02-22-16 City Council Work Session MinutesKALISPELL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES
FEBRUARY 22, 2016
View the minutes attached to the audio of the meeting at:
hqp://kalispell.com/mayor and city council/meetings.php
A WORK SESSION OF THE KALISPELL CITY COUNCIL WAS HELD ON MONDAY,
FEBRUARY 22, 2016 IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT CITY HALL IN KALISPELL,
MONTANA. MAYOR MARK JOHNSON PRESIDED. COUNCIL MEMBERS SANDY
CARLSON, KARI GABRIEL, CHAD GRAHAM, PHIL GUIFFRIDA, TIM KLUESNER,
ROD KUNTZ AND WAYNE SAVERUD WERE PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER JIM
ATKINSON ARRIVED LATE.
Also present: City Manager Doug Russell, Planning Director Tom Jentz, and Senior Planner Jarod
Nygren.
Mayor Mark Johnson called the work session to order and introduced Wayne Freeman of CTA, who
prepared the update.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
1. South Kalispell Urban Renewal Plan Update
Russell gave some brief background information.
Jentz noted the planning board will hold a public hearing on the update on March 9 and turned the
discussion over to Freeman.
Freeman presented general Urban Renewal Plan Update information, other than the airport options,
and answered questions.
Freeman then listed CTA's five options for the airport: keeping it "as is" using city funding; close it;
request FAA funding in its current alignment; create or incorporate an airport authority; or
privatization. He said all of the options require a financial commitment from the city and described
each option's Action Plan:
Option 1 (Keep as is): all costs would be borne by the city; invest in east -west taxiway
maintenance projects; hire a full-time airport manager; look at private development for T-
hangars; begin a publicity campaign for how the city is going to maintain funding for airport;
strive to meet FAA standards as funds become available. However, the city is looking at a
$1.3 million loss over a 10 year period.
Option 2 (Close airport): allows for private and public development, but there would be
significant ($2.9 million) upfront costs because of lease buyouts. Alternatives for land use
could be a new high school or relocating parts of the fairground (public) or private sector
development (private).
Kalispell City Council Work Session Minutes
February 22, 2016
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Option 3 (FAA Funding): city will have to contact the FAA, won't talk to CTA.
Russell noted he had a conversation with the FAA and what is outlined in the 2012 Stelling Report
needs to be accomplished in order to meet design standards; one of the hurdles is the environmental
assessment and public acceptance.
Option 4 (Airport Authority): would provide focused leadership and insulate elected
officials, but there are financial and political constraints.
Option 5 (Privatization): Establish criteria and guidelines up front, put out an RFP and see
what the private sector comes up with.
Freeman answered questions.
There was discussion.
Public Comment
Sharon DeMeester, 415 Chestnut Drive, stated she heard nothing tonight about the lead that is falling
from the sky from airplane fuel and council does not care about people, only money and
corporations. She asked council to look at it as environmental damage to our children.
John McGinnis, Synergy Aircraft, remarked that airports pay the social burden for what airplanes do;
airplanes are more fuel efficient than cars; and we still do not have on -demand regional mobility. He
commented that Kalispell is the epicenter of the change that is coming and the airport of the future
will not be a problem to the community.
Scott Davis, 448 5th Avenue West, commented that he feels that 80% of the people who are against
the airport did not attend any of LTA's public meetings because they thought non -expansion was a
done deal due to the election.
Scott Richardson, 207 1 st Avenue West, remarked that the airport is wanted in the city but is
struggling to be funded. He said it is a viable transportation alternative.
Forest Keller, 315 Ponderosa Street, asked if anyone has looked at other small airports to determine
how they were funded and what they are doing that is working. (Freeman responded that they had all
taken FAA funding.)
CITY MANAGER/COUNCIL/MAYOR REPORTS
Russell noted there will be no work session held next Monday, but there will be a Growth Policy
committee meeting tomorrow night.
Kluesner noted there will be a Ward 4 meeting on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.
Kalispell City Council Work Session Minutes
February 22, 2016
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ADJOURNMENT
The work session was adjourned at 8:34 p.m.
Attest:
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Aimee Brunckhorst, CMC
City Clerk
Prepared by:
��\o®����uliu►`yo��� Judi Funk
Deputy City Clerk
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Kalispell City Council Work Session Minutes
February 22, 2016
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