Property owners will be doing infastructure improvements

To the editor,

I am writing today about the new apartment buildings on Fourth Avenue West.

This apartment project was approved by the planning board over vehement neighborhood objections because the builder stated they would pay, or pay to have it done, widening the street for the block between Talbott Road and 17th Street, put in the bike path and upgrade the water and the sewer. That was considered "such a good deal for the city"… "The city can save thousands!"

You can imagine the shock when a letter was received from the city stating that the amount of the SID bond posted at the time of construction of this house would be sufficient to cover our part of the "cost" to widen the street, put in a bike path and upgrade the water and sewer. We thought that perhaps the project was dead. But, lo and behold, AFTER all the work was done, the apartments were being built!

We asked our city councilperson to look into this for us, because we wanted to know why the builder was let off the hook in doing what they said they were going to. After 11 months we find out that this council member decided that they didn't want to get involved in anything "controversial" or "upset" the city manager. So, being a good city council member, this person is just doing what they all do best, jumping as high as the city manager tells them to and are way too busy kissing his feet to be bothered with a pesky constituent. I'm just concerned that if this developer was let off the hook in doing what they said they would do in infrastructure improvements to get the project approved, how many more has our city manager let off the hook? How may thousands of dollars is it costing us as citizens of Columbia Falls for the developers having free rein and not having to pay for it? Did the city "double dip" or is the city manager just in the back pocket of every developer?

These are questions I love to have answered, but I know, of course, they never will be. Just be aware: Don't bother protesting a project because it will get approved anyway and anything that the developer promises to do in infrastructure improvement won't be done by them, but by you, the affected property owner.

Patti Neal

Columbia Falls

County board violated open meeting law

To the editor,

At the Nov. 1 meeting of the Flathead County Planning Board, Gordon Cross, the acting chairman and Jeff Harris, Flathead County planning director, showed a blatant disregard for the taxpaying citizens of the Flathead Valley and the Montana Constitution. In fact, this meeting was conducted contrary to legislative intent which was written into Montana State Law, Title 2, Chapter 3: "The legislature finds and declares that public boards, commissions, councils and other public agencies in this state exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business. It is the intent of this part that actions and deliberations of all public agencies shall be conducted openly. The people of the state do not wish to abdicate their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them." Furthermore, MCA 7-1-4143 states: "…the entity shall adopt rules for conducting the meeting, affording citizens a reasonable opportunity to participate prior to the final decision.

After reviewing the law and consulting with Mark Mattioli of the Montana Attorney General's Office, it is clear to us that citizens were not given a reasonable opportunity to participate in this meeting during their deliberations.

Many citizens attended the meeting expecting to give comment on a previously considered setback proposal because this was announced during the last meeting and subsequently printed in the newspaper. However, the topic for deliberation was a surprise setback proposal which Cross had written and was introducing that night. A "setback" for the purposes of this meeting is a government rule which would be imposed on private property owners prohibiting the building of any structure within a specified distance from a designated river. Cross did not provide the public in attendance with the written materials under consideration and made no arrangements for audio amplification equipment to allow the public to hear the deliberations.

The board members sat in front of the room conversing in a conversational tone that could not be heard by the audience. Cross compounded these violations of Montana law and custom by informing the audience that public comment would likely not be allowed depending on whether the board adopted the proposal.

Cross did accept presentations from Wade Fredenberg of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Mark Deleray, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Both aggressively promoted setbacks by homeowners as the solution to decreasing fish populations. They did not mention the role of Montana FWP in mismanaging the fisheries resource in the first place. For example, the salmon run which once saw millions of fish run up the Flathead River to spawn was wiped out by the unwise planting of mysis shrimp in Flathead Lake by the fish biologists who are supposedly protecting our interests. They are now charging full steam ahead with plans to poison lakes and streams which contain non-native fish populations.

This particular option is not the best and may create a situation where we may not be able to catch fish with our kids and grandkids during our lifetime. These public employees then inappropriately joined the board members in their deliberations leaving the public without a voice.

The private property owners of the Flathead Valley are very concerned about water quality and fish. Pollution from seasonal forest fires and government operated sewer treatment facilities is a huge threat to our rivers. Whereas government owns the vast majority of the property in Flathead County, this appointed planning board seems intent on controlling only the small percentage of land under private ownership and used for residential habitation.

Verdell Jackson, Senate District 5

Jerry O'Neil, Senate District 3

Bill Jones, House District 9

Respect laws against littering, speeding, dog droppings

To the editor,

Just a reminder of a few things, folks. The fine for littering is $500. Let's keep Columbia Falls beautiful!

The speed limit on South Hilltop is 35 mph.

The speed limit on 13th Street is 25 mph.

The speed limit on Talbott Road is 25 mph.

These streets are not the Autobahn!

When you walk your dog anywhere that is NOT your property, the dog MUST be on a leash. Carry a plastic bag along with you so you can pick up after your dog. The size and quantities of these canine land mines is disgusting. And when you walk in the area cemeteries, stay clear of the grave sites and headstones. Have some respect for the dead and show some common courtesy by walking along the fence lines.

A little reminding of these manners, kindness and laws is necessary from my observations.

Cindy Howell

Columbia Falls

Our thanks for care at Veterans' Home

To the editor,

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the folks at the Columbia Falls Veterans' Home. The past two years our father, Robert J. Garrow, resided at the Veterans' Home. We know what a difficult patient he was and they were always very kind to him and gracious to us when we stopped by to see dad and brought him strawberry milkshakes.

He received the best care and compassion, and the care givers at the facility are second to none. We know they gave him the best comfort care. We applaud them and cannot thank them enough for their care giving.

The family of Robert J. Garrow

Steve and Shelly Garrow

Susan Garrow Johnson

Shawn and Carol Garrow

Commissioners commended on dust abatement

Editor's note: This letter was sent to Flathead County Commissioner Gary Hall.

Dear Commissioner Hall,

On behalf of the North Fork Compact, I want to commend the commissioners on your decisions relating to the subject of dust abatement on gravel roads as reported in the Oct. 28 edition of the Daily Interlake. This is a tough problem and, considering the tax burden already on county citizens, we endorse your supplemental environmental plan.

Most important, this is a county-wide plan for a county-wide condition. We completely agree that dust abatement plans should address the entire network of Flathead County unpaved roads as opposed to dealing with individual roads or portions thereof. To do otherwise would be unfair and would invite significant public opposition. Your plan puts everyone on equal footing in terms of dust abatement.

Second, living on the North Fork Road, our members know from first-hand experience that the primary cause of road dust is excessive speed. Limiting speed to 35 miles an hour on all gravel roads is important and necessary and more signs will help. But the addition of a sheriff's deputy to address speed violation on gravel will, we believe, be most important and effective.

Finally, the application of effective dust palliative — as affordable — is the only feasible means of treating the surfaces of ALL unpaved county roads. Paving a few county roads is not the answer as that would be unfair to communities whose gravel roads are not paved and the dust problem county-wide would not be materially improved.

We thank you and the other commissioners for your concern and for your common sense supplemental environmental plan.

Donald Sullivan is chairman of the North Fork Compact.