Council to vote on alcohol ordinance

The Kalispell City Council has a light agenda for tonight’s regular meeting but could give final approval to an amended alcohol ordinance.

The change would allow the sale and consumption of alcohol in a slightly larger space at Woodland Park than the current law allows. It would also shorten the special permit application period for events with alcohol.

Language in the law would be amended to allow alcohol in the enclosed hockey rink “and the surrounding area” at Woodland. The issue came up after this year’s Pond Hockey Classic, for which the council rejected alcohol use.

Council members passed a first reading of the new ordinance on May 4 on a 5-3 vote. One member was absent. The second reading and vote will tonight.

Kalispell currently allows event organizers to request alcohol use at Woodland Park, the Hockaday Museum, the Conrad Mansion, the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce building, the Museum at Central School, Depot Park and Lakers baseball fields.

The only other item on the council’s agenda is to accept a grant from the Montana Department of Transportation. The $11,050 grant will be used for new in-vehicle cameras for Kalispell police cruisers.

The police department is close to updating all of its vehicles with the newer-model camera system. Kalispell police Capt. Tim Falkner said that the new cameras offer better quality.

“The video is just a night-and-day difference,” he said. “It’s a lot more clear, it has high-definition capability. The storage takes up a lot less space.”

They also boot up more quickly and have quality night-vision capabilities, he added.

This grant will outfit two patrol vehicles.

The Kalispell City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 201 1st St. E.

Reporter Matt Hudson may be reached at 758-4459 or by email at mhudson@dailyinterlake.com.