Tri-City Planning Office officially dissolved

The Daily Inter Lake

Today marks the beginning of a new era in planning for the incorporated cities of Flathead County.

The Tri-City Planning Office has been disbanded, and four separate offices will handle the workload. Kalispell, Whitefish and Columbia Falls will perform their own planning services.

In Kalispell, former Tri-City Planning Director Tom Jentz has assumed the director's position. He oversees a staff of two full-time planners, a full-time administrative assistant and a part-time GIS technician.

Bob Horne recently was hired as planning director for Whitefish. His staff will include two full-time planners and a part-time administrative assistant.

Columbia Falls is advertising for a contract planner, with request-for-proposal applications due July 11.

The Flathead County Planning and Zoning Office was not affected by the dissolution of Tri-City Planning; that office is directed by Jeff Harris, who replaced Forrest Sanderson earlier this year. The county office has planning responsibility for everything outside of the jurisdictions of Kalispell, Whitefish and Columbia Falls, in zoned and nonzoned areas of the county.

The planning revamp was prompted by the city of Whitefish's decision in January to pull out of the Tri-City office. The rapid pace of development was the driving force for the decision. Along with providing a one-stop approach for development applicants, the switch also will save Whitefish about $15,000 a year.

Without Whitefish, it wasn't feasible for the other two cities to keep the joint office going.