Page 14 - Flathead Beacon // 10.5.16

NEWS
CITY BEAT
WHITEFISH
City Manager Position Reopened After Top Choice Drops Out
The White sh City Council will re-ad- vertise its city manager position after the top pick for the next chief administrative o cer declined the o er.
A week ago, White sh Mayor John Muhlfeld and the city council unani- mously selected Chuck Winn among four nalists and o ered him the posi- tion of chief administrative o cer. How- ever, according to city o cials, after sev- eral days of discussion, Winn declined the o er in order to remain in Bozeman, where he serves as the assistant city manager.
Muhlfeld and the city council met in an executive session on Sept. 30 and unanimously agreed to re-advertise the position rather than give further consid- eration to one of the remaining two can- didates, Ken Decker and Edwin Meece.
The mayor and council members also considered returning to the applicant pool to determine if a quali ed candi- date had been overlooked during the ini- tial vetting phase, but ultimately decided they had done due diligence and culled the most quali ed candidates during the selection process.
Another consideration was whether to hire a hiring consultant to tap a broader market for the position, a tactic the city employed when it hired Chuck Stearns, the current city manager, eight years ago.
Employing a rm during Stearns’ hir- ing cost the city $42,000, Muhlfeld said, and the council decided to save taxpay- ers’ dollars.
FLATHEAD
DREAM Adaptive Awarded Grant to Expand Program for Disabled Vets
DREAM Adaptive Recreation, a local nonpro t that focuses on helping dis- abled members of the community partici- pate in outdoor recreation, has received a $50,000 grant to help disabled veterans.
The organization announced Sept. 28 that the grant will help expand the win- ter alpine program at White sh Mountain Resort for veterans from across the state. The grant was awarded through the U.S. Department of Veterans A airs.
DREAM Adaptive Recreation has been in Flathead Valley for 31 years with three programs: the winter alpine program at White sh Mountain Resort; a water sports program at Echo Lake in Bigfork; and a stand-up paddleboard program on Flathead Lake and White sh Lake.
This year the organization began to o er outdoor recreation opportunities to disabled veterans. Through the win- ter alpine program and the water sports program, DREAM was able to o er spe- ci c days that were set aside for veterans
“We unanimously agreed that we could handle this internally,” Muhlfeld said.
One di erence between this round of hiring and the previous go-round is White sh’s addition last year of a full- time human resources director, Sherry Baccaro, who is helping spearhead the advertising and selection process.
“That position did not exist when Chuck was hired,” Muhlfeld said.
Stearns planned to retire Jan. 6, 2017, but agreed to stay on as the city’s top administrative o cer until at least March.
“I did sit down with Chuck and he has graciously agreed not to leave until we have hired a replacement,” Muhlfeld said.
White sh will re-advertise the posi- tion beginning in early November and hopes to have culled its pool of applicants by early December.
Muhlfeld said Winn declined the o er for personal reasons and because his fam- ily was not prepared to leave Bozeman.
“All I can say is that he was very much satis ed with the terms of employment and the compensation package that we o ered, but ultimately it came down to his family,” Muhlfeld said, adding that he expects the next round of top candi- dates to have made those serious consid- erations before interviewing.
“Obviously, we were disappointed because it is a time-consuming pro- cess and it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it,” Muhlfeld said. “The City of White- sh deserves the right city manager and we are committed to hiring the right
candidate.”
The city advertised for the position
with a salary range of between $100,000 and $130,000, based on experience.
The White sh City Council, a com- munity interview committee and a sta interview committee conducted in-per- son interviews with the nalists for the full-time position on Sept. 15. One of the nalists withdrew from the application process.
Winn has worked for the city of Boz- eman for 32 years, serving the last eight years as the assistant city manager. Winn spent most of his career as chief of the Bozeman Fire Department, assistant director of public safety, deputy chief/ re marshal, and as a re ghter. He attended Montana State University with an emphasis in sociology and criminal justice.
Decker has worked for Caroline County, Maryland, for ve years as the county administrator. He is a Libby native and holds a degree in econom- ics and journalism and a master of pub- lic administration, and is credentialed through the ICMA voluntary credential- ing program. Before his tenure with Car- oline County, Decker worked as the town manager for Hampstead, Maryland, for 12 years.
Meece previously worked in Liv- ingston as the city manager. He holds a degree in political science and a mas- ter of public administration. Before his tenure with Livingston, Meece worked for Louisville-Je erson County Metro as the assistant director of public works
and general services administration, and has held multiple city administrator and management positions.
WHITEFISH
School O cials Warn of Scam Involving Sports Sponsorships
White sh school o cials are warn- ing residents of a scam involving a Texas company soliciting sponsorships to sup- port the high school athletic teams.
Several local businesses have been contacted by a company called Touch- down Sports in Texas seeking sponsor- ship to support White sh High School, according to the school district. The company is claiming to have a connec- tion with White sh High School Activ- ities and has even used coaches’ names in their communication as an attempt to strengthen their plea.
Businesses should be aware that Touchdown Sports has not been autho- rized to conduct a fundraiser in support of White sh High School. There is no connection between Touchdown Sports and the high school, administrators say.
Businesses are asked to be cautious of non-local businesses seeking sponsor- ship or fundraising support for White- sh High School.
Anyone who has been contacted by this company or any other out-of-state company seeking sponsorship support for White sh High School is asked to con- tact Aric Harris, WHS Activities Direc- tor, or Kerry Drown, WHS Principal at 862-8600.
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additional opportunities for the disabled veterans statewide. Cannon was instru- mental in helping DREAM organize events to serve local veterans.
“The Kalispell Vet Center would like to congratulate DREAM Adaptive Recre- ation for being named as a 2016 VA Adap- tive Sports Grant Awardee,” Cannon stated. “We look forward to partnering with them and as they expand the recre- ational opportunities for Montana Veter- ans and Service Members.”
Through this grant, DREAM will pro- vide additional adaptive lessons and assist participants with travel costs, lodging and meals this winter. The local nonpro t will also purchase more adaptive equipment including sit skis and outriggers. Addi- tionally, the grant be able to provide more training to their volunteers so DREAM can provide the best possible experience to veterans, the organization stated.
To be involved with this program as a volunteer or participant, contact DREAM Adaptive Recreation at 406-862-1817 or email [email protected].
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COUNTY BEAT
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OCTOBER 5, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
DREAM Adaptive at White sh Mountain Resort. BEACON FILE PHOTO
and their family members. With the help of Larry Cannon, outreach technician for the Kalispell Vet Center, DREAM pro- vided veterans from northwest Montana skiing, sit skiing, snowboarding, water
skiing, tubing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding activities.
Last April, Cheri DuBeau Carlson, executive director of DREAM, began applying for a grant to help DREAM fund