Seeley Lake Sewer – Back to the Drawing Board

SEELEY LAKE - Now that the dust has settled and the voters have spoken, it is time to Monday morning quarterback and ask, “Where do we go from here?”

First, a brief assessment of our situation. We are a rural community. Always have been, always will be and I suspect that is how most of the voters want to keep it.

We are a mixed economy...a solid lumber mill town with a good bit of recreation/retirement thrown in. That, too, is how most of us would like to keep it.

Second, preservation of our fabulous natural surroundings should continue to be a high priority, even the highest. They are the reason most of us live here.

Third, any governmental activity concerning infrastructure development should embrace these ideas and realities.

Lastly, we must understand Seeley Lake will NEVER become exclusively a full-blown retirement community. It does not and cannot provide all the amenities retirees desire for their golden years. We’re too far from critical health care, we have only minimal recreational and cultural opportunities, we have only minimal shopping opportunities and we do not have the labor force sufficient to support a retirement community-economy.

Our future probably lies in promoting the continued mix of retirement/recreation and specifically working to expand and diversify our timber economy. That means a serious attempt to create affordable housing in the Seeley-Swan for both workers and retirees alike.

Affordable housing and environmental protection goals can BOTH be accomplished by promoting the state lease cabin sale program. Getting these dozens of properties into private ownership will effect a building boom and an opportunity to clean up some of the worst residential polluters in our area. 

The failed sewer proposal did neither of those things and the promoters were not listening to the folks who were asked to pay the bill. 

Back to the drawing board.