Council OKs talks with Wells Fargo Bank

The Kalispell City Council on Monday night voted to begin negotiations with Wells Fargo Bank to buy its First Avenue East building.

The council voted 7-1 in favor of authorizing talks with the bank. Councilman Jim Atkinson was absent.

Councilman Bob Hafferman was the lone negative vote. He favors the city leasing property or building on city-owned land, he said.

"I'm opposed to taking more private properties off the tax rolls," he said.

The city has not talked with Wells Fargo officials about prices and will consider remodeling costs before agreeing to purchase the building.

The bank building possibly would house city offices, such as those for the Building, Planning and Community Development departments.

The building issue was one of four that council members Hafferman and Jayson Peters moved from the consent agenda to the regular agenda Monday night. Items on the consent agenda are approved without discussion unless the council places them on the regular agenda.

Peters asked to talk about the potential Wells Fargo deal and a proposal from DEV Properties to renovate the old Courthouse East building.

Peters said he wanted to talk about the bank because some people have asked whether the building provides more space than the city needs. City Manager Jim Patrick assured him that the building was not bigger than the needs of the city.

The Courthouse East property came off the consent agenda primarily because the issue has been contentious and neighbors should have one more opportunity to address the council about the matter, Peters said.

Neighbor Chuck Cummings, who opposes the project, was the only person to speak about the renovation, and the council approved the project (see related story).

Hafferman wanted to talk about a $1.2 million contract to Schellinger Construction for resurfacing the runways at the Kalispell City Airport. He and Councilman Bob Herron voted against the contract. They have voiced opposition to aspects of the airport improvement plan during the past few months.

The council awarded the contract.

Hafferman also asked to go over a contract for about $80,000 to hire a company to develop a system for the city to charge impact fees for growth-related costs, such as the effect that new construction has on roads because of increased traffic.

"I think impact fees have gotten kind of a black eye," he said.

Hafferman said he was in favor of the contract but simply wanted to explain to the public that the fees are a good way for the city to relieve taxpayers of the cost burden for growth.

He also said that Kalispell has some impact fees in place, such as the sewer hookup or connection fees, and the new fees would work the same way by making new users of city services pay for their impacts.

The council approved the impact fee contract unanimously.

The city will begin looking at how to assess fees and what charges to levy. The new fees will not be implemented until the contracted company completes its assessment for Kalispell, which could take several months or longer.

Reporter Camden Easterling can be reached at 758-4429 or by e-mail at ceasterling@dailyinterlake.com.