The Whitefish City-County Planning Board’s Jan. 16 meeting has been canceled because it can’t get a quorum of the current five board members.

There are four vacancies on the board — three county positions and one Flathead Conservation District seat.

Longtime board member Ole Netteberg resigned last September; his seat hasn’t been filled.

Dennis Konopatzke’s term expired at the end of December, but he didn’t reapply.

Rick Blake’s term also expired Dec. 31. He had reapplied but later withdrew his application.

Ken Meckel currently represents the Conservation District; his term was up Dec. 31. The district recently informed the Planning Office it doesn’t have a member to appoint to the Whitefish Planning Board at this time.

Former Whitefish Planning Board member Karen Reeves applied for one of the vacancies but the county commissioners declined to appoint her.

Reeves said the commissioners didn’t offer a detailed explanation about why her application wasn’t considered.

“I felt like I did a good job,” Reeves said about her three years on the board. “I may not agree with some of their [the commissioners’] ideas but better decisions are made if there are more ideas floating around.”

Reeves also served as board chairwoman, a post she held when her term expired. Reeves said she’s writing a letter to the city of Whitefish pointing out that she was a willing candidate for one of the vacancies.

Until the vacancies are filled, the Whitefish board is operating with just five remaining members, and all of them must be present to achieve a quorum for a meeting.

“Unfortunately, two seated members are gone on vacation Jan. 16,” Whitefish Planning Director David Taylor said in an email advisory. “All items previously scheduled for the January meeting will be postponed until the Feb. 20 meeting, where we hope to have a quorum at that time. We apo?logize for the inconvenience.”

The county is advertising to fill the vacancies. 

Two terms are for two years and run through Dec. 31, 2015. The third position is for the remainder of Netteberg’s term and runs through the end of this year.

To apply, send letters of interest to Donna Valade, Flathead County Planning Office, 1035 First. Ave. W., Kalispell, or call 751-8200.

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