Kalispell council asked to OK use of grant money for emergency shelter

The Kalispell City Council tonight will consider a proposal for the Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana to use Emergency Solutions grant funding for emergency shelter activities.

Approval of the measure would allow the Community Action Partnership to use grant money to house individuals in the community who have been identified by the Flathead City-County Health Department as needing to quarantine due to COVID-19.

Also related to grant funding is an agenda item requesting approval for reimbursement of any preliminary expenditures as part of the city’s upcoming regional stormwater facility project.

Construction is expected to start this spring on the stormwater project in North Kalispell, so the city is looking to approve access to the Montana State Revolving Fund for any preliminary costs.

A resolution to OK the financing of the real-time project costs is expected to come before the council sometime in March.

IN OTHER business, the council will consider a request from Kalispell National Investment Co. for major preliminary plat approval for Phases 3-6 of the Bloomstone subdivision. The proposal includes 57 lots on 33.73 acres of land at 1070 Treeline Road.

Also on the agenda is a request from Layne Massie to annex and rezone a 2-acre parcel currently located in county jurisdiction. Massie is requesting the city annex property at 2015 and 2105 Third Avenue East and rezone the property into the city’s B-2 (General Business) zone.

The council will hold its second reading on a zoning text amendment that would allow for expanded use of accessory dwelling units in various city zones.

Most recently, on Jan. 19, the council voted 7-2 in favor of allowing more accessory units in the city. Council member Chad Graham and Mayor Mark Johnson voted against the measure, citing concerns that the proposed text amendment might send the city down a slippery slope toward being overrun by accessory dwellings. Their dissent prompted the necessity for the text amendment to be revisited at a second reading tonight.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. via Zoom videