Council votes to allow residency waiver for city manager through contract

The Kalispell City Council on Nov. 17 adopted on first reading Ordinance 1947 to amend Kalispell Municipal Code section 2-36, permitting the council to waive the city manager residency requirement through terms negotiated in employment contracts.

City staff said the change would allow the council to negotiate contract terms that differ from existing code to attract or accommodate specific candidates. Councilor Hunter, who said he generally prefers the city manager live in the city to experience city life and use city services, said he would still support the amendment to allow flexibility in special circumstances: "For the most part... I would still want to say manager live in the city, but I can see waving it under certain circumstances." Councilor Dowd expressed similar support for flexibility to include time to move into the city in a contract. Another councilor, identified in the transcript as 'Miss Charles,' said announcing a waiver now and later requiring a move "seems deceitful," prompting council discussion that the change provides flexibility for negotiation and that any final contract would return to the council for approval.

Councilor Hunter moved to adopt the ordinance; the motion was seconded and passed by roll call vote with all recorded members voting in favor. The ordinance change takes effect on the declared effective date in the ordinance text. Council discussion emphasized the intent to preserve the council's discretion and use contract language to set timelines or conditions for residency rather than to remove the preference for a local manager altogether.

The city will update municipal code language per the ordinance and use the revised code to guide future city manager contract negotiations.