07-03-20 City Manager Report1
City of Kalispell
OFFICE OF THE CITY
MANAGER
Information Memorandum
7/3/2020
1.Parks Department
Most branches have been picked up from the
boulevards from the May 31 windstorm. Our Forestry
crew continues to work to remove hangers from tree
canopies throughout the urban forest. Approximately
40 city owned trees were blown over during the
storm. Due to structural deficiencies, there are
additional trees that will need to be removed in the
coming weeks. As an example, this picture shows a
large crack that developed after the wind event.
Our Park crew is finishing the clean-up within parks
from the wind event. Stumps are being removed,
soils brought in and topped dress and seeded. Crews
also continue with mowing, string trimming, and
repairing irrigation systems throughout the park
system. All the annual flowers have been planted at
the garden and at the entrance near the cannon at
Woodland Park.
Camp Woodland Summer Day Camp numbers continue to
increase each week. Week 3 (June 22-26), we averaged 90 kids
per day. The theme for week 3 was “Wild Kingdom” with
animal themed games, crafts, and activities, including
presentations from Lone Pine State Park and Animal Wonders
from Missoula, presenting exotic animals to camp on Friday,
June 26.
The Woodland Water Park opened on Monday, June 22. We
had 130 patrons visit the pool and were understanding of the
new COVID-19 precautions and procedures (i.e. limited
capacity, no locker rooms or showers, no tubes, etc.). The pool
was also active with swim lesson registrations. We had 191 on
the first day registration opened. Our first session of swim
lessons will begin on Monday, June 29.
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2.Police Department
Officer Kyle Enser and Officer Eric Juhl graduated from the Montana Law Enforcement
Academy in Helena on June 24. They will return to Kalispell and continue the 14-week
Field Training Program.
Officer Quintin Fowler and Officer Brady Gray attended the Field Training Officer
School in East Helena, June 22-26. This training provides skills and resources to
effectively train officers in the field prior to being released on their own.
Detective Sgt. Ryan Bartholomew and Detectives Shane Lidstrom and Dan Williams are
attending background investigations school in Missoula to learn the skills for
investigators to conduct thorough and legal background checks to identify the best
candidates for the Kalispell Police Department.
As of June 24, calls for service stood at 15,272. This compares with 17,632 in 2019 and
16,160 in 2018.
3.Public Works
FLATHEAD RAIN GARDEN INITIATIVE
The first two rain gardens for Kalispell residents are complete!
Both homeowners utilized the Flathead Rain Garden Initiative
incentive program, which assisted with purchasing native plants
for their gardens. Big Sky Watershed Corps members from both
the City and the Flathead Conservation District, as well as City
staff, provided support throughout the process.
Rain gardens are landscaped depressions that collect, filter, and
absorb stormwater runoff from roof tops, driveways, and other
hard surfaces that don’t allow water to soak in. They
can filter oil and grease from driveways, fertilizers and
pesticides from lawns, and other pollutants before they
reach groundwater or the storm drain which eventually
discharges in streams, rivers, and lakes. This initiative,
a collaborative program between the City of Kalispell
and Flathead Conservation District, helps the City
maintain compliance with the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit.
2ND ALLEY EN SEWER MAIN REPAIR PROJECT
Sewer Staff have completed the repairs on 4 partially collapsed sewer mains in 2nd Alley
EN between Montana and California. This project was initiated due to the collapsing
sewer pipes. The sewer superintendent and field crews identified plans to repair each
segment via excavation and replacement and/or trenchless pipe lock fittings, and solicited
costs from contractors to complete the work. In May, field crews received approval to
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proceed with the project with a total estimated project cost of $15,473.58. Staff
completed the project under budget in June, for a total project cost (including 4 repairs) at
$13,066.39.
4.Planning Department
The Kalispell City Planning Board will hold a public hearing at their July 14 meeting to
hear two application requests consisting of the following:
1.File #KCU-20-04 – A request from Colton Lee Communities, LLC, for a
conditional use permit to construct a multi-family residential development with
four buildings and a total of 96 dwelling units, along with an associated parking
lot area. Annexation, initial zoning, and a growth policy amendment related to
the proposal are pending in front of City Council. The property contains
approximately 3.27 acres and is located at 216 Hutton Ranch Road to the east of
Hilton Homewood Suites.
2.Files # KPUD-20-01 and KPP-20-01– 430 Stillwater Road LLC has submitted a
Planned Unit Development (“PUD”) application for a Residential Mixed Use
PUD along with applications for rezoning and preliminary plat on approximately
28.2 acres of land within an existing R-3/PUD Zone. The Planning Board has
held two work sessions on the application request. The subject property is located
at 430 Stillwater Road at the intersection of Stillwater Road and Four Mile Drive,
and was part of the now expired Starling PUD covering Section 35. The project
envisions a mixture of single family residential and multi-family residential uses
along with a retail area intended to serve the development and the greater area.
