Community members will get a chance Wednesday evening to vet Jarod Nygren, the sole finalist for Kalispell’s open city manager position.  

The city will host an open house on Dec. 10 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 201 First Ave. E.  

The casual, drop-in format event will introduce residents to Nygren, who has been a city employee for nearly 11 years and was appointed interim city manager in August following Doug Russell’s departure.   

As the city’s chief administrator, Nygren would oversee the day-to-day operations of a municipality with 244 full-time employees and a $180 million budget. The starting salary for the position ranges from $195,000 to $207,000.  

Nygren, who serves as director of Development Services, emerged as the sole finalist following a months-long recruitment process spearheaded by GMP consultants. The consulting firm sifted through 65 applications and invited five finalists for interviews, but all except Nygren declined.  

Nygren was subject to three rounds of interviews last week that were closed to the public. He was questioned by City Council, a nine-member panel of department directors, and a panel of incoming councilors.  

“[Nygren] has proven himself to be an ethical leader with extensive project and collaborative experience, and other qualifications that make him an excellent candidate,” Mayor Mark Johnson said in a Dec. 4 statement.  

Johnson encouraged residents to attend the open house, hear Nygren’s vision for Kalispell and share their thoughts on the finalist.  

Comment cards will be available at the event. For those that can’t attend, public feedback can be emailed to [email protected], or mailed to City Hall.  

Council will vote on whether to appoint Nygren to the top job Dec. 15. If he isn’t hired, the body will consider conducting a second recruitment process.  

Nygren holds a master’s degree in public administration and an undergraduate degree in public administration and city planning. He is a member of the American Planning Association.   

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