09-15-21 Urban Renewal Agency Board Minutese
City of Kalispell
201 15t Avenue East
Post Office Box 1997 -Kalispell, Montana 59903
Telephone: (406) 758-7701 Fax: (406) 758-7758
Meeting Summary
URBAN RENEWAL AGENCY BOARD
SEPTEMBER 15, 2021— 4 P.M.
CITY HALL — FIRST FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM AND VIA ZOOM
MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE
Marc Rold Jarod Nygren, Development Services Director
Jeff Zauner Katharine King, Development Services
Cara Lemire
David Giardot
Chairman Rold called the meeting to order and welcomed Board and City Staff.
PUBLIC COMMENT
None.
PREVIOUS MEETING SUMMARY
Jeff moved the August Meeting Summary be accepted; David seconded. All voted in favor.
TIF & TEDD
South Kalispell Traffic Project: Trees are looking better with cooler weather. Northwest Landscaping will be
installing the irrigation system in front of the City shops next spring.
Downtown: The Charles Hotel proposal was recommended to City Council by the Proposal Selection
Committee (including URA member Shannon Freix). On September 7, 2021, City Council voted to allow City
staff to begin negotiations with the Montana Hotel Development Partners and draft a Developer's Agreement.
The Developer's Agreement and any ancillary agreements would go back to City Council for consideration.
The 2040 Transportation Plan was approved by City Council on September 7, 2021. The Plan calls for a Main
Street Corridor Study and that study could be funded by the Downtown TIF. The topic is early in discussion
and more information will follow. If the City were to pursue a Main Street Corridor Study a request for
proposals would be drafted and noticed, a selection committee would be assembled. The process from RFP to
completed study is expected to take about two years.
Kalispell Trail Design/TIGER/Kalispell Core & Rail Redevelopment: Construction of the Kalispell Parkline
continues and is currently focused on street crossings. Landscaping to be installed in the spring of 2022. The
Committee was reminded by Mr. Zauner that the bridge structure over Hwy 2 was envisioned in the Core Area
Plan to have a "Welcome to Kalispell" sign. Staff will inquire with Alta Design as to the cost of a sign.
2021 Certified Taxable Valuation Information: The Committee discussed the significant increases in TIF values
seen in the Westside/Core Area and Downtown districts. This increase in available funding may make it
feasible for the City to use TIF funds for the "Welcome to Kalispell" sign (Westside/Core Area TIF) and the
Main Street Corridor Traffic Study (Downtown TIF).
Community communication on TIF projects: URA is aware that the community sometimes lacks complete
information about how tax increment finance districts work and are managed. The Committee would like to
begin to address this with a public service announcement (PSA) regarding the South Kalispell/Airport TIF as the
final project is complete, remaining funds have been distributed and the TIF has sunset. Staff will draft a PSA
and ask for Committee member review via email prior to the next Committee meeting. Ms. Lemire noted that
the Kalispell Business Improvement District Board recognizes the need for greater communication with its
members and the larger community and suggested the URA's PSA be shared with the BID so that they may
share the information as well.
BROWNFIELDS
Another round of grant funding is expected to be available in the fall for Assessment grants and the City will
apply. The City is requesting the EPA Region 8 Office complete a phase I on a property in the Core Area prior
to a potential sale of the property. City staff will attend the National Brownfields Training Conference in
December and will present two conference sessions.
NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING
The Board's next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 20, 2021, at 4 p.m.
Meeting adjourned.