1. Council Minutes - Regular Meeting February 19, 2002A REGULAR MEETING OF THE KALISPELL CITY COUNCIL WAS HELD AT 7:00
P.M. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2002, IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT CITY
HALL IN KALISPELL, MONTANA. MAYOR PAMELA B. KENNEDY PRESIDED.
COUNCIL MEMBERS JIM ATKINSON, DON COUNSELL, BOB HAFFERMAN, RANDY
KENYON, DUANE LARSON, HANK OLSON, JAYSON PETERS AND CITY MANAGER
CHRIS KUKULSKI WERE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER FRED LEISTIKO WAS
ABSENT.
Mayor Kennedy called the meeting to order and led the Pledge of
Allegiance.
Invocation given by Pastor Richard Whittet of Kalispell Foursquare
Church.
AGENDA APPROVAL
Atkinson moved approval of the Agenda. The motion was seconded.
There was no discussion.
The motion carried unanimously upon vote.
CONSENT AGENDA APPROVAL
1. Council Minutes - Regular Meeting February 4, 2002
2. Approval of Claims per Payables Register - $217,526.95
Larson moved approval of the Consent Agenda. The motion was
seconded.
There was no discussion.
The motion carried unanimously upon vote.
STUDENT ISSUES
None
HEAR THE PUBLIC
Liz Harris, Jobs Now, announced that Expansion Management Magazine,
a leading economic trade publication, has ranked Montana's schools
as seventh nationally with Flathead High School being named as the
number one school in the State and in the top eighteen percent in
the Nation. She presented a copy of the magazine and a certificate
to Flathead High School Principal Callie Langohr and School
District #5 Superintendent Harry Amend.
Kalispell City Council Minutes
February 19, 2002
Page 1
Langohr thanked the Council for its support of the school system,
especially the School Resource Officer program.
Amend complimented Langohr for her outstanding educational
leadership.
RESOLUTION 4680 - SEWER REVENUE BOND REFINANCING
Due to a drop in interest rates, staff asked the Council to
refinance the 1991 and 1997 Sewer Revenue Bonds which could yield
an annual savings of $25,836.
Kukulski gave a report.
Larson moved Resolution 4680, a resolution relating to sewerage
system refunding revenue bonds, Series 2002; authorizing the
issuance and private negotiated sale thereof and delegating certain
duties related thereto to the Mayor or City Manager and Finance
Director. The motion was seconded.
Counsell asked if the refinancing would extend the payment period.
Kennedy answered it would not.
The motion carried unanimously upon roll call vote.
MDEO SOURCE WATER ASSESSMENT CONTRACT AND FACILITY PLAN 2000
Staff is asking Council to approve a contract with MDEQ for a
comprehensive source water assessment for public water systems in
the Kalispell area and approve Amendment #2 for the Facility Plan
2000.
Kukulski gave a report.
Atkinson moved to authorize the City Manager to sign the contract
with MDEQ and Amendment #2 to the contract with HDR Engineering,
Inc., for Facility Plan 2000. The motion was seconded.
There was no discussion.
The motion carried unanimously upon vote.
Kalispell City Council Minutes
February 19, 2002
Page 2
REQUEST TO REMOVE FORMAL CLAIM APPROVAL FROM CONSENT AGENDA
There is no statutory requirement for the accounts payable claims
to be formally approved at a council meeting. In order to make
timely payments on bills, staff has requested that the City Manager
be allowed to sign off on claims with the Council getting regular
reports.
Kukulski reported the Council will still get copies of the claims,
but by paying the claims on a weekly basis, instead of every two or
three weeks, the City will be able to avoid late penalty fees and
can save on overtime.
Atkinson moved to remove formal claim approval from the consent
agenda. The motion was seconded.
Atkinson commented that formal claim approval by the Council is a
hold over from the Mayor/Council form of government and it's time
to change it. He said there are still several checks and balances
in place, including the auditor, and he feels this will make the
City a "better business with the contractors we work with".
Larson also supported the motion, stating that when he was Fire
Chief, he saw instances when vendors didn't want to do business
with the City because they weren't sure when they were going to get
paid.
Hafferman stated he's opposed to the change because the Council is
supposed to be responsible for the spending of taxpayer dollars and
that responsibility should not be delegated. He suggested the
Council approve the claims once a week, either at a regular meeting
or at a work session.
Kennedy commented she doesn't feel the Council is delegating this
responsibility because under the City Manager form of government
it's the Manager's responsibility to handle the day-to-day
operations of the city. She said it's the Council's job to approve
the budget and it's the Manager's job to work within that budget.
The motion carried upon vote with Hafferman voting against.
ORDINANCE 1411 - INITIAL ZONING REQUEST - GAYLON OWENS- 2ND READING
The developer for eleven acres located west of Lone Pine View
Estates and south of Sunnyside Drive has requested a zoning
Kalispell City Council Minutes
February 19, 2002
Page 3
classification of R-4, Two Family Residential. The property is
currently zoned County R-1, Suburban Residential.
Larson moved second reading of Ordinance 1411, an ordinance to
amend Section 27.02.010, Official Zoning Map, City of Kalispell
Zoning Ordinance, (ordinance No. 1175), by zoning certain real
property described as Assessor's Tract 8 located in Section 19,
Township 28 North, Range 21 West, P.M.M., Flathead County, Montana
(previously zoned County R-1, Suburban Residential) to City R-4
(Two Family Residential), in accordance with the City -County Master
Plan, and to provide an effective date. The motion was seconded.
There was no discussion.
The motion carried unanimously upon roll call vote.
MAYOR/COUNCIL/CITY MANAGER'S REPORTS
Kennedy read a proclamation for "Love Without Fear Week", which was
February loth through the 16th. She said even though the
proclamation was for last week, she asked everyone to be conscious
of domestic violence.
Kukulski stated everyone should have received a copy of a letter he
has written to Stan Clothier, the President of the Flathead County
Water and Sewer District #1/Evergreen. He said unless he hears
objection from the Council, he will be mailing the letter tomorrow.
(Letter is attached and by this reference is made a part of the
official record)
There was no objection.
ADJOURN
The meeting was adjourned at 7:34 p.m.
ATTEST:
Theresa White
City Clerk
Pamela B. Kennedy
Mayor
Kalispell City Council Minutes
February 19, 2002
Page 4
4
`1
City of Kalispell
Post Office Box 1997 - Kalispell, Montana 59903-1997 -Telephone (406)758-7700 Fax(406)758-7758
February 20, 2002
Stan Clothier, President
Flathead County Water & Sewer District #1—Evergreen
130 Nicholson Drive
Kalispell, MT 59901
Re: Your letter, received 1/15/02, and follow-up meeting of 1/31/02 with you, your Board attorney,
other members of your Board and staff, members of the Kalispell Public Works staff and myself.
Dear Mr. Clothier
First, please convey my appreciation to your Board and staff for their willingness to join in discussing
our common interests and concerns regarding the future of the Kalispell Advanced Wastewater
Treatment Plant and its vital role in providing sewage treatment solutions for this area.
As we indicated during the meeting on the 31s1, the final draft of the City's Water, Sewer, and Storm
Drainage Systems Facility Plan 2000 concluded that an enlarged wastewater treatment facility will be
needed by 2006 rather than the originally anticipated date of 2010. As a result, Kalispell has embarked
on a comprehensive planning and engineering effort to define the size and configuration of this new
facility. In addition, the engineering analysis will examine the City's options in light of recently
discussed potential changes in the regulatory environment for Flathead Lake. This effort will take
place over the next year and when completed will form the design basis for the new facility.
Bill Astle, representing your Board, pointed out that one-half the time covered by the current
interlocal agreement between the District and the City has passed, and as a result the District is
examining its wastewater treatment options as well. Bill indicated that building a separate treatment
plant is one option being considered and continuing the relationship with the City of Kalispell is
another. He went on to explain that the primary purpose of the District's letter and our follow-up
meeting was to determine whether a continued relationship with the City of Kalispell, with potentially
a greater allotment of treatment capacity, is feasible and desirable to pursue. Bill also indicated the
District would like to discuss the potential for financial participation in the City's project to expand
the wastewater plant. The current evaluation of the wastewater treatment plant makes this an
appropriate time for this discussion.
_i
I have spoken informally with each member ofthe City Council. They have indicated their support for
staff to develop a dialogue with the District about these possibilities. The expansion of the City
wastewater treatment plant will be a costly project. Therefore, discussing the potential for financial
participation by the District in exchange for additional treatment capacity is something that should be
discussed in much more detail.
To keep this process moving forward, I suggest that we meet again within the next month. We should
plan at this meeting to begin identifying additional information that will be needed in order for
meaningful discussions to take place. From there we may be able to move on to the questions of the
appropriate form and forum for further more detailed discussions.
In closing, let me thank you again for your willingness to begin this dialogue between the City of
Kalispell and the Evergreen Sewer Board. We look forward to discussing these and other matters of
mutual interest and benefit, and hope that these conversations will always happen in an atmosphere of
goodwill and a continuing spirit of cooperation.
Sincerely,
Chris A. Kukulski
City Manager
Cc Kalispell City Council
Tim Hansz, Public Works Director