E1. 04-14-25 Work Session MinutesCITY COUNCIL
KCITY OF DRAFT WORK SESSION MINUTES
ALISPELL April 14, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
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/Meeiing:��.
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: Absent
Council Chair - Chad Graham: Absent
Council Member - Jed Fisher: Present
Council Member - Sid Daoud: Present
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, Road and Fleet Superintendent Gene Come, and Supervising Mechanic
Tom Tinney.
C. DISCUSSION
Central Garage Service and Facilily Review and Proposed Solid Waste
Eguipment Storage Facilily �) 4�:j Presentation provided during meeting. Bold
titles match presentation pages. �� 4�:j
City Manager Russell began the staff report with a brief overview of this item.
00:03:38 Public Works Director Susie Turner began the staff report introducing Road and Fleet
Superintendent Gene Come, and Central Garage Supervising Mechanic Tom Tinney.
00:04:41 Central Garage Facility and Services
Public Works Director Susie Turner explained in detail the importance of central garage services,
and some of the challenges they are facing with staffing and with the facility. She spoke
regarding services provided to 5 departments and 16 different funds. She explained the goals of
the central garage include making fleet repairs in-house, minimizing reliance on outside vendors,
reducing costs, and returning equipment to service as fast as possible. She explained the
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Kalispell City Council Minutes, April 14, 2025
knowledge and certifications that the mechanics must have to work on the large variety of
equipment within the City including expanding knowledge about electronics.
00: 11:06 Central Garage Fleet Responsibility
Public Works Director Turner provided details by department regarding the amount and variety
of equipment that central garage is responsible for. She further spoke regarding the equipment
expansion expected in the near future in police and fire including two more fire engines, a ladder
truck and an ambulance.
00: 14:29 Equipment Demands vs. Staffing Levels
Public Works Director Turner explained that an additional mechanic will be requested in the
upcoming budget to help service and maintain the current fleet. Director Turner talked about
staffing support from other divisions being utilized to keep up with workloads. She talked about
equipment growth in the past nine years, additional growth not accounted for, and staffing
constraints and how that affects service delivery across departments.
00: 16:32 Fleet vs Staffing
Public Works Director Turner spoke in detail showing a fleet management matrix graph
comparing the current fleet versus staffing and explained how they looked at their actual fleet
management and compared that to National fleet management expectations. The analysis showed
that the City needs 6 technicians to maintain the City's fleet according to National management
expectations.
00:23:01 Council Member Fisher confirmed that the City currently has three mechanics. He
asked about the budget set aside for outsourcing.
Director Turner spoke regarding the contract services line item in the budget and what that has
been used for.
00:25:35 Director Turner explained that the City is more efficient than nationwide averages and
they believe they can handle the current fleet with four mechanics instead of the nationwide
recommendation of six.
00:26:21 Council Member Fisher asked about vehicle warranty use.
00:27:09 Council Member Hunter asked for further details about mechanic needs related to
upcoming increased fleet demand.
00:28:37 City Manager Russell spoke further about the expected influx of vehicles related to
Fire.
00:29:27 Council Member Fisher asked for details about how the internal service fund works. He
then asked about other services the central garage does.
00:31:37 Council Member Fisher asked about the distant locations if outside services are needed.
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Kalispell City Council Minutes, April 14, 2025
00:32:47 Council Member Fisher confirmed that the City does not lease large equipment.
00: 3 3: 11 Facility — Current
Director Turner provided detailed information regarding their current facility and the equipment
within and stored without. She talked about how the building lacks the necessary space and
infrastructure to safely support current and growing service demands. She showed pictures of
different areas of the garage and further spoke regarding current limitations.
00:38:34 Director Turner explained additional pictures showing how they utilize the space and
current limitations.
00:40:11 Director Turner explained why the building height restricts the number of and type of
work that can be done.
00:41:45 Director Turner summarized the challenges they are facing in the Central Garage
Division.
00:42:23 Council Member Gabriel asked whether there is space at the current location to expand.
00:43:00 Facility Needs
Director Turner spoke regarding the reasons for the need for a new shop with three general repair
bays, a dedicated preventative maintenance/fluid service bay, a dedicated welding bay, a taller
ceiling, and longer bays, dedicated parts storage, tire storage, and one for Kalispell Police
components. She talked regarding facility logistics including size and location. She reviewed a
cost estimate and talked about two possible funding options.
00:46:22 Summary Table — Financing Options
Director Turner provided a table showing how different funding options would affect the internal
transfer for all 17 funds.
