12-14-20 City Council Work Session MinutesCITY COUNCIL
KCM01F WORK SESSION MINUTES
ALISPELL December 14, 2020, at 7:00 p.m.
This meeting occurred via video conferencing to provide an environment that complied with the
Governor's Phase II COVID-19 Directive. Public comment was available via email to
publiccommenta,kalispell.com or verbally during the video conference with registration to join
at: https:Hus02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN WaOfg-YvSeatJWcaONTxxw.
Video of this meeting with time stamped minutes can be found at:
https://www.kalispell.com/480/Meeting-Videos.
A. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Johnson called the meeting to order at 7 p.m.
Mayor - Mark Johnson: Present in Council Chambers
Council Member - Kari Gabriel: Present via video conferencing
Council Member - Sandy Carlson: Absent
Council Member - Sam Nunnally: Present via video conferencing
Council Member - Chad Graham: Present via video conferencing
Council Member - Kyle Waterman: Present via video conferencing
Council Member - Ryan Hunter: Present via video conferencing
Council Member - Tim Kluesner: Absent
Council Member - Sid Daoud: Present via video conferencing
Staff members present included City Manager Doug Russell, City Clerk Aimee Brunckhorst,
Development Services Director Jarod Nygren, Senior Planner P.J. Sorensen, Planner II Rachel
Ezell, Assistant Director of Community Development Katharine King, Community Development
Office Coordinator Krista Lammers, IT Specialist Cliff Tucker.
B. DISCUSSION ITEMS
Planning Activity Reports
a. Design Standards for Historic Downtown Kalispell
b. Request for Proposals for the 3'd & Main (formerly Valley Bank) Parking Lot
c. Kalispell Parkline (Core Area) Project Timelines
City Manager Russell provided a brief overview of the timing for this discussion
Development Services Director Jarod Nygren provided information about the time that has been
put into the projects under discussion.
Planner II Rachel Ezell provided the staff report on item 1 a. starting with the grant that was
awarded to the Downtown Business Improvement District from the Montana Main Street
program to hire a consultant to develop the design standards for historic downtown Kalispell.
A&E was awarded the contract through a request for proposals process. Staff has met with A&E
to discuss goals, conduct a walk -around, and send out a survey to 148 property owners around
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the historic district downtown, and to other stakeholders, including the general public. 58 survey
responses were received. She spoke further about the survey questions and responses. A draft
design standard should be available to take to the BID and Architectural Review Committee in
January. A work session and public hearing is planned for the Planning Board likely in March
followed by a work session and public hearing with Council thereafter.
00:10:03 Council began questions for staff and discussed this item.
Request for Proposals for the 3rd_& Main (formerly Valley Bank) Parking Lot
Director of Development Services Jarod Nygren explained this lot is owned by the city, not
Valley Bank, so they will refer to it in the future as the 3`d & Main Parking Lot. Council
previously held a work session on this item in September. An appraisal of $270,000 was
completed since then. Director Nygren explained changes made to the draft RFP since that work
session. He spoke regarding the scoring plan for proposals. He spoke to parking concerns that
have been raised regarding downtown. A schedule is included in the RFP, with an award
tentatively scheduled for Fall 2021, with construction in 2022.
00:26:04 Council began questions for staff and discussed this item.
Kalispell Parkline (Core Area) Project Timelines
Director of Development Services Jarod Nygren explained that since Council's previous work
session in February, the right-of-way has been acquired, the Finding of No Significant Impact is
complete, they have gone to 90% design and have received comments from the Federal Rail
Administration on the design. They have worked with the Montana Department of
Transportation and have approval of the crossings across Highway 93 and the overall design.
They are currently working on a memorandum of understanding with MDT regarding how those
crossings would be maintained and working on a free lease agreement on the east trail head to
get the trail off the bridge and down to the new Flathead Lane lights. They are currently working
toward 100% design. They would like to go to bid in late February to take advantage of
construction costs and have a spring -summer construction. The new historical locomotive is also
in place. Staff will likely be recommending to Council soon that the trail formally be designated
a city park.
City Manager Russell said staff will likely bring forward a resolution regarding adding the
Kalispell Parkline into the city parks system. He then spoke regarding how far this project has
come and thanked staff and the community partners and agencies for the years of hard work that
has gone into getting this project to this point.
01:02:26 Council began questions and discussion on this item.
C. PUBLIC COMMENT
Persons wishing to address the council were asked to provide public comment via email to
publiccommente,kalispell.com or verbally during the online meeting.
Pam Carbonari, Public Comment
Ms. Carbonari with the Kalispell Business Improvement District and the Downtown Association,
spoke regarding the historic building standards. She is excited to see this move forward. The BID
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secured the grant and is paying the match for the grant, and the city of Kalispell is using their
employee time to move this forward. She spoke regarding protecting and preserving the historic
buildings in downtown Kalispell as well as ensuring that controls are in place for remodels and
new construction. She spoke regarding the historic fagade improvement grant that the BID
offers. She then explained that the new standards being created will provide guidelines for the
Architectural Review Committee and owners downtown. She appreciates the city support of this
project.
Ms. Carbonari then spoke regarding the parking lot on Yd and Main and how parking is not the
highest and best use for that property. She spoke to questions raised by Council about affordable
housing and the real estate becoming available in the core area that would be prime for
affordable housing. She spoke regarding the new market tax credits on either end of where the
Kalispell Parkline trail will be located. She spoke to the significant affordable housing already
available in downtown Kalispell as second floor apartments. She spoke to the importance of a
diverse population, and an aging community and how a project on 3'd and Main could play into
that. She spoke regarding the importance of the request for development proposals to provide
parking for their development within the proposals.
D. CITY MANAGER, COUNCIL, AND MAYOR REPORTS
City Manager Russell provided the following report:
• There is a regular City Council meeting scheduled for December 21, however the
December 28 work session has been cancelled.
01:15:20 Councilor Waterman spoke regarding Joe Russell completing his first day as the newly
hired Public Health Officer for the City -County Health Department. A Board of Health meeting
is scheduled for Thursday, December 17, 2020. Council Waterman would like to extend an
invitation to Mr. Russell to provide an update to council during a January meeting.
01:16:21 Mayor Johnson attended the last 911 Center Board meeting last week. The board has
been dissolved due to the passage of the special tax district ballot measure. He thanked the
Council for sticking with the push to make changes with the Center.
Mayor Johnson asked that people throw disposable masks into the garbage when they are done
with them.
Mayor Johnson reminded citizens that yard signs do not belong in the right-of-way, or on other
people's private property.
E. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Johnson adjourned the meeting at 8:16 p.m.
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V J 892 �' t"_ City Clerk
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