Four candidates vie for two seats on Bigfork board

The first contested race in a couple of decades has shaped up for two spots on the Bigfork water and sewer district board.

Four men are vying for two open four-year terms on the board, which oversees operations of the district.

The district provides water and sewer services to 1,200 accounts in the Bigfork area. The district boundaries run from Pope John Paul II Catholic Church on the north side of the community to Harbor Village, south to the Saddlehorn development and east to Bigfork Stage Road.

Ballots are to be mailed to voters today and must be returned to the Flathead County elections office or to the sewer district office by 8 p.m. on election day, Nov. 8.

Incumbents Robert Hand and Mike Houtenen both filed for re-election. Also running for office are newcomers Timothy Calaway and Fred Sterhan.

Sterhan is the owner of the Marina Cay Resort and has developed condominiums in Bigfork. He has lived in Bigfork for 22 years.

Sterhan said he is running for the board because he wants to have input into the direction the community takes. As a board member, he says, it would be easier to assist with development efforts in Bigfork, an unincorporated community.

“Development is — like it or not — a part of life here in Bigfork and I want to be sure that new developments are treated fairly and justly,” Sterhan said.

It’s important that the water and sewer board be friendly toward business, he said, and that the board makes “sure everybody pays their fair share.”

As a public utility, the district shouldn’t be a barrier to development, Sterhan said.

Sterhan coaches varsity football at Bigfork High School, was a member of the Bigfork Fire Department for 12 years, is on the board of directors of the Montana Lodging and Hospitality Association and is on the American Hotel and Lodging Association board.

Houtenen first was elected to the water and sewer board in 1991 and has been on the board for 20 years. He’s currently board chairman, a position that normally is rotated among board members.

He has lived in Bigfork for 37 years, moving to the community to work for Flathead Bank. He worked at that bank for eight years and then worked for D.A. Davidson until his retirement a few weeks ago.

Houtenen and other board members are currently overseeing the “biggest project we’ve ever tackled,” the ongoing construction of a new sewer treatment plant.

In August 2010, Bigfork voters voted in favor of a measure to sell $8.1 million in general obligation bonds to pay for a new sewer plant. The project is scheduled for completion in July 2012.

Houtenen said the faith that voters put in the board in approving the bond issue and therefore agreeing to pay additional taxes for 20 years to pay off the bond issue is a good indication of support for the district.

The customers own the district, Houtenen said, not the district staff, employees or board members.

Hand was appointed to fill an opening on the board two years ago.

He said his experience on the board and a prior stint on a water board in Woods Bay make him a strong candidate for election.

“I have experience working with engineers to put in water systems, and I think that having spent several years in the excavation business, I can bring that knowledge to the table too,” Hand said.

Calaway has run a construction business in Bigfork for 35 years. He was on the Bigfork Land Use Advisory Committee for 11 years and on the Flathead County Planning Board for nine years.

“I’ve been approached by several people who feel the [water and sewer] board is anti-development, anti-growth, which is pretty important for my industry,” Calaway said. “I don’t want things to get out of hand, but I think a nice, steady growth is good for the community.”

Calaway also said the district needs to be more equitable in determining who can connect to its services and how much to charge customers.

“I don’t think they are as transparent as they need to be when it comes to the determination of fees.”

The Bigfork Eagle contributed to this story.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.