08-15-17 Technical Advisory Committee MinutesKALISPELL TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MINUTES OF MEETING
AUGUST 15,2017
CALL TO ORDER AND
The meeting of the Kalispell Technical Advisory Committee was
ROLL CALL
called to order at 1:34 p.m. Committee Members Present were:
Doug Russell, Mark Munsinger, Ted Luehr, Marc Liechti, Ed
Toays, Phil Mitchell, Dave Prunty, Justin Juelfs, Susie Turner, Vicki
Crnich, Bob Vosen, Tim Larson and Thomas Jentz. There were
approximately 12 people in the audience.
APPROVAL OF THE
Luehr moved and Vosen seconded a motion to approve the minutes
MINUTES
of the September 23, 2015 meeting,
VOTE BY ACCLAMATION
The motion passed unanimously on a vote: by acclamation.
HEAR THE PUBLIC
Frank Garner — representative from House District 7— went ahead
and presented a portion of agenda item #4 in regards to the Bridge
and Road Safety Bill that involves gas tax. He advised that as a part
of that bill there is a separate account that was established which
collects essentially the increase to the gas tax. Approximately 1/3 of
those funds will go to the state to help with the federal matched, 2/3
to city and counties. It's distributed according to the formula that
has been in place for a very long time, Next March those
distributions will be made to city and counties for the I" six months.
Then every year after that in March before the construction schedule
based on those aforementioned formulas. Went on to say his basic
reason for being here is to try and provide some feedback as to how
to spend that money. He has had a lot of questions, concerns and
feedback in regards to West Reserve, Hwy 2 West and Willow Glen,
Phil Mitchell asked Dave Prunty about the loss of SRS funding and
if the gas tax will make up for this. Prunty advised that even with the
gas tax we are still about $500,000 short this year.
OLD BUSINESS:
Ted Luchr asked why the bypass speed limit is still at 55mph seeing
as how it's a controlled access highway. Jentz advised that he
suspects it's because the bypass is still considered to be under the
construction phase so it is still yet to be determined. Bob Vosen
went on to say that he has met with the local highway patrol and
they reviewed the route several times and have some concerns about
a couple of the curves and how people are going to handle that. He
mentioned that a speed study should be coming soon.
Ted Luehr — expressed his dislike of the Foys Lake roundabout.
NEW BUSINESS #I: DERN
Ed Toays, gave a brief background about this project. They have
ROAD -WEST
done an open house to involve the public and lie mentioned lie
SPRINGCREEK
wishes there had been more public involvement, This location is
INTERSECTION
now in the new urban area for Kalispell. Advised this is not a
Kalispell Technical Advisory Committee
MillUtCS of August 15, 2017
Pagel of3
decision making item but rather an inforinational item to start the
project and get feedback from the TAC Committee to get a feel for
what the project should be. Robert Peccia w/ Peccia and Associates
then presented the board with a PowerPoint presentation to give the
board some information on the project development. The
presentation included statistics in regards to vehicle crashes, There
i have been 48 accidents from 1-1-04 thru 12-13-14, of those 14 have
been rear -ends, 23 have been right angle and there has been I
fatality. He went on to explain the 2 options that were presented to
the public on 9-13-16. Option I included a traffic signal with left
turn lanes with an estimated project value of $4 million and option 2
would be a roundabout with an estimated project value of $5
million. At this point they feel the roundabout would be the best
option, which will be encouraged at the next public meeting on 9-
25-17. Jentz inquired about how this project would be funded. Toays
advised this is a safety project, it's nominated and in our red book.
Peccia went on to say that optimistically they would like to start in
2019.
NEW BUSINESS #2:
Vicki Cmich of MDT requested concurrence with TAC to add the
REQUESTFROM MDT FOR
north half of the bypass to the national highway system,
CONCURRENCE W/ TAC
TO ADD NORTH HALF OF
Jentz mentioned that the south half of the bypass is already
THE BYPASS TO THE
designated as part of the national highway system.
