Kalispell focuses on new lighting standards

The Kalispell City Council wrestled Monday with how the city's new lighting-standards law should be enforced.

At a nonbinding workshop session, the council tentatively leaned toward:

-Moving the enforcement date for homes from Sept. 1, 2006, to Jan. 1, 2007. Exceptions could be granted by the council on a case-by-case basis.

-Cutting businesses less slack by starting enforcement in three years, with exceptions granted on a case-by-case basis. Previously, businesses had three years to comply with the new law, with two blanket one-year extensions possible.

-Having the city pass out information about how homes and businesses can comply cheaply with the new law.

Last summer, the council passed a law that dictated how excessive night lights and glare from homes and businesses should be cut down. A few weeks ago, the council addressed some minor tweaking of the law, but stalled on concerns about whether existing homes and businesses should be allowed to keep their current lighting - and if not, how the new law should be enforced.

"The bugaboo … is what do we do with the stuff that is already out there?" Planning Director Tom Jentz asked.

Council members tentatively decided against grandfathering in existing lights that don't meet the new standards. They thought that most private lights should be relatively cheap to change to meet the new standards, though some inevitably will not be.

Cheap methods to cut down on light spillover include installing shields obtained from electrical shops or using foil or black paint to cover the tops of glass light fixtures so they illuminate downward.

The council is expected to vote on the delayed tweaks - along with the suggestions made Monday - at its Jan. 3 meeting.

City officials do not expect to actively hunt for violators of the new law. Instead, they plan to handle violations when complaints are made. No fines are proposed. Instead, city officials expect to issue formal orders for compliance against violators.