Solid Waste chairman's term likely ending; Bigfork lobbied for replacement

After a letter writing campaign by the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork, it appears that Kalispell’s representative on the Flathead County Solid Waste Board will be replaced.

Hank Olson has served as Kalispell’s representative on the board for 14 years and is currently the board chairman. His term is up Dec. 31.

CFBB president Paul Mutascio wrote a letter to Kalispell Mayor Tammi Fisher Oct. 24 requesting that she consider appointing a new representative to the Solid Waste Board.

On Nov. 4, Fisher recommended Kalispell Council appoint Dale Haarr to replace Olson, whose term expires Dec. 31. That measure failed on a 5-4 vote. Randy Kenyon then made a motion to reappoint Olson, which Kari Gabriel seconded, but that motion failed when Fisher refused to consider it and decided to table the issue until Nov. 18.

Thursday, Olson said eight Bigfork residents emailed letters to the Kalispell council asking that he not be reappointed. “I’m kind of shell-shocked by it all,” he said. “Several of the Bigfork residents emailed stuff to the council in an extremely derogatory fashion towards me.”

In his letter, Mutascio referred to “controversy surrounding the Solid Waste Board’s intention to eliminate nearly all of the Green Box sites in the County ... This drastic change in County service to Flathead residence (sic) is being led by Hank Olson ... He is adamant in wanting to close the Green Box sites now operating in Bigfork, Lakeside, Creston among others that have already been closed.”

Mutascio said Olson “has only shown a disregard for our input, a disrespect for those in attendance, the county citizens he is supposed to be serving, and has made obvious misrepresentations of facts. He is locked into his position and is unwilling to take an objective look at this very important issue that impacts all County residents.”

Olson denied that he has disrespected Bigfork residents and noted that the Solid Waste Board gave Bigfork six months to come up with an alternative to closing the Bigfork green box site in January and a six-month extension in June. He said the board has no intention of closing the Creston site.

Olson said he served two years as Whitefish’s mayor and eight years on Kalispell council. “I have never been chastised and lied about like that,” he said. “What a childish move that is. The way those Bigfork people absolutely ‘shrambled’ my reputation. I can’t hardly believe it. Paul and his crowd did a great job of discriminating me. They scared the hell out of the Kalispell city council.”

Fisher said the reason she decided against re-appointing Olson is because she believes in term limits.

On Nov. 4, Kalispell councilman Tim Kluesner offered to serve on the Solid Waste Board. Fisher said she will likely proceed with Kluesner’s appointment if council agrees to have a councilmember sit on the board. Fisher said she would like to reevaluate having a councilmember sit on the Solid Waste Board because the council has the “bottom line on tax bills. Prior to Mr. Olson, that position was filled by a city councilmember,” she said. The city advertised the position for two or three weeks and only got two applicants: Olson and Haarr, she said.

Olson said the only councilmember who called him prior to the Nov. 4 vote was Gabriel. When asked why he thought Fisher didn’t reappoint him, Olson said, “The mayor doesn’t want me.” He noted that he was re-appointed to the position several years ago by Fisher.

On Nov. 4, councilman Bob Hafferman said Olson has never made a single report back to the council about what the Solid Waste Board is working on.

Olson said the Bigfork green box site is dangerous and too small for county waste trucks to turn around safely. “Somebody’s going to get run over,” he said.

Solid Waste Director Dave Prunty said the county is currently in discussion with SWT Engineering of Ontario, Calif., in an effort to redo a couple chapters from a 2008 study. The chapters involve green box sites and recycling.

Although the Solid Waste Board decided to end a lease with the Montana Department of Transportation for land for the Kila green box site before consolidating Kila’s and Marion’s sites at Ashley Lake, Prunty said the board would make a recommendation prior to terminating the lease at Bigfork’s site with MDOT. The county commissioners would likely make the decision, he said.

Article 7, Section B, of county Resolution No. 1205C states that the acquisition or disposition of real property through lease, purchase or otherwise shall not take effect until approved by the county commissioners.

Prunty said the county plans to eventually conduct a public meeting in Bigfork in order to get public input on any recommendation regarding the Bigfork green box site.

Tom Lotshaw (Daily Inter Lake) contributed to this report.

Soptelean can be reached at reporter@bigforkeagle.com.