Whitehall, MT

The Whitehall Town Council has entered into an agreement with Great West Engineering to assist the Town in the drafting of an appropriate Growth Policy. A public meeting was held on June 17 for the purposes of gathering comment from the public on issues, concerns and desires. If you missed the June 17 meeting, more opportunities will be available in the future for the public to offer comments. But there is no need to wait for the next public meeting to offer comments, ask questions or to identify what is important to you.

Dialogue can, and should, be ongoing throughout the process. More people participating in the process will lead to the adoption of a Growth Policy that truly reflects the desires of the community.

The Whitehall Community Blog is a great forum for dialogue and it can be a useful and easy tool to use. Just log on and start talking. To comment, simply go to the bottom of this post, find the small gray text that says comment and click on the link. You will have an opportunity to sign up and quickly type in your comments. Let’s get the conversation going and get some ideas and thoughts out there.

If you would like to know a bit more about Growth Policies, what they are, why they are important, or have other questions, I have provided a short primer below.

Let’s Start Talking!!!

WHAT IS A GROWTH POLICY?

A Growth Policy is an official public document that guides policy decisions related to the physical, social, and economic growth of a city or county and provides a framework for future growth, development, and public decision-making. The Policy provides direction for how an area will grow and evolve over time and establishes the goals, objectives, and policies that should be pursued to improve its quality of life, preserve and promote the community’s assets, and ensure that a community or county is an attractive, safe and prosperous place to live and work now and into the future. The Growth Policy assesses the opportunities and challenges facing the area and sets priorities for implementing the recommended actions of the Policy. A Growth Policy is not a regulatory document. Rather, it is a guiding document which includes the goals, objectives and policies that are then implemented through development regulations.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A GROWTH POLICY?

A Growth Policy is beneficial because it provides a road map for how an area will grow. Planning helps produce better communities and stronger economies. It incorporates goals and policies, provides the opportunity for community-defined direction, and provides greater predictability to property owners.

EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT TOOL

For the Growth Policy to be an effective management tool, an area must plan for the future by analyzing today’s growth and development patterns and determining priorities for future capital improvements and investments. The Policy is a tool for elected officials to make informed choices about future land use. Informed land use decisions will ideally result in more orderly and predictable growth and cost-effective delivery of services to areas residents. Most Growth Policies typically have a 20-year planning horizon and provides continuity for future decision-making, despite fluctuations in the local economy or changes in elected officials. Growth Policies are a living document and are reviewed at least every 5 years so that changes can be incorporated to reflect patterns and priorities for the future.

COMMUNITY DEFINED DIRECTION

A Growth Policy allows residents to take control over their destiny, as opposed to responding to changes around them and reacting to that change. The Policy provides opportunity to identify, consolidate, and synthesize the major themes and issues present by creating a venue for the public to contribute and provide guidance on future direction, including preserving the characteristics that make our communities and counties unique.

GREATER PREDICTABILITY

A Growth Policy provides greater predictability to private property owners, businesses, and developers in making long-term decisions about the future use and enjoyment of their property. The plan can inform land investments by defining the general location, direction, type, and extent of residential, commercial, and industrial development into the future.

The problem of drug and alcohol abuse and other associated problems such as binge drinking, drinking and driving, underage drinking, and drug use and trafficking was repeatedly identified throughout the Horizons’ process. Not surprisingly, significant numbers of adult participants pointed to drug and alcohol abuse as a problem. What was a bit surprising was that students and young adults who participated in the Horizons’ process also pointed out that they, too, believed there was a problem.

A Whitehall community leader, who was a participant in the Horizon’s process, put her talents and passion to work in an effort to address the problem of drug and alcohol abuse in our community.

Cindy Larsen, impacted at the age of 17 by a friend’s drinking and driving tragedy that ended an innocent life, has always been passionate about trying to keep kids and adults from making potentially life altering poor decisions with regard to drug or alcohol use and took on the huge challenge of attempting to counter this community crisis.

Larsen discovered there was grant money available to address these challenges and with a deadline that was fast approaching, Larson worked quickly to gather all the material and wade through an arduous grant application in hopes of receiving funding that could help Jefferson County address a major community concern. The grant application was successful and Jefferson County received nearly $700,000 to establish the Whitehall Community Change Project and the Boulder Community Change Project.

