Meet Ward 1 candidate for Kalispell City Council Kari Sue Gabriel

The Daily Inter Lake reached out to Kalispell City Council candidates running in the Nov. 7 municipal election. The information below was provided by the candidates and edited for spelling, punctuation and space.

Name: Kari Sue Gabriel

Age: 60

Family: Married to Richard Griffin with one adult daughter, Ariel.

Occupation: Practice manager at Calm Animal Care in Kila

Community involvement: Kalispell City Council member, Ward 1 (since November 2003); Raptor rehabilitator and educator (providing live bird education programs to the community since 1997); Kalispell Daybreak Rotary Club. Past involvement: Montana League of Cities and Towns board member and officer 2011 – 2020; Council president 2011-13; Kalispell Planning and Zoning Board member; Flathead CARE executive director — a youth drug and alcohol prevention organization; Tobacco Free Flathead Coalition; Safe Kids/Safe Communities Coalition member; STOP Underage Drinking in the Flathead Coalition member; Kalispell Noon Rotary Club member; Montana FWP Region 1 Citizen Advisory Committee member; CRYJ board member; GHS Parent Committee, Leadership Flathead Class of 1997 and board member; Kalispell Chamber ambassador; Mountain Madness Air Show committee member, Montana PRSA board member; Montana delegate to PRSA National Assembly; NCMPR Board Member.

Why are you the right candidate for the position?

I’ve been a Kalispell resident since 1997 and have 20 years of experience on this Council. I have a history of listening to all sides of the issues with a nonpartisan ear. I firmly believe that partisan politics have no place in city government, and I have worked hard to do my homework and stay issue driven, with no ties to a political party or group. I remain accountable, with no voice being more important than another. I love this community and want to continue to help keep Kalispell a great place to live, even while experiencing growing pains.

How can Kalispell manage infrastructure needs amid rapid growth?

Partnerships. In my time on Council, we’ve worked with our congressional delegation in identifying funding sources for some major projects like the Rail Park, Parkline Trail, Bypass, Wastewater Treatment Plant and the West Side Interceptor. We also planned for the water tower going up now, and for major upgrades to our wastewater treatment plant. No one could have predicted the growth we have experienced in the last decade. According to Montana Department of Transportation Missoula District Administrator Bob Vosen, “We’ve identified $16B worth of needs over the next 20 years and we’ve got $5.3M worth of identified available funds to complete the work.” (From the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce Growth Summit held on May 18, 2021.)

Audits of the police and fire departments point out the need for additional staff and equipment. How should Kalispell address public safety?

With our huge influx of growth since 2020, our public safety services are suffering. There are more calls than ever. KPD calls for service for 2023 — 28,350 (to date as of 10/1/23); 2022 — 27,000; and 2021 — 26,150.

The Kalispell Police Department and Kalispell Fire Department are both being stretched with staffing and an uptick in calls. With almost 105,000 county residents (2020 census), we have two departments that have both been stretched beyond reason, and both deserve our attention and support. I fully support both departments having whatever they need to get their jobs done safely and get home to their families at night.

What is the role of the city in addressing homelessness and housing issues?

Referring individuals to local experts and resources that treat the unhoused with empathy, dignity and decency. We’ve requested a meeting with local cities and the county to discuss how we can help. We have seen a 96% increase in multi-family housing since we reduced our impact fees. From 2018 – 2022, we (planning) approved 4,817 housing units, and from 2020-2023 (to date), there have been 2,413 permits issued. 1,654 of those are multi-family units. We also approved shelter housing, including projects at Samaritan House and Ray of Hope, who are equipped to help them get back on their feet.

What other issues should the city be addressing?

Unfortunately, affordability is dependent on the person and is market driven. The median price of houses sold in Flathead County in 2012 was $197,750. In 2022, it grew to $655,400, a 231% increase in just 10 years (Flathead Valley Housing Market Analysis, February 2023). Housing prices escalated much faster than median household income in the last decade, and the population grew by almost 15%, but housing stock increased by just 6.2%. We need to add almost 1,500 housing units per year in the next 10 years to catch up. We have a lot to figure out in how our local kids can make enough money to pay rent or buy a house here. We are exporting our most precious resource — our kids.