Residents urge council to retain planning board members and improve public comment access

During the public‑comment portion of the Oct. 20 meeting, Mary Flowers of Citizens for a Better Flathead urged the City Council to keep the current planning board intact through an ongoing growth‑policy update and to improve public engagement tools.

Flowers said the planning board volunteers are well prepared and have adapted meeting formats to accommodate public input. She asked the council to avoid replacing current board members if they apply for reappointment and to make planning materials more accessible online by posting public comments as they are received, posting the planning board packet at least one week before meetings, and providing staff responses to public comment earlier in the cycle.

“We ask that the meeting agenda and planning board packet be posted one week prior to the planning board meeting so the public can more effectively be prepared,” Flowers said. She also suggested placing a clearly labeled location on the city website where submitted public comments are posted as received and making clear that comments may still be accepted at the meeting.

The council did not take formal action on Flowers’ requests during the public‑comment section; staff has previously noted the city posts official meeting packets and notices, and respondents at the meeting reiterated the city’s ongoing efforts to expand outreach as the growth‑policy update continues.

Ending: Flowers’ comments join a public record that councilors and planning staff said they would consider when handling upcoming appointments and refining public‑engagement procedures for the growth‑policy process.