Election 2013: Meet council candidate Jen Frandsen

Jen Frandsen’s passion for hard work and community involvement is deeply rooted in her family’s working-class heritage.

Frandsen, 34, grew up on a farm in rural western Illinois along the Mississippi River where she helped grow corn and beans, and raise hogs.

“Growing up on a farm, there is so much community, even though you are in such a rural spot,” Frandsen said in a recent interview with the Pilot. “You don’t have neighbors for miles, but when your tractor breaks down, you have people coming from miles away to help out.”

That spirit of helping others was put in the spotlight in 2008 when the Mississippi River breached two levees, swallowing up entire livelihoods in its path of destruction. Frandsen, then living in Whitefish, flew home that spring to lend a hand before the destruction hit her home town.

Upon her arrival she found the still dry river bottoms crawling with volunteers helping prepare for the worst.

“Grain companies were lending their trucks. People were stopping by that you’ve never met before bringing food. Strangers were helping sandbag the levees,” she said. “People were coming in from all over to help move farms to higher ground.”

“It was amazing how many people helped.”

Despite the efforts, the levees didn’t hold and countless acres of crops were washed away, including Frandsen’s entire family farm.

Memories of the flood still bring tears, but the lesson of neighbors helping neighbors remains vibrant. It’s one of the reasons Frandsen is jumping head first into the upcoming election for Whitefish City Council.

“I’m apart of this community,” she said. “I want to be an active participant.”

Frandsen put herself through college at Western Illinois University — earning a degree in advertising design in 2000 — by working at Walmart and at a small publishing firm.

She knew there was more to explore in life than the corn fields, and on a whim applied online for a job in Whitefish, site unseen. She was hired, and in June of 2003 she moved to the Flathead Valley.

Frandsen eventually found work in ad design at the Big Mountain Resort marketing department where she helped craft the new Whitefish Mountain Resort brand.

She is currently an owner and the chief creative officer at Old Town Creative, a web design firm based in the Railway District.

Frandsen is active with organizing the downtown Tuesday Farmers Market and is on the board of the nonprofit Youth Image Project.

She says she is entering the election without an agenda and with an open mind.

“I’m ready to listen to what everyone is saying,” she said. “What I like or dislike is beside the point. It’s bigger than that.”

She is ready to vote “yes” when it’s hard to vote “yes,” and “no” when it’s hard to vote “no.”

“I will do my best to make sure I’m making the right decision for the entire community,” she said. “Not every person is going to like every decision. But hopefully in the long run it’s the best one for the whole community.”

Downtown parking

Frandsen agrees with recent studies that show Whitefish is in need of more downtown parking. She says having easy access to parking is vital for the local economy.

“If somebody doesn’t find a parking spot, they’re going to move on.

“People want to be in downtown. They like the atmosphere. They like the shops. They like the restaurant. Give them a place to park.”

The proposed parking structure is a good step, she says.

“So long as the architects are able to create a building that fits within the character of downtown. I think we’ll be able to look back and say that this is a good thing.”

Economic development

Frandsen says Whitefish is positioned well to be a leader in accommodating technology-based businesses.

“We were just designated as the Google e-city,” she said. “We have good infrastructure here, great amenities, and real tech-savvy business owners. We naturally attract those types of businesses.”

She says the city should keep working to make sure it’s providing the necessary resources that bring those new businesses here.

She describes the current economic state of Whitefish as “healthy” and “better than most.”

Planning for growth

Frandsen says the city should focus on planning for the future now, before it’s too big and too busy.

“I hope, before it becomes too busy, we are able to focus on where we might be growing and how we might be growing, so we can best address those issues as they come about and be prepared for them,” she said.

“We need to pay close attention to what’s happening, where we think [growth] is going to happen, and make sure the city is prepared.”

Planning doughnut

Whitefish has appealed to the state Supreme Court a decision handed down by District Court Judge David Ortley that gives Flathead County jurisdiction over the two-mile planning doughnut around the city.

Frandsen says there needs to be a planning agreement between the city and county, no matter the outcome of the appeal process.

“To be able to jointly plan where the city is growing is important,” she said. “It’s important to be able to have that zone right outside of city limits have a similar set of rules as the city.

“I would hope that regardless of what decision is made, that we find a way to work together to jointly plan for that growth.”

Whitefish Lake

A recent study shows that aging septic systems along Whitefish Lake are threatening lake water quality.

Frandsen said the city is taking appropriate steps to help solve the problem, and that she would like to see more cooperation from the county.

She would like the city to look at how it can encourage people to hook up to city infrastructure.

“It’s not something we want to give away, because it’s an expense all city residents pay for, but is there a way to ease into it?” she asked.