While there are seven regions throughout Montana which received funding for Community Change Projects, Jefferson County is the only individual county to have received funding. Ike Jessee, a former deputy county sheriff is the program officer in Whitehall. Randy McGinnis, whose background is in business and statistics, serves the Boulder community as its program director. Larsen is now serving as the project coordinator.

The Whitehall (and Boulder) Community Change Projects are designed to specifically address environmental causes and identify solutions to the problems of binge drinking and drinking and driving. Both Community Change Projects are community driven with solutions that will fit each community’s needs. The grant is for a 3.5 year period, and when the grant funding goes away, the goal is to have committed members of the communities serving on Strategy Teams. These teams will continue on with programs to ensure that Jefferson County, Whitehall and Boulder stay on the right track and that more and more people stay safe by making wise decisions.

While organizations such as the DUI Task Force focus on education, the Community Change Projects are focusing on changing the social norms through policies and other methods that aim to create permanent change. The Whitehall Community Change Project Strategy Team has spent the last several months gathering data that will help the Project analyze what factors in the local environment are contributing to the problem. Once the data is gathered and compiled, the Strategy Team will outline action items. All Montana Community Change Projects are being assisted by the Bozeman branch of the Institute for Public Strategies (IPS). IPS, according to its website, provides leadership and strategies which support changes in public and private policy and community standards and norms.

The Montana Community Change Project materials state the goal is to change public attitudes towards underage drinking and substance abuse from “That’s just the way it is,” to “No, you are too young to do that.” Other material language includes “This is a new kind of prevention approach. It is called environmental prevention and the goal is to change community attitudes and norms in relation to drugs and alcohol use.”

Statistics show that binge drinking does not just result in someone getting drunk or worse, drinking and driving. Binge drinking also increases the likelihood of sexual activity, unplanned pregnancy, violence, child abuse, accidental death and suicide. Montana has the dubious distinction of being among the top five states in the nation in regards to binge drinking — for both youth and older adults, according to the Department of Public Health and Human Services. Nearly half of Montana’s traffic fatalities involve a drunk driver, compared to 32 percent nationally.

Larsen pointed out that once an individual is drunk; it is too late to make a good decision. If we can prevent kids from getting alcohol, we can prevent them from drinking and driving and making other potentially life altering decisions. Alcohol is viewed as a stepping stone to other drugs. While alcohol is legal for adults and is socially acceptable, there must be an awareness and commitment to consume alcohol in a safe and responsible manner according to Larsen. “The overall goal is to create a healthier and safer community, especially for our youth. If we can change community attitudes and implement environmental solutions, we can create prevent tragic outcomes in our community,” said Larsen.

Interested community members are encouraged to volunteer to serve on the Community Strategy Team. For more information, contact Cindy Larsen at 287-7953.

This is another example of how the Horizon’s process is bringing benefit to the community and how intered, committed and motivated community members have the ability to gather addtional resources to make things happen. A big thank you goes out to Cindy Larsen for taking the initiative, demonstrating exceptional leadership and commitment to our community.

As we reach the end of another phase of the Horizons process that has been focused on capacity building, it is time to evaluate our community’s progress on stated desired outcomes of the Horizon’s project. It has been a busy and interesting process. Sometimes visible progress seems slow in materializing. However, many, many people have been working very hard and though it may not always be readily apparent, Whitehall is making headway.

The Community Development Board is evaluating our progress based on the following:

Steps are being taken in Whitehall to improve the affordable housing shortage. One big step was the passing of Resolution Number 34 by both the Town of Whitehall and Jefferson County.

Click here to view the resolution.

Click here to learn more about NAHN, and even see some house plans for a house that looks like this one!

The new Community Development Board has been formalized by the Town Council, and seats have been assigned to interested individuals.  Two vacancies remain, one for a planning board member and one more youth position, ideally from the home school community:

Town Councilman: Mac Smith

Chamber of Commerce: Ann Smith

JLDC: Barb Sunderland

JVCF: Terri Marx

Extension Office: Tom Harrington

Whitehall Schools: Holly Harper

Financial Institution: Roy McBride

County Commissioner: Ken Weber

At large member: Sue Patacini

At large member: Glenna Waltee

At large member: Tammy Johnson

Youth member: Taylor McQuesten

Youth member: Josh Liebers    

(And what’s a blog?)

