Muhlfeld brings water expertise to council

John Muhlfeld is the Whitefish City Council's go-to guy when it comes to water issues.

As a hydrologist, he makes his living dealing with water, and that expertise makes him a valuable asset on the council, he said, especially as the council works its way through the proposed critical areas ordinance and the growth policy.

Muhlfeld was appointed to the council in 2006 to fill the seat vacated by Tom Muri.

"I've listened and I hope I've been fair. I think I have been," he said.

Muhlfeld believes Whitefish's biggest challenge lies in "preventing the town from becoming divided.

"It's integral that this council endorse legislation that won't divide the community," he stressed.

But the controversy surrounding some issues has had a polarizing effect. The critical areas ordinance is one of them.

"It's been generally thought that this council dreamt up the need for the critical areas ordinance," Muhlfeld said, "but we took the recommendation" from the city stormwater master plan.

In retrospect, Muhlfeld said that instead of imposing an emergency ordinance for drainage, the city should have worked with stakeholders and set up a committee in the beginning instead of after the fact. That said, Muhlfeld believes in the need for the drainage law.

"What we're working on is very common in other resort communities. The misconception is we're trying to implement policies that are out of the norm," he said, noting that a similar ordinance in Bozeman is longer and more complicated.

There is a delicate balance when it comes to property rights, Muhlfeld said, but he maintains the council listened to the development community and that the ordinance under consideration "won't render any property undevelopable."

Water quality comes into play in the city's two-mile planning jurisdiction, too.

"When you're dealing with water quality, you need to consider the cumulative [effect] and what's upstream of the city," he said.

Muhlfeld believes the council has taken a light approach in governing the two-mile area and illustrated that by pulling back on mandatory building compliance permits and making them voluntary instead.

THE CITY'S recent glowing audit report should be proof enough that spending is not out of line in the Whitefish budget, Muhlfeld said.

The rapid pace of growth in the resort community has prompted the need for a capital improvement plan that considers future upgrades and infrastructure expansion. It's a planning tool, he pointed out, one that should be critiqued and evaluated as time goes on.

Regarding building height, Muhlfeld said he doesn't have a hard and fast number that it should be, but if buildings go beyond the height limit in downtown, "it will affect the character." He said he's not opposed to looking at projects requesting height variances on a case-by-case basis.

The city should continue to strive for affordable housing, but Muhlfeld said he's not sure developers should be required to foot the bill.

Parking and traffic circulation are major problems that need to be at the top of the agenda, he said. Muhlfeld favors a public-private partnership for a proposed parking garage at Spokane Avenue and Second Street.

"What's driven the problem is that past councils have failed to require on-site parking" for new commercial projects, he said.

Muhlfeld would support a bypass - Karrow Avenue is a logical choice, he said - only if it maintains the character of the area.

Maintaining Whitefish's character will be paramount for the council in coming years, he said. "That doesn't mean no growth."

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com