In the only contested race in Kalispell city elections, one Ward 3 candidate — Karlene Osorio-Khor — has become known for rocking the boat. She’s part of a homeowner group currently suing the city over residential parking and promises to stand with her neighbors through the best and worst of city action.

Osorio-Khor currently sits on the City Planning Board and is a former member of the city’s Impact Fee Committee.

While on the Impact Fee Committee, Osorio-Khor argued for lower residential impact fees. As a member of the Planning Board, Osorio-Khor said her proudest moment was opening a dialogue between Kalispell Regional Medical Center and nearby residents upset about a parking lot expansion at the hospital.

In 2013 Osorio-Khor ran unsuccessfully against Ward 3 incumbent Jim Atkinson. When Randy Kenyon vacated the other Ward 3 seat in August 2014, she was one of nine applicants for the position. Rod Kuntz received the appointment and is currently running for election in Ward 3.

“The difference this time is that people actually want to talk to me,” Osorio-Khor said. “People want to talk about the issues happening in Ward 3.”

Osorio-Khor has taken a hard-nosed approach to making residents’ voices heard during the deliberation of new city laws and regulations. She criticized city officials for passing ordinances too quickly in recent years without providing enough time for people to become educated on the issues.

“There’s such a disconnect with the process right now,” Osorio-Khor said. “The attitude is, ‘We’re going to pass it now and fix it later.’ But I don’t think it hurts to get an educated public involved so they have enough time to be as prepared as the city.”

Osorio-Khor suggested adding public announcements to city water bills to reach the older demographic of residents who don’t check the city’s social media platforms.

After Osorio-Khor became the face of the west-side residential parking lawsuit brought against the city in September, Kalispell Mayor Mark Johnson said he would not reappoint any board member who brought an antagonistic stance to the process of city government. Osorio-Khor said Johnson spoke against the entire parking district in delivering his announcement.

“He’s not just eliminating me but that whole parking district,” Osorio-Khor said. “He’s eliminating everyone who disagrees with him.”

Osorio-Khor said the City Council works on a gang mentality that votes for popularity of the issue within the chambers rather than representing the interest of the public.

“I don’t want to be part of the gang,” Osorio-Khor said. “I want to stand with Ward 3.”

PARKING DISTRICT

The parking issue near Flathead High School remains the most contentious issue in Ward 3. On the night of vote approving the $25 parking pass compromise for students and faculty, Osorio-Khor warned the City Council that a newly formed neighborhood group would litigate the issue if the plan passed.

On Sept. 5, Osorio-Khor and the west-side homeowners group filed a lawsuit claiming that the new parking district laws do little to alleviate the congested parking issue.

“I stood with those people because I thought they were right,” Osorio-Khor said. “They’re not being heard.”

Osorio-Khor accused Kuntz, who developed the parking pass compromise, of cutting a back-door deal with Kalispell Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Dan Zorn to allow students and faculty to obtain parking passes. Osorio-Khor said she spoke with several neighbors in the area who were against the residential plan before it was approved by the council on a 5-3 vote.

Osorio-Khor has two suggestions: limiting the passes to 100, rather than an unlimited number availability to students and faculty, or close the parking district to students and faculty in two years, giving the school district time to develop its own solution.

“Then it would be a true residential parking district, instead of the unknown animal we have now,” Osorio-Khor said.

CITY DEVELOPMENT

Osorio-Khor wants to focus redevelopment of wards 3 and 4; an area she called “Classic Kalispell.” Her first project would be a new sidewalk project.

“If you can find a grant for hiring a policeman, we should be able to have great sidewalks,” she said.

Osorio-Khor supports the core area redevelopment plan, but said it needs to be re-examined for more secure funding.

Once the core area is redeveloped, Osorio-Khor envisions more family-friendly events such as the Arts in the Park and Thursday! Fest.

Osorio-Khor said she does not support the expansion of the Kalispell City Airport. She was against the expansion during her candidacy in 2013, saying it was an issue that prompted her to run for the ward seat.

CITY REVENUE

Osorio-Khor said taxes shouldn’t be raised to generate city revenue.

“We can’t be looking at the taxpayer right now,” she said. “We’re still coming out of the 2008 recession, so we need to be very innovative.”

Osorio-Khor said federal and state grants to reach infrastructure and development goals are the city’s best chance at a fresh stream of revenue.

“It’s how you create jobs, attract businesses and generate city revenue,” she said.

Osorio-Khor also said she believes the city could cut costs by privatizing ambulance services and dispatching fire trucks only to calls that have reported fires.

SHORT TERM

In the smaller scope, Osorio-Khor said offering city-owned parking lots to the employees of downtown businesses could ease the downtown parking congestion.

She said downtown parking could be remodeled for angled parking to increase the capacity and that parking fines should be eliminated to promote shopping.

“As soon as a customer gets a parking ticket, they’re gone for good,” Osorio-Khor said. “It’s not good for business.”

Osorio-Khor has been campaigning in Ward 3 with a handful of volunteers and has mailed out brochures to voters. During the next three Thursdays, she will be sitting in her business space at 222 Main St. to meet voters and talk about the issues.

“Voter turnout is really going to be important for me,” Osorio-Khor said. “We have the power to vote here, you can change things by voting.”

Voters can visit Osorio-Khor’s campaign website for more information at karleneforward3.com.

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.