Jane Howington has been the manager of Kalispell for about four months, but only lately have we begun to see how she may put her mark on the city. The former Ohioan has become increasingly visible as a new city council is about to be sworn in and a number of controversial issues have come to a head.
First, there is the city airport and whether to expand its runway and how such an expansion could affect noise and safety on the west side. The issue is divisive and before hosting a so-called “scoping session,” Howington called a press conference.
Meeting with the press should hardly be considered out of character for many city managers – but it was for several years in Kalispell. There, Howington reiterated her stated intention to directly engage the community and provide a level transparency in government that was often lacking under her previous permanent predecessor.
A former Flathead Valley Community College instructor was brought in to moderate the scoping session that drew more than 100 people to the Hilton Garden Inn. Howington opened by saying, “Civic discourse is a very important part of any public process to bring back some of that dialogue and find out where we need to inform people.”
What Howington at least appears to realize is that it is more effective to engage the public, to let them be part of the process, than it is to simply present them with information. The airport meeting was relatively civil. Those present may still disagree with any decision the council eventually makes, but it will at least be harder for them to say city officials refused to listen to their concerns.
Poor communication is what has plagued the city’s finances. In September, the Kalispell City Council approved its budget for the current fiscal year and anticipated a cash reserve of $309,146. While that number may be low, the councilors who opposed the budget failed to provide specific areas where the city could save money. In government, especially in small municipalities, it’s much easier to claim you are fiscally conservative than actually act like it.
For her part, Howington has been hosting budget work sessions in an effort to keep the council more aware of the city’s coffers. In theory, it should then make it more difficult for elected officials to claim they were blindsided by a shortfall and make hacking away at the budget at year-end an annual tradition.
It appears cuts and reorganization of departments will instead happen throughout the year as evidenced by Howington’s decision earlier this month to lay off DC Haas, the assistant fire chief and fire marshal who oversaw fire prevention.
Haas was popular among his peers and well liked by the press, which often depended on him as the point man at the scene of fires. At a recent council meeting, Haas said he was “confused” as to why he was laid off when another position for assistant fire chief, for which he lacked the proper credentials to apply, opened up.
Howington said she was tasked with making the city government both “financially and operationally” efficient. She argued that there are not enough new structures being built in Kalispell to justify a prevention specialist like Haas and many of his duties will now be handled by the Building Department.
Incoming Mayor Tammi Fisher told the council that Haas should be considered for the operations chief position. And she could pressure the city to do so when she takes the gavel next month.
But whether one agrees with Howington’s decision, it is another example of the candor with which she manages Kalispell. And candor is clearly what this city council needs.