Planning director to be investigated

County hires detective agency; Harris expects to be exonerated

The Flathead County Board of Commissioners has hired a private detective agency to investigate allegations of impropriety and wrongdoing made by the American Dream Montana property-rights group against County Planning Director Jeff Harris.

The commissioners on Thursday signed a contract with Moonlighting Detective Agency of Kalispell, agreeing to spend $5,000 to have the agency look at the validity of a number of claims made by American Dream, including alleged violations of open-record and open-meeting laws and the circulation of inappropriate e-mails on Planning Office computers.

In addition to Harris, the investigation will encompass the entire planning staff, according to the contract.

Board Chairman Dale Lauman said the commissioners opted for an independent investigator because it will add credibility to the investigation. Moonlighting Detective Agency investigator Ike Eisentraut will begin his review next week and should have findings within a couple of weeks, Lauman said.

"He'll do a good job for us," Lauman said. "We think this [investigation] will resolve the issue."

County Clerk and Recorder Paula Robinson has been conducting an internal audit stemming from allegations of inappropriate spending by the Planning Office made largely by former commissioner Dale Williams. Robinson is expected to report her findings to the commissioners next week, Lauman said.

Harris remains at the helm of the department.

"We as a commission are going on with business as usual," Lauman said, "until he is cleared or the allegations are proven factual."

HARRIS SAID the commissioners have kept him "in the loop" of discussions about the various allegations, and added that he welcomes the review.

"I totally support their decision and certainly will cooperate," Harris said, emphasizing that "these are only allegations and accusations' at this point.

Harris said he has reviewed all of the information presented to the commissioners on July 1 by American Dream constituents and feels confident he will be exonerated once the investigation is complete.

"I know I've done nothing wrong," he said.

At the request of the commissioners, Harris is preparing an official response document to the allegations made by American Dream. That response should aid Eisentraut's review, he said.

"There needs to be a fair hearing on both sides," he added.

American Dream circulated petitions recently calling for an independent investigation of the Planning Office and Harris. Among the allegations of wrongdoing is a members-only Web site used by the Lakeside Neighborhood Plan Committee. The restricted site was used to send e-mails to committee members and the Planning Office, and later was shut down at the county's request.

Harris said American Dream made some of the same allegations last fall, claiming the office circulated an illegal mailing list and that Harris had attended a "clandestine" unadvertised meeting of the Bigfork Land Use Advisory Committee.

"They [the allegations' were investigated and found to be without merit," Harris said.

County Attorney Ed Corrigan sent a letter to the commissioners in December 2008, advising them that his office had looked into the claims and found "no merit whatsover" in the allegations.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com