Kalispell ends its parking commission

The Kalispell Parking Commission's downtown parking enforcement duties will be folded into the Kalispell Police Department following a 7-1 vote in favor of the change by the Kalispell City Council on Dec. 19.

The parking commission's two employees are expected to move over to the Public Safety Building in January.

The semi-autonomous commission and a special parking district were created in 1993 to take the downtown parking enforcement duties out of the police department.

"It's time to test the waters again," council member Jim Atkinson said about disbanding the commission during a first reading of the ordinance. "I just envision I will still be on the council when it goes back to the parking commission, so here we go."

Right away, the move ends a $650 a month rent the parking commission has been paying, City Manager Jane Howington said.

The commission's parking enforcement employee will cross-train with the city's animal control officer to help with that and code enforcement if needed, and vice versa. That will help make sure someone is available for enforcement, which has been a challenge in the past, Howington said.

The other employee, who sells parking passes and collects fines, will be able to help staff the police department's front desk - a position that was ended with the move to a consolidated dispatch center, Howington said.

The ordinance was supported by both the Kalispell Police Department and the Kalispell Parking Commission, which will now transform into an advisory board to advise the council regarding on- and off-street parking issues.

In a separate resolution, the council voted to keep the fines for various parking infractions set at $10. The resolution was amended to increase the fine for 72-hour parking violations to $25.

Council member Bob Hafferman was the lone vote against the ordinance to disband the parking commission.

Hafferman said he didn't want to see police bogged down with parking duty, or the costs of parking enforcement outstrip the revenue generated from fines, which now will be steered into the city's general fund.

"We will specifically follow it to make sure that we're not doing what Mr. Hafferman is afraid will happen, that we'll spend more money operating it than we get in revenue," City Attorney Charles Harball said.

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.