04-22-24 City Council Work Session MinutesCITY COUNCIL
KCITY OF WORK SESSION MINUTES
A.LISPELL Aril 22 2024 at 7:00 .m.
P P
City Hall Council Chambers, 201 First Avenue East
Video of this meeting with time stamped minutes can be found at:
https://www.kalispell.com/480/Meetinp,-Videos.
A. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Johnson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
B. ROLL CALL
Mayor - Mark Johnson: Present
Council Member - Kari Gabriel: Present
Council Member - Sandy Carlson: Absent
Council Member - Sam Nunnally: Present
Council Chair - Chad Graham: Present
Council Member - Jed Fisher: Present
Council Member - Sid Daoud: Present at 7:05 p m
Council Member - Jessica Dahlman: Absent
Council Member - Ryan Hunter: Present
Staff present included City Manager Doug Russell, City Clerk Aimee Brunckhorst, Public Works
Director Susie Turner, Deputy Public Works Director Keith Haskins, and Street Superintendent
Gene Come.
C. DISCUSSION
1. Special Street Maintenance Fund Review Q 4:3 Presentation provided at meeting
a
City Manager Doug Russell explained the background on this item and funding options available
for street maintenance.
00:04:46 Public Works Director Susie Turner continued the presentation beginning with a
summary of tonight's discussion explaining she will go over assessment components and then
options and an assessment schedule adjustment proposal.
00:06:54 Forecasting
Public Works Director Susie Turner explained the seven-year forecasting staff has completed for
the Street Maintenance Fund.
00:08:41 Pavement Preservation Operations
Public Works Director Susie Turner spoke with details and graphs regarding the rising costs of
pavement preservation and maintenance directly affecting the amount and size of projects.
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Kalispell City Council Minutes, April 22, 2024
00:10:48 Pavement Preservation Operations
Public Works Director Susie Turner spoke regarding road maintenance policies and road
conditions as well as the amount of reconstruction completed. She explained several revenues
used in forecasting efforts including the possibility of adding urban renewal funding allocations
within each respective renewal district beginning in FY25. She provided tables showing the
forecasted amount of street maintenance that could be completed with forecasted revenues.
00:17:37 Councilor Hunter asked for further details on the use of urban renewal district funds.
00:18:21 Councilor Fisher asked for details about how gas tax allocations are used.
00:19:40 CIP-Equipment Replacement Schedule A
Public Works Director Susie Turner spoke regarding the details of the equipment that supports
the street maintenance operations. She explained what goes into forecasting the need for new
equipment and replacement. Director Turner further explained equipment needs and related
funding needs.
00:23:30 Mayor Johnson asked about interest rates for BOI loans.
00:23:38 Councilor Fisher asked about lease options.
00:24:21 Councilor Nunnally asked further questions about lease and rental options.
00:25:09 Councilor Fisher asked about confidentiality in forecasting costs.
00:25:52 Councilor Graham asked about the feasibility of current allocations paying replacement
costs.
00:27.11 Councilor Fisher asked about possible cost benefits related to shortening equipment
replacement timeframes.
00:29:12 City Manager Russell spoke regarding consequences to equipment replacement
depending on which funding options are chosen.
00:29:57 Public Works Director Susie Turner presented an equipment replacement table and
spoke regarding the risks and consequences if the lower funding option is chosen.
00:30:56 Assessment Forecasting Current Schedule
Public Works Director Susie Turner shared a budget spreadsheet beginning with current
allocations and forecasting assumptions and outcomes.
00:33:00 Assessment Forecasting Option A
Public Works Director Susie Turner explained a budget spreadsheet and graph providing an
option that would forecast keeping funds, reserves, and service levels sustainable. She talked
about the percent increase to revenue that staff would recommend for those levels, and the
related forecasting assumptions. She also explained operating reserve levels with different
scenarios and the staff policy related to reserves.
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Kalispell City Council Minutes, April 22, 2024
00:35:50 Councilor Graham asked questions about operating reserves over time and what could
affect those reserves.
00:38:13 Assessment Forecasting Option B
Public Works Director Susie Turner shared a budget spreadsheet and graph providing a smaller
assessment increase option that would forecast lower reserves, less pavement preservation,
extension of equipment replacement and risks.
00:39:56 Option Comparison
Public Works Director Susie Turner explained budget spreadsheets comparing the options
presented and what the assessment would cost for each option including percent increases over
time for residential and commercial.
00:41:49 Councilor Graham asked about the initial larger increase recommended.
Director Turner explained why the percentages
00:42:38 Councilor Hunter provided discussion related to the cost differences between the
options.
