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Lakeshore committee seeks council backing to press Flathead County on shoreline violations
Summary
Toby Scott presented two draft letters from the Whitefish Lakeshore Protection Committee asking the council whether the letters should be issued by the committee or the council; councilors instructed staff to work with the committee to combine and route a single, stronger letter to county commissioners.
Toby Scott, representing the Whitefish Lakeshore Protection Committee, told the council the committee has drafted two letters documenting shoreline development violations and is seeking direction on whether letters should be sent from the committee or the Whitefish City Council.
Scott said the committee’s jurisdiction covers the lakeshore up to a defined shoreline buffer but not portions outside city limits, and noted the committee proposed a legislative bill via state Sen. Dave Fern in a prior session that failed to clear committee. "We would like to bring it to the attention of the county and are seeking direction from the city council as to whether this should come from the Whitefish City Council or from the Lakeshore Protection Committee," Scott said.
Council discussion leaned toward combining the letters, adding visual evidence, and routing the combined document with planning staff and the city manager to present a unified submission to Flathead County commissioners. Mayor John Mulfeld and multiple councilors said they believed submission by both the council and the Lakeshore Protection Committee would carry more weight and directed staff to follow up.
No formal vote or ordinance change was enacted at the meeting; councilors asked planning staff to work with the committee and return with a single recommended approach to county communication.
