Town hall talks snow shoveling in Kalispell

Snow shoveling was a focus of a Ward 3 town hall meeting on Wednesday in Kalispell.

Matthew Brake brought up the sidewalk snow shoveling responsibilities of homeowners.

He said he has noticed several sidewalks in the residential and downtown areas unshoveled since the first snowfall last week, and expressed concerned for the neighbors.

“Some renters have just never shoveled,” Brake said. “Short of penalizing, what can we do?”

Council member Jim Atkinson said homeowners are required to shovel their sidewalks by city ordinance, but more often than not, city police have more important things to do than crack down on sidewalk shoveling.

“There are laws that say you have to do it, but we don’t enforce those laws,” Atkinson said.

Atkinson and council member Rod Kuntz suggested releasing another public service announcement to residents or possibly printing a reminder on the city’s water billing mailouts.

Brake also questioned the success of the Flathead High School parking permit district. Brake said he lives outside the parking perimeters of the pay-to-park area and still picks up litter and sees congestion in his neighborhood.

“I feel like I got boned,” Brake said.

Kuntz said because Brake lives in the Westside Neighborhood Parking Management District, he just needs to acquire approval 75 percent of his neighborhood block to consent to become a part of the permit zone.

Because the district was created to handle the ongoing Flathead High School parking growth, the area could be opted into the permits immediately rather than going through the parking permit procedure.

Other business brought to the town-hall meeting included high school students driving recklessly in the afternoons and what would become of Third and Fourth avenues east after a potential shift to two-way streets.

The next Ward 3 meeting is Jan. 6, 2016.

Kuntz said Ward 4 council members Phil Guiffrida and Tim Kluesner may begin joining Ward 3 in a combined town hall next month, offering more opportunity for public input from Ward 4 residents.

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.