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1. Firing RangeCity of Kalispell 201 Is'Ave E. P.O. Box 1997 Kalispell, Montana 59903-1997 (406) 758-7000 Fax (406)7757 REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Terry Milton, Director of Human Resources James H. Patrick, City Manager SUBJECT: Northwest Montana Regional Public Training/Testing Center MEETING DATE: August 11, 2008 BACKGROUND: Law Enforcement personnel located in Northwest Montana are forced to train and test at an outdoor, "makeshift" facility at Glacier International Airport or at landfills and rural wooded properties. The FAA will require the range to be relocated due to air traffic safety concerns; there are no other training facilities for law enforcement for relocation and fire personnel have no training facilities at all in Northwest Montana. Over 1,000 local law enforcement and fire personnel will utilize the proposed center including such agencies as Border Patrol, Homeland Security, Montana Highway Patrol, National Guard and agencies in the Northwestern United States. The proposed Center will provide an indoor shooting area that will have between 25 - 35 100 yard shooting lanes. The main shooting area will be large enough to accommodate vehicles, including buses, thereby creating true shooting scenarios (light and sound) in controlled training conditions. State-of-the-art bullet traps and deflectors will be installed along with environmentally friendly air movement/filtration systems for the protection of participants and the public from lead exposure. An observation area, elevated and separated by glass, to deaden the sound from observers, will be directly behind the shooting benches. The Center will also have areas for simulator training, hand gun qualification, and gun manufacturer "proofing" of their new weapons. Out year phases will include a fire training tower and burn rooms. Montana is known for its support of large and small game hunting, as well as sports shooting events. The State's Fish Wildlife and Parks is interested in participating in this venture to provide an ideal opportunity for conducting Hunters" Safety courses provided by the State, as well as supporting private citizen weapons safety and zeroing each year. There are also opportunities for self defense programs, archery, and marksmanship competition. As you are aware, the City submitted an earmark request to our Congressional delegation for the funding of such a facility. We have been notified that the Senate Appropriations Committee has recommended $750,000 for next fiscal year. This would be the largest appropriation awarded to any City in Montana. The reason is that this would be a much needed training center for all law enforcement agencies in Northwest Montana. The State is considering another $500,000 towards this project in support of private gun industry's use of the facility. We are also in the process of applying for several other grants for assistance as well as funding. This facility has already attracted the attention of several national gun manufacturers as a draw to locate their business in the industrial park. This facility has also caught the attention of law enforcement agencies within 140 miles of Kalispell. We do not want to rush into this project without doing our due diligence. The direction we are currently taking is to brief Council and seek guidance, form a non-profit entity to receive contributions and provide oversight, apply for a grant to conduct a feasibility study and business plan, select a company to conduct the study and plan, review the recommendations, continue to work on the needs analysis and corresponding conceptual layout of the building, option potential property for the facility, and secure the funding before moving ahead with the facility. At Monday evenings workshop the committee would like to update Council on these opportunities. o Jaynes H. Patrick City Manager