Planning officials reach out for public involvement
Flathead County planning officials are developing several options for keeping people informed and involved in the ongoing growth policy update process.
Work on the document ramped up earlier this year after the county commissioners agreed to hire an outside consultant.
Newly hired Planning Director Jeff Harris also restructured his office to focus more staff time on the update, and Commissioner Gary Hall created the Long-Range Planning Task Force to provide further assistance.
However, Harris said these efforts could be for naught if the resulting growth policy doesn't address local concerns or reflect what the community wants.
Consequently, he and Planner B.J. Grieve are developing a series of public outreach opportunities to keep people informed about the process and encourage them to provide input.
For example, Grieve sends out periodic e-mail messages regarding the status of the project. The messages come out every two weeks or so, letting people know what's currently being worked and what's next in the process.
Grieve said about 450 people are currently receiving the e-mail updates. Anyone who wants to be added to the list can contact the planning office at 751-8200 or send an e-mail to planningweb@co.flathead.mt.us
Moreover, these growth policy updates are now being posted in all Flathead County libraries and on the second-floor bulletin board in the Earl Bennett Building.
The planning office Web site also has some information about the growth policy. Go to http://co.flathead.mt.us/fcpz/index.html and click on the "growth policy info" link.
The main Web site has a contact link as well which allows people to send in any comments electronically.
More recently, the planning office began putting informational fliers in all of its adjacent-landowners notification letters.
State law requires that these letters be mailed to anyone whose property is within 150 feet of a proposed planning project, such as a subdivision or zone change. They're mailed to hundreds of landowners each month.
Adding the one-page flier to each letter is a cheap and easy way to tell people about the update and to let them know where to go to learn more.
Harris said these public outreach efforts are intended to encourage participation in the growth policy process and ensure that the end product reflects the community's vision for how the valley develops.
Future outreach options, he said, could include speaking engagements with various community groups and informational booths at local malls.
Multiple opportunities for more formal public comment also are scheduled throughout the update process, including several hearings before the Flathead County Planning Board, a series of informational meetings, a multiday workshop, written comment periods and additional hearings before the county commissioners.
The entire update process is expected to take about 18 months.
Flathead County's current growth policy is 18 years old. It no longer reflects existing conditions in the valley, and doesn't meet all the requirements of state laws that are now in effect.
A new growth policy has to be adopted by Oct. 1, 2006, or the county will no longer be able to make any significant zone changes, adopt new zoning or change the underlying land-use designations throughout the valley.
Reporter Bill Spence may be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at bspence@dailyinterlake.com