Kalispell Council to tackle variety of topics

Ten months after its initial appearance on the city agenda, short-term rental regulations are coming to a vote at tonight’s council meeting.

The Kalispell City Council will hear the first reading of the proposed short-term rental regulations developed over the past year.

Though initially appearing as a house-cleaning measure to the city code, regulations allowing short-term rentals within city limits quickly grew into a contentious issue between rental owners and city residents. During an October work session, the council agreed to move forward with the proposed ordinance, which requires short-term rental owners to obtain an administrative conditional use permit to operate and prohibits short-term rentals from exceeding the allowable density defined by the property’s zoning, among other requirements that were put on the table at the beginning of the discussion months ago.

While the discussion continued to circle around the unintended consequences brought by short-term rentals in other cities, the council noted in October that the initial ordinance could be amended accordingly in the future.

Short-term rentals are just one of 11 items on the council’s agenda tonight, among a buffet of resolutions and ordinances in their first readings, which include a resolution to adopt the Water and Wastewater Facility Plan update for South Kalispell. The plan was presented in a public hearing last week, which saw just one Kalispell resident dispute the plan in concern that the proposed water system capacity would require more wells and storage tanks that could alter the water flow on his property in South Kalispell. With no other comment received, the council decided to move forward with the plan.

The council will also vote to authorize a loan from the Montana Board of Investments for the Kalispell Parks Department to make purchases including a new mower, update the Woodland Park restrooms and service an old flatbed pickup. The loan is for $170,000 at an initial rate of 1.55 percent.

The next resolution on the agenda looks to set a public hearing before the city adopts the 2015 standards for design and construction. The council is expected to set the public hearing for Dec. 5.

The council will set another public hearing for a request by WWEE, LLC and Dwayne Druckenmiller for a growth policy amendment to land use near Stillwater Road and Four-Mile Drive. The request looks to rezone a 30-acre parcel from suburban residential and urban residential to neighborhood commercial and high-density residential. The council is expected to set the public hearing for Nov. 21.

Sixth on the city’s agenda is the first reading of a zoning amendment request regarding nonconforming signs. The request would amend the code to allow conforming signs with more than 50 percent of the sign’s elements outside of compliance to remain without change. The request applicant claims bringing these signs into compliance puts unnecessary burdens on business owners.

The council will also hear the first reading of a request by the Stillwater Corporation for a one-year extension on its Planned Unit Development for the Glacier Town Center project near Whitefish Stage Road and West Reserve Drive. Stillwater Corporation received an extension last November, but the developer is re-evaluating the phasing plan and materials in light of current market conditions.

The following agenda item is the first reading of an ordinance proposed by the Kalispell Police Department. The ordinance seeks to eliminate timed parking on Second Avenue West and streets west of Second Avenue West. According to a memo, the city planning staff has suggested this area could help alleviate parking issues in the downtown area if opened to free parking. The loss in parking citation revenues is estimated at $3,728.

The council will also vote to adopt the state legislative priorities set during the last meeting in October; consider joining the Montana Infrastructure Coalition as a member and vote to grant a special alcohol permit for the Craft Brewer’s Festival and Hockey Tournament, scheduled for Nov. 11 and 12.

The city council meeting begins tonight at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 201 First Avenue East.

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