Let the dust settle, and get involved

Anyone who has served on the Whitefish City Council or one of the more controversial local boards for any length of time has learned that you do it out of commitment and caring for the community — not for a personal agenda. In that regard, the retiring members of city council deserve the gratitude of the community, including those who may have opposed some of their decisions.

Everyone will acknowledge that Whitefish is suffering from growing pains, and merely approaching the critical areas, storm water and slope issues required a flak jacket and protective helmet. It was a "no-win" situation from the start.

Knowing the new mayor and most of the new city councilors personally, we can say they are all reasonable people and do not carry a personal agenda onto the council. But again remember, they are serving — without pay and usually without any gratitude — out of concern for the community and not for your own personal project.

They will care about what you have to say, and you can make a difference. But don't come to the final hearing on an issue or ordinance and expect your opinion to override weeks or even months of hard work and sweat. Anyone who has looked at the Critical Areas Ordinance will admit that it is far from perfect — supporters and foes alike.

It's time to let the dust settle from the election, but then get involved and stay involved with any of these issues that you care about. The more input from informed sources, the better the end result will be.

The worst scenario for Whitefish would be for election challenges to continue, or for everyone to dig in their heels and blindly defend their position (or opposition) without consideration for the simple fact that we're all in this together.

Jim and Lisa Stack live in Whitefish.