SEELEY LAKE – The first community council in the state was appointed by the Missoula County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) in Seeley Lake in 1987. The community council grew out of the Seeley Lake Chamber of Commerce, said Bud Johnson, owner of Timberline Building Materials and first chair of the Seeley Lake Community Council.
The first Community Council board appointed by the BCC consisted of Dan Mizner, retired; Johnson, director of the chamber; Jeff Macon, a real estate broker; Bud Berckmoes, a real estate broker; Addrien Marx, director of chamber; Kent Brown, owner Kozy Corner Bar and Restaurant and chair of Seeley Lake Refuse District; Melvin Ketland, Pyramid Mountain Lumber employee.
Johnson said Mizner was the one who started the conversations regarding formation of a community council. Mizner had been active in city and county government in Powell County and Helena as director of the League of Cities and Counties. He was the one who found the state statute which allowed the formation of community councils.
“I wasn’t paying attention and got nominated to the committee,” Johnson said.
Several people in the community were going to the commissioners as a voice for the community, Johnson said. Individuals were not recognized as community representatives because they were not elected.
“The county [commissioners] wanted some organization that could get everybody’s opinion together and then funnel that into the county commissioners,” Johnson said.
The sewer was the original hot topic. But first, a community plan had to be developed, Johnson said. The community plan took a long time.
There were meetings and then the council advertised a plan, Johnson said. The advertisement drew out those who had not participated in previous meetings. The council made changes until a final plan was acceptable to the majority of residents.
The original appointed board served from August until the next spring election in 1988. The original bylaws allowed for one council position to be appointed by the BCC. This changed with the new bylaws accepted in 2022.
The council represented residents within the Seeley Lake School District #34 with a year-round population of 1,000 people according to census in 1980.
The original council didn’t have a budget. They dug into their own pockets to rent the Seeley Lake Community Hall for $20 a meeting, according to an article in the Pathfinder. The first meeting was held in the cramped coffee room of the Seeley Lake Volunteer Fire Department.
The Council continues to be a community voice. Currently it is working with the county to address community concerns around the Clearwater RV Dump Station managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. In the past they worked with the BCC and Montana Department of Transportation to reduce speed limits on Highway 83 through the community. The council has also hosted candidate forums prior to elections.
The SLCC meets the second Monday of the month (except July and August) at the Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitor’s Center (aka The Barn). The agenda and regular updates are posted on the “Seeley Lake Community Council” Facebook page. The SLCC adapted during COVID to host meetings via Zoom. The council continues to meet in a hybrid fashion with in-person meetings along with providing a Zoom link to accommodate those unable to attend in person.
Johnson doesn’t follow the Council as much as did when he was a member.
“The type of people who live in Seeley Lake has changed from back in those days,” Johnson said. “It was a lot more logging and timber organized. It is just a different era. It (Seeley Lake) is more of a resort [community].”
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