Kalispell continues work on pawn-shop law, growth policy

The Kalispell City Council will meet tonight to take public comment on a pawn shop ordinance as well as the city’s growth policy update. 

The original pawn shop ordinance was reviewed at an Oct. 6 council meeting, but local pawn shop owners and employees voiced concerns about vague wording they thought left room for loopholes and confusion.

The ordinance would require both pawn shops and secondhand stores to use software called Leads, which would connect the inventory of those businesses to the Kalispell Police Department.

Many of the edits clarified definitions in the ordinance, such as adding auction houses under the same rules as pawn brokers, since they deal with similar items. The changes also removed the terms “junk” and “scrap,” since they’re a matter of opinion.

The council will continue to work through concerns, and an updated version of the ordinance can be found online at www.kalispell.com/mayor_and_city_council/documents/pawnshops.pdf.

The council also is seeking more input on the Kalispell Growth Policy.  

The policy does not create law or regulate development, but instead is a community guide for making land-use decisions. Plan It 2030 will look at Kalispell city limits, land beyond city limits where annexation could be reasonable over the next 10 years, and the growth policy planning area that extends 3 miles from the current city limits. The city hopes to draw public comment on the policy, but has been unsuccessful in past work sessions. 

The full policy can be viewed online at www.kalispell.com/mayor_and_city_council/documents/DRAFTGrowthPolicy.pdf.

The work session starts at 7 p.m. at City Hall.