THOMPSON FALLS, Mont. — A group of Thompson Falls residents organized an event to voice frustrations and let neighbors know what’s going on in their community. Nearly 100 people attended.
“No one in this city or county really, actually, truly know what’s going on here,” Sanders County Talks organizer Kristen Wing said.
“This was an attempt by concerned citizens that talk to one another that are trying to engage others so that maybe we can help each other,” said Melinda Thompson, another organizer of the event.
They discussed fears of housing developments on public land, not being heard during city council meetings and paying for a sewer system expansion on plots of land that don’t use it.
NBC Montana reached out to the city to get to the bottom of these claims. Mayor Rusti Leivistad sent NBC Montana a response via email.
“We are a relatively small town in Northwest Montana that has, for the last several years, worked on improving the infrastructure which has suffered from deferred maintenance,” Leivistad said in her response. “ This is not a unique situation in many rural areas I believe. Lots of growing pains.”
She would go on to encourage citizens to vote on the Thompson Falls government review if they want changes. That measure failed in the election on June 4.
“I acknowledge there are the few expressing discontent, and while their voices are loudest, they are not the majority,” she said. “It is my hope that by consistently being transparent and adhering to the laws and statutes, we will be able to demonstrate we are working for the greater good.”
We went to Thompson Falls to learn more about what’s going on.
Thompson Falls city government doesn’t record meetings, so there was no way to fact check previous meetings. We contacted one person who has been to every meeting --- the publisher of the local paper, Annie Wooden. She said over the past year there’s been a larger turnout at city council meetings, and sometimes it raises tension on both sides.
“It’s a little hard to get through agendas when you have a lot of disruptions but, again, the good thing is that there are a lot of participation at these meetings,” Wooden said.
The meetings got the attention of State Sen. Greg Hinkle (R-Thompson Falls). He said he was astonished at the lack of protocol. During the meetings, the public could speak for three minutes on nonagenda items, which he believes goes against the state constitution.
“I don’t care what political party you are,” Hinkle said. “It doesn’t matter. None of it does. This is what does. This is what makes you and I on the same footing.”
He claimed restrictions at city council meetings went against freedom of assembly and speech.
In our research, no laws were broken by the city council for how they conducted meetings.
State Rep. Paul Fielder (R-Thompson Falls) has also gotten involved.
Fielder reached out to the Attorney General’s Office to tell them about some plots of land being charged for the sewage system. He said it’s not fair for county citizens to pay for sewage on vacant lots. There were no updates from the Attorney General’s Office on the matter.
NBC Montana reached out to a member of the zoning committee and previous mayor, Mark Sheets, to ask about his experience and learn more about the sewage system.
He said the expansion was voted in -- and it was long overdue. Thanks to several grants and government funding, the city was able to afford to expand. Now everyone must pay into this newer system. It also provides a chance for the city to grow.
“There’s nothing hidden, no hidden agendas or anything like that,” Sheets said. “Again, just trying to look at the best safety and welfare for the city.”
Sheets said being mayor can be a full-time job. In Thompson Falls they receive $1,000 a month for the position. But it can be thankless.
“Cause you’re never going to please everybody,” Sheets said. “That’s a guarantee.”
A downside of this community network is misinformation can spread easily.
Heather Berman, Sanders County Resource Advisory Committee coordinator, said there’s no plan for development on the public land known as Mule Pasture, a common concern spread within the group. Berman said there’s been misinformation about the property.
In some ways, this opposition can be traced to a worry of irresponsible growth.
“For me, I know where I came from. I watched our town explode and change into a place that you didn’t recognize,” Wing said. “A Missoula. Look at Missoula. There’s crime. There's gangs. There’s all kinds of things happening.”
But, change is on the horizon for the small town of less than 2,000 citizens. Starting in July, every form of government must record meetings, which may improve the transparency some residents feel they don’t have.
Still, Wing says she wants to keep Thompson Falls from changing too much.
“There’s got to be some places in between that can keep pristine,” she said. “I don’t understand why we can’t.”