NATIONAL HWY SYSTEM
MOTION
Ed Toays moved and Dave Prunty seconded a motion to add the
north half of the bypass to the national highway system.
VOTE BY ACCLAMATION
The motion passed unanimously oil a vote by acclamation..
NEW BUSINESS #3:
Toni Jentz briefly explained the Transportation Plan. in 2006 Peccia
CONSIDERATION BY THE
& Associates was contracted by the City of Kalispell to update the
CITY OF KALISPELL TO
plan. It went through TAC and was adopted in 2007 then adopted by
BEGIN UPDATING 2006
the city in April 2008. The plan however is based on 200'5-2006
TRANSPORTATION PLAN
data, which is about 10 years old. The City of Kalispell would now
like to move forward with updating the plan. He then opened
discussion of funding for the update. Cmich advised that a letter
would come from TAC to the MDT, City and County requesting
money to help with the update, Phil Mitchell added that the county
may be interested in helping depending on where the boundaries are.
MOTION
Tim Larson moved and Ed Toays seconded a motion to start the
process of updating the 2006 Transportation Plan.
VOTE BY ACCLAMATION
The niotion passed unanimously on a vote by acclamation,
NEW BUSINESS #4:
Jentz advised that Kalispell receives $718,0'00 a year in Urban Aid
DISCUSSION OF THE NEXT
funds for projects in the urban area mentioned in the 2006
KalispeH Technical Advisory Connufttee
khILIteS of ALI gUSt 1-5, 2017
Palle 2 ol'3
K ALISPELL URBAN AID
Transportation Plan just beyond West Reserve and West
FUNDS PROJECT
Springereek and Willow Glen and South down by Rocky Cliff, He
further discussed the eligible projects and what the next project
should be. He: then went on to explain the top 3 projects to consider.
Those being Whitefish Stage, West Reserve and Willow Glen Dr.
Right now West Reserve between Hwy 93 and Whitefish Stage get
about 20,000 cars per day which is the 2 nd highest 2 lane in the state
behind North Russell in Missoula. Willow Glen Dr. gets
approximately 6,000 cars per day. Bob Vosen also touched on the
spreadsheet that TAC created 2 years ago with the approximate job
costs to widen West Reserve from Hwy 2 to Hwy 93 valued at $25
million to do a five lane and to extend Willow Glen all the way
through to Hwy 2 was valued at $31 million. He is proposing that
MDT goes back and re -visit these projects from a planning level,
particularly the section of West Reserve between Hwy 93 and
Whitefish Stage.
NEW BUSINESS #5:
Hungry Horse Reservoir, construction has begun on the 2 lane
UPDATE ON AREA HWY
bridge with a walkway. The goal is to have it open by Fall of 2018,
PROJECTS BY MDT,
Bad Rock Canyon — the four lane proposed project will probably not
FLATHEAD COUNTY AND
go through.
KALISPEIA.
Columbia Falls — redoing Main St through to Hwy 2. Originally
started as a, milfill project but has turned into more of an ADA
compliant sidewalk upgrade front Hilltop down to, the bridge.
Bypass — essentially complete, the four bridge decks will get a poly
overlay sometinie in 2018.
Rocky Cliff — flashing signal being installed in July 2017 at the
intersection of Rocky Cliff Dr, and Hwy 93.
Finished the chip seals on Hwy 82 between Hwy 93 and Hwy 35 as
well as the Foys Canyon.
Phase 3 of Hwy 93 in Whitefish — becoming a higher priority
NEXT MEETING DATE
The next meeting will be held when necessary.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at approximately 3:25p.m,
Thomas R. Jentz
Chain-an
Karl Hemanaez
Recording Clerk
The minutes were approved as submitted/amended on /)"'//`)'.J20l8.
K,a6pcfl Technical Advisory Committee
Minutes oF A ugust 15, 2017
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