00:46:56 Option 1 — Center Grage Future Budget Adjustment Options — 10-year Intercap
Loan
Director Turner went over a graph showing how a ten-year loan would affect the different funds
especially streets and solid waste.
00:48:25 Option 2 — Twenty-year Certificate of Participation Funding
Director Turner explained a graph showing how a twenty-year loan would affect different
departmental funds which would be much more manageable than a ten-year loan but still a
challenge.
00:49:17 Council Member Hunter asked about opportunities to refinance in the future if interest
rates go down.
00:49:17 City Manager Russell explained how these costs could affect the budget and the ways
in which the City is looking at possible funding options.
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Kalispell City Council Minutes, April 14, 2025
00:52:07 Council Member Fisher asked questions about different possible funding options.
00:53:04 Council Member Hunter asked how this might affect the budget in other areas.
00:55:57 Council Member Fisher spoke to his appreciation of central garage. He asked about
safety. He then asked whether the City does body work and painting. He further asked questions
comparing costs between in-house and outsourcing work.
00:58:39 Council Member Hunter said he appreciates how much the City does in-house and how
much he believes that saves money.
00:59:18 Council Member Gabriel asked what would become of the former shops complex if a
new facility were built.
01:00:01 Director Turner talked about space needs across divisions. She then spoke regarding
next steps which would include working on preliminary engineering, siting, and project
planning.
01:00:42 Director Turner spoke regarding lack of space at the solid waste facility and the need
for heated equipment storage for four solid waste trucks. She explained this capital project has
been placed in the fiscal year 2026 budget, with an estimated cost of $1,300,000, utilizing the
Intercap Loan process. She talked about facility planning across the Public Works Department,
and specifics related to sites at the shops complex.
01:04:03 Mayor Johnson asked questions regarding financing options and details in the financing
table.
01:05:00 Council Member Hunter asked questions about space within the public works shops
complex and about property elsewhere.
01:05:54 Staff spoke further regarding shifting of locations, previous plans for the lot that have
changed and talked about long-term plans to look for a satellite facility for storage in the north
portion of town.
0 1:08:47 Director Turner spoke regarding the land adjacent to the treatment plant and how it is
used by the treatment plant and answered further questions from Council Member Hunter.
0 1: 11:54 Council Member Daoud asked about orientation of the new facility.
0 1: 13:19 Council Member Fisher asked about the ditch/drainage area at the public works shops
complex.
0 1: 14:39 City Manager Russell explained why this item was brought before Council at a work
session.
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Kalispell City Council Minutes, April 14, 2025
0 1: 15:01 Council Member Daoud provided appreciation for these in-depth budget preparation
discussions.
D. 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 hlt2://www.kalispell.com/publiccomment.
E. CITY MANAGER, COUNCIL, AND MAYOR REPORTS
City Manager Russell provided the following report:
• The upcoming work session will include:
• Safe Streets for All and the grant application and outlining timeframes related.
• Parks and Recreation Business Analysis
• Budget work sessions are scheduled for May 6 and 7 1h at 6 p.m.
• May 12 work session - tentatively parking lot on Airport and I 91h.
• May 26 — no work session that week
• June 9 work session — hazard mitigation plan
• Senate Bill 2 passed today through the house and senate which would remove new
growth from the municipality at the sunset of a Tax Increment Finance District. He spoke
further regarding how that would negatively impact municipalities.
• A letter was received from the County Election Department requesting that the City go to
a mail -only ballot.
01:20:51 Council discussion concluded they would not like to move to a mail -only ballot.
0 1:22:34 Council Member Daoud provided an update on Montana House Bill 22 1, that would
change municipal elections to be on even years. He said it went through the House and passed
but was tabled by the Senate.
01:23:20 Council Member Hunter spoke regarding a recent article about our Safe Streets Plan
and online chatter about Main Street as three lanes. He referred to a Federal Department of
Transportation video that he would like the public to see that talked about the benefits of
reducing lanes. He will email the video to Council.
01:25:14 Mayor Johnson provided discussion related to his frustrations regarding how Senate
Bill 2 would negatively impact the priority of providing affordable housing.
F. ADJOURNNILENT
Mayor Johnson adjourned the meeting at 8:26 p.m.
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Kalispell City Council Minutes, April 14, 2025
Aimee Brunckhorst, City Clerk
Minutes approved on
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Next Regular Meeting — April 21, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. — Council Chambers
Next Work Session — April 28, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. — Council Chambers
PARTICIPATION
Watch City Council meetings live with the agenda and documents or later with time stamped
minutes at: hl�2s://www.kalispell.com/MeetingVideos or live or later on YouTube at:
hllps://www.youtube.com/gcilyofkalispellmontana9632/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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