Kalispell City Council is debating whether to require the next city manager to live within city limits, an existing condition for the position. GMP Consultants, the Washington-based firm overseeing the job’s recruitment process, asked the council for clarity on the recommended salary and starting pay ranges, alongside the living requirement.

The city began the four- to six-month long search for a new city manager in August after City Manager Doug Russell announced that he was departing for a position in Lakewood, Wash.

During Tuesday night’s work session, councilors compared the city manager residency requirement with a decision council made to allow fire and police department staff to live outside the city limits, as long as they lived in Flathead County.

“Unfortunately, this is the on

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