02-02-24 City Manager Report1
City of Kalispell
OFFICE OF THE CITY
MANAGER
Information Memorandum
2/2/2024
1. Parks and Recreation
The new replacement sinks for Lawrence Park bathrooms have been installed. These
were replaced as they were broken by vandalism last fall. Doors will be replaced next.
Updates continue at the Depot Park building. Parks crews have reinforced stairs leading
to the basement and added a handrail. Drop ceiling tiles have been ordered to replace the
broken, stained and miscolored tiles. Interior painting continues with approximately 60%
of the work complete. New energy efficient windows have been installed. New cabling
(IT and access control) has been run throughout the building to the new server rack.
The Montana Historic Preservation Grant to replace the roof, gutters, and repaint the
exterior of the building is almost ready to submit. We are currently collecting letters of
support.
Forestry crews continue to prune trees in the Empire Estates subdivision and Westview
Park Place. The goal in pruning these young to medium sized trees is to establish good
branch structure that will require less pruning down the road, improve health, and safety.
Futsal League playoffs are set to begin on February 13, with the Finals on February 21.
Futsal league takes place at Edgerton Elementary on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
evenings.
Registration for the Spring Little Dribblers season that starts on March 9, is open. Little
Dribblers is designed to teach the fundamentals of basketball to 4-year-olds through 4th
grade in a noncompetitive setting. The registration deadline is on February 25.
There is still space to register for our final session of the Learn to
Skate program. Learn to Skate is for anyone who wants to learn the
fundamentals of ice skating and is 4 years old and up. Each session
will include four lessons that take place on Tuesday and Thursday
afternoons.
We are two weeks through the Kalispell Kickers season. Kalispell
Kickers is designed to teach the fundamentals of Soccer to 3-year-olds
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through 4th graders in a noncompetitive setting. Games will be played at Rankin
Elementary from 9am-5pm.
Flathead Cheerleading Camp is nearly full. The cost is $47 for
out-of-city residents and is for ages 4-13 years. A portion of
proceeds go to the cheer squad to help support their program.
Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to do stunts,
cheer, and perform at a varsity basketball game.
Our next School’s Out Camp will be Spring Break from March
25-29. Registration will open February 12. The camp offers kids
the opportunity to go spend their break going on field trips to
indoor bouldering, Lone Pine State Park, doing crafts, and
enjoying the warming weather.
We are excited to announce a new introductory tennis
program, Tennis is Elementary! This program provides
young players the chance to learn basic fundamentals,
teamwork, and sportsmanship from qualified tennis
instructors. Using smaller rackets, nets, and court sizes,
Tennis is Elementary gives kids the opportunity to learn
and to start to play. This popular nationwide program
teaches life skills, tennis, and teamwork in a fun
environment that allows students to stay active while learning. Participants get 8 focused
1-hour lessons that meet once a week after school in the Elrod school gym. All equipment
needed to run the camp is provided, and the coach to player ratio is kept close to 6:1. The
sessions are broken into an intro activity, fitness component, lesson focus, and games.
The camp uses stations to ensure that kids are moving the whole time and are not
standing in line. Tennis is Elementary is for kids in Kindergarten through 5th Grade.
Lessons will start February 20, and will be held at Elrod Elementary School. This
program is made possible through a partnership with USTA Montana and Logan Health
Tennis Center.
2. Public Works
Kalispell Water Operators – Main Break
On-call crews were made aware of water
coming out of the intersection of Woodland
Ave and Center St around 11AM on Saturday
January 13. Temperatures at the time were
approximately -30°. Water crews mobilized to
the site and began excavating to locate the leak
source. As is typical during winter conditions,
the point in the asphalt where the water is
coming up isn’t always directly above the
break in the water main. This case was no
different and field crews had to spend extra
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time “chasing” the leak. They eventually located the leak on the pipe approximately 8’
south of where the water was present. During this time, crews faced challenges to keep
equipment functioning, such as keeping the dewatering pumps thawed. The leak was
fixed around 6PM and crews had the excavation backfilled and road open to traffic by
8:00PM.
Solid Waste Master Planning Survey
The City of Kalispell is gathering input from residents and businesses as part of an
ongoing Solid Waste Master Plan. To date, we have received survey information from
over 300 participants. The survey asks about current services and approaches that are
being considered to support the City’s future solid waste needs. The survey can be found
by clicking on the following link : https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TTWCZHJ.
