20260311 Public Comment to Ryan Hunter from Brad WrightPublic Comment
Brad Wright
233 Arbour Drive E
Kalispell, MT 59901
bradwright@bullittmail.com
March 11, 2026
The Hon. Ryan Hunter
Mayor of Kalispell
Via email
Subject: NOTICE OF CONCERN: Circumvention of Public Process and Violation of
Transparency Standards
Mayor Hunter,
I am writing to formally address the alarming reports of clandestine deliberations involving your
office, as detailed by Flathead County Library Trustee Jane Wheeler during the February 26
Board Meeting. The audio record of this meeting confirms that a private meeting was initiated by
your office to discuss public TIF funds and development projects behind closed doors. The
relevant discussion of the Facilities Committee Report begins at approx. 1:09:55 of the meeting:
https://tinyurl.com/Feb-2026-Trustees-Meeting
This meeting, which included Library Director Teri Dugan and Erica Wirtala of the Northwest
Montana Association of Realtors, regarding the Library and SHOP Development (Parkline
Partners), appears to be a direct attempt to negotiate public assets and funds outside the
required public forum. Given that SHOP has not submitted a formal application to the URA
Board, these off-the-record discussions create a significant appearance of impropriety and
pre-determination. It is my understanding that no signed buy/sell agreement currently exists
between the Library and SHOP. Furthermore, the current co-signed Letter of Intent is reportedly
being modified from a 2-acre developable area purchase to 1.71 acres, including approximately
0.5 acres that are undevelopable.
Furthermore, as someone who holds a Master ’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning, your
apparent disregard for the public process is particularly concerning. Your professional
background and the AICP certification requirements for staff like City Manager Jarod Nygren
and Community Development Manager Nelson Loring demand a standard of transparency that
is clearly not being met here.
I previously requested at a Library Facilities Committee meeting to be notified of any
discussions between the City and the Library to ensure I could attend as a member of the
public. I was not notified nor was the public.
You are hereby formally invited—and encouraged—to attend the URA Board Meeting on
March 19, 2026. This will be your opportunity to account for these private deliberations in a
public forum and explain why your office is "working with" developers on matters that have yet to
be presented to the URA Board. The public deserves to understand why these negotiations are
occurring in the shadows rather than in the light of a public meeting.
Because standard city and county communication channels have proven unreliable or have
been intentionally obstructed, I am sending this directly to your campaign email to ensure it
cannot be ignored. I am copying several state-level oversight agencies because my attempts to
communicate through standard city and county legal channels have been met with active
obstruction and the blocking of my public comments.
Sincerely,
Brad Wright
CC:
● Honorable Kristen Juras, Lt. Governor of Montana
● Montana Legislative Audit Division
● Montana Commissioner of Political Practices
● Montana State Library Commission
● Montana Transparency Project
● Ross Pickert, NMAR Board of Director Ethics Committee
● Doug Adams, Flathead County Library Board of Trustees
Appendix A: March 19 2026 URA Board Meeting Agenda