Whitefish City Council picks Muhlfeld

The Daily Inter Lake

John Muhlfeld was sworn in Monday to replace Tom Muri on the Whitefish City Council.

He was picked from a slate of four candidates. The council interviewed Muhlfeld and former council member Sarah Fitzgerald. Candidates Julia Olivares and Norman Nelson were unavailable Monday for interviews.

Muhlfeld will serve the remaining two years of Muri's term. Muri resigned recently for health reasons.

"It was a real close decision," City Manager Gary Marks said.

Muhlfeld's knowledge of hydrology tipped the scale in his favor, Marks said, given the number of sensitive water issues that have arisen with recent development projects.

Muhlfeld owns River Design Group Inc., a Whitefish-based water-resource consultation firm that works throughout the Pacific Northwest. Before that he was a hydrologist who did work for the federal government and state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

He filed for a City Council seat four years ago, but withdrew before the election to focus on his business. He is vice chairman of the Whitefish Lake and Lakeshore Protection Committee and has worked with the city on a variety of land-use, policy and regulatory issues.

In his letter of interest to the council, Muhlfeld said his background as a business owner and consulting hydrologist "would provide invaluable expertise for evaluating proposed developments and their compatibility with water quality, wetlands, stormwater and groundwater resources."