Growth policy consultants to visit in May

The consultants chosen to help Flathead County complete its growth policy update will visit the valley in May, but it's unclear whether they'll still be involved after that.

B.J. Grieve with the Flathead County Planning Office said the main purpose of the visit is for consultants Bill Collins and Lane Kendig to develop a "scope of work" that would detail exactly what's needed to complete the update.

"They'll look at what information already exists, what information is still needed and at who's available to do the work," Grieve said Wednesday during a meeting with the county commissioners. "They'll outline what we could do for ourselves to save some money, and what they could do for us."

Collins and Kendig are currently scheduled to arrive on May 8, he said. They will be here for three days, during which they will meet with a variety of local government officials, planning board members and community groups.

"I'm going to fill every minute they have available," Grieve said.

A public meeting is also planned for the evening of May 10, he said, so the consultants can hear from the community.

The total cost of the visit will be about $9,000. Once the scope of work is completed, both the county and the consultants should have a better feel for what's needed and for what it would cost to finish the overall update.

The commissioners have previously indicated that there's only about $60,000 available for the project, although that could increase slightly if the work is stretched over two budget cycles.

By state law, the new growth policy must be in place by Oct. 1, 2006. Otherwise, the county would no longer be able to change land-use designations or make substantive zone changes.