“The charge of this body (study commission) is to review the power, form, and plant of local government,” Ashley Kent said at a public meeting of the Polson City Government Review Committee on Oct. 2 in the North Lake County Public Library.  

Kent is assistant manager of the Montana State University Extension Local Government Center and well versed in city government, presenting more than 100 talks each year.  

Starting with a reminder that Polson has a charter form of government, she solicited questions and concerns from the audience, about 46 people counting the study commissioners. The topics included elections staff, city manager powers and authority, eligibility to vote in the city, hiring or electing an executive, structure options, city meeting rules, preparing commission meeting agenda, how to amend city manager contract and disciplinary actions, role of mayor and city manager.  

Using the city charter and knowledge of Montana statutes, Kent and the study commissioners went through the items, discussing them with the audience members and winnowed them down to issues the group would like the study commission to address with study commission member Dave Rittenhouse adding a question about who hires the city attorney. 

Kent gave each person a strip of sticky dots; each person could select “m” for the main study or “s” for a supplemental study.   

For example, adding mayoral responsibilities would be a supplemental study because it could be done by resolution; the same goes for adding city manager responsibilities.  

A strong area of interest, many sticky dots, was not a vote, Kent stressed; it meant that many audience members wanted the study commission to dig into the issue. About half of the folks used their sticky dots, and Kent sent the study commission home with the flip chart sheets to guide a portion of the study commission’s work. 

Tucked into the meeting was the study commission’s first public hearing called to order by Chair Larry Ashcroft, who asked for public comment. 

Carolyn Pardini asked if a change to hiring or electing an executive would change Polson’s form of government. 

Kent answered that that change would change the structure but not the form of government. 

With no other public comment, the hearing was closed. Ashcroft thanked everyone for attending. The crowd thanked the commissioners for their consistent efforts and hard work.  

The Polson City Government Review Committee meets on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 3 p.m. at Polson City Hall.