Three new officers join Kalispell police force

New police officers Sean Keller, Dan Williams and Justin Turner were confirmed Monday by the Kalispell City Council.

The confirmations follow a six-month probationary period, according to Kalispell Police Chief Roger Nasset. Nasset said each officer exemplified the department’s motto, “Striving to Exceed Expectations,” and looked forward to the work ahead.

“There’s a lot of work to do from this point forward, but we’re extremely excited,” Nasset said.

Keller is a recent transfer from the San Mateo, California Police Department, where he had previously served seven years as a police officer, K-9 and SWAT team officer. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2000 to 2004, when he was honorably discharged, and earned multiple awards for his service.

Williams is a Kalispell native who graduated from Flathead High School and earned an associate degree in nursing. Williams worked as a reserve officer for the Kalispell Police Department before he was hired full time.

Turner is a graduate of Columbia Falls High School. He previously worked in the North Dakota oil fields, and was promoted to a supervisor role at a young age.

IN OTHER BUSINESS, the council unanimously voted to vacate a piece of property on U.S. 93. The council in November held a public hearing regarding the request to vacate Sunset Boulevard, LLC, which saw no comments.

The council also unanimously approved an ordinance allowing short-term rentals to operate in residential areas under certain regulations. With Monday’s City Council vote, no more than 2 percent of homes within Kalispell residential areas can be used as short-term rentals.

The measure passed on its third reading, after a last-second amendment clarified regulations only apply in residential zones; short-term rentals, technically small businesses, are unregulated in business zones. Council member Phil Guiffrida and Mayor Mark Johnson voted against the amendment, which they said still did not address the possible density issues, in which the 2 percent block of rentals could all be located within a few city blocks.

The ordinance will go into effect 30 days from Monday’s vote.

Additionally, the council set a Jan. 17, 2017, public hearing for a resolution to reestablish the Kalispell Downtown Business Improvement District with readjusted boundaries.

The downtown organization is expiring and business owners have submitted petitions to reestablish the district with expanded boundaries. At least 60 percent of the landowners within the required district have joined the petition process, as required for the council to establish the district again. The proposed district area expands about a block to Third Avenues east and west, and now extends to the Flathead County Courthouse.

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