Questioning Stack's removal from lake committee

The previous Whitefish Area Lake and Lakeshore Committee chairman, Jim Stack, has worked steadfastly for years without outside agenda on this advisory committee to support and uphold lake and lakeshore regulations.

It is not an easy job. Property owners’ desires, personal recreation requests, even demands, have to be reviewed in terms of lake regulations for long-term water and lakeshore quality and preservation. The sole purpose of the regulations are to “protect the fragile, pristine character of Whitefish area lakes and the intertwined adjacent riparian and upland areas.” The committee’s role is clearly defined to “review and comment on all activities within the jurisdiction of the Whitefish Lake and lakeshore protection regulations.”

The announcement recently that the county commissioners decided not to re-appoint Jim Stack, who had submitted a letter of interest to continue in his committee position, came as a shock to some of us on the committee who have served with him for many years. It makes us wonder if misinformation or misleading information had been provided?

Is the new appointee better qualified? Dedicated to the support of the regulations to protect our lakes? Willing to make site visits to be better informed? Jim Stack’s knowledge of Whitefish Lake, starting from childhood to the present — its inflow/outflow patterns, wave action, seasonal conditions including ice shift/break-up movements, sedimentation, wind-induced and traffic-caused turbulence, nutrient content, the ecosystem, compatible docking materials and systems, environmentally safe construction materials, surveying capabilities — all provided sound information to the committee to help in reviewing applications.

This institutional knowledge of the lake, in addition to Jim’s engineering and surveying skills, his thorough knowledge of the regulations from their inception and his impartial study of all applications, make us question his removal.

It is our hope that governing bodies in need of informed input via appointed committees would seek the most qualified and willing. Thus, our concern about the Dec. 3 decision on the part of the county commissioners to not reappoint this valuable member.

— Herb Peschel, Marcia Sheffels, Ron Huff and Scott Ringer, all members of the WLPC, and Ken Stein, a former member of the WLPC.