Business survey results mixed

By JOHN STANG

The Daily Inter Lake

Lack of housing. Lack of child care. Lack of workers for hire.

Those topped concerns that businesspeople mentioned in a survey of Flathead County businesses.

The same survey listed the Flathead's strongest points as recreation, culture, education and economic development.

The 1 1/2-year-old Northwest Montana Business Expansion and Retention Program is a coalition of 22 local economic development organizations.

It conducted one-hour interviews with 101 business owners to produce a snapshot of how local establishments view the economic climate.

Sixty-one were in Kalispell, 13 in Whitefish, four in Columbia Falls and 23 were outside any city limits.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimated there were 3,594 Flathead County businesses in 2003. A February 2006 report by Dun and Bradstreet estimated that 6,202 businesses are in the valley.

Survey program manager Patti Gregerson briefed the Kalispell City Council on Monday about city and county results. She left out the Whitefish and Columbia Falls results, waiting to unveil those to their city councils.

In broad strokes, here is what the survey showed:

. 97 percent of respondents liked the Flathead, with 83 percent thinking the business climate is good to excellent. Most think the business climate has improved and will continue to do so.

. About 15 percent thought child care was good in Kalispell and Flathead County.

Child care is "totally undervalued and absolutely necessary for most of our families where economic realities require both parents to work," one interviewed person said.

. Roughly one-third thought the area has enough workers, roughly a third thought the area has too few, and the rest were in the middle.

One respondent said: "It takes awhile to find the talent - there isn't enough locally."

Another wrote: "Local brain drain, no youth culture, move away to make money and then maybe return when they can afford to." And another wrote: "Wages are a big concern. It's harder to find employees willing to work for wages historically offered, and I had to increase starting wages to find applicants."

. Roughly 50 percent in Kalispell and Flathead County thought the housing situation was good. Almost 20 percent thought it was bad. The rest were in the middle.

A respondent wrote: "Cost of living and lack of affordable housing makes things difficult for many employees."

Another wrote: "There is sufficient housing, but the cost of housing is becoming unachievable for the average person."

. At least 90 percent in Kalispell and the county thought the recreational and cultural opportunities were good to excellent.

. About 35 percent thought the county government is doing well, and 11 percent thought it is doing poorly. The rest were in the middle.

Kalispell's government posted about a 45 percent satisfaction rate, and about 8 percent thought it is doing poorly.

. More people liked the local tax structures better than the state's tax structure.

. Almost 30 percent hated the workers' compensation rates in Kalispell and the county, while almost 40 percent thought those rates are good.

. Education from kindergarten through community college drew satisfaction rates of greater than 80 percent.

. About 75 percent praised health care in Kalispell and the county, while 11 criticized it, with a smaller percentage coming from Kalispell businesses. The rest were in the middle.

. For government services across Flathead County, Glacier Park International Airport, fire and emergency services, police, and gas and electric services posted the best ratings.

Public transportation, phone and Internet services, roads, plus zoning and land-use matters received the poorest ratings.

. In Kalispell, most city services received good ratings.

The most criticism went to public transportation, phone and Internet services, roads, and zoning and land-use matters.