08-16-24 City Manager Report1
City of Kalispell
OFFICE OF THE CITY
MANAGER
Information Memorandum
8/16/2024
1. Parks and Recreation
Forestry is currently pruning trees in Lions Park: removing dead branches, lifting
canopies, and pruning for structural integrity.
With cooler weather, park staff have begun late summer/early fall treatment of turf in
larger Parks. With the impacts of the larger events on turf areas, we work to rejuvenate
the areas to promote new growth and reduce bare spots prior to dormancy.
With football and fall soccer about to begin, staff at the Kalispell Youth Athletic
Complex have finished fertilizing and will now aerate the turf. Final preparation will be
painting the lines for the season.
We ended the 3v3 Basketball season with play-offs
on August 7, at Thompson Memorial Park. We had a
great turn out and hope to expand with more teams
for next year’s season.
Cheerleading Camp ran last week at Lawrence Park.
The participants were able to put on a performance on
Friday, August 9, for their families.
Runnin Rascals registration has closed and will be
starting on August 24. Fall into Soccer is open for registration until August 15 and will
begin the season on August 28.
Camp Woodland’s last day will be August 16. Woodland Wonders will run Monday-
Friday next week, focusing on nature-based
education. Skateboarding Camp will finish this
week as well.
Zombie Survival Camp ran August 5 through 6.
The parks crew joined the campers for the final
zombie attack.
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2. 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 100 compared to 47
last year at this time. There have been 0 multi-family housing units issued so far this year.
There were a total of 175 combined building and/or fire inspections completed in the last
2 weeks.
Residential – 48 Plumbing – 6
Commercial – 34 Mechanical – 13
Electrical – 10 Fire – 64
3. Planning
The Planning Commission held a public hearing on August 13 and heard two application
requests consisting of the following:
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
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.
2. File #KPP-24-03 - A request from Kilday & Stratton, for the Starling Phase 4
subdivision, which is a major preliminary plat on approximately 8.1 acres of land
containing a total of 31 lots as well as a park, roads and open space. It is part of
the Starling Planned Unit Development, which overall is an approximately 58-
acre residential mixed-use development approved in 2021 located on the west side
of Stillwater Road between Four Mile Drive and Old Reserve Drive. The Phase 4
property is generally located to the west of the existing phases and incorporating
extensions of Timberwolf Parkway and August Way.
The Commission recommended approval of both agenda items which will be considered
by the Council at the September 3 meeting.
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4. Community Development
The Council, at the August 5 meeting, adopted the Main Street Safety Action Plan as an
addendum to the Kalispell Move 2040 Transportation Plan. In addition to adoption of the
plan, the Council formally adopted the following projects for USDOT implementation
and demonstration grants:
1. Implementation – Select the Main Street and 1st Avenue East and West projects
as the priority projects for the SS4ALL implementation grant program. Selection
of these projects will allow staff to work with the consultant to further
engineering design as part of the planning grant with the goal of submitting such
plans to USDOT for the fiscal year 2025 implementation grant program.
2. Demonstration – Select “LPI” (leading pedestrian interval), Oregon Street, and
5th Avenue West as the priority projects for the SS4ALL FY24 demonstration
grant program (August 29, 2024, application deadline). These projects would
include improvements such as curb extensions, rectangular rapid flashing beacon,
pedestrian hybrid beacon, high visibility crosswalks, mini roundabouts, all way
stop control and leading pedestrian control improvements. Leading pedestrian
control improvements include accessible pedestrian signal (APS) upgrades and
curb ramp improvements at the identified intersections.
5. Police Department
Officers Miller and Miletich trained with the Flathead County Sherrif’s Office Posse in
preparation for the NWMT Fair.
Officer McKinnon successfully completed field training and was added to dayshift
staffing.
Police Department officers completed annual re-certifications on firearms, less lethal
impact munitions, and mechanical breaching.
Officer McEntyre and Sgt. Appel successfully completed baton instructor school in
Missoula.
Officer Fusaro was promoted to Patrol Sergeant and Sgt. Appel was promoted to Patrol
Lieutenant, effective 8/12.
The year-to-date Calls for Service for the past three years are as follows:
2024-19,901
2023-24,025
2022-22,416
The year-to-date felony cases for the detective division for the past three years are as
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follows:
2024 – 363
2023 – 386
2022 – 420
6. Fire Department
From July 31 to August 13, the Fire Department had 155 responses. Of these, there were
100 were medical incidents, 1 house fire, 2 grass fires, 7 fire alarm activations, 8 motor
vehicle accidents with injuries, 3 Haz-Mat incidents, 8 public assists, and 26 nothing
found or canceled.
Kalispell Fire had a structure fire on the west north side of town on August 12. This was
due to an electrical issue that created a well involved attic fire.
All employees have completed their CADS training and certifications. (Certified
Ambulance Documentation Specialist). This course and certification help with better
documentation that assists with protocol adherence and better documentation for
ambulance billing.
All department self-contained breathing masks have had their annual test and
certifications for proper operability and seal.
The Fire Department will be interviewing 27 candidates for the current 13 openings the
week of August 19.
The representative for our Life Pak 15 cardiac monitors and Lucas CPR devices is in
town to perform the annual testing and certification of these units.
Two new training Captains have been selected to fill those new positions for Fire training
and EMS training. Joe Hansen and Jeremy Grady will be promoted to Captains on
September 9 to fill these positions. Their immediate duties will be to work with Chief
Kinzer on the upcoming 3-month fire academy for our 13 recruits.
All pumping apparatus have passed their annual pump tests conducted by a third party.