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.

The Jefferson County DUI Task Force, not to be confused with the Whitehall Community Change Project, will be having a ribbon cutting ceremony in the next few months, to reveal two billboards in the area. The DUI Task Force is made up of community volunteers and now includes four junior (student) members. The DUI Task Force unveiling will feature one billboard with a strong message about the importance of wearing seatbelts and a second billboard will feature a message about the dangers of drinking and driving. Both of these important messages have been crafted by students.

The billboard project is being funded by a grant from the Montana Department of Transportation. The Montana DOT is looking at the Jefferson County DUI Task Force billboard project as a pilot project. If the Montana DOT likes the result, they will consider giving funding throughout the state to other Task Forces for like projects.

Stay tuned and we will let you know when the project is ready to be unveiled.

While things at the park site don’t look appreciably different, there is notable progress.

In the first phase of park creation, the picnic table locations and the lower trails have been laid out, excavated, smoothed and weed fabric and gravel have been placed.  The next step is to have old road millings placed on the trails and picnic table pads.  The picnic tables are in storage waiting to be put to use and they look fantastic.

The Community Development Board, in keeping with the Horizon’s goals and objectives, always looks for ways to partner with organizations and bring additional resources to projects.  The Board recognizes that every penny and every ounce of effort needs to be leveraged to the fullest degree possible to make things possible in our small town. 

Since it has been awhile since progress on the park was last reported on, we’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that the Silver Tower Park is a partnership, led by our young people in the Whitehall High School’s Interact Club which is affiliated with the Rotary Club.  Also partnering on the project are the Town of Whitehall Parks Trees, and Cemetery Board, the Whitehall Veterans, the Whitehall Alternative School, the Whitehall Booster Club and the Garden Club. 

In addition to some Horizon’s grant money that used for the purchase of the picnic tables, the Whitehall Booster Club stepped up to the plate and assisted with funding for the Whitehall High School Sign, a much needed addition to the town.  The Garden Club is allocating some grant money they received to assist with native plantings once the ground is ready.  The Veterans will be financing a portion of the park and providing some labor where there will be flags placed.  The Town of Whitehall, who not only allowed the use of the land but will supply the necessary water and electricity (if needed), is assisting with the millings, gravel, etc.  The Interact Club and the Alternative School has supplied plenty of labor and funding.  Terry Reed (Four Seasons Construction) and Calvin Johnson (Johnson Custom Fencing) have assisted with providing equipment and skilled operation of the equipment, Chris Wagner of Wagner Nursery has provided expertise, a sketch of the park and recommended plantings.  Many members of the community have volunteered their time, equipment, knowledge and sturdy backs to the effort.  It is truly a community project in every sense of the word. 

Hang in there everyone.  The park will continue to take shape.  If anyone wants more information or would like to volunteer to help at the site, just post a comment or attend a Community Development Board meeting.  There is always something that needs doing. 

PS  If I have forgotten to name anyone who has assisted, I apologize.  It is not intentional I can assure you.  Let me know who I have missed so I can make certain that no person’s contribution goes unnoticed or unrecognized.

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:

*****LEARN HOW TO WRITE AND SUBMIT GRANTS*****

There will be a grant writing workshop sponsored by the Town of Whitehall, Community Development Board and the Horizons Project on Tuesday, June 3, 2008 at the Madison-Jefferson County Extension Office.  Janet Cornish from Community Development Services of Montana will be conducting the workshop.  The seminar begins at 8:30 AM and continues until 4:00 PM.  Lunch will be served to participants and there is no cost to attend.

To register for this FREE workshop, please call the Extension Office at 287-3282.

community_devel_whitehall@yahoo.com   Contact Us! 

If you are from the Whitehall Community and you have an idea that will make Whitehall a better place to live, work, grow up, or play, please contact the newly formed Community Development Board!  We will put you on the monthly agenda and attempt the following:

connect you with like-minded indivuduals

alert you of any potential resources

inform you of the process that will get your project completed wth the approval of the Town Council

help you in whatever way we can

What do you like about Whitehall?
The peace and serenity

What is needed for the future of Whitehall?
The town needs to be ready for growth
More communication between the county and city
No piece meal annexing, we don’t want to be like Belgrade
More affordable housing and bigger rentals with low upkeep for seniors, and more upscale
Use of the Candlestick ranch
More businesses
Maybe a historical theme
Attractive fronts on buildings in Whitehall
Improvements on the bowling alley

What do you like and want to keep in Whitehall?
The pool, skate park movie theater, gas stations and grocery store
It is a small town
Tennis courts
Limited amount of traffic
Farmer’s Market
Youth Groups
Everyone knows everyone
The schools are small enough to still have 1 on 1 time with teachers
Everything is within walking distance

What makes school hard?
Drugs
Distractions
Cliques
School rules
Adults look down on children
Racism
Children not in sports don’t feel they have a place

What do you want to have in Whitehall?
An activity center with pool and bowling
Whitehall needs to stay small
More activities like a mini golf course, paint ball area, arcade, skating rink for summer and winter
The swimming pool being year round
McDonald’s
Clean up of the Cowdry Courts
Improved law enforcement with more drug raids and more attention focused on sexual predators
Better basketball courts
A La Crosse team
Improved turf on the football field and track
Better bleachers and an announcer’s booth
Motocross track
More industry jobs and jobs that prepare you for the future
Babe Ruth baseball field
University
More grocery stores

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