Candidates talk growth, blame

By JACOB DORAN / Bigfork Eagle

Flathead County commissioner candidates Jim Dupont (R) and Steve Qunell (D) met at the highly anticipated forum at the Bigfork United Methodist Church, last Wednesday, to sound off on the issues important to area residents.

However, few actual issues were addressed in the questions that were asked, and much of the talk that related to growth centered on whether or not Flathead Commissioners and other planning staff are to blame for the current growth pains being experienced countywide.

The answer, according to Qunell, was a resounding yes. Qunell attributed those pains and issues of inadequate infrastructure with respect to the current population to poor planning and lack of vision, both during and prior to previous growth spurts.

Qunell stressed that he is convinced the commission needs to change its policies in respect to growth, adding that the county has been "playing with rules that worked well when we had 50,000 people in Flathead County." In his estimation, current growth trends have endangered the things that are important to Flathead residents—things like clean air, water quality, farms and farm families, which must be protected by the commission through smart growth practices. That, he said, means having the right rules in place to manage growth.

"It's kind of irrelevant how thick the growth policy is," he said. "What's relevant is how growth happened. Growth has been haphazard, and it has overwhelmed our infrastructure. It's starting to erode the things that we value. Our economy is based on the quality of life we have here. Some businesses are only here because of the quality of life we have."

Dupont, however, maintained that previous commissioners and planners had done a good job with the limited resources they had. Dupont did not agree that previous administrations had been short-sighted or characterized by any significant failings, although he conceded that many unpaved roads are an issue directly related to previous policy.

In regard to roads and air quality, Qunell said the county cannot continue to approve subdivisions without requiring proper roads and infrastructure. He also believed the county should require developers to pay impact fees.

"I don't like the idea that taxpayers are the ones who end up subsidizing the improvement of our infrastructure," Qunell said.

Dupont credited the county for its foresight in creating a roads committee, which he believed to be a major step in the right direction.

"I think the county has taken some giant steps to try to alleviate the problem," Dupont said, adding that the roads committee has tried to listen to the public and prioritize the current needs. "We don't want to pay any more taxes, but we want all of our roads paved."

Both candidates agreed that growth will moderate over the next several years, and Qunell said the county should use that time to catch up, rather than simply catch their breath, and to "make sure that the next round doesn't overwhelm us like the first round."

Dupont said he believed growth issues in Flathead County would take care of themselves over the next several years and contended that growth should not be viewed as a problem for Flathead County, since growth benefits the local economy.

"Growth is not the big enemy," Dupont said. "Growth means jobs. If you don't have growth, you don't have jobs. We need better businesses for our kids."

Even so, he believed it to be important for the county to make sure that infrastructure keeps pace with growth. Yet, he stressed the need to get the best people in place to do what is needed, "and then let them do their job."

"I look at the county commissioners as a board of directors for running Flathead County," Dupont said. "Some have said they're the CEO, but I don't think they should be. The commissioners are supposed to serve the people."

Qunell agreed with Dupont in regard to putting the right people in place to get the necessary work done and then supporting them instead of trying to micromanage them. However, he noted that the commissioners have the final say in matters that pertain to growth in Flathead County.

One of the questions posed to the two candidates pertained to whether communities such as Bigfork and Lakeside are properly represented in decisions that are made by the county. The answer, Dupont said, "depends on your idea of representation."

"People get ignored in every area of the county, because there's not enough infrastructure," Dupont said. "It's not just Lakeside and Bigfork. It's everyone."

Dupont said he would not vote for the $10 million open space conservation bond next month because he believed that money would be better used for roads. He noted that voters will also be asked to approve a bond for the new 911 call center, among others, and that the county will eventually need a new jail.

Qunell said that he does support the open space bond and will vote for it, because he believes it will accomplish good things for the county. He noted the declining water quality in Flathead Lake over the past several decades, adding that he would support whatever is necessary to improve the water quality of the Lake and to keep the county's agricultural land—land he cited as being three times more productive than in other parts of the country—producing.

Neither candidate agreed on how to deal with budgetary problems. Qunell said he foresaw hiring freezes and other ways of reducing energy consumption in county government, including conservation of fuel in county vehicles. Dupont said that money has always been an issue because of state law and that the solution lies in working with legislative bodies.

"I think the county has been very efficient in doing what it can for its size," Dupont said. "To say there's a lot of waste in Flathead County, I haven't seen that in Flathead County."

As for why each candidate believes he is the right person for the office and the one most qualified to address the current issues, Dupont said he would bring a great deal of experience to the job, both in county government and business management.

"I can step into the office and get right to work," he said.

Qunell stressed his history of non-profit management work.

"I have the long term vision and wide perspective to know that, whatever decision I make, it's not about me," Qunell said. "It's about what's best for the people I represent. Any public service is about doing what's right for the majority of the people and doing your best with what you have."