County, city leaders propose reshaping the narrative around growth

Community leaders proposed reshaping the public perception of growth and development in Flathead County via a multiyear campaign at the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce’s third annual Growth Summit.

Speakers at the April 12 summit included the city managers of Kalispell, Whitefish and Columbia Falls, Flathead County Administrator Pete Melnick, a panel of residential developers, and Gabe Mariman of Bias Brewing and the Kalispell Downtown Association.

In his speech, Mariman said he was excited for the future of Flathead County, but identified housing and child care shortages as the two greatest challenges affecting the region’s labor pool.

To the former, Mariman praised duplexes and multi-family developments moving through Kalispell City Hall as a step towards gaining more housing. As for the latter, he called on employers to provide child care options and asked developers to build daycare centers in new residential developments.

He also called for further education levies, noting that voters in Kalispell had not backed such an increase since 2007.

“We must pass levies and invest in our youth,” he said. “These kids are our future workforce, business owners and leaders.”

Mariman did not rule out running for elected office in the future, though he declined to say when or for which position. Jinnifer Mariman, an attorney, is campaigning for a trustee seat in Kalispell Public School District 5.

Property developer James Williamson said that his industry, on the local level, needs to improve public relations and create a narrative to counter well-organized groups opposed to development. He recently faced opposition to a proposed development in Columbia Falls. That municipality has several residential development projects stymied in recent months.

Williamson said pro-development voices are quieted at public hearings.

“People don’t speak up for growth for fear or shame or retribution,” he said.

THE PANEL DISCUSSIONS and speeches were followed by a workshop led by chamber head Lorraine Clarno and community advocate Kyle Waterman.

The pair handed out worksheets to the attendees and tried to gauge interest in a yearslong “community visioning” initiative or a public relations campaign meant to change what was described as an anti-growth narrative preventing residential development projects and other investments that were identified as community needs.

In her statement, Clarno described the dissonance she’s seen in the community, sentiments for affordable housing alongside pushback on residential development proposals.

She also talked about how she thinks area residents are frustrated with the newcomers’ perceived outsized buying power, particularly as that plays into increasing housing costs.

“It’s fueled resentment and sorrow,” she said.

She outlined what a visioning campaign could look like, with community outreach at events like farmers markets and music festivals, as well as gathering stakeholders for biannual policy discussions. Clarno estimated a comprehensive campaign could cost around half a million dollars over three to five years.

Waterman and Clarno said they would collect the worksheets and put together a report based on their findings.

Reporter Adrian Knowler can be reached at 758-4407 or aknowler@dailyinterlake.com.