Election 2013: Meet council candidate Pam Barberis

A clean mountain lake. Snow on the ski hill. Miles of trails out the back door.

These are just a few of the amenities that drew Pam Barberis and her family to Whitefish nearly a decade ago. With the hopes of keeping that quality of life intact, Barberis, 45, has decided to run for a seat on the Whitefish City Council.

“There is a great community here and I want to help preserve that as we grow,” Barberis told the Pilot in a recent interview.

Barberis grew up in the small town of Dorset, Vermont. She later attended Skidmore College in New York, earning an English literature degree.

Seeking an adventure, she moved to Alaska to travel while working at Denali National Park. It was there that she met her future husband, Joe Barberis.

Together they moved to Missoula where Joe began dabbling in home brewed beer. That led to him taking a job at Lang Creek Brewery in Marion, where they lived for 10 years.

In 2004, Joe took a job at Great Northern Brewing Company in Whitefish. That same year their son Evan was born.

“One of the reasons we decided to move to Whitefish was when Evan was born,” Barberis explained.

“The sense of community here is really amazing. We live in a neighborhood where we know all of our neighbors, and we share with them all the great things that make this a great place to raise a child.”

Barberis notes the extraordinary amount of goodwill her family received while her son battled leukemia the past three years. Evan currently is in remission and is doing well, she said.

“We never would have gotten through that experience without a town that gave us so much support,” Barberis said.

“It’s nice to be in a spot to give back.”

Barberis worked for five years as a kitchen manager at the downtown Montana Coffee Traders where she shared her passion for locally grown food.

She now owns a landscape and gardening business.

Barberis says she is entering the election without an agenda.

“My big goal is to preserve the things that make Whitefish great,” she said.

If elected, Barberis will listen to all sides of an issue, she said.

“I’ll educate myself, read everything I can, listen to different opinions and find the balance,” she said.

“I’m going to be learning a lot. I’m going to be available and I will be attentive. You can expect me to be a champion for Whitefish.”

Downtown parking

After working at the downtown Montana Coffee Traders, Barberis has seen first hand the parking issues that face the city.

“There is a parking problem,” she said. “Employees having to deal with trying to park just to work for a day was pretty tough. They ended up moving their cars several times a day. It’s lost productivity and silly.”

She says as more businesses locate downtown, a parking solution will be critical.

“We have a great thriving downtown, let’s keep it that way. A parking structure can only benefit the businesses that are here.”

Economic development

Barberis says the tourism industry has been and will remain a big draw for jobs.

“I’d like to continue that,” she said. “Tourism has been a great boon for the town. It’s amazing how busy we’ve been.”

She would also like to encourage more small business development that mimics other successful companies in town. She named Hammer Nutrition, ZaneRay Group and River Design Group as examples.

“They employ people we want here,” she said. “Families and people that live here and participate in the schools and politics.”

She describes the current state of Whitefish’s economy as “very healthy.”

Planning for growth

“We need smart growth,” Barberis said. “We need to make sure that as we grow, we preserve the things that make Whitefish great and that we're not creating horrible traffic problems or degrading the quality of life for the people that already live here.”

She says finding affordable housing is an issue.

“We do need to keep providing affordable housing so we can have families of all types living in Whitefish,” she said. “We need that diversity in the community.”

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.

In Barberis’ mind, no matter what happens in the appeal process, there needs to be a joint agreement between the city and county.

“It’s not right to say this can’t be figured out,” she said. “There is a solution somewhere.”

She questions if the county alone could handle the planning demands of the area if a resurgence in growth happens.

Whitefish Lake

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

“The overall goal needs to be compliance and we need to work with homeowners to help them achieve that in the most affordable way,” Barberis said. “Whether that’s through grants or financial solutions yet to be found. It’s an important way to spend money.”

Bike paths

Barberis would like more expansion to the city’s bike and pedestrian paths.

“With all our options, my son still can’t ride to school by himself without crossing a major road,” she said. “There are a couple key pieces missing.

She agrees with a proposal for a non-motorized river corridor.

“It’s an opportunity for visitors to experience quiet nature right here in town.”