10-17-25 City Manager Report1
City of Kalispell
OFFICE OF THE CITY
MANAGER
Information Memorandum
10/17/2025
Parks & Recreation
All park irrigation systems and restroom facilities have been winterized in preparation for the
colder months. This is part of our annual maintenance process to prevent damage from freezing
temperatures and to ensure the long-term functionality of park infrastructure. To maintain
convenience and accessibility for park visitors during the winter season, portable restrooms have
been installed at both Woodland Park and Lawrence Park. These facilities will remain in place
and fully accessible throughout the winter months.
With the conclusion of the fall sports season, staff at the Dan Johns Youth Athletic Complex
have begun off-season maintenance and preparation activities to ensure the facility remains in
excellent condition for future use. Key tasks currently underway include reconditioning the
softball infields, which involves the use of specialized equipment to relevel and improve the
playing surfaces. Additionally, staff have completed the winterization of the complex's irrigation
systems and buildings to protect infrastructure during the colder months. These efforts are part of
our ongoing commitment to maintaining high-quality recreational facilities for the community.
Forestry staff continue to actively respond to
tree-related work orders throughout the city as
part of ongoing efforts to maintain a healthy and
safe urban canopy. These work orders include a
variety of tasks such as pruning, hazard
mitigation, storm damage cleanup, and general
tree maintenance in public spaces. In addition to
routine work, crews have been focused on the
identification and removal of dead and
declining trees within Lions Park and Woodland
Park. This proactive approach helps to reduce
potential safety risks to park visitors, while also
promoting the long-term health of the
surrounding tree populations.
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The Miracle League of Montana has completed resurfacing
the Miracle Field at the Dan Johns Youth Athletic Complex.
The previous surface had reached the end of its life cycle,
showing signs of hardening, buckling, and seam separation
due to failed adhesion and temperature fluctuations. The new
artificial turf features a rubber underlayment that provides
improved safety cushioning, enhanced drainage, and a cooler
surface for users during warm weather.
The second annual Pumpkin Stroll will take
place on October 30 through the 31, at Depot
Park. Carved pumpkins will be accepted on
October 29 and displayed in the first-floor
windows of the historic Depot Park building.
The community is invited to stroll around the
building, peek into the windows, and cast
votes for their favorite pumpkins inspired by
this year’s theme, Movie Magic. Pumpkins
will be lit up in the evenings for a fun glow
stroll. Local businesses have generously
donated fantastic prizes to winners in four
age categories.
The After-School Program is now fully
staffed, and participation continues to grow.
This fall, several enhancements were made to
create more enriching and engaging
experiences. Each afternoon, children choose
from a variety of activity stations, including
STEAM, arts and crafts, coloring/reading,
outdoor play, and games. On Fridays, the
program features special activities such as
cooking projects, which have been well
received by both participants and
parents/guardians.
Skip Out Camp is scheduled for October 16 through the 17, coinciding with the Montana
Education Association Conference and the State of Montana Youth Hunt. Camp activities will
include field trips, fall-themed projects, and plenty of outdoor play.
The Fall Little Dribblers program kicked off with an impressive 481 players and 57 volunteer
coaches leading 52 teams. This marks a significant increase from 394 participants in 2024, a
testament to the program’s growing popularity. The six-week season runs each Saturday through
November 22, across three SD#5 school gyms.
Recruitment is underway for Learn to Skate instructors, with the program set to begin in
December. Registration opens November 3.
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Staff have completed the winterization process at Woodland Water Park, with a short punch list
of maintenance tasks to be addressed during the slower winter months.
Staff are finalizing details for the Winter/Spring 2026 recreation season. In addition to returning
favorites such as Kalispell Kickers Indoor Soccer, pickleball, tennis, and Spring Little Dribblers,
several new offerings will debut, including art workshops, Zumba, teen art workshops, and
mindfulness programs.
The Winter Program Guide, produced in partnership with the Daily Inter Lake, is tentatively
scheduled for distribution on October 27, with registration opening for programs on November 3.
Public Works
Annual Traffic Signal Maintenance and Conflict Monitor Testing: All City owned traffic signals
are subject to maintenance and conflict monitor testing, in accordance with the Manual on
Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), Part 4 – Highway Traffic Signals, and the NEMA
TS2 standards for traffic control assemblies and monitoring equipment. Some maintenance
items can include cleaning, replacing the air filter, making sure crosswalk buttons are
functioning as expected, visual check of components, indicators, and crosswalk countdown
module, making sure the vehicle detection is functioning as expected.
The City’s current inventory consists of 10 standard traffic signals including three on 1st Ave W,
three on 1st Ave E, one at 5th Ave W and Center Street, and three on North Meridian. In addition
to two High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) signals at N. Main St and Market Place St
and N. Meridian and Appleway Dr.
City TSS Staff are trained and certified to perform the required maintenance and monitoring.
This testing is performed annually to ensure compliance with MUTCD operational safety
requirements and NEMA TS2 performance standards, thereby verifying the integrity and
reliability of all conflict monitoring equipment in the field. The annual traffic signal maintenance
and conflict monitor testing program was successfully completed between September 30th and
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October 7th. All applicable devices were inspected, maintained, and tested, and results indicate
compliance with governing federal and industry standards.
Planning
The Planning Commission held a public hearing on October 14 and took public comments on the
agenda item listed below:
File #KA-25-07 – Flathead County Public Safety Facility
1. Flathead County has submitted a petition for annexation and initial zoning of P-1 (Public
Facilities) for property located at 225 Snowline Lane, Kalispell, Montana. Annexation
will allow connection to municipal services and establish zoning consistent with the
proposed public facility use. The project includes construction of a new Flathead County
Public Safety Facility, consisting of a detention center, Sheriff’s Office headquarters,
courtroom and program space, administrative offices, and related infrastructure.
The Planning Commission recommended approval of the application, which will be forward to
Council for their recommendation at their November 3 meeting.
The Planning Commission also held a work session on the following item:
1. In the 2023 legislative session, the Montana Legislature passed Senate Bill 382, which
created the new Montana Land Use Planning Act. Under the Act, for cities such as
Kalispell, the current growth policy, subdivision regulations, and zoning regulations are
largely replaced with a new land use planning paradigm. The work session was the
thirteenth in a series the Planning Commission has held. The focus of the work session
was chapters four and seven of the preliminary draft land use plan.
Building
In the last 2 weeks we have issued permits for 1 single-family home. That will keep the total of
new single-family/duplex and townhouse units for the year at 91 compared to 122 last year at
this time. There have been 343 multi-family housing units issued so far this year compared to 27
last year at this time.
There were a total of 440 combined building and/or fire inspections completed in the last 2
weeks.
Residential – 97 Plumbing – 38
Commercial – 56 Mechanical – 48
Electrical – 44 Fire – 157
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Fire
Incident Summary (October 1 – October 14, 2025)
Type of Incident Number of Calls Details
Fire-Related Calls 4 Vegetation, building, vehicle, other
Vehicle-Related
Incidents 12 7 with injuries, 5 without
EMS-Related Calls 165 Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Basic Life Support
(BLS)
Other Calls 33 False alarms, good intent, cancelled en route
Total 214
Department Updates:
The following members have been confirmed by Council as Firefighter/Paramedics for the
Kalispell Fire Department. All members under consideration have successfully completed their
one-year probationary period and all appointment requirements as of September 30th, 2025. The
members are:
• Sidney Becker
• Jon Hageness
• Seager Higgins
• Mitch Kline
• Jessica Lyles
• Jeremy Odio
• Vinny Thompson
• Ian Whalen
• Michael Martinez