Randy Kenyon is retiring from the Kalispell City Council after 14 years, and applications are being accepted to fill his vacant seat for the remainder of his term.
Kenyon received a plaque recognizing his public service at Monday’s council meeting in City Hall, and the longtime councilor expressed gratitude and encouragement, urging other residents to be actively involved in their community.
“The city council is not this big huge divisive thing that people think it is. It’s very congenial and it’s a way to contribute to your community and it’s actually kind of fun,” Kenyon told the Beacon. “I just encourage people to get involved. It really makes a difference. One person really can make a difference in a town like this.”
Kenyon has served as one of two councilors from Ward 3 since 2000. He recently retired from his career in the disabilities business after 40 years and will be turning 64 soon, and he said he and his wife, Donna Harrison, are moving full-time to a home in the North Fork.
The City of Kalispell is accepting applications from residents who live in Ward 3, which spans most of downtown, west toward Foys Lake Road and the south-east side to Woodland Avenue.
Applications are due July 25, and the city hopes to fill the vacant seat by Aug. 4. The term would extend through Dec. 31, 2015. The replacement councilor would need to run for election in November 2015 if they wished to retain the position for another four-year term.
Letters of interest must be submitted to the city clerk, 201 First Ave. E., Kalispell, MT 59901 or emailed to [email protected]. Letters of interest must include the applicant’s legal name, home address and telephone number, along with any additional information that the applicant wishes the council to review. For more information call the city clerk at 758-7756.
Kenyon said he is proud of his community service, especially the aspects of running a city that go unseen, such as delivering vital services like water to residents. Looking back on his time serving on council, he regrets how the north side of town quickly developed with box stores, but described it as a learning process.
“The development up north could’ve been done a lot better but I don’t know how much control the city really has over that. It’s a free enterprise system and if those businesses meet the legal obligations they can pretty much do what they want,” Kenyon said. “Now if you drive north of town you could be in Phoenix, Arizona, you could be in Dallas, you could be anywhere in the world. That’s kind of disappointing that we look like anywhere else.”
But Kenyon remains optimistic about Kalispell’s future, including the downtown and core area, which he says will ultimately showcase the city’s unique identity and history. He is very hopeful that the new downtown planning efforts and the ongoing Core Area Revitalization Plan will fuel redevelopment.
“I’m really looking forward to coming into town and checking it out. The core area plan and the downtown plan, those will change Kalispell. That’s probably the thing I’m most disappointed with, is that I won’t be part of that,” he said.
“The city is in good hands. With the current staff and management and council. The city is in good hands.”
Municipal Matters: News out of City Hall
Kalispell
• Woodland Park was once again the target of vandalism recently with reoccurring graffiti. City staff continue to repaint the site and coordinate with law enforcement regarding the vandalism, according to City Manager Doug Russell.
• The city’s building department has issued 57 residential permits for the first half of 2014 for 47 single family homes and 10 townhouses. This is similar to the number of units issued in the first half of last year, according to city staff.
• Commercial building permits were issued for a $750,000 Starbucks drive-thru on the corner of Main and West Center streets, and a $1.7 million addition to the Radiation and Oncology facility at the Kalispell Regional Healthcare campus, according to city staff.
• At its regular meeting on June 16, the city council authorized the limited expenditure of funds within the fiscal year 2015 preliminary budget and called for a public hearing for the final budget. The public hearing is slated for July 21. The city’s estimated $46.1 million budget will go to council for approval Aug. 18, according to Russell.
• At its regular meeting July 7, after the Beacon went to print, the city council decided whether to approve a conditional use permit for Bee Hives Homes to construct and operate a multiple building residential care facility for seniors. The proposal includes the phased construction of two 19-bed homes, two 16-bed assisted living homes and four two-unit independent living homes, according to the company’s permit request. The site would be located at 242 Stillwater Road, roughly half a mile north of Three Mile Drive. The property is zoned for residential living. City staff recommended approval of the permit along with the planning board.
• At its regular meeting July 7, the city council decided whether to approve a conditional use permit for Montana Academy to use an existing single family residence as a group home for eight or fewer residents. The property is located at 1045 Third Ave. E. and is zoned residential. Montana statutres require local jurisdiction consider group homes for eight or fewer residents as a residential use of the property, and city staff recommended approval of the permit. Two letters of opposition were received by the planning board, which unanimously recommended the permit.
Flathead County
• The Flathead County Commission once again tabled a decision on awarding a bid for a new addition for the feline residents at the county’s animal shelter. Commissioners Pam Holmquist and Gary Krueger voted on July 1 to table the decision on awarding the construction bid until all three commissioners could be in attendance; Cal Scott was not at the hearing. The addition would give more space for the cats at the shelter. The July 1 hearing was a continuation of the bid award discussion from a previous meeting.