Decisions Put on Hold

SWAN VALLEY - After lengthy discussion at its Nov. 21 meeting, the Swan Valley Community Council voted to table any decisions and the logistics concerning the Swan Valley Regional Planning Committee’s draft plan. Due to the holidays, council members and planning committee members’ absences and unanswered questions, the SVCC will wait until their next meeting Dec. 19 for further discussion.

The timeline and the order for getting the draft plan to the community were addressed. Council member Henry Westra suggested that the SVRPC work on the clean up of the draft first. The draft then would go to the SVCC for review and added to the SVCC agenda for community discussion. No motion came from the council on the subject.

The council then discussed whether to have a meeting just for public comments, an informational meeting or to simply have the residents submit their comments in writing or online. They came to no conclusion and no decision was made.

Members discussed the possibility of an updated draft following and reflecting the public comments. They also discussed when it would be submitted to Missoula County.

“We want to make sure we say what the community wants.” said planning committee member Pat Sinz.

Westra said, “This is like mathematical integration, it [the process] never ends. When will it [comments and new drafts] end?” Westra said that the council needs to state when the process ends.

The profile document which contains information and data quoted in the draft plan was also brought up for consideration. Since it is available on the county website, the members exchanged views on whether or not to submit it again or just have a hard copy available at the Swan Valley Library for the residents to peruse. The SVCC made no decision on the matter.

The SVCC members agreed that more consideration was necessary for what they had discussed and another meeting for that discussion was warranted.

There will be further discussion at the next meeting Dec. 19 at the Swan Valley Community Hall at 7 p.m.