3. Planning Department
The Kalispell City Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at their February 13
meeting and take public comment on the agenda items listed below:
1. Depot Park Building Montana Historic Preservation Grant - The City of Kalispell
intends to apply for a Montana Historic Preservation Grant (MHPG) in the
amount of $286,338. The purpose of the grant request is to enhance the historic
landmark's exterior. The project involves installing a new roof, gutters, and
exterior paint. The completion of these improvements will transform the landmark
into a welcoming space for both the community and visitors. This initiative is
poised to have a positive economic impact, attracting more people to our area and
providing a boost to local businesses. A public hearing to solicit comments for the
aforementioned project in accordance with the Montana Environmental Policy
Act (MEPA). All interested persons will be given the opportunity to express
opinions regarding the proposed project and any environmental impacts. It is
expected that the proposed project is exempt under Montana ARM 8.2.304(5), as
the project includes minor repairs, operations, or maintenance of existing
equipment or facilities and will not have the potential for causing a significant
effect on the quality of the human environment; potential public controversy over
the project’ possible effect on the quality of the human environment; and potential
to affect sensitive environmental or cultural resource areas or endangered or
threatened species and their critical habitats. The MHPG Program is a state-
funded program created in 2019 as a result of Senate Bill 338, Sections 1 through
17. The MHPG Program is designed to support public or private entities with the
preservation of historic sites, historical societies, or history museums through
grant funding. Written comments may be submitted to the Kalispell Planning
Department at 201 1st Avenue East, Kalispell, prior to the date of the hearing, or
you may call (406) 758-7940, or e-mail us at planning@kalispell.com for
additional information. No action will be taken on this agenda item.
2. File #KA-24-01 – A request from TTC Investments, LLC, Scoreboard Sports Bar,
LLC, and Mitch Tormohlen for annexation and initial zoning of B-1
(Neighborhood Business) for property located at 520 Lenwood Lane and along
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the east property line of 51, 55, and 75 Woodland Park Drive. The property totals
approximately 17,400 square feet. It consists of a recently abandoned alley right-
of-way and a lot used as parking for the Scoreboard Bar.
3. As part of the transition of the City’s land use procedures under the new Montana
Land Use Planning Act (Senate Bill 382), the City will create and adopt a Public
Participation Plan that describes how community members and stakeholders will
be involved in the process of adopting, amending, and updating the growth
policy/land use plan as well as land use regulations. The Plan is intended to raise
awareness, provide a roadmap for the public to outline a clear and accessible
public process, ensure input is sought, and be considered by a broad range of
participants. The Commission will hold a formal public hearing and forward a
recommendation regarding the adoption of the Plan to the City Council for its
consideration.
Documents pertaining to the agenda items are on file for public inspection at the Kalispell
Planning Department, 201 First Avenue East, Kalispell, MT 59901, and are available for
public review during regular office hours. In addition, information on the agenda item is
posted on our website at Planning Commission | Kalispell, MT (civicplus.com) under
Planning Commission “upcoming agenda.”
The Planning Department, along with representatives from Bozeman, Billings, and
Helena, provided the Montana Legislature’s Local Government Interim Committee with
a status report on Senate Bill 382 (the Montana Land Use Planning Act) at the
Committee’s meeting on January 24. The discussion included steps each city has taken
towards implementation of SB 382, challenges the cities are facing, and suggestions for
potential amendments. The discussion regarding challenges included concerns about
aggressive timelines, cost, public participation and loss of local control. Potential
amendments might include additional time beyond the current May 2026 implementation
date and the possibility of additional grant money to assist cities with the cost associated
with developing new land use plans.
4. Building Department
This year, we have issued permits for 1 single-family home. This brings the total of new
single-family/duplex and townhouse units for the year at 20, compared to 6 at this time
last year. There have been 0 multi-family housing units issued so far this year. Last year
at this time, we had also issued 0 multi-family housing units.
There were a total of 198 combined building and/or fire inspections completed in the last
3 weeks.
Residential – 40 Plumbing – 19
Commercial – 24 Mechanical – 27
Electrical – 11 Fire – 80
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5. Community Development
Community Development is working with Kittelson & Associates on the Safe Streets and
Roads for All Safety Action Plan for Kalispell’s Main Street corridor. The intent is for
significant opportunities for public participation in the planning process and for a draft
plan to be prepared in July. Additional information can be found at the following: SS4A-
Community-Engagement-Planpdf (kalispell.com).
6. Fire Department
From the period of January 10, to January 30, the Fire Department had 289 responses. Of
these there were 177 medical incidents, 8 Haz-Mat incidents, 4 motor vehicle accident
with injuries, 2 house fires, 28 fire alarm activations-smoke scares, 3 outside fires, 23
public assists, and 43 with nothing found.
Ice Rescue technicians performed their annual recertification at Foys Lake.
Crisis Assistance responder Sarah Gehl has been riding with crews for orientation and
interaction with patients.
Crews taught CPR and First Aid to the Flathead County Civil Air Patrol.
Crews trained with Flathead County Search and Rescue at Station 62. This involved
orientation of each agency’s equipment, rope rescue techniques, etc.
Crews did joint Haz-Mat training with the State of Montana’s Civil Support Team from
Helena on radiological monitoring.