This blog is for the community of Whitehall to use for FREE in whatever ways are useful to the community. That means Animal Shelter, Walking Trail, Whitehall Schools, Town Council, 4-H, Extension Office, Whitehall Weed Project, Friends of the Library, etc. If your group is from the Whitehall Community, (and not making money for anything other than your community) you can use this blog. The space is provided by the Horizons folks, but the blog remains after the Horizons Project ends in June 08.

If you want feedback on an idea, you can get it through the blog. The high school students are aware of the blog and the ways to use it, and the people who check the WSD website are alerted when the blog is updated. Please take advantage of it! We have a counter on this site so we can see how many hits we get, which will give you an idea of how many people are getting your message.

Blogs are a way of communicating, discussing and keeping a record of what’s been said, done and pondered. This blog is set up so that if you post a comment, it will immediately appear for all the world to see. Only a couple people can write posts (what you are reading right now is a post), but we can post what you want us to, or teach you how to do it if you see your group posting regularly.

The Community Development Board is the keeper of the blog, so if you have questions or ideas, please contact community_devel_whitehall@yahoo.org. 

The Community Development Board under the Whitehall City Council has been approved, and the first meeting is December 6th at 7pm at the Town Hall. If you would like to serve on the board, contact the Town of Whitehall for more information! These meetings are open to the public.

townofwhitehall@yahoo.com

What do you like about Whitehall?
It is a good community that is friendly and caring.
It maintains a small town tradition
Library
Medical and EMT service
The Senior Center bus
You can depend on your neighbors

What growth and change do you want for Whitehall?
A willingness to change
Open mindedness to good jobs
Walking Trails
Gardens
Improvement of the sidewalks and beautification of town
A firm growth plan with public input
Enforcement of the dog and cat ordinance
A city to city relationship
Affordable housing for seniors
Proactive zoning that meets the needs of residents
Keeping our traditional values

What is changing in Whitehall?
The changing population in Whitehall has caused an increase in calls and caused more major trauma calls. With the increase in population, we need more volunteers, coverage and more search and rescue activity.

What would be beneficial for Whitehall?
Growth in the medical field with specialty medicine
St. James Trauma Center with resource for an expansion of medical services
Urgent Care Center with extended hours
A better stocked rural ambulance
Increased support from the County government
People outside our city limits need to be able to have a say about emergency services
Formalized mutual aid agreements with surrounding counties
A person designated to serve as a resource for domestic violence, something like Safe Harbor
Reinstall a human service satellite office in Whitehall
Diversity awareness with sensitivity training
Date Rape education
Vocational awareness for children

Please read the vision statements below, and vote on which you like best. To vote, go to the bottom of this article and click on the light grey “comment” word. A new window will open, and the comment you make will be posted for all the world to see. You have the option of using a name other than your own. We will stop taking comments/votes on November 15th.

The Draft Vision Statements:

A. Whitehall is managing community change by involving citizens in a shared vision of the future. It is a process of developing an inclusive network to increase community capacity that supports a sustainable economy that improves the overall quality of life by promoting innovative approaches to provide a safe living environment with expanded economic opportunities.

B. Whitehall is a vibrant, centrally located rural community embracing change to ensure a safe, high quality of life for all generations. We celebrate our strengths as a diverse sustainable resource-based community of natural beauty nestled in the mountains and will achieve our full potential while maintaining our traditional caring and friendly atmosphere, spiritual strength and positive attitude to provide everyone the opportunity for prosperity.

C. Whitehall is a friendly and caring rural community embracing future change to ensure a high quality of life for all generations. We have a safe and vibrant economy that supports innovative approaches to provide a quality living environment with expanded economic opportunities. Our foundation is embodied in spiritual strength, helping others and maintaining a safe community.

D. Whitehall is an attractive small town that is home to people of all ages who are active in the outdoors and civic life. We are well-known for our unique character, smart planning and ample resources to meet the needs of our residents. Our central location, diverse job and business opportunities and numerous recreational amenities attract our youth back home.

The four draft vision statements listed below were put together by compiling information from:
1. “Whitehall 2010″ visioning work from 1996
2. Horizons Study Circles in 2006
3. 18 community listening session in the fall of 2007
4. Over 100 elementary student drawings
5. Comments that have been posted on this blog site.

Surveys were mailed to all Whitehall residents and all those people who live in a ten mile radius of Whitehall. Those survey results and the comments and votes posted on the blog will be combined to tweak and finalize the vision statement that is brought to the City Council for formal approval.