10-04-24 City Manager Report1
City of Kalispell
OFFICE OF THE CITY
MANAGER
Information Memorandum
10/4/2024
1. Parks and Recreation
Winterization of Kalispell’s twenty-eight parks irrigation systems are nearing completion.
Park restrooms will be winterized last in the coming days. Portable toilets will be placed
at Woodland and Lawrence for the winter.
Camp Woodland, the old Bruckhauser Pool, has now been converted for hockey use this
winter. Partitions have been installed and camp materials moved from the interior of the
building. Hockey will use the facility through March at which time it will be converted
back to a day camp facility for the summer.
A contractor has begun removing fifty dead and declining trees in parks and boulevards
throughout the community. Our forestry crew is pruning at Northridge Park and will be
moving to Thompson Memorial Park.
Little Dribblers Basketball registration will close October 6. We are still trying to recruit
need volunteer coaches for this session.
Flag Football and Fall into Soccer programs are winding down for
the season.
Skip Out Camp will take place at Elrod Elementary School on
October 17 and 18 from 7:30am to 5:30pm. Registration is
currently open.
The Afterschool Program has been at maximum capacity with fifty kids
attending each day. Additional staff are being hired to accommodate more
children. A new program coordinator has been hired and an all-staff
training was held on September 28, focused on program values: safety,
caring, understanding, and FUN.
Staff are finalizing details for the first Depot Park Pumpkin Stroll this October. The
“stroll” will feature carved pumpkins placed within ground floor windows at the Depot
Park building. LED lights will light the pumpkins, creating a public viewing event. The
public is invited to stroll around the building October 26, through October 31, and cast
votes declaring their favorite carved creations. A voting station will be located at the
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main entrance into the building. First place winners in four categories will receive a gift
basket full of tricks and treats donated by local business sponsors. Categories include the
“Pick of the Patch”– most creative, “Pretty in Pink” – breast cancer awareness, “Ghoulish
Gourd” – Scariest Pumpkin, and “Munchin Pumpkin” – kids twelve and under. Winners
will be announced November 1.
2. Public Works
TSS Pavement Markings
The TSS Crew successfully painted a total of 193,983 feet of
long lines on city roadways, including double yellow lines,
white lane division lines, and fog lines. Additionally, they
painted 7,797 feet of yellow curb. Along with the long lines
and curb painting, the crew applied a total of 45 symbols
throughout Kalispell using paint or thermoplastic. During this
painting season, 1,085 gallons of yellow paint and 355 gallons
of white paint were used for the pavement marking work. The
TSS staff will continue refreshing symbols with thermoplastic
as long as the weather permits.
WWTP Main and Diversion Structure Project
The Diversin Structure project has reached final completion, and staff is currently
working on closing out the ARPA grant. With this project now finished, the City has two
remaining ARPA-funded capital improvement projects (CIPs): the North Main Well and
the Fermenter Rehabilitation.
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3. Building Department
In the last 3 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 115, compared to
86 at this time last year. There have been 80 multi-family housing units issued so far this
year.
There were a total of 337 combined building and/or fire inspections completed in the last
3 weeks.
Residential – 82 Plumbing – 125
Commercial – 55 Mechanical – 19
Electrical – 19 Fire – 137
4. Planning
The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at their October 8 meeting and take
public comments on the agenda items listed below:
1. File #KA-24-08; KPUD-24-03; and KPP-24-04 – Frank Garner and MT Seven
Properties have submitted applications for Tronstad Meadows and Whitetail
Crossing, including requests for annexation, initial zoning of R-2 (Residential)
with a Planned Unit Development overlay and preliminary plat approval for 355
residential lots on approximately 110.5 acres, including lots, roads, and common
areas. The property is located on the north side of Tronstad Road between
Highway 93 North and Whitefish Stage Road, opposite of Sirucek Lane.
2. File #KPUD-24-04 and KPP-24-05 – Bridgeland Development, LLP, has
submitted applications for an amended Planned Unit Development (“PUD”)
overlay modifying the existing Northland PUD and for preliminary plat approval
of Northland Subdivision Phase 5C, a major subdivision with 28 residential lots,
roads, and common area on 10.9 acres. The property is currently zoned R-3
(Residential) with the PUD overlay that was approved in 2004. This proposed
subdivision would replace a currently approved preliminary plat on the property.
The property is generally located on Northland Drive to the west of the
intersection with Summit Ridge Drive.
3. File #KA-24-09 – Greater Valley Health Center has requested annexation and
initial zoning of B-2 (General Business) for property located at 1995 3rd Avenue
East. The annexation request is based on the need for a new connection to city
water service.
Documents pertaining to the agenda items are on file for public inspection at the Kalispell
Development Services Department, 201 First Avenue East, Kalispell, MT 59901, and are
available for public review during regular office hours. In addition, information on the
agenda item is posted on our website at Planning Commission | Kalispell, MT
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(civicplus.com) under Planning Commission “upcoming agenda.”
5. Community Development
Phase 2 of the Safe Streets for All project has been initiated. For Phase 2 of this project,
the Priority Locations identified in the Main Street Kalispell Safety Action Plan will be
detailed and conceptually laid out to produce communicative visuals and inform concept-
level cost estimates that the City can use to pursue future funding for implementation of
the safety improvements. These concepts will be evaluated under peak summer
conditions to reflect the seasonality and tourism that the Kalispell area experiences.
These are concept designs intended as communication tools – they are not final designs.
The Priority Locations that Phase 2 will focus on include:
• Main Street between Montana Street and 13th Street / Airport Road
(approximately 1.07 miles).
• 1st Avenue West between Center Street W and 12th Street W (approximately 0.83
miles).
• 1st Avenue East between Center Street E and 13th Street E (approximately 0.90
miles).