08-02-19 City Manager ReportKALISPELL
1. Parks and Recreation
City of Kalispell
OFFICE OF THE CITY
Information Memorandum
8/2/2019
MANAGER
The new 2-5 year -old playground at Woodland Park is now
open. The construction fence will stay in place around the
playground as the turf seed starts to germinate and establish
adjacent to the sidewalk. Crews are now concentrating on
the 5-12 year -old playground that will be to the east of the
pavilion.
Crews at KYAC are starting their mid -summer maintenance protocols of the turfed areas.
In addition to weed control and fertilizing, Parks staff will be utilizing a verticut seeder to
seed sub surface to fill in thin areas. Applying the seed sub surface will give us better
control of seed ratios and increase germination versus broadcast seeding.
The Highway 93 trail linking the Kalispell youth Athletic Complex to Spring Prairie
Commercial Development has been awarded to Sapphire Construction Service of
Kalispell. The start date for this project is September 16.
Kalispell Parks & Recreation partnered with Montana
Shakespeare in the Parks to bring a free, outdoor
performance of Shakespeare's Henry IV Part I to Woodland
Park on Wednesday, July 31, at 6:OOpm. This performance
was a part of the company's 47th annual summer tour
bringing professional performances of Shakespeare and
other classics to over 60 communities around Montana.
Last year we had over 475 people attend the event.
Our summer art classes, in partnership with the Hockaday
Museum of Art, have seen a significant increase this year
with 59 participants in 2019 (compared to 35 participants in
2018). These classes introduce participants, ages 6-15, to a
variety of media and techniques including drawing, painting, printing, and collage
making. Our last two art classes of the summer start on July 30.
We are already preparing for our early fall sports; Runnin'
Rascals Football and Fall into Soccer, starting September 6 &
7. The early registration deadlines for both sports are Friday,
August 9.
2. Police Department
The Kalispell Police Department hosted a 40 hour Crime Scene Investigation Course at
Glacier High School the week of July 22-26.
Officer Kaare and Officer Fowler are attending Primary SWAT training where officers
learn the fundamentals in SWAT History, Team Communications, Negotiation Principles,
Crisis Management, Equipment, Close Quarters Defense, Breaching and Team Makeup.
Tactics skills include: intelligence gathering/reconnaissance, team movement, entry,
searches, mobile assaults and downed officer rescue. Further skill development is done in
tactical firearms deployment, chemical agents, diversionary devices and less lethal
weapons.
Officer Dustin Willey joined the Kalispell Police Department on July 15 and completed
new officer orientation. Officer Willey will start the police department 14 week Field
Training Program and 12 week police academy in Helena in September.
New officer postings closed on July 12. Physical and written testing will occur on August
13, followed by background investigation for candidates moving forward in the process.
Interviews are tentatively scheduled for November 6.
3. Community Development
City Staff will be available during the Northwest Montana Fair August 14 thru 16 at the
north end of the Expo Building to share information on the TIGER grant Glacier Rail
Park and Kalispell Trail project updates. Information on the Glacier Rail Park which was
completed in January will be available including drone footage documenting the
construction. Additionally, the 30% design plans for the Kalispell Trail will be available
for public review and comment. The 30% design draft will be available on the City of
Kalispell website on the Community Development webpage.
4. Building Department
In the last 2 weeks, we have issued permits for 6 single-family homes, 4 townhomes and
1 duplex (total of 12 units). This brings the total of new single-family/duplex and
townhouse units for the year to 74, compared to 61 last year at this time.
A permit was issued for two new 4-plexes located at 25 Appleway Dr., valued at
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$378,000. This brings the total of multi -family housing units to 32 units for the year.
Last year, at this time, we had issued permits for 66 apartment units.
The permit for the Glacier Bank Remodel located 49 Commons Loop was issued and is
valued at $2,000,000.
5. Planning Department
The Planning Board will hold a hearing at the August 13 meeting to hear a request by
Town Pump for a zoning map amendment application for 4.6-acres of land for property
they own on the southwest corner of Cemetery Road and US 93 South. The site is zoned
B-2 and B-2/PUD (Town Pump#5 PUD). The requested zone change would rezone the
portion of the property currently zoned B-2 to B-2/PUD, so the entire property is
encompassed by the PUD overlay. The zone change is being requested so Town Pump
can construct a new convenience store and casino on the subject property, which would
allow for the demolition of the existing facility. The current casino is non -conforming
and if closed or moved it cannot be legally rebuilt. Town Pump is pursuing a PUD to
allow the casino to be rebuilt several hundred feet west while incorporating their new
design concepts similar to the facility at US 93 North and West Reserve across from
Home Depot. As part of the PUD process, the planning board discussed the merits of
rebuilding the existing casino and incorporating improved architecture, landscaping,
signage and screening at that intersection to better reflect the entrance to Kalispell and
match the other two corners where Toyota and Green Nissan/Hyundai are located. The
Planning Board held a work session on this issue at the July Planning Board meeting.
6. Fire Department
Since the last update, the Kalispell Fire Department has received 370 calls for service.
This number encompasses the month of July.
In the past month, the department has finished implementing our new scheduling and
work calendar program.
Kalispell firefighters Jake Felts and Wesley Barr attended the Fire Service Training
School's High Angle Rope Rescue Technician course on the Sun River outside of
Augusta last week. This class includes the technical competencies, in alignment with
National Fire Protection Association standards, for the safe rescue of victims involved in
incidents requiring rope rescue techniques. These competencies are mandatory
prerequisites for confined space rescue, which Kalispell Fire provides. The intensive
hands on training lasts four days.
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7. Public Works
Pavement Markings
Traffic Signs and Signal Crew are refreshing pavement marking throughout Kalispell.
This week they installed trident symbols on 3rd Ave EN, 41h Ave EN, 71h Ave EN and
Idaho. All of the intersections are at traffic signals and are single lane only for south
bound traffic. Additionally, at these intersections, signs were installed on the signal mast
arms to display single lane traffic only.
Pavement Restoration
Street crews are working on mill and overlay projects throughout Kalispell. Recently,
they completed pavement overlays on 4 St E, Belmar and North Belmar Roads in South
Meadows Subdivision, Trevino Drive in Glacier Village Greens Subdivision, and the
south lane of Grandview Drive. Remaining overlay projects anticipated to be completed
this season include sections of E Oregon St, 71h Ave E, and 81h Ave E.
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