LETTER: Commissioners finally need to take a stand - What will it be?

It seems that the Flathead County commissioners will finally address the matter of the Egan Slough zoning expansion.

For you who are not familiar with this, it involves the beautiful, rural, agricultural, quiet, peaceful community in Creston on the Flathead River. Back in 2002, these landowners saw fit to get together and block a company from entering the area and chopping large parcels into smaller ones and potentially ruining their pastoral, truly agricultural way of life. With the help and blessing of their Southern Californian neighbor, Lew Weaver, they were able to put in place a citizen-based zoning district to keep industry out and avoid large parcels from being divided into small housing tracts. This zoning is known as “AG-80,” keeping it agricultural and nothing under 80 acres in size.

What forward-thinking people these were, protecting their precious soil and water resources. With farms dwindling across the valley, they received the approval of the then-commissioners. Fast forward to 2016 ... their Southern California neighbor Lew Weaver gets the idea that a humongous water-bottling factory would be just the ticket to easy wealth. He builds a small starter building, applies for a large-use water permit, and doesn’t even consider his community or the fact that they had all previously agreed to remain rural and agricultural. So the group gets an attorney, and has all those affected concurring on expanding the district to include more acreage for their continued protection from big industry. With ONE OBJECTOR ... Weaver.

Now the three current commissioners seem to be having trouble making a decision. Although Commissioner Mitchell at first called it a “slam-dunk” for the community, he seems to be waffling now. Commissioner Krueger has basically ignored the residents. Commissioner Holmquist seemed to want to wait until her re-electon to address this request, although she said she may be leaning to vote against the expansion. The request is legal and has the overwhelming approval of the residents there and also affords the true stewards of that area the ability to continue their Montana way of life.

My question is, where is the democracy here? Surely, none of the commissioners were elected into office with just ONE VOTE! So, why would they ignore those who are asking for their help now? —Jean Rachubka, Kalispell