Review panel to consider ombudsman for Whitefish

A proposal to create an ombudsman position for the city of Whitefish is among the items the Whitefish Local Government Study Commission wants city voters to consider.

The study commission will hold a third public hearing today at 7 p.m. at Whitefish City Hall.

Whitefish voters last fall decided they want an independent, citizen-led review of city government. The Montana Constitution requires that residents statewide get this opportunity every 10 years.

The Whitefish study commission includes former City Council members Turner Askew and Ken Williams; Whitefish businesswoman Rebecca Norton; and Whitefish Assistant City Clerk Vanice Woodbeck. The committee has been meeting twice a month over the past several months.

During those meetings the topic of how citizens interact with their city government has been discussed, Williams said.

“What we came up with over time is that a lot a people are afraid to talk in front of the City Council, or they don’t want to talk at a public meeting,” Williams said. “How do you come up with a way to interact with city government?”

An ombudsman, a person who investigates citizens’ concerns or complaints, may be a useful resource for the city of Whitefish, the commission has determined.

The proposal would be put on a ballot for a decision and does not need City Council approval before it’s put to voters, Williams said.

“We would like to see if the people of Whitefish will consider an ombudsman,” he said. “This would be a professional retained by the City Council, a person you could go to with an issue or question.”

The ombudsman then could find answers or retrieve pertinent information.

“It could help clarify and make city government less intimidating or overwhelming,” Williams said.

An ombudsman would answer to the City Council, not the city manager, he added. The terms of employment and other details would be worked out if voters approve the proposal.

The commission has mulled other local government issues, such as having the city return to using precincts or wards to elect council members. After a community survey indicated a majority of respondents don’t want wards, the commission decided not to pursue the change.

Commission members also investigated the possibility of re-establishing a dialog between the city and county, Williams said, over planning matters and other items of mutual concern. During informal conversations, the county commissioners said they doubted such joint communication would be productive at this point, he added.

Some housekeeping alterations to the city charter also will be put to voters.

One change involves changing a requirement that the city manager attend all city board meetings. That requirement dates back to a time when city government was much smaller, Williams said. The charter would be changed to allow department heads or designated representatives to attend some meetings.

Tonight’s public hearing is required to identify alterations to the city charter. Following the hearing the study commission will deliberate changes during a work session.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.