01-24-22 City Council Work Session MinutesCITY COUNCIL
KCrrYOF WORK SESSION MINUTES
ALISPELL January 24, 2022, at 7:00 p.m.
City Hall Council Chambers, 201 First Avenue East
The public was able to participate in person in the council chambers or via videoconferencing.
Public comment was also available via email to Rubliccomment@kalispell.com.
Video of this meeting with time stamped minutes can be found at:
httgs://www.kalispell.com/480/Meeting-Videos.
A. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Mark Johnson called the meeting to order at 7 p.m.
Mayor - Mark Johnson: Present
Council Member - Kari Gabriel: Absent
Council Member - Sandy Carlson: Present via video conference
Council Member - Chad Graham: Present
Council Member - Sid Daoud: Present
Council Member - Ryan Hunter: Present
Council Member - Sam Nunnally: Present
Council Member - Jed Fisher: Present
Council Member - Jessica Dahlman: Absent
Staff present in Council Chambers included City Manager Doug Russell, Development Services
Director Jarod Nygren, Development Services Manager Katharine King, and City Clerk Aimee
Brunckhorst.
B. DISCUSSION ITEMS
1. Banner Policy
City Manager Russell began the staff presentation on this item.
00:01:38 Development Services Director Jarod Nygren provided information regarding why the
previous policy created via Resolution has not been used for many years related to Montana
Department of Transportation policies and the deterioration of poles. He then provided further
detail on the proposed draft policy and draft application.
00:05:23 Councilor Fisher asked about the pole on 12th that is structurally inadequate for a
banner and who would be responsible for an upgrade.
00:06:57 Councilor Nunnally provided discussion in favor of moving forward with a banner
policy.
00:07:46 City Manager Russell spoke regarding some of the details that would need to be
considered within the policy.
Page 1 of 5
Kalispell City Council Minutes, January 24, 2022
00:09:14 Councilor Graham provided discussion reminiscing about the use of banners across the
road in the past and spoke positively about the banners the City of Whitefish currently uses.
00:10:36 Director Nygren answered questions about the difficulties of spanning Main Street with
banners and then went into some of the reasoning why banners went to the wayside.
00:11:51 Councilor Graham spoke in favor of working on these issues so banners can be placed
downtown and on the trail.
00:12:41 Councilor Daoud asked questions of staff related to the prohibition on business names
or nonprofit names on the banners.
00:13:05 City Manager Russell explained staffs position related to the end use of the banners as
providing attention and awareness of events that are happening and how that relates to the
prohibition on advertising.
00:13:58 Councilor Daoud asked for further clarification about who would be able to apply to
place a banner. He then asked for information regarding the reasoning for the insurance
requirement.
00:16:27 Councilor Fisher asked questions of staff related to the installation of the banners.
00:17:56 Councilor Hunter provided feedback in favor of keeping entity names off the banners
and asked about the possibility of having the business community fundraise for the replacement
of the pole on 121h. He then asked whether it makes sense to include a requirement that banners
are professionally designed.
Council and staff discussed the issues that get raised when artistic designs are reviewed.
00:21:45 Councilor Carlson asked questions related to funding the pole that would need to be
replaced.
00:24:10 Mayor Johnson asked for the input of Downtown Association Executive Director Pam
Carbonari.
00:24:27 Pam Carbonari, Public Comment
Ms. Carbonari, Executive Director of the Downtown Association spoke in favor of banners for
helping to keep Kalispell's small-town atmosphere and community spirit. She feels the city could
budget to repair the pole on 121h as an investment in community spirit. Ms. Carbonari explained
the Kalispell Downtown Association and the Business Improvement District Board has not had a
chance to review this policy. However, she would like to see the Parkline Trail banners go up
quarterly for a season rather than be event driven. She explained these types of banners were
provided by the Hockaday and placed along Main Street in the past. She spoke of the possibility
of adding banner arms back to the downtown light poles. The banners across Main Street could
be related to events. She would also like to see the timeline for the banners to be up longer than
14 days and spoke regarding associated costs. Ms. Carbonari spoke regarding insurance
requirement details. She would also like to see the timeline for submitting an application be
Page 2 of 5
Kalispell City Council Minutes, January 24, 2022
shortened from 60 days to 30 days. She spoke favorably of moving forward with a revised
policy.
