An opportunity for stability: Support our experienced planning commission

The city of Whitefish is at a critical juncture, navigating the complex update of the city’s Growth Policy—a document that will define Whitefish for years to come. This monumental task, shaped by new state requirements like the Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA), demands stability, experienced leadership, and transparent public engagement. The Whitefish City Council now has a clear opportunity to ensure all three are prioritized.  

As required by law, the Council recently opened the application period for the three Planning Commission seats with expiring two-year terms. We understand that all three current incumbents have reapplied, alongside five other individuals.  

The City Council has a long-standing and wise tradition of reappointing dedicated Planning Board members for more than one two-year term. This practice is key to retaining institutional knowledge and ensuring continuity on critical long-term projects. For the sake of stability in the critical rewrite of the Whitefish Growth Policy, now is not the time to replace these three experienced incumbents, even though others have applied.  

The current Planning Commissioners have invested substantial volunteer hours over the past two years to master the new state requirements and deeply understand Whitefish’s specific planning history. We have had a front row seat to these meetings as we have regularly attended and provided comments for almost two years now.  

It is our experience that the planning board members are well-prepared, diligently working through extensive public and staff comments, and have respectfully adapted their meeting format to be fair and accommodating to public input.  

Retaining the experienced Planning Board is critical to keeping the Growth Policy rewrite on track and meeting that deadline. Replacing them now would mean new members would face a steep and time-consuming learning curve, risking delays and disruption to a process that is already under pressure.  

We speak up now because we strongly disagree with the negative criticism by Shelter Whitefish about the work of this board. We believe these accusations are without a factual basis given our two years of attending these meetings.  

Join us in giving a quick thumbs up and vote of confidence to this hard-working volunteer board: Whitney Beckham, chair; Phil Boland; Jon Heberling; Mallory Phillips; Toby Scott, Vice Chair; Frank Sweeney, City Councilor; Scott Wurster; and Rebecca Norton, City Councilor alternate, by emailing City Council at [email protected]  

If you are reading this online, there is a hyperlink to sign our community petition, asking the City Council to retain the current incumbents to finish the vital work on the Whitefish Growth Policy.  

Mayre Flowers, executive director, Citizens for a Better Flathead