06-28-24 City Manager Report1
City of Kalispell
OFFICE OF THE CITY
MANAGER
Information Memorandum
6/28/2024
1. Parks and Recreation
On June 11, wind gusts reached 41mph with sustained high
winds for several hours, bringing down numerous branches
around town. This was followed by a similar wind event
three days later. Forestry staff were able to have most
branches picked up within a few days of each occurrence.
Damage to trees canopies such as hangers, splits, and cracked
branches will take several weeks to clean up.
Kalispell Youth Athletic Complex staff are preparing the
facility for the Firecracker Tournament coming up the
weekend of July 4.
Volunteers from the Center for Restorative Youth Justice
worked to mulch the nature trail at Lawerence Park while Park staff were able to string
trim the tall grass adjacent to the trail.
Tennis lessons have spots available for registration for the second session that starts July
9. Lessons are held at Flathead Valley Community College tennis courts in partnership
with Logan Health.
3v3 Basketball players played their first games last week.
Games are played at Thompson Memorial Park on
Wednesday evenings. This year we are adding playoffs to
the end of the season.
Camp Woodland still has availability for registration this
summer. Harry Potter Camp and Zombie Survival also
have available spots and will take place at our new office
location at 15 Depot Park with two sessions each. Our summer Cheerleading Camp
registration is open as well. It will take place August 5 through August 9.
Interviews will be held June 26 and June 28 for our vacant Recreation Superintendent and
Recreation Programmer positions.
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2. Public Works
Stormwater Sampling
The City samples stormwater to better understand its
composition and the effectiveness of best management
practices as they relate to the City’s MS4 permit. Annually,
the City evaluates the samples and compares them to
previous years’ results and national medians. Further
evaluations delve into contaminant sources and potential
best management practices to minimize source
contributions to stormwater runoff. The evaluation report
can be found on the City website at Stormwater
Management Program | Kalispell, MT, along with
information on other stormwater management programs.
Pavement Preservation and Drainage Projects
To date, the Streets Crew has completed three paving
projects within the West Side Urban Renewal District:
Under Hill Court, 3rd Ave NW, and Center Street. These
projects have improved both the pavement and drainage
in those areas.
3. Building Department
In the last 2 weeks we have issued permits for 7 single-family homes. This brings the
total of new single-family/duplex and townhouse units for the year to 81, compared to 29
at this time last year. There have been 0 multi-family housing units issued so far this year.
There were a total of 115 combined building and/or fire inspections completed in the last
2 weeks.
Residential – 24 Plumbing – 8
Commercial – 10 Mechanical – 8
Electrical – 11 Fire – 54
4. Planning
The Planning Commission will hold a work session at their July 9 meeting and take
public comments on the agenda item listed below:
1. Files #KA-24-06; KA-24-07; and KPUD-24-02 – A request from Todd Gardner
and Colton Behr, for the Gardner/Anderson Ranch Planned Unit Development
(“PUD”), which includes applications for the annexation of approximately 6.5
acres of land at 2995 Highway 93 South with an initial zoning designation of B-5
(Industrial-Business), annexation of approximately 30.8 acres of land at 330
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Demersville Road with an initial zoning designation of R-3 (Residential), and a
PUD overlay on both areas to be annexed along with land zoned B-5/PUD
between United Drive and Lower Valley Road that is currently within the city
limits, totaling approximately 94.4 acres. The area already annexed is subject to a
placeholder PUD without a detailed PUD plan, which limits development without
a full PUD approval. The proposed PUD would expand the PUD area and replace
the placeholder PUD with a full PUD overlay. In general, the plan would allow B-
5 development on 63.7 acres in the area between United Drive and Lower Valley
along the highway and would allow R-3 residential development on the remaining
30.8 acres.
5. Community Development
On Friday, June 21, Montana Department of
Environmental Quality (MDEQ) contractors excavated
and removed an underground heating fuel storage tank
from the 3rd & Main parking lot. The 8’ diameter tank
appeared to be in good condition and soil samples were
taken from the area below the tank. Once soil samples
are confirmed, the hole will be backfilled and the
asphalt will be patched for parking to resume at the site.
6. Police Department
Captain Fetveit and Chief Venezio attended the MACOP Conference last week and
received legal updates related to law enforcement.
Officer Gasner completed the KPD FTO program and achieved solo status amongst our
ranks and is now working the overnight shift.
Officers Olsen, Praetzel, and McKinnon graduated from Montana Law Enforcement
Academy on June 25.
Officer Vukonich and Lt. Petersen selected a new K9 due
to the current unit’s workability struggles. Goose,
although a wonderful dog, had an inability to stay focused
on work tasks. Officer Vukonich selected a springer
spaniel named Reggie. The team will begin training this
week. The team hopes to be fully certified on narcotic
detection by the end of summer. This K9 swap was under
warranty with Pacific Coast K9 and was no cost. Goose
was returned to the company and will likely be retrained
in a different field.
Officers Williams and Turner attended and successfully
completed a Field Training Officer course in Hayden Idaho and will begin training new
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officers soon.
7. Fire Department
From the period of June 12 to June 25, the Fire Department had 175 responses. Of these,
there were 117 medical incidents, 2 house fires, 8 fire alarm activations, 9 motor vehicle
accidents with injuries, 7 Haz-Mat incidents, 6 public assists, and 25 nothing found or
dispatched and canceled enroute.
Kalispell Fire had a house fire on the southeast side of town due to a discarded cigarette.
This fire went up the vinyl siding into the attic space and displaced occupants from a tri-
plex.
Kalispell Fire assisted Evergreen Fire Department with a large fire incident at Lions Park
in Evergreen. This started as a small grass fire that spread to adjacent property, burning a
home, vehicles and large equipment.
Kalispell Fire assisted Whitefish Fire on a small bathroom fire.
Crews are continuing to train with MT DNRC in wildland urban interface fire training.
New portable radios have been placed into service. Training was given to all shifts and
the old radios removed from service.
Kalispell Fire received 71 applications for Firefighter EMT and Paramedic. The
department has narrowed the interview list down to 32.
New patient air splints were purchased, and training provided to all staff. Air splints
provide better patient care and comfort (which improves healing times) vs. being
immobilized to hard surfaces.