FVCC OKs fire station timetable

Flathead Valley Community College trustees approved a timetable Monday to make a decision about a fire station on campus on Feb. 28.

The city of Kalispell had set a deadline of last week to obtain approval to build its new north side fire station on campus property.

However, trustees set their own pace, which includes collecting and examining public comment on the move.

Trustee Mark Holston questioned the disconnect between the pace set by the city for completing land talks and that proposed by the college.

College President Jane Karas said the board committee was confronting the issue of using college land to serve one section of the city.

"We're a public community college that serves the needs of the entire county, supported by taxpayers of all of Flathead County,"she said.

Board chairman Bob Nystuen said the college was setting a precedent for handling future potential requests for land. He said trustees must exercise due diligence in making such a decision.

Karas said she couldn't speak for the committee but that the college wanted "to be responsive to the needs of the city." She said Kalispell fire department officials had been wonderful partners to the college in developing programs.

The schedule adopted for moving forward on a fire station decision includes:

. Next week: Approve core sample after site selection by Master Plan Committee.

. Feb. 18: Deadline for public comments.

. Week of Feb. 21: Committee reviews public comment and develops recommendation for board of trustees.

. Feb. 28: Board reviews and acts on recommendation by the Fire Station Committee.

Karas said the Master Plan Committee would meet next week to discuss where a potential fire station might fit into the master plan. The idea was to meet the city's need to get a core sample of the land immediately for evaluation.

The board approved allowing city officials to take a core sample of that site if they were still interested in a campus location with the slower time schedule than they wanted.

Trustees passed the motion with Tom Harding voting no. He said he thought the time schedule was appropriate.

"I disagree with the use of the land," Harding said.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.