Council appoints Hedstrom as new city judge

Havre City Council apppointed Janie Hedstrom Tuesday as the new city judge.

Hedstrom, who has been working as Havre Police Department's administrative assistant and communications technician, replaces former City Judge Virginia Seigel, who announced her resignation in November, effective Monday.

Hedstrom said she is excited about the position and feels up for the challenge.

She added that she hopes that she can make a difference.

"There were good candidates," she said. "I think that it was probably a very tough decision for the council."

Hedstrom was one of three candidates for the position, including Josh Tyler Miller and Scott Guyant.

Susan Brurud also applied for the position but withdrew her application last week after taking a job with the Havre Encourages Long-Range Prevention Committee as its prevention specialist.

Council members Ed Matter, Terry Lilletvedt, Lindsey Ratliff and Erik Meis voted for Hedstrom.

Sarah McKinney and Denise Brewer voted for Miller.

Guyant, received no votes.

Council members Caleb Hutchins and Karen Swenson were absent and excused.

Candidate's background

Hedstrom, a former teacher at Havre High School, retired in 2010. She spent the last 16 years working with the Havre Police Department. Her experience there includes working as a dispatcher, budgeting for Tri-Agency Task Force and installing and overseeing monitoring equipment for the 24/7 Sobriety Program.

Hedstrom is a graduate of Northern Montana College, now Montana State University-Northern, earning a bachelor's degree in secondary education, and she earned her master's degree in business education from Montana State University in Bozeman.

She was born and raised in Havre and was a teacher at Havre Public Schools for 32 years. She started working part time with the police department in 2002 until 2010, when she started working full time.

Hedstrom told the council that while working at the police department she has become familiar with court procedures.

She said one of the concerns people may have about her being appointed is that the city prosecutor, Tamara Barkus, is married to her nephew, Havre Assistant Chief of Police Jason Barkus. She said she researched the issue and the law says in the Montana Judicial Canons that this would not disqualify her from the position of city judge, although while in court she would have to disclose to all parties her relationship with the city prosecutor.

Guyant, a cashier for Montana State University-Northern, said he applied for the position because he has always wanted to get into government.

He said he graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Science in general studies with an emphasis in political studies, although he did not pursue a degree in political studies or a career in politics prior to applying for the city judge due to family obligations.

He told the council that he wanted to get into government work and saw this position as a good way of starting a career in local politics.

Miller, branch office administrator for Edward Jones Investment in Havre, said he was born and raised in Havre. He told the council that he would be a fresh face in the city government and would provide an unbiased approach to the city judge position.

Miller said he attended Dawson Community College in Glendive, taking classes and obtaining an associate degree in applied science with emphasis on criminal justice and law enforcement.

After college he was an intern for the Havre Police Department and the Great Falls Police Department. He also served on the Cut Bank Police Department before having to leave the department for health reasons.

Questions and answers

During a question-and-answer period for council members, Ratliff asked all the candidates, if appointed, would they consider running for re-election next year, and they all replied that they would.

Brewer asked the candidates how they could make a difference as the city judge.

Miller said the city struggles with repeat offenders, adding that this was a subject he would like to focus on, although he is unaware of the resources available. He said he would also like to have community outreach to the youth in the area, specifically the young people that are going through the city court system for the first time.

Hedstrom said that she is familiar with the 24/7 Sobriety Program, has worked closely with the program in the past and hopes to utilize it as city judge. She added that many programs are available or active in the city that are not being utilized and she would like to use these programs, such as the drug court, to help reduce repeat offenders. She added that for many individuals, it is their first time going through the legal system and it is important that they have a constructive experience.

She added that she would also like to promote youth programs and youth education to help reduce the number of juvenile offenders.

Guyant said that he brings a great personality to the office and is able to see both sides of the arguments. He added that he also is a good judge of character and will be able to learn on the job and be able to use his life experiences to benefit the position.

Ratliff asked each candidate about their philosophy on how to resolve disagreements in the workplace, between departments and between the city and other groups.

Miller said that he is a big advocate for getting people together and finding common ground to solve a problem. He added that he advocates for strong communication and transparency in the city judge position.

Guyant said he agreed with Miller, but he believes people need to start listening to the other side's opinions before they are able to communicate efficiently to resolve an issue.

Hedstrom said that workplace issues occur regularly and in different places and it is important that everyone approaches these issues with an open mind. Communication and listening skills are important, she said, but the ability to interact and understand what the issues are is what is important with solving these issues.