Polson manager talk causes tangles at special meeting

POLSON — Things heated up at last Wednesday’s Polson City Council meeting.

Council members Jim Sohm and Elsa Duford disagreed about whether or not to add three items to the city manager duties in the city charter for a new managerial form of government. Sohm said the city manager search committee recommended these and other additions be made.

“There are only 14 duties listed on the Montana code,” Duford said. “I think we should stick with the law and not add onto it.”

Sohm said the second item in the charter allows for cities to make “resolutions.”

“It was at the direction of the council to get these recommendations,” Sohm reminded Elsa concerning an earlier special meeting. You’re saying we’ve been violating the law?”

Duford said the public was not adequately notified of the prior special meeting.

“This notice on the window is not gonna do it for special meetings,” she said.

Councilman Jules Clavadetscher said there’s nothing controversial about items 15, 16 and 17, as they regard grant writing, working with diverse groups and regularly updating meeting schedules.

Other recommendations from the search committee included council member interview training, running advertisements to replace two search committee members who resigned - keeping the committee at seven members - and background checks on candidates.

Sohm said the salary range, benefits and timeline should all be posted to the Internet. He said five reference checks will also help weed out the candidates to three finalists.

Sohm said the manager position will be advertised for three weeks, with finalists given two week’s notice before the initial interview. He said a “binding sheet” would be sent to the finalists early in the selection process, requiring them to accept the position if offered.

Duford asked mayor Lou Marchello what came of Don Seten several times during the discussions about the city manager selection processes. Marchello told her that he would discuss it with her privately following the interview, but that if Seten wishes to reapply he may.

The search for a new city manager will begin immediately, as the motion to add three duties to the city manager’s responsibilities, and the above additions, carried — with Duford voting in opposition.

Also on the agenda, again, was the request to authorize the signing of a lease of a public park to the Mariners baseball team.

Park board member Mark Evertz said he read the Mariner’s letter to the city.

“They want exclusive use to it,” Evertz said. “That’s a city park and that’s not right.”

Clavadetscher said the team has lights they wish to install on the field, and said that a proposed lease would be in concordance with the law.

“The lights have nothing to do with it,” Evertz rebutted. “Why should a public park be locked up?”

The consensus, from public and council member comments, was that the public had not been well informed about the lease. The motion to give authorization to the city manager to sign the lease did not pass.

The motion to appoint Donald McMillan to the board of adjustment unanimously carried, as several of his close friends addressed the board as to his character and professional abilities.

As the Polson Meadows project is not going through because of “economic times,” the motion to refund impact fees and variance bond carried with no objections. The city will refund the organization $5,753.45.

Gary Buchard said he questions the administration fee of $6,800 and said to his knowledge the city did not use any of this money for actual work. When he asked the council if they knew of any efforts made as a result of the collection of the fee, Marchello told him it wasn’t time for questions.

County Lake Conservation District appointments were carried, and the motion for a 14-lot major subdivision development also carried.