00:43:10 Councilor Fisher provided discussion about the high quality of the forecasting and
detailed information presented.
00:43:25 Mayor Johnson provided discussion about inflation and the related level of service
policy decisions. He then provided discussion about the option costs and his views on
maintaining level of service.
00:47:04 City Manager Russell explained next steps if Council would like staff to move forward
for Council to vote on whether to use urban renewal funds for urban renewal district streets.
00:48:06 Mayor Johnson provided discussion about the overall budget that will be coming before
Council.
00:48:28 Councilor Graham discussed the budget process, inflation, and how budget decisions
are made.
00:50:28 Councilor Hunter provided discussion in favor of option A instead of having to come
forward more quickly with a further assessment adjustment.
00:51:21 Councilor Fisher agreed with council discussion provided.
00:51:36 Councilor Daoud provided discussion about causation of inflation and related
hardships. He also provided discussion about the importance of reserves and reasoning for his
preference for option A.
00:54:17 Councilor Nunnally agreed with council discussion and the importance of protecting
assets to avoid even higher costs later.
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Kalispell City Council Minutes, April 22, 2024
00:55:15 Councilor Daoud provided discussion related to the importance of long-term
forecasting that the City does and the importance of all the information provided.
00:56:07 Councilor Graham provided discussion in favor of option A.
00:56:21 City Manager Doug Russell provided a synopsis of discussion and next steps that will
be taken and brought before Council.
00:57:06 Public Works Director Turner thanked council for their feedback.
00:57:24 Manager Russell provided discussion related to the benefits of adding urban renewal
funds for mitigating the street assessment increase.
00:58:36 Councilor Hunter provided discussion and asked questions about the amount of urban
renewal funds to be utilized.
Manager Russell talked about upcoming budget discussions.
01:00:50 Mayor Johnson provided discussion about the presentation of upcoming budget
information.
01:01:52 Manager Russell spoke regarding upcoming budget shifts and possible final budget
numbers as compared to last year.
01:03:58 Mayor Johnson provided discussion about the importance of t--reserves in the general
fund.
D. CITY MANAGER, COUNCIL, AND MAYOR REPORTS
01:04:39 City Manager Russell provided the following report:
• The main budget work session meetings will occur at 6 p.m. instead of 7 p.m., on
Tuesday and Wednesday, May 7, and May 8, 2024.
• A summary of next steps for the Urban Renewal Agency as related to road projects
discussed.
• Council will not meet next week as it is a fifth Monday. The next meeting will be May 6,
2024. Included on that meeting will be the opioid governance memorandum of
understanding, a resolution of intent for public hearing for the Tronstad Development
Services item.
• A discussion on the Warming Center and related impacts in the area will be on the May
13, 2024, work session. He asked Council what related data they would like to see.
01:06:19 Councilor Hunter provided discussion about the data that was provided by staff and
asked for further half mile data assessment around Depot Park, Woodland Park, Library, County
Jail, Hospital, and the junction of Treeline and Highway 93. He then provided discussion about
why he would like to see the Warming Center itself removed, and why he feels the assessment
should only include specific months.
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Kalispell City Council Minutes, April 22, 2024
Council discussed the extent of the services the Warming Center provides and when, and how
that affects issues in the surrounding area.
01:10:13 Councilor Hunter asked for crime mapping data city-wide.
01:10:59 Council and staff discussed crime mapping requests.
E. PUBLIC COMMENT
Mayor Johnson opened public comment. Seeing none, he closed public comment.
Public comment received to Mayor and Council via email to publiccomment@kalispell.com can
be seen at
https://time.ci.kalispell.mt.us/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=128274&dbid=0&repo=Kalispell.
(Right click and open in new tab.)
F. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Johnson adjourned the meeting at 8:17 p.m.
r
Ai e Brunckhorst, CMC
City Clerk
Minutes approved on May 6, 2024
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Next Regular Meeting — May 6, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. — Council Chambers
Next Work Sessions — BUDGET TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, May 7, and May 8, 2024,
at 6:00 p.m. — Council Chambers
PARTICIPATION
Watch City Council sessions live with the agenda and supporting documents or later with
documents and time stamped minutes at: https://www.kalispell.com/480/Meeting-Videos.
Watch City Council sessions live or later on Charter Cable Ch. 190 or via the City YouTube
page at: https://www.youtube.com./(ci cityofkalispellmontana9632/streams.
The City does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its programs, services, activities, and
employment practices. Auxiliary aids are available. For questions about disability
accommodation please contact the City Clerk at 406-758-7756.
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