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04-17-26 City Managers Report1 City of Kalispell OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER Information Memorandum 4/17/2026 Parks & Recreation Park staff have been actively engaged in seasonal cleanup efforts, with substantial progress completed at Woodland Park. Crews conducted extensive hillside debris removal and repaired turf areas impacted by fallen trees resulting from multiple winter wind events. In addition, staff have been conducting semiannual playground inspections and performing spring cleanup activities throughout the park system to ensure facilities are well-prepared for the upcoming peak season. Ongoing equipment maintenance has also remained a priority to support operational readiness and service reliability. At the Dan Johns Youth Athletic Complex, staff have been actively preparing athletic fields for the spring sports season. Efforts have included grooming baseball and softball fields, activating irrigation systems, and painting field lines to ensure facilities are in optimal condition for use. The Urban Forestry crew has continued its maintenance efforts by reapplying mulch to trees planted within the past five years to promote health and successful establishment. Staff also recently planted a memorial tree in honor of Barb Andersen, a former Urban Forestry Committee member and dedicated volunteer, in recognition of her many years of service supporting tree watering efforts. On April 8, the Urban Forestry Committee held its final meeting in preparation for the upcoming Arbor Day celebration, which will take place at Lawrence Park on April 24. This year’s event will feature the theme, “Don’t Stop Be-leaf-ing.” Summer event planning is underway for the Kalispell’s Picnic in the Park series. Musicians have been confirmed for both the noon and evening concert lineups, with performances scheduled from June 24 through August 12. The series will provide consistent, family-friendly 2 entertainment in local parks, supporting community engagement and activating public spaces throughout the summer season. Staff continue to coordinate event planning, including site setup, vendor participation, and permitting. Sponsorship solicitation efforts are ongoing to support event programming and offset operational costs. Summer recreation programming has seen a strong start following the opening of registration on Friday morning, with 486 enrollments recorded across Camp Woodland, specialty camps, and partner camp offerings. Camp Woodland, the City’s flagship summer day camp program, continues to provide structured, youth-focused recreational and enrichment opportunities, contributing to high community interest and participation. Staff are actively managing registrations, coordinating program planning, and preparing for a successful and well-attended summer season. Sports staff are concluding another successful Spring Little Dribblers program, which was conducted across three gym locations in Kalispell. The six-week program served 421 youth participants and was supported by more than fifty-five volunteer coaches, reflecting strong community involvement. Spring Soccer registration closed on April 2, with league play scheduled to begin April 22. Games will be held at the Dan Johns Youth Athletic Complex, which will host 423 youth participants and more than forty volunteer coaches on a weekly basis. Staff continue to coordinate scheduling, field preparation, and program planning to ensure a well-organized and positive recreational experience. Staff are actively focused on seasonal recruitment and comprehensive summer planning efforts for Woodland Water Park to recruit staff and operational readiness. In addition, contracted crews are currently prepping to install a new liner for the Lazy River, an improvement that will enhance facility functionality and the overall user experience for the upcoming season. KPR staff are pleased to welcome Karen Rumage to the team as Recreation Programmer, where she will oversee youth programming. She brings several years of experience directing camp programs and working with children and families and will play a key role in supporting and enhancing the department’s recreation offerings. Staff are actively in recruitment mode to hire more than one hundred seasonal employees in preparation for upcoming summer programs and facility operations. On April 9, staff participated in recruitment outreach at Flathead Valley Community College (FVCC). Additionally, staff will be present at the Northwest Montana Job Fair on April 16, which will host high school students in the morning session and open to the public from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., to further support seasonal hiring efforts. Public Works Sewer Main Slip Lining Project: The sewer main slip lining project started this month and is scheduled to be completed by September. This project repairs 7,085 linear feet of deteriorated, rooted clay sewer lines and manholes to like new conditions via slip lining technologies. Pipe slip lining is a cost effective trenchless underground pipe rehabilitation technique used to repair 3 leaks or restore structural stability to an existing pipeline. The goal is minimize sewer use impact by completing two blocks a day, however, while the resin is curing sewer service lines will be unusable for 4-8 hours. Project locations are in the downtown area of Kalispell including: • 3rd Alley W Between Center-5th St, • 6th Alley W 2nd-6th St, • 4th Alley E from 5th St-11th St, • Storm Addition Subdivision from 2nd St W-Meridian R, and • Storm Addition Subdivision East/West Sewer Mains. When existing sewer main conditions are structurally suitable, slip lining (a trenchless rehabilitation method) is often a more cost-effective alternative