Loading...
E1. 05-26-26 Work Session MinutesCITY COUNCIL DRAFT WORK SESSION MINUTES KALISPELL TUESDAY May 26, 2026, 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/MeetingVideos. A. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Hunter called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. B. ROLL CALL Council Member - Kari Gabriel: Absent Council Member - Sam Nunnally: Present Council Member - Jed Fisher: Present Council Member - Sid Daoud: Present Mayoryan Hunter: Present Council Member - Wes Walker: Present Council Member - Lisa Blank: Present Council Member - Kyle Waterman: Present Council Member - Dustin Leftridge: Present Staff present included City Manager Jarod Nygren, City Clerk and Communications Manager Aimee Brunckhorst, Director of Development Services P.J. Sorensen, Deputy Attorney Andrew Clegg, Police Chief Jordan Venezio, Captain of Police Administration Ben Sutton, and Parking Administration Assistant Karen Durado. C. DISCUSSION 1. Parking Advisory Board Recommendations 0a 00:01:29 City Manager Nygren provided a brief background on this item. 00:03:48 Police Chief Jordan Venezio explained that from the Police Department standpoint their biggest concerns are staffing efficiencies and technology. 00:04:29 Bill Moseley, Chairperson with the Downtown Kalispell Forward Coalition explained parking was the biggest priority they heard when talking with downtown business owners. He provided an introduction on the issues, and current conditions. Moseley then spoke regarding short-term recommendations within the Parking Strategy they submitted for consideration. These include (see document for full recommendation explanations): Valley Bank Lot — Free Parking with time limit, Modern Software System to track duration, Free, unlimited permits valid for any city lot except the Valley Bank Lot, Page 1 of 9 Kalispell City Council Minutes, May 26, 2026 • Convert on -street parking on Main Street and 1 sc Avenue W and 1" Avenue E to 90- minute limit, with some 30-minute spaces, • Increase parking fines, • Improve wayfinding, • Replace existing parking signs, • Allow city -owned downtown lots to be leased on weekends to non-profit organizations • Communication strategy, • Public -private partnerships to allow for usage of private lots during non -business hours. 00:15:09 Council Member Daoud asked about conversations related to paid parking. 00:15:30 Moseley explained why they do not believe paid parking is needed at this time. 00:16:38 Mayor Hunter asked questions about the cost of wayfinding signage versus changes that may need to be made later. 00:17:14 Moseley answered questions about why signage is needed and how it would be paid for. 00:17:43 Mayor Hunter asked about staff commitment to outreach. 00:18:09 Manager Nygren spoke regarding partnering with organizations such as the Business Improvement District, and Tourism Business Improvement District on outreach. 00:18:45 Moseley talked about mutual benefits with this initiative. 00:19:15 Council Member Waterman asked where the city is with the Valley Bank lot and permitting. 00:19:46 Manager Nygren spoke regarding development rights on that lot and current parking permits. 00:20:44 Police Chief Venezio explained the parking available from the city in lots and how many permits are sold on those lots. 00:21:42 Manager Nygren talked about under -utilization of the lots and possible reasoning why. 00:22:41 Council Member Waterman provided discussion about his usage of a lot permit. 00:23:07 Council Member Leftridge asked for details on the cost of parking permits and which lots have waiting lists. 00:23:18 Chief Venezio answered permit questions. Council Member Leftridge spoke to his experience with the Mountain Valley Lot and asked about the waiting lists. Manager Nygren explained those lots are being oversold and are still not fully utilized. Page 2 of 9 Kalispell City Council Minutes, May 26, 2026 00:25:39 Council Member Blank spoke in support of the thoughtfulness put into the strategy and then asked about priorities. 00:26:13 Moseley spoke regarding priorities and sequence referring to the document submitted. 00:26:45 Council Member Blank asked about comparable cities. 00:27:00 Council Member Blank asked further questions about comparable cities. 00:27:14 Council Member Blank asked questions about the weekend events recommendation. Moseley answered questions. 00:28:09 Manager Nygren talked about the recommendation related to events in city lots and the lack of a policy related to parking lots. 00:29:49 Council Member Blank asked how changes could be accomplished and how it would affect resources. 00:30:22 Council Member Nunnally spoke regarding the need for more space to do events and the importance of covering related costs. 00:31:05 Council Member Nunnally asked about overreach controls related to license plate readers. 00:31:41 Chief Venezio spoke to looking at Montana Code Annotated and creating city policy for the use of license readers prior to utilization. 00:32:33 Council Member Nunnally asked the Forward Coalition about ongoing outreach to the businesses to encourage them to park off the Main Street. 00:32:49 Moseley spoke regarding the conversations they've had with downtown businesses and more planned in the future. 00:33:54 Moseley recognized other Downtown Forward members that were in attendance at the meeting. 00:34:05 Mayor Hunter spoke with appreciation for the effort that has gone into the proposal. Mayor Hunter asked about the efficiencies expected with LPR technology and whether a 90- minute limit could be enforced. 00:34:45 Chief Venezio spoke to the advantages of LPR technology. D. PUBLIC COMMENT Mayor Hunter opened public comment. Page 3 of 9 Kalispell City Council Minutes, May 26, 2026 00:36:05 Chris Hall, Public Comment Hall of West Evergreen Drive spoke to his view that parking is not a major issue, and should not be invested in. He talked about his view that License Plate Reader (LPR) technology should be used for speeding and reckless driving. He talked about his experiences watching speeding and dangerous driving on his road and the ongoing problems with this issue. He explained further why he believes this technology should be used to enforce the law and send tickets in the mail. 00:39:15 Marshall Noice, Public Comment Noice of Main Street spoke to his appreciation that Council is tackling this long-term problem and the ongoing perception regarding lack of parking, and employees moving their cars slightly to avoid tickets. He said he is involved with the Downtown Forward Coalition and talked about conversations with business owners and that all brought up parking. He talked further about parking perception issues and the reasons why the recommendations from the Coalition would best meet the needs of the business owners, and thanked Council for tackling this issue. 00:41:45 Loraine Clarno, Public Comment Clarno, Executive Director with the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce explained they applied for a $10,000 community grant through Discover Kalispell for Tourism Business Improvement District funds for this effort. 00:43:12 Danel Smith, Public Comment Smith with Smith's Carpet Center on 2nd Ave West asked that the parking scope be expanded. She said she does not have parking available for her customers across from Black Rifle Coffee and would like the scope increased to 2nd Avenue West. She would like two-hour parking restrictions returned to that area. Public comment received in writing to the Mayor and Council can be seen at www.kalis]2ell.com/publiccomment. Seeing no further comments, Mayor Hunter closed public comment. 00:44:48 Mayor Hunter disclosed he attended a Downtown Kalispell Forward Coalition meeting when parking was discussed and that he met with Mr. Mosely recently for an overview of their proposal. 00:45:14 Council Member Daoud proposed the removal of all free time limit parking and install paid meter parking on Main Street from Center Street to the Couplet and remove all permitted parking in city lots from 1st and 1st and make those paid parking lots. He explained why. 00:47:04 Council Member Daoud spoke regarding why he would like the creation of policy that states that License Plate reader data is only available for parking enforcement. He spoke further regarding subscription based meters. Mayor Hunter clarified Council Member Daoud's proposal. 00:48:31 Council Member Daoud further spoke to his proposal. 00:49:42 Council Member Blank asked how specific areas such as 2nd Street West would be dealt with in Daoud's proposal. Page 4 of 9 Kalispell City Council Minutes, May 26, 2026 00:49:56 Council Member Daoud discussed his idea further. 00:51:23 Council Member Blank asked about Daoud's views related to utilization of License Plate Reader technology for speeding regulations. 00:51:33 Council Member Daoud spoke to state law in relation to License Plate Reader Technology. 00:53:09 Council Member Nunnally provided discussion in support of the Downtown Forward parking strategy presented and expanding the area further. 00:54:23 Council Member Daoud spoke to his views related to the use of parking enforcement officers. 00:55:04 Council Member Walker provided discussion in support of paid parking in general and planning out a parking strategy. He talked about ideas he researched for long-term solutions related to paid parking. He spoke in favor of the signage recommendation. He believes parking revenue should stay downtown to help downtown. He would like to see an official comprehensive master parking plan over the next few years. 01:00:25 Council Member Daoud spoke regarding the fast growth of Kalispell and paying for convenience with free alternatives. 01:01:18 Council Member Leftridge spoke to the need for a short-term strategy and wanting to incentivize people to come downtown. He provided discussion on his view that paid parking downtown penalizes downtown employees. 01:02:04 Council Member Leftridge disclosed that prior to becoming a Council Member, he sat on the Downtown Kalispell Forward Coalition. 01:02:18 Council Member Leftridge spoke to his personal experiences parking in front of his business and the behavioral nature of people in general. He discussed the need to prevent business employees from parking downtown and why he believes the parking strategy provided by the Coalition will change the behavior and create better perception of availability downtown. 01:05:22 Council Member Waterman said he also met with the Downtown Kalispell Forward Coalition. He provided discussion as to why he appreciates the recommended plan, including the LPR technology, and having free lots. He would like to see partnerships with banks to open up lots in the evening. He talked about his support to move forward with this short-term strategy. He provided discussion about some of the ideas presented related to long-term solutions. 01:08:37 Council Member Daoud spoke further to metered (paid) parking and keeping a future parking garage free to encourage its use and his view on how it would work. 01:09:24 Manager Nygren spoke to current technology moving past the need for meters and the technology being adaptable. Page 5 of 9 Kalispell City Council Minutes, May 26, 2026 01:10:22 Council Member Nunnally spoke to his past experience living on Main Street and considering those who live downtown. He also spoke in favor of extending out to 2nd Avenue West. 01:11:18 Council Member Walker provided discussion about downtown inhabitants. 01:11:46 Council Member Daoud said he does not have a problem with the short-term solutions that were brought forward and moving to paid parking eventually. 01:12:34 Mayor Hunter provided discussion that he is hearing a lot of council agreement to start with the current recommendations and having future discussions about paid parking as a long- term solution. He talked about the issues related to the current low price of parking violation fines and permit fees and in favor of increasing those costs. He provided discussion about paid parking long-term, and redevelopment of city parking lots. Short-term he supports the recommendations with an increase in the violation fines. After collecting data, further solutions can be discussed. 01:17:23 Mayor Hunter provided discussion about timing limits at 1st Avenue East and West and his preference to have a 90-minute time limit. 01:18:30 Council Member Leftridge spoke to increasing the first fine, changes to the parking permit fees and opening permits to all lots. 01:19:28 Mayor Hunter provided discussion about possible permit issues. 01:19:53 Council Member Leftridge provided discussion about permit fees and spoke in support of adding a 90-minute limit to 2nd Avenue West. 01:20:52 Council Member Daoud spoke to experiences with the city lots being empty and related frustrations and moving permit parking away from 1st and 1st and moving it to public parking. 01:22:01 Mayor Hunter provided discussion about free versus paid and limited versus unlimited time within the parking lots. 01:23:25 Manager Nygren explained why the Parking Advisory Board would recommend that the parking time limit remain at two hours. 01:24:07 Chief Venezio explained the expenses related to maintaining the lots that is paid through permit revenue. 01:24:45 Council Member Waterman provided discussion in favor of remaining at two hours and implementation as soon as possible. Council Member Daoud provided discussion in favor of remaining at two hours and spoke regarding gathering data from the LPR technology as soon as possible. 01:26:28 Council Member Leftridge asked about the timeframe for implementing LPR, and the use of the technology for parking permits. Page 6 of 9 Kalispell City Council Minutes, May 26, 2026 01:26:46 Chief Venezio answered questions about implementation. 01:28:26 Manager Nygren reviewed Council preferences for moving forward with the utilization of LPR technology, and an increase in fine costs. Chief Venezio explained how increased parking ticket fines for particular vehicles could be utilized. Council and staff discussed a progressive ticket system and then discussed block face `rocking' considerations. 01:32:55 Manager Nygren confirmed that Council would like staff to recommend a proposal related to block face considerations. 01:34:23 Council and staff discussed various parking permit and parking lot use changes and related costs. 02:00:20 Council Member Nunnally spoke in favor of a policy and fee structure related to allowing events in parking lots over the weekend. Council discussed events within parking lots. 02:02:49 Mayor Hunter spoke to his preference that the parking timeframe be reduced in the future. 02:05:11 Council Member Leftridge asked questions about permit parking ramifications. 02:07:12 Council Member Blank asked about timing related to the signage recommendations. Manager Nygren answered questions about signage and talked about communication efforts. 02:08:41 Council Member Leftridge asked for inclusion of parking recommendations recently made by staff related to a particular parking spot. 02:09:12 Chief Venezio explained the impact of permit refunds and answered related questions from Council Member Blank. E. CITY MANAGER, COUNCIL, AND MAYOR REPORTS Manager Nygren provided the following report: • Next week's council meeting will include the (land use) public participation plan and a community report from James Pike about the Co -Responder Program. 02:12:01 Council Member Leftridge spoke in appreciation for the work that the Downtown Forward Coalition has done and discussions that went into the parking issue and working on an issue that was mentioned by downtown business owners as their number one issue. 02:12:35 Council Member Waterman spoke with appreciation of the work done on this by the Coalition and to the long-standing issues related to parking. Page 7 of 9 Kalispell City Council Minutes, May 26, 2026 02:13:27 Council Member Blank spoke in appreciation for the community involvement, staff information and the council discourse and is excited to see something happen. 02:13:55 Council Member Blank requested a work session related to the issues with weekend cruising and said she has heard more about that from constituents and also heard about kids racing on e-bikes. 02:14:42 Council Member Nunnally spoke to the importance of the Downtown Forward Coalition and the city working together on the parking issues. 02:15:13 Council Member Walker thanked the Downtown Forward Coalition for their work on the parking issue and provided further discussion related to parking. 02:15:46 Council Member Walker spoke regarding the recent visit to Washington D.C. with Mayor Hunter and City Manager Nygren and said it was good to see the process, and the work that goes into everything and share our needs with people there. 02:16:38 Mayor Hunter thanked the Coalition for bringing the parking proposal forward and provided discussion that this is a start. 02:17:28 Mayor Hunter spoke regarding productive meetings in Washington D.C., and the benefits in making the trip. 02:18:31 Mayor Hunter spoke to the speeding public comment received tonight and the need and plan to develop a traffic calming policy. He talked about state law that does not allow the use of traffic technology for speeding infractions. 02:19:27 Mayor Hunter spoke to the desire for a proposal related to cruising prior to work session discussion. 02:20:43 Manager Nygren spoke to previous recommendations brought forward by staff. F. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Hunter adjourned the meeting at 9:22 p.m. Aimee Brunckhorst, City Clerk Minutes approved on UPCOMING SCHEDULE City Offices Closed — May 25, 2026 — Memorial Day Holiday Next Regular Meeting — June 1, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. — Council Chambers Next Work Session — June 8, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. — Council Chambers Page 8 of 9 Kalispell City Council Minutes, May 26, 2026 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. Page 9 of 9