Council right on city manager
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Editor,
I would like to thank the Polson City Commission for not renewing the contract for our current city manager. It is rare, in our current political climate, to see elected officials vote on an issue with no benefit to themselves, other than serving the best interests of the community they represent. Mayor Pat DeVries, councilmen Mike Lies, Fred Funke and John Campbell live and work in our community. They are the ones who take the heat for making the hard decisions that define the health and function of our community. They have the guts and conviction to put themselves on the hot seat when the vast majority won’t.
As a 10-year member of the Lake County-City Planning Board, I witnessed widespread corruption that led concerned citizens to support a city manager form of government. They thought a city manager, hired by the city council and responsible to them, would bring a more effective, ethical function to city government.
As a member of the planning board, I was unimpressed with our current city manager, who was often unprepared. The meetings were set in advance; a lot of people adjusted busy schedules to work these meetings. The city manager’s reasoning that “he had just returned from vacation and was playing catch-up” was not impressive.
Because the city manager decided that he was responsible for all personnel issues, resolution to these issues rests exclusively with the city manager. I tried for 1 and ? years to establish a meeting with the city manager regarding an incident with water department personnel, and found out quickly this is no easy task. I have an insurance business in Polson and have hundreds of clients; some work for the city and some for the county. The problem of the city manager not responding was commonplace for most of these people.
The city council has done us a huge favor. We will all benefit in a more functional, rational and ethical city government. The new city manager will know that his or her employment is dependent on serving the council that hired him and the community that pays his salary.
Rolf Harmsen
Polson