00:32:40 Councilor Hunter continued discussion related to timing of events, priority, and the
possibility of several different banners being displayed simultaneously.
00:33:55 Councilor Nunnally continued discussion saying he would like to look into the option
of being able to place event banners on the poles down Main Street.
Council and staff discussed these issues further.
00:36:44 Councilor Hunter continued discussion about banner content and timing.
00:37:39 Mayor Johnson asked whether the Trail Committee has weighed in on these issues.
Council and staff further discussed events versus seasonal and Main Street versus Parkline Trail.
00:38:47 Mayor Johnson asked for future input on the banner policy from the Kalispell
Downtown Association Board and the Business Improvement District Board.
00:39:41 Councilor Daoud is in favor of shortening the length of time for an application to be
reviewed from 60 to 30 days. He asked for community feedback on the seasonal banners and
maximizing the banners for different events.
00:40:46 Councilor Graham asked about the process of creating a city flag.
Council and staff discussed possibilities related to the process of creating a city flag.
00:42:54 Director Nygren spoke regarding the completed branding of the Kalispell Parkline.
Mayor Johnson suggested the possibility that Councilor Graham lead a sub -committee regarding
a municipal flag.
Ms. Carbonari spoke regarding utilizing the expertise of the established arts groups within
Kalispell.
00:45:01 Mayor Johnson provided discussion related to Council just setting policy not looking at
design details.
00:45:46 City Manager Russell clarified the direction Council would like to take in moving
forward with this policy.
C. PUBLIC COMMENT
Mayor Johnson opened general public comment.
Page 3 of 5
Kalispell City Council Minutes, January 24, 2022
Anthony Weimer, Public Comment
Mr. Weimer of 1301 2"d Street asked about advertising prohibitions as they relate to logos and
symbols. He then raised concerns about the flow of pedestrian versus vehicular traffic on the trail
crosswalks.
00:48:00 Manager Russell spoke to the imagery questions raised by Mr. Weimer.
Staff, Council and Mr. Weimer discussed imagery issues.
00:54:13 Pam Carbonari, Public Comment
Ms. Carbonari, Executive Director of the Kalispell Downtown Association asked whether the
city has a budget for flowers to be hung along the Kalispell Parkline this year as they would need
to be ordered right away.
Recent public comment emailed to publiccomment@kalispell.com can be found at:
https://time.ci.kalispell.mt.us/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=l 51497&dbid=0&repo=Kalispell
Seeing no further public comment, Mayor Johnson closed public comment.
D. CITY MANAGER, COUNCIL, AND MAYOR REPORTS
City Manager Doug Russell provided the following report:
• Update from the Montana Municipal Interlocal Authority (MMIA) board meeting:
Preliminary indications show about a 7% increase in health insurance costs within
the industry. However early indications from the MMIA pool are at 2.5 to 4%,
and considering the success of Kalispell, the city may not see another increase in
our health insurance costs this year.
• Next Monday night is a fifth Monday, so a meeting is not scheduled.
• Council confirmed that they do not desire to have a work session on February 14.
00:59:51 Councilor Hunter asked if staff could invite Health Officer Joe Russell to provide a
committee report at a future Council meeting regarding the Omicron strain of COVID-19.
01:00:22 Councilor Nunnally agreed with Ms. Carbonari's comments about coming together as a
community and further developing community spirit.
01:01:20 Mayor Johnson spoke regarding progress at Fairbridge Inn, and further conversations
planned.
Mayor Johnson will be attending a Landfill Board meeting tomorrow.
E. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Johnson adjourned the meeting at 8 p.m.
Page 4 of 5
Kalispell City Council Minutes, January 24, 2022
���rrrr
f `'SEAL- :r-
: (;)'• J892 r-= 4Aimerunckhorst, CMC
•''O P�� City Clerk
••.N.�.•
''�����r
UPCOMING SCHEDULE / FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Next Regular Meeting — February 7, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. — Council Chambers
Next Work Session — February 14, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. — Council Chambers
Watch City Council sessions live on Charter Cable Channel 190 or online at the Meetings on
Demand tab at www.kalispell.com.
Page 5 of 5