Police remove man from dais during meeting

The Columbia Falls City Council meeting had a moment of drama Monday night, when resident Matt Padgett claimed city councilman Darin Fisher should recuse himself from voting on a subdivision east of the Flathead River proposed by Location Acquisitions.

Padgett was critical of a video that was shot at Fisher’s business, Backslope Brewing and included his wife, Carla, who is in the video.

The video was showcased on a website called FlatheadForSensibleGrowth, put together by Strategies 360, the public relations firm hired by Location Ventures CEO Rishi Kapoor. It showcases a discussion by local bankers from Glacier Bank and Freedom Bank as well as Carla Fisher, co-owner of Backslope Brewing talking about the housing shortage in the valley. The video is moderated, in part, by a Location Ventures employee, Marissa Getts.

Padgett termed the video “propaganda” and claimed Fisher should recuse himself because of it.

As Padgett went on in his testimony to council and was critical of other city staff. Mayor Don Barnhart then asked Padgett to save the remaining comments for later in the meeting and claimed Padgett was starting to make personal attacks.

He then asked Padgett to excuse himself from the Dais.

“I don’t like the way your discussion is going and there are a lot of inaccuracies,” Barnhart told Padgett.

He told Padgett he was out of order. Padgett went out with his testimony and Barnhart asked Police Chief Clint Peters to remove Padgett from the podium.

Peters then escorted Padgett away from the dais.

Padgett was not arrested, however, and returned to the meeting. He later told the Hungry Horse News was taken to the door.

There was no scuffle in the incident.

Later in the meeting Fisher spoke to the recusal issue, noting, in short, that neither he or his wife were paid to for use of the space.

“We were not paid for use of the space,” he said.

He added that he had converted commercial space next to his brewery for employee housing and he and his wife were “acutely” aware” of the housing shortage and thus, it was reasonable to appear in what he called “a focus group” that talked about housing.

He also said that just because a group meets at the restaurant, it doesn’t mean hey endorse them.

City attorney Justin Breck agreed that Fisher was not obligated to recuse himself. Barnhart and the rest of the council agreed he should be able to participate, but councilwoman Kelly Hamilton suggested he recuse himself, even if it was legal.

“I believe it’s going to be construed else wise,” Hamilton said.