek, Rick Blake, Don Kaltschmidt, Bob DePratu, Andy Feury, Bill Halama, Richard Atkinson, Greg Carter, Ian Collins, Marshall Friedman (founder of the group), Marilyn Nelson and Nancy Woodruff.

The group has two subcommittees - one to work with Flathead County Commissioner Jim Dupont on setting up negotiations for a new interlocal agreement for the two-mile planning "doughnut" around Whitefish and the other to work on getting the school bond passed.

"The first subcommittee has agreed to meet with Commissioner Dupont at the earliest opportunity to encourage him to postpone the county's assumption of planning jurisdiction in the so-called doughnut for a sufficient period to allow meaningful negotiations with the city to take place," Muldoon stated in the second letter to the city. "At this time, we take no position about what result those negotiations should generate."

Whitefish Community Partners believes that if there are no serious negotiations for a new interlocal agreement, the city may feel compelled to sue the county.

"However, we have reason to believe that such litigation may alienate many school bond voters in the doughnut area and cause them to vote against the bond," Muldoon wrote. "If there is a ‘cooling off' period until after the bond election, we believe the bond will stand a much better chance of passing."

The group said it's also concerned about the timing of the bond.

"Some thought that it might be wise to postpone the bond election so that a comprehensive campaign can be conducted," Muldoon said. "Others have suggested that the questions of TIF funds and private donations be tabled until after the bond has been set and voted upon."

The group acknowledged, though, that those decisions "are best left in the hands of the council, the school district and the school board."

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.