Forward-looking approach is right

"The business of government is …"

We won't try to fill in the blank at the end of that sentence because there are many possible answers. Not everyone will agree about the appropriate uses of government in a republic. Some will argue for a government that is practically invisible, staying out of our way and just making sure that essentials like police, fire and water are taken care of.

That is certainly how municipal government started in this country, but the question for voters is whether they would be content today with a government that stays on the sidelines and lets people and businesses look out for themselves.

In most cases, if we are being honest, probably not. People today demand an attentive government, a participatory government, a forward-thinking government. Voters think of their city council as a board of directors that stays informed on critical issues in order to assess what the impact will be on our taxes, our livelihoods and our general well-being. If the council is not looking ahead, it is easy to get trapped into action or inaction by necessity instead of as a result of wise counsel.

You can look at the mess that the city of Kalispell got into years ago when it allowed Evergreen to develop as a major retail complex completely independent of the city's tax base. A forward-thinking council could have anticipated that result when sewer was extended into Evergreen without annexation.

There are numerous other examples as well.

Bottom line: Voters are going to hold governments accountable by and for results. That means government leaders had better do more than stand still. They have to be aware of our changing community and figuring out how we need to grow to take advantage of those changes instead of being hurt by them.

Which brings us to the Old School Station.

The Kalispell City Council last week voted on four measures to promote development on the 55-acre parcel two miles south of town.

When the city voted to annex the property this summer, there was considerable concern about how far away it was from the city's current boundary and about costs associated with such a move. Taxpayers naturally didn't want to get stuck paying expenses for a pipe dream.

But now it looks clear that when the pipe is laid, it will be the real thing, and more importantly, Montana Venture Partners, the development company that wants to build an industrial park on the site, will be extending water and sewer lines south at their own expense - from $3.1 million to $3.5 million.

That means the city will reap immediate rewards from being able to offer city services along the highway and thus have a chance to annex valuable commercial property along the corridor.

In addition, the city has agreed to create a tax-increment district at the park in order to help fund development of taxable property. That will be a proper use of the tax-increment fund since it is starting with a minimal tax base and has a legitimate chance to add substantially to the valuation of the property, with accompanying increases in tax revenue.

Councilman Bob Hafferman was the lone dissenting vote on this and other actions taken to promote development of the industrial park. He is certainly right to be cautious about spending taxpayer money, but in this case the investment is minimal and the potential payoff is great. One longtime Flathead business, Fun Beverage, has already committed to building an $8 million facility, and there is the possibility for much more, including a film-production center.

That makes it an easy call. Government can't afford to stay on the sidelines anymore. The modern market is too complex and too competitive, and if Kalispell wants good jobs and good growth, it is going to have to take an active role in getting it.