Kalispell Ward 1 Candidate: Time is right for her to serve

Sandy Carlson thought about running for the Kalispell City Council a few years ago but the timing just wasn’t right. As one of two candidates on the ballot for Ward 1 this year, the timing is finally right, she said.

“It’s something I’ve always thought about doing,” said Carlson.

Carlson works as a donor recruitment representative for the American Red Cross. She also works part time as a concessions and promotions manager for the Glacier Symphony. As someone who works in the nonprofit world, Carlson said she would not have her job without other volunteers giving so much of themselves and their time.

“I have a real strong belief in volunteering and community service. To serve in public office is one way of giving back and saying thank you to a community that has given me and my family so much,” she said.

Carlson and Joe Apple are on the ballot for the Ward 1 seat held by Bob Hafferman, who opted not to run for re-election after 12 years in office. Ward 1 covers the northwest portion of Kalispell.

After filing to run, Apple tried to remove his name from the ballot but was told it was too late to do so. He is not actively pursuing the council seat and said he would most likely decline to accept it if he was elected.

Carlson is not letting up on her campaign. She’s distributing campaign signs and fliers around Ward 1 and plans to start knocking on peoples’ doors this week. “I don’t want to win by default just because no one is running against me, but it is what it is,” she said.

Carlson is still getting up to speed on some city issues.

She said she caught some criticism for being “wishy-washy” about the Kalispell City Airport and an upcoming referendum on City Council’s decision to try to realign and expand the facility through the federal Airport Improvement Program.

At a candidate forum sponsored by the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, Carlson said she was still studying the issue and making up her mind about how she plans to vote.

Since then she has decided to support the City Council’s decision and vote against repealing it.

“I have done a lot of homework and research and am convinced in the long run it will benefit the city to do those airport upgrades,” Carlson said. “It will help with safety and noise. It is time to do it now and it will benefit Kalispell.”

Carlson said she is still researching issues such as capital improvement funding and Kalispell’s impact fees.

“A lot of that I am still learning,” she said. “Impact fees are necessary but they need to be fair and equitable to all concerned, and consistent.”

Carlson said she strongly supports efforts to revitalize Kalispell’s downtown and the core area revitalization plan for the adjacent railroad corridor. She supports better pedestrian access in those areas and throughout the city.

“People talk about Missoula and all the miles of bike paths they have. Why can’t we have that here?” Carlson asked. “I live in Empire Estates right off Three Mile Drive and every Sunday I walk down to Janelli’s Deli to buy a newspaper. For a while I have a path and then I’m walking on the shoulder of the road. It’s deadly. With the school there, we need sidewalks and bike paths. Those are things I’d like to see happen in my lifetime.”

Bringing life back into the downtown area is vital, Carlson said, adding that the area needs more parking.

“We do blood drives at Community Action Partnership and [the employees] have to go out every two hours and move their cars, and at one point we had the Red Cross van on the street and they almost gave us a ticket so we had to move the van. There’s got to be a solution. I want to be part of that solution to make that happen, to just restore the downtown life,” Carlson said. “There’s room for all the northern shopping, but there’s a place and purpose for the downtown, too, and we need to restore that.”

Carlson acknowledges Hafferman will be a tough act to follow on the City Council.

She plans to take advantage of other City Council members with years of experience and the knowledge of city staffers to help research issues and form her opinions. She also promises to listen to and work closely with the public.

“I have no agenda,” Carlson said about her first run for public office.

“I am there to learn and to serve and to do what I think will make a difference. I feel that I’m very open to ideas and the whole learning process, and just feel the position of a council member is to listen to all the debate and discussions and try to make a decision in the best interest of Kalispell.”

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.