Kalispell City Council on Monday is expected to hear from applicants vying for the Ward 3 seat left vacant by Ryan Hunter’s ascension to Mayor. 

Council meets on Monday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. in City Hall, 201 First Ave. E.  

Madison Evans, Arthur Fretheim, James Haring, Karlene Khor, Cassidy Kipp and Dustin Leftridge applied to represent the ward that encompasses downtown. The six applicants were asked to provide a brief presentation before Council expressing their interest.    

Council will vote on a new councilor during its next meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 20. The meeting is pushed back due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.   

The candidate chosen for the spot will serve out the remainder of Hunter’s term, which ends in December 2027.  

Evans grew up in Kalispell, is a mental health therapist in the Flathead Valley and has worked at Logan Health Medical Center as a social worker and cancer support and survivorship program manager. She also taught English in South Korea for two years.  

“Being able to collaborate, find common ground, have an open mind and sound judgement is something I have always strived for and excelled at,” she wrote in her letter of interest.  

Fretheim, a 2024 democratic candidate for Montana House District 7 in 2024, said he will keep his partisan views on state issues separate from the local matters before Council.  

“One of the things the City Council does better than other levels of government is in avoiding explicitly partisan decisions and I would like to keep it that way,” he wrote in his letter of interest.  

Fretheim has lived on the east side of town for over a decade and has worked in the local schools as a special education teacher, paraprofessional and substitute. He plans to address the city’s snow removal and improve pedestrian safety.   

Software engineer Haring has been a resident in Ward 3 for 26 years, “and I believe the city is headed in a good direction and would like to aid Kalispell in continuing in a good direction,” he wrote in his letter of interest.   

Haring served a term as elder of First Presbyterian Church in Kalispell and has led a book club for over 10 years, according to his application.  

Khor is a former planning commission member and past candidate for Ward 3. She is currently the manager of a limited liability company that owns property on Main Street.  

Khor noted that the turnover in City Hall presents a transitional time for Council, “so I believe my contribution as an experienced member of important city boards and committees can be of value and service to council and my hometown,” she wrote in her application.  

“It is sometimes important to see where we have been to see where we are going,” she added.  

Kipp celebrated her first birthday in Ward 3, according to her application. She worked at the Army Navy store on Main Street in high school and raised her family walking to Norm’s News and the library.  

“It’s a great little pocket of Kalispell that holds unique charms that make our community appealing,” she wrote.  

Kipp collaborated with emergency services and local government when she worked for Adult Protective Services in Kalispell. She also has years of work under her belt, aiding folks experiencing housing insecurity.  

“I have a sensibility to the economic realities of budgeting and execution of municipal projects, and I realize that money doesn’t grow on trees. I know how to strike that balance,” her application read.  

Leftridge has practiced law in Kalispell for 12 years and has lived downtown for the same amount of time. His work involves representing former miners and their families from Libby, according to his application.  

“I am interested in solutions that are fiscally responsible and grounded in the realities of living and working here, while preserving what makes Kalispell unique,” he wrote.  

COUNCIL WILL also mull over a draft of a new master plan meant to guide the city on the future of its parks, trails, facilities and recreation programs for the next 10 years.  

The Parks and Recreation Department Master Plan was originally completed in 2006, but an update was necessary to stay aligned with the community’s needs. It will also serve as a supporting document for future grant applications and capital planning, according to a memo from Parks and Recreation Director Chad Fincher. 

About 60% of the updated plan has been completed so far, including an inventory of existing parks and facilities, an analysis of gaps in service and an outline of future priority projects, according to Fincher.  

Kalispell launched a campaign over the summer consisting of open houses and an online survey meant to solicit residents’ thoughts and concerns regarding municipal parks and programs.  

An open house and presentation regarding the plan are on Tuesday, Jan. 13, between 4:30 and 7 p.m. at the Parks and Recreation office, 15 Depot Park.  

The completed plan will be considered by Council in the spring. 

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and [email protected].