Kalispell City Council will no longer require city managers to live within city limits.

The decision to do away with the residency requirement came as Council searches for a successor for Doug Russell, who left the city manager position in late August. GMP Consultants was hired last month to spearhead the four- to six-month recruitment process and Development Services Director Jarod Nygren has taken over as interim city manager in the meantime.

Councilors on Monday night weighed the importance of expertise over experiencing and managing the city as a resident. The body ultimately landed on letting potential applicants know that city residency is preferred but unrequired.

In 2006, the city enacted an ordinance requiring all city employees to live in Flathead County with a hiring preferen

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