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FLATHEADBEACON.COM NEWS JANUARY 8, 2014 | 7

Outspoken Councilor Goes Out Quietly

READER
New council members,

POLL
including mayor, sworn

FLATHEADBEACON.COM
into oice in Kalispell

Should Former Congressman By DILLON TABISH of the Beacon
Denny Rehberg Run for His Old
House Seat?
There was hardly ever a decision in
City Hall that passed by quietly. Not on
Bob Haferman’s watch.
Over the last decade, the 82-year-

old city councilor from Kalispell’s Ward
1 spoke up early and often inside council
chambers, raising ire and inquiry at seem-
ingly every turn. With a tilt of his glasses,
he’d raise a scrutinizing eye to the list of
items atop the council’s bi-weekly agen-
18% YES 82% NO das, questioning routine and complex
matters all the same. If it were possible to
TOTAL VOTES: 198
know, the number of votes that ended 8-1
with Haferman standing alone in opposi-
tion is telling.
Did You Make a New Year’s “I’ve tried to do my job. I’ve tried to lis- Bob Haferman, longtime city council member, pictured in his Kalispell home.GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
ten to people. And to know what the rules
Resolution?
and regulations are,” he says. “I wanted Fisher bid farewell. Carlson was sworn in munity better.’ I have great appreciation
to be there to be a voice . There’s a lot of along with Chad Graham, another coun- for the people who are willing to do that.”

people who never appear before the coun- cil newcomer who ran unopposed in Ward In just the past year, the council tack-
cil and somehow their voice isn’t heard as 2, Mark Johnson, an unopposed mayoral led several contentious topics and often-
loudly as apparently I’m hearing it.”
candidate, and incumbents Tim Kluesner times the votes split evenly. The city air-
After 12 years, a familiar voice in Ka- and Jim Atkinson.
port vote went back and forth before i-
lispell is going out quietly with the new Kalispell’s municipal government is nally the voters were given the inal say.
year. Haferman stepped down Monday undergoing a noticeable shift with the There was also the decision to eliminate
night after three four-year terms on coun- three new members, although the exact transportation impact fees, and now the
28% YES 72% NO cil. His wife Clare is battling cancer and diference between this group and the last council is preparing to focus on builders’

TOTAL VOTES: 75
he’s having a harder time hearing these will become more distinct in the coming fees related to development. One issue that
days, so the timing was right to end his months as hotly contested items emerge all cities must face — infrastructure like
term as a public servant in his hometown on the agenda. The immediate issues in- sidewalks and streets — is especially at the
and turn his attention elsewhere.
clude deciding which direction to go with fore in Kalispell, and Russell expected the
Will the GOP Win the Senate “Right now my top priority is my wife’s impact fees, the municipal airport and the council to begin looking for ways to main-
Majority in 2014?
health,” he says.
core area redevelopment plan and how to tain or replace the laundry list of needs.
Haferman handed of his Ward 1 seat address the city’s aging infrastructure.
Haferman will still follow the actions
to Sandy Mundahl Carlson, a irst-time “Obviously we have new voices, new inside City Hall. After all, their decisions

councilor who was elected during the No- thoughts, new patterns. It’s still that main afect his hometown, and that’s no small
vember election.
goal of getting that full breadth of repre- order of business in his mind.
“I think the last four years has made a sentation,” Kalispell City Manager Doug “I’ve traveled all over,” the 1949 Flat-
lot of progress, or at least we’ve done a lot Russell said. “We always appreciate all the head High graduate says. “The only place
of things that are more favorable for the perspective that come with the diferent I haven’t been in the U.S. is the Northeast.
average citizen of Kalispell,” Haferman members. I’m always excited when people No matter where I go, there’s a lot of good
48YES 52NO says.
are willing to serve. It can be a challeng- places, but there isn’t anything like Ka-
% %
TOTAL VOTES: 163
In a formal ceremony inside City Hall ing thing but it can also be a very reward- lispell.”
this week, Haferman, fellow outgoing ing thing. They all said ‘I care enough right [email protected]
councilor Jef Zauner and Mayor Tammi
now to put forth the time to make my com-

ONLINE POLL RESULTS ARE NOT SCIENTIFIC

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