Draft Plan Economic Development Revised

SWAN VALLEY - The Swan Valley Regional Planning Committee (SVRPC) began discussion of the economic climate in the Swan Valley at their Sept. 14 meeting. Editing of the second element of the draft plan, Economic Development, was begun. Topics addressed during the meeting were 2.1 Economic Activity in the Swan Valley and 2.2 Barriers to Economic Development.

Resident Marcia Tapp said, “We [the valley] need some stimulation to our economy. The tax base is shrinking and those who live here can’t afford the taxes. We need some viable businesses and employees. There would be people to share the tax load. We need encouragement and impetus to grow from the county, not roadblocks.”

Swan Valley resident Kathy Koors suggested a committee be formed to meet with Missoula County to discuss how the valley can grow.

“There needs to be in the valley some sort of harmony in the relationship of the beauty and natural resources in the area and economic growth said SVRPC member Dwayne Forder. “People don’t like to talk about it but it is growth that sustains economies.”

Economic Activity

The SVRPC voted to accept Missoula Attorney Colleen Dowdall’s edits and start the draft with the Economic Activity in the Swan Valley.

The committee voted unanimously to list what activities bring dollars to circulate in the community including:

- log home construction

- logging

- outfitting and guide services

- accommodations

- sawmill work

- non profit organization events

- local real estate brokers’ and agents’ commissions

- pensions and investment income

- storage units

- grocery stores

- Alpine Artisans Tour of the Arts event

The committee agreed to include 24 businesses in the planning area and noted that there are a number of home-based businesses. Also included were 74 employees and a payroll of approximately $1.7 million as reported by the 2012 U.S. Census for the 59826 zip code.

The SVRPC voted unanimously to state there are few local options for groceries and goods, dining and entertainment opportunities. It states that most of the community’s dollars go to Seeley Lake, Missoula, Bigfork and Kalispell for those options. The paragraph reads that during the community’s envisioning sessions, residents would like to see a wider variety of goods and services available.

Barriers to Economic Development

The SVRPC unanimously accepted Dowdall’s edits to the access section with two exceptions. The section now reads: “The Upper Swan Valley is physically isolated from other communities in the area. While this isolation, wildness and rural character are valued by many residents, they do not lend themselves to traditional economic development. Swan Valley’s location on Highway 83, between the activity centers of Seeley Lake to the south and Bigfork to the north and with no east, west highway connections due to mountain ranges, is a disadvantage.”

The committee voted unanimously to accept Dowdall’s edits in the infrastructure portion. It now reads: The Upper Swan Valley lacks critical support infrastructure for economic development. There are no public water or sewer systems, no storm drains and few local roads are paved other than Highway 83.

In the labor section, the committee accepted unanimously Suzanne Vernon’s edits. It now reads:

“Data indicates that the population of the Upper Swan Valley is aging while at the same time families with children are declining. Both trends reduce available work force in the valley. If a large business were to move to the Upper Swan Valley, it might need to bring in workers from elsewhere and/or recruit workers who would commute from nearby communities.”

The next SVRPC meeting will be 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12 at the Swan Valley Community Hall.