to traditional open trench replacement for rehabilitating deteriorated sewer mains. By utilizing the existing pipe as a host, slip lining significantly reduces excavation and surface restoration, resulting in lower overall project costs and shorter construction durations. Planning The City Council has been working through several parts of the Montana Land Use Planning Act. Having recently adopted the Land Use Plan, the Council held a work session on the zoning and subdivision regulation updates that are part of the plan’s implementation. First reading of both the zoning and subdivision updates by the Council are scheduled for April 20. At the Planning Commission meeting on April 14, there was a public hearing for South Town Plaza Subdivision, a commercial subdivision consisting of ten (10) lots on approximately 36.993 acres of real property located at 2295 U.S. Highway 93 South. It is a portion of the western part of the Gardner/Anderson Ranch Planned Unit Development, which also contains the Amazon site. The Commission recommended approval on a unanimous vote and Council will consider the project at its May 4 meeting. Building In the last 2 weeks we have issued permits for 2 single -family homes, 1 duplex, and 4 townhouses. That will keep the total of new single -family/duplex and townhouse units for 4 the year at 66 compared to 24 last year at this time. There have been 0 multi -family housing units issued so far this year compared to 32 last year at this time. There were a total of 374 combined building and/or fire inspections completed in the last 2 weeks. Residential – 88 Plumbing – 24 Commercial – 58 Mechanical – 36 Electrical – 14 Fire – 154 Community Development The US Department of Transportation has released the notice of funding opportunity for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program for the fiscal year 2026 round. This year, a total of $687,809,874 has been allocated for implementation grants and applications are due May 26. Eligible projects include any identified projects from the Main Street Safety Action Plan that the City of Kalispell adopted in 2024. The City Council will hold a work session on April 27 to discuss the grant. Fire The new Fire Station Kickoff planning meeting was conducted on April 9th with the selected design team and proposed consultant team. The one-day meeting concluded with a visit to the selected site at 490 Mountain Vista Way. Kalispell FD MT Address: 312 1st Ave E, Kalispell, MT, 59901 Incident Count by Primary Incident Sub Group 04/01/2026 - 04/14/2026 PRIMARY INCIDENT GROUP / PRIMARY INCIDENT SUB GROUP COUNT Hazardous Situation 4 Hazardous Situation - Hazard Non-Chemical 1 Hazardous Situation - Hazardous Materials 3 Medical 141 Medical - Illness 100 Medical - Injury / Trauma 37 Medical - Other 4 Public Service 29 Public Service - Citizen Assist 13 Public Service - Alarms (Non Medical)16 Report ID: 118208 This report was generated on : 04/15/2026 08:06 AM Page: 1 of 2 Incident Count by Primary Incident Sub Group-copy Kalispell FD MT Address: 312 1st Ave E, Kalispell, MT, 59901 PRIMARY INCIDENT GROUP / PRIMARY INCIDENT SUB GROUP COUNT No Emergency 23 No Emergency - False Alarm 11 No Emergency - Good Intent 3 No Emergency - Cancelled 9 Total 197 Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) Report ID: 118208 This report was generated on : 04/15/2026 08:06 AM Page: 2 of 2 MEMORANDUM Date: April 14, 2026 To: City of Kalispell From: Joe Schrader, Water Resource Manager Subject: April 10, 2026, Water System Pressure Event Description and Response Action City Response: On April 10, 2026 at approximately 2:55PM, City of Kalispell Water Department was conducting a routine flushing event of newly installed water pipe near the lower zone storage facilities at the golf course. As a result of the flushing activities an immediate and unanticipated pressure fluctuation resulted throughout the lower pressure zone (Appx location from the golf course south to Old School Station). Pressure differentials during the event varied across the lower pressure zone system, with the greatest fluctuations occurring in the southern portion of the service area. As the pressure event migrated through portions of the City’s water distribution system, it encountered infrastructure that has been in service for over 50 and 100 years. This infrastructure is more susceptible to failure due to age related deterioration. These inherent vulnerabilities contributed to concurrent water main failures at four separate locations within the lower pressure zone. The pressure fluctuation also triggered multiple fire alarm systems and disrupted water service in these areas due to ruptured mains. City of Kalispell staff immediately enacted response actions to repair damaged City owned infrastructure. At 4:00AM on April 11, 2026, all utility services had been restored to the affected areas. On April 12, 2026, one additional leak area was identified on City owned infrastructure and the repairs were initiated and completed that day. A claim has been submitted to the City of Kalispell’s insurance. A claims adjuster has been assigned and is currently investigating all claims currently brought to the City Human Resources Department. In accordance with Kalispell Water Rules and Regulations, repairs performed by the City are only conducted on City owned infrastructure. If property owners have questions or believe they may have potentially experienced damage related to this incident, they may contact the City of Kalispell Human Resources Department for information on how to submit a claim to the City’s insurance. Submission of a claim does not constitute an admission of liability by the City, and all claims will be reviewed and evaluated by the City’s insurance in accordance with applicable policies and procedures.