02-24-05 Parking Commission MinutesKALISPELL PARKING COMMISSION
First & Main Building
4 — 1st Street East, Suite. 102
P.O. Box 105
Kalispell, MT. 59903 • (406) 755-5305
Minutes
Thursday February 24, 2005, 8:00 a.m.
Conference Room, KPC Office
The Kalispell Parking Commission held a workshop to discuss the parking issues
affecting Glacier Bank. Board Members present were Mark Pirrie, Janet Clark, Bill
Goodman and Richard Nelson. Katie Lopaka recorded the minutes. City Manager
Jim Patrick, and Jim Ness and Kristine Fennell from Glacier Bank were also in
attendance.
Jim Ness was present on behalf of Glacier Bank to try and negotiate with the
Parking Commission a workable solution to their parking concerns.
• The bank needs spaces for 58 people
• At the request of Susan Moyer, he wrote a letter showing preference for
lots based on proximity to the bank and quality.
• Skyline is the least desirable lot due to lighting
• The bank would like to secure their spaces for six months at a time and
they also would like to not have to come over and stand in line when it
came time to renew.
Jim Patrick referenced a meeting he had with other Glacier Bank members where
they had discussed making major improvements on the Skyline lot. The lighting
and safety issues with the lot would be addressed and resolved by fall 2005.
Janet Clark suggested that the Parking Commission sell the Centre Court lot to
Glacier Bank.
• Glacier Bank would gain 26 parking spaces
• Money from the sale of the lot would be earmarked for gaining new
parking for the Commission
• Janet had created a spreadsheet showing the lots where Glacier Bank has
permits and regardless of a possible sale of the Centre Court lot, many
employees will need to continue to park at the Skyline lot.
• The Parking Commission has also approached the City to put 8 permit
parking spaces on 2nd Ave W. in front of Centre Court Manor.
• Jim Ness would rather have permits in the Valley Bank lot than the Eagles
lot.
• If the City were to sell the Centre Court lot, there would need to be an
appraisal done, and then the matter would go to City Council. If it was
agreed to sell the lot, then it would become open for public bid on the lot
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and it would be possible that someone besides Glacier Bank would buy it.
• Jim Patrick will put the proposal to sell the lot on the City Council agenda
for March 7.
• Bill Goodman does not want to sell the Centre Court lot, but he doesn't
want to lose communication with Glacier Bank either.
• Another issue to consider is that there are 14 new six-month permits that
were just sold in the Centre Court lot and if the lot is sold, these people
need to be given an accommodating place to park.
• Richard Nelson would like to see all the lots be put in the name of the
Parking Commission so that they can be used as backing for issuing
bonds. That way the Parking Commission would be better able to acquire
more parking and be an active partner in paying for the parking structure.
There was quite a bit of discussion about the Skyline Lot.
• There are a total of 55 spaces
• It is the lot with the most available spaces, and the lowest demand.
Jim Ness wanted to know if Glacier Bank would be able to move people from
Skyline to Keno, Centre Court or Valley Bank as spaces became available in those
lots.
• The Board was not opposed to Glacier Bank doing that, but they would
have to come in on the first day of permit sales to secure additional
spaces.
• All permits come up for renewal on the 281" of the month that they expire.
Each customer has until the 41" to renew their permit however, if a
different customer comes in before them, they may lose their space.
• The Parking Commission has a first come, first serve basis.
• Spaces are not held or reserved for anyone.
• Jim Patrick advised that the Parking Commission should allow Glacier Bank
a set number of spaces. If the Bank would like to change their permits to
a different lot, then they need to have someone come over in person and
wait in line for a permit just like all other customers.
• Jim Ness would rather have his permits in the Valley Bank lot than the
Eagles lot, mostly due to availability of parking spaces when employees
are returning from lunch.
In regards to the proposed parking structure and a partnership between the
Parking Commission, Glacier Bank, and Valley Bank, there was some question as
to if it was legal to have a public -private partnership on that venture.
Jim Ness was curious as to who was going to purchase the land where the
Skyline Bowling Alley was. Janet had been told that the VFW was in the process
of purchasing it. However, if the City was able to buy it, the land could be
combined with the current Skyline lot.
As far as the parking structure is concerned, the project is waiting on
Valley Bank to decide what they are going to do.
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