Your Weekly Flathead Valley Land Use Planning Brief

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We hope that you had a good Memorial Day Weekend and that you were able to get out and enjoy the sunshine in the Flathead Valley.

This is your Monday primer (but on Tuesday) about land use in Flathead County. Read below to learn more about what happened last week and what’s happening this week.

In the news:

In the Flathead Valley, where industries have historically centered around blue-collar jobs like logging and manufacturing, a shift has taken place to white-collar sectors like banking, real estate and tourism, which have become the region’s modern economic drivers, according to an April 406 JOBS Sector Analysis compiled by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry (DLI).

Experts say the financial and professional services sector, which includes positions in banks, insurance companies, real estate agencies, healthcare administration, law firms and more, was propelled by entrepreneurialism and a surge of in-migration starting in 2020, driving nearly one-third of the state’s economic production.

In 2024, more than 66,000 Montanans were employed in the financial and professional services sector, which comprised 13% of statewide jobs, bolstering a workforce that has grown an average of 2.4% per year over the last decade.

White-collar Workforce Continues to Drive the Flathead Valley’s Economy

Local School Districts Grapple with Levy Fallout

Habitat for Humanity Kicks off Whitefish Initiative with Contributions from City, Donors

Whitefish City Council Approves New Zoning and Subdivision Regulations

Kalispell Officials Apply for Federal Safe Streets Grant

Kalispell City Council to consider changes to downtown parking regs, including more expensive tickets

Whitefish preliminary budget shows tax increase for property owners

Longtime planner takes over leading development for Kalispell

New owner begins renovating former Outlaw Inn, details plan for extended-stay rentals

Columbia Falls

Upcoming:

• Columbia Falls Planning Commission meeting, Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 6 p.m., Columbia Falls City Hall (130 6th St W, Columbia Falls).

  • Recommendation to city council for the updated subdivision and zoning regulations to comply with MLUPA.

    • The documents are currently available on the website for public comment and can be found at www.cityofcolumbiafalls.org/1244/Montana-Land-Use-Planning-Act

Last Week:

• The Columbia Falls City Council reviewed propsed updates to the city’s subdivision and zoning regulations to comply with MLUPA. These will again go back to the Columbia Falls Planning Commission for a formal recommendation this week.

Kalispell

Upcoming:

• Nothing this week.

Last Week:

• The Kalispell City Council voted to apply for a $25 million dollar Safe Streets and Roads for All grant.

  • You can view the meeting video by clicking here.

Whitefish

Upcoming:

• Community Wildfire Protection Plan Public Meeting, Wednesday, May 27, 2026 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., Whitefish City Hall (418 E Second St, Whitefish).

  • The Whitefish City Council will have a first reading of new zoning and subdivision regulations to align with the city’s new Land Use Plan and state laws.

• Whitefish Community Housing Committee meeting, Monday, June 1, 2026 at 2 p.m., Whitefish City Hall (418 E Second St, Whitefish).

  • Discussion about Legacy Homes Program incentives and process development.