New Parking Restrictions Inquiry Public Comment from Hailey Tagliareni with response from City Manager® Outlook
Fw: EXTERNAL New Parking Restrictions Inquiry
From Jarod Nygren <jnygren@kalispell.com>
Date Tue 7/14/2026 12:23 PM
To Kalispell City Council <citycouncil@kalispell.com>
Mayor and Council,
I responded to a question (below) that originally went to the public comment email. The question also pertains to some public comment
received last night. Please reach out if you have any questions.
Jarod
From: Jarod Nygren <jnygren@kalispell.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2026 12:17 PM
To: mae taglia <taglia.mae@gmail.com>; publiccomment@I<aispell.com <publiccomment@kaispell.com>
Subject: Re: EXTERNAL New Parking Restrictions Inquiry
Hailey,
If you don't have a current parking permit nothing would be changing. Changes in regard to permits is that permit holders will now be able
to park in any city lot with a permit ($30). Before the recent change parking permits were specific to city lots and the cost varied by lot.
On -street parking is still allowed for free downtown as long as the parking restrictions are followed. The city added a "Rolling Rule" (not
codified yet), which requires moving your motor vehicle at least 600 feet after 2 hours. This rule prevents a long-standing practice of simply
moving your vehicle couple of feet one way or another in order to avoid the 2-hour parking restriction. A complaint we hear regularly is that
employee parking downtown takes up on -street parking needed for business customers. We believe that this issue can be resolved if
employees utilized the city lots, rather than on -street parking. Parking studies show that city lots are under-utilized. Any parking
enforcement fines go to the city general fund which then helps pay for the parking services being provided.
We have not selected an LPR company yet and when we do it will be public record. Bozeman, Missoula, Billings, Great Falls all use some
combination of either Passport software and Genetec LPR, or both. The city will only utilize the technology for parking enforcement
(similar to how we do it now with chalking tires) in accordance with state law. State law addresses most community concerns raised with
the technology. Yellow highlights pertain to parking LPR systems. The green highlight is the MCA code on how Law Enforcement can utilize
them in other aspects:
Montana Code Annotated 2025
TITLE 46. CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
CHAPTER 5. SEARCH AND SEIZURE
Part 1. Legality and Admissibility
Use Of License Plate Reader Prohibited -- Exceptions -- Definition -- Penalty
46-5-117. Use of license plate reader prohibited --exceptions --definition --penalty. (1) Except as provided in subsection (2), an agency or
employee of the state or any subdivision of the state may not use, either directly or indirectly, a license plate reader on any public highway.
(2) (a) The department of transportation or an incorporated city or town may use a license plate reader: (i) to collect data for planning. If
data is collected under this subsection (2)(a)(i), the department of transportation or city or town shall ensure and maintain the anonymity of
the vehicle, the vehicle owner, the driver of the vehicle, and any passengers in the vehicle. Data collected under this subsection (2)(a)(i)
without a search warrant or outside of judicially recognized exceptions to search warrant requirements may not be used to investigate or
prosecute an individual or as evidence in court. (ii) in a regulated parking system, but only to identify a vehicle's location and license plate
number to enforce parking restrictions.
(b) The department of transportation may use a device and equipment, including license plate readers, if necessary, to implement 61-10'1 -
1 'I through 1-1 1I , 1-1 1 6 through 61-11-1'110, and 61-10-1154, if the devices or equipment are used in screening operations associated
with:
(i) virtual ports of entry; (ii) weigh station ramps using automated weigh station screening systems; (iii) virtual weigh stations using weigh-
in -motion technology; or (iv) an automatic vehicle identification system that enables participating transponder -equipped vehicles to be
prescreened throughout the nation at designated weigh stations, port -of -entry facilities, or agricultural interdiction facilities.
(c) Nothing in this section prohibits an agency of the state or any subdivision of the state from using its own vehicles, aircraft, or
equipment, including a license plate reader, to track, monitor, or otherwise maintain information about the agency's or subdivision's
vehicles, aircraft, or equipment.
(d) State or local law enforcement may use a device and equipment, including license plate readers, if necessary, if the following
requirements are met:
(i) A state or local law enforcement agency that uses an automatic license plate reader system shall adopt and publicize a written policy
governing its use before the automatic license plate reader system is operational. The policy must address the following:
(A) use of any database to compare data obtained by the automatic license plate reader system;
(B) retention of data associated with the automatic license plate reader system;
(C) sharing of the data with another law enforcement agency;
(D) training of automatic license plate reader system operators;
(E) supervisory oversight of automatic license plate reader system use;
(F) access to and security of data;
(G) access to data obtained by automatic license plate reader systems not operated by the law enforcement agency; and
(H) any other subjects related to automatic license plate reader system use by the law enforcement agency.
(ii) At least once every year, the law enforcement agency shall audit its automatic license plate reader system use and effectiveness and
report the findings to the head of the law enforcement agency responsible for operating the system.
(iii) Data obtained by a law enforcement agency in accordance with this subsection (2)(d) must be obtained, accessed, preserved, or
disclosed only for law enforcement or criminal justice purposes.
(iv) A law enforcement agency that uses a license plate reader system shall:
(A) maintain a record of users who access license plate reader data. The record must be maintained indefinitely.
(B) keep system maintenance and calibration schedules and records on file.
(v) Operation of a license plate reader by a law enforcement agency and access to data collected by a license plate reader operated by a
Law enforcement agency must be for official law enforcement purposes only. A license plate reader must be used by a law enforcement
agency only to scan, detect, and identify a license plate number for the purpose of identifying a vehicle that is:
(A) stolen;
(B) associated with a wanted, missing, or endangered person;
(C) registered to a person against whom there is an outstanding warrant;
(D) in violation of commercial trucking requirements;
(E) involved in case -specific criminal investigative surveillance;
(F) involved in a homicide, shooting, or other major crime or incident; or
(G) in the vicinity of a recent crime and may be connected to that crime.
(vi) A positive match by a license plate reader alone does not constitute reasonable suspicion as grounds for a law enforcement officer to
stop a vehicle. The officer shall:
(A) develop independent reasonable suspicion for the stop; or
(B) immediately confirm visually that the license plate on a vehicle matches the image of the license plate displayed on the license plate
reader and confirm by other means that the license plate number meets one of the criteria specified in subsection (2)(d)(v).
(vii) A law enforcement agency that uses an automatic license plate reader system in accordance with this section shall update the system
from the databases specified pursuant to subsection (2)(d)(i) every 24 hours if an update is available or as soon as practicable after an
update becomes available.
(viii) A license plate reader may be installed for the sole purpose of recording and checking license plates.
(3) A public employee or public officer, as the terms are defined in-2-102, who violates the provisions of this section is subject to the
applicable penalties provided for in Title 2, chapter 2.
(4) As used in this section, the following definitions apply:
(a) "Law enforcement agency" means:
(i) an agency or officer of the state of Montana or of a political subdivision that is empowered by the laws of this state to conduct
investigations or to make arrests; and
(ii) an attorney, including the attorney general, who is authorized by the laws of this state to prosecute or to participate in the prosecution of
a person who is arrested or who may be subject to a civil action related to or concerning an arrest.
(b) "License plate reader" means a device principally designed and primarily used for determining the ownership of a motor vehicle, the
mileage or route traveled by a motor vehicle, the location or identity of a motor vehicle, or the identity of a motor vehicle's occupants on the
public highways, as defined in 6-1-10.13, through the use of a camera or other imaging device or any other device, including but not limited
to a transponder, cellular telephone, global positioning satellite, automated electronic toll collection system, automated license plate
recognition system, or radio frequency identification device that by itself or in conjunction with other devices or information can be used to
determine the ownership of a motor vehicle or the identity of a motor vehicle's occupants or the mileage, location, or route traveled by the
motor vehicle.
Flock is not proposed.
Jarod
From: mae taglia <taglia.mae@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2026 5:04 PM
To: Jarod Nygren <jnygren@kalispell.com>
Subject: Re: EXTERNAL New Parking Restrictions Inquiry
Hi Jarod,
I currently do not have a permit.
Thanks!
On Fri, Jul 10, 2026 at 3:53 PM Jarod Nygren <jnygren(@kalispell.com> wrote:
Hello Hailey,
Before I answer your questions, I have one follow-up question that will help me in a response in regard to your first question.
Do you currently have a city permit to park downtown? If so, what lot?
Jarod Nygren
City Manager
From: mae taglia <taglia.mae _gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2026 11:52 AM
To: Kalispell Meetings Public Comment <publiccomment@ alispell.com>
Subject: EXTERNAL New Parking Restrictions Inquiry
Hi there,
I have read a few articles about the new parking restrictions in downtown Kalispell and was hoping to have some questions answered. I
did try calling the parking advisory board but the call kept failing so I figured maybe this would be a better line of communication. I
really only have a few questions;
1. Do I need to pay for the $30 monthly permit in order to park legally in downtown Kalispell? Or, are there still free to park spaces and
this permit just applies to high traffic lots and areas?
2. Is it public information where the money earned from the permits is going / what it is funding? If so, would you mind explaining where
it will end up?
3. Is it public information what company the police department is buying the new LPR (license plate recognition) software / tools from? If
so, please let me know.
Please help to keep our trails, public spaces, and communities safe by refusing to use Flock brand cameras. Please help to keep our
environment, wildlife, and future safe by refusing to allow data centers in and around our communities. I really appreciate your time,
thank you so much!
Best,
Hailey Tagliareni
(406)-291-1767
taglia.mae gmail.com
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