Nootz and Willich Elected to Livingston City Commission
Nootz and Willich Elected to Livingston City Commission
They will play critical roles in 2024 in implementing the city Growth Policy
City Commission Chair Melissa Nootz was re-elected on November 7 and James Willich will succeed Mel Friedman on the City Commission. Five candidates were vying for two vacant seats on the Commission. Out of the 4,019 ballots cast, Nootz received 1,956 and Willich 956, which was about 300 more than the candidate with the next highest vote total.
Nootz served on the City Commission and was the Commission’s representative on the Planning Board during the development of the 2021 Growth Policy, which dramatically changed the City’s vision for its future. In an August 15, 2023 interview by Sean Batura published in The Enterprise, Nootz said: “...as a city commissioner I oversaw the adoption of our city’s Growth Policy. In my next term, we can make consistent progress by implementing it.”
Willich is a graduate of Washington State University. He moved to Livingston in 2002 and served on the committee reviewing the City’s 2021 strategic plan. In the August 15 article in The Enterprise he stated: “We need action on approachable housing for everyday people, we need action on the overpass, and we need to act supporting our thriving downtown ....”In an email to Executive Director Randy Carpenter, Willich said “I'm enthusiastic about working with the FOPC to foster a mutually-beneficial relationship between the county and the residents of the City of Livingston. We have interesting times ahead of us and having open communication will help us to avoid pitfalls.”He will take office on January 1, 2024.Nootz and Willich will play critical roles in 2024 in implementing the city’s 2021 Growth Policy, which was adopted in June 2021. (See “Growth Policy implementation moves forward . . . . s l o w l y.” in this November supporter update.)What you can do:Please congratulate Melissa Noots on her re-election and welcome James Willich to the City Commission. Share your thoughts about implementation of the City’s 2021 Growth Policy.Commissioner Melissa Nootz 406-220-9014 (city office phone)Commissioner elect James Willich willichforlivingston@gmail.com