The plan includes 83 single family lots, 192 multi-family units, and
approximately 1.77 acres of commercial/retail area, along with two clubhouses
and approximately 4.15 acres of park areas. The PUD would provide for smaller
lot sizes/widths and longer block lengths than typical standards. The proposed
rezoning of the property would change the underlying zone from R-3
(Residential) to RA-1 (Residential Apartment) and B-1 (Neighborhood Business).
The Kalispell City Planning Board will also be providing the public hearing forum for
Creekside Commons, but will not be taking any formal action on the request. The project
consists of the following:
Creekside Commons Public Hearing – Housing Solutions, LLC has a proposal before the
Montana Board of Housing for a new affordable senior development called Creekside
Commons. The project consists of 24 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom units
specifically designed for seniors, located at 120 Financial Drive. Housing Solutions
properties serve those earning between 30 to 60% of the area median income with below
market rents. If awarded, the project will be financed with federal low-income housing
tax credits. Each state has an agency that awards these credits to the projects they deem
most worthy based on a variety of factors. In Montana, Montana Housing, a division of
the Department of Commerce has this responsibility. As part of the process, the applicant
is required to hold a public hearing in the community for which the development is
proposed. The applicant will be providing a presentation and seek public comment for the
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proposal. Specifically, the applicant is hoping to address whether Creekside Commons
meets a community need.
Staff has prepared a request for qualifications for downtown Kalispell historic design
standards, which will be advertised over the coming month. Following the advertising
period a selection committee will review any proposals received and forward a
recommendation to the Council for their consideration.
5.Building Department
In the last 4 weeks, we have issued permits for 8 single-family homes and 10 townhomes.
That will bring the total of new single-family/duplex and townhouse units for the year to
113, compared to 59 last year at this time.
The permit was issued for the new College Center at FVCC located at 795 Grandview Dr.
The project has an estimated value of $22,000,000. The permit was also issued for the
UPS expansion at 1151 N Meridian; this project has an estimated value of $5,230,464.
There was a total of 201 combined building and/or fire inspections completed in the last 4
weeks.
Residential – 108 Plumbing – 15
Commercial – 23 Mechanical - 6
Electrical – 12 Fire - 37
6.Community Development
The Airport Rd/18th Street project started Monday, June 29 with LHC as the selected
contractor. The project is expected to be completed in October.
The former CHS Agronomy Center property located at 55 4th Avenue East is owned by
Flathead County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA). The City is utilizing
Brownfields assessment grant funds at
this site for a petroleum phase II
environmental site assessment. The
assessment work is scheduled to be
conducted the week of July 13. As a
part of the environmental assessment
work, the northwest fuel island canopy,
pumps, underground storage tanks and
associated underground piping will be
removed. Drone image of the site
(below) is taken from west to east. The
City is pursuing additional brownfields
assessment work on behalf of FCEDA for the fueling system at the northeast area of the
site. As of June 29, FCEDA has a contractor at the site demolishing buildings. That
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work is expected to require twelve business days to complete.
The former CHS Grain Elevator property on West Center Street is owned by Flathead
County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA). The City is working with EPA
through the process for a brownfields environmental cleanup RLF loan to FCEDA for
hazardous substance remediation at the site.
As part of the Kalispell Core & Rail Redevelopment Project, the City of Kalispell and
BNSF are finalizing the railbanking agreement in preparation for City acquisition of the
rail line. Federal Railroad Administration review of the Supplemental Environmental
Assessment and summation of public comment is nearly complete, allowing for the
potential issue of a Finding of No Significant Impact and selection of a core area
north/south street connector.
7.Fire Department
Since the last update, the Kalispell Fire Department has received 177 calls for service and
in accordance to the loosened restrictions for COVID, have once again started to conduct
public education events.
The preliminary Insurance Services Office (ISO) report for the fire department operations
has been released and the fire department staff are currently reviewing the report for
accuracy. The ISO classification studies fire department, PSAP, and city water system
capabilities for fire response and classifies this ability to a number which in turn is used
by insurance companies. A final report is expected in October of this year once edits or
changes are completed. It is expected that the City of Kalispell ISO rating will remain
the same.
The process of performing employment testing for Firefighter Paramedics and Firefighter
EMT Basics is coming to a close. The process was significantly delayed and
cumbersome do to the COVID mandates and considerations. Fire department staff will
be conducting the final physical agility assessments and interviews July 23rd and 24th.
In cooperation with Flathead Valley Community College, we are once again hosting,
teaching, and proctoring this year’s class of paramedic students. You will see them
respond with the fire department staff to emergency calls throughout the summer and fall
period.