Kalispell council to vote on $87M budget
The Kalispell City Council is on track to approve a $87 million budget for the coming fiscal year at its meeting tonight.
The budget hearing will be held in the City Council Chambers and is open to the public.
The council moved its last meeting to an online format when unmasked protesters showed up in force on Aug. 3. During the virtual meeting, rescheduled on Aug. 4, city staff members agreed to return to the City Council Chambers to allow for a more interactive gathering for the budget discussion, although many staff members expressed concerns about meeting attendees following state guidelines requiring face coverings in public spaces.
The council will take public comments and vote to approve an annual budget of $87,119,570. On June 15, the council approved a slightly smaller preliminary budget of $82,553,676.
According to the meeting agenda, the $4.5 million increase from the preliminary to the final budget can be attributed to a few line-item changes, including: more than $1.2 million to fund the construction of the Core Area trail; $150,000 to address an estimated reduction in funds received through the Bridge and Road Safety and Accountability Act; $170,000 for additional fire personnel; $90,000 to reimburse the Flathead County Economic Development Authority for costs from the Glacier Rail Park; and $75,000 to address damage caused to trees by a destructive wind event in spring 2020.
The council also regularly determines its preliminary budget before receiving property tax valuations from the state in August.
In addition to the budget discussion, the council will take up a few development proposals and a second reading of an ordinance to change the process for setting city speed limits.
The new procedure for setting speed limits would change that process for the first time since 1947. The updated process would base city speed limits on traffic studies, rather than recommendations from the Kalispell Police Chief and the council. During the Aug. 4 virtual meeting, the council approved the first reading of the new speed limit setting process, with Councilor Sid Daoud opposed.
Development proposals before the council on Monday include a final plat request for a Resubdivision Plat of Lot 4 of Glacier Rail Park.
This request, submitted by KLJ Engineering on behalf of the Flathead County Economic Development Authority, would amend the plat subdividing Lot 4 of the Glacier Rail Park into two parcels.
There is also a request before the council for a two-year preliminary plat extension for Silverbrook Phase 2, a 167-acre property at the southwest corner of the intersection of U.S. 93 North and Church Drive. The project is part of a larger 325-acre development, and Phase 2 includes 197 single-family lots, 90 townhouse lots and 18 commercial lots. The preliminary plat for the development is set to expire on Sept. 17.
Finally, the council will consider a final plat and subdivision improvement agreement for Northland Phase 5A and 5B, a 25.5-acre project along the western boundary of Northland Drive.
Northland Phase 5 is the final phase of the Northland subdivision and planned-unit development, originally approved in 2004. The project includes a total of 90 residential lots—70 single-family units and 20 townhouses.
Developer Bridgeland Development, LLP, has also submitted a subdivision improvement agreement to cover certain improvements that were not included within bonding related to earlier phases of the development. The agreement includes bonding for $109,358, which is 125% of the estimated remaining costs for unfinished improvements, according to the meeting agenda.
The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 201 First Ave. E.
Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at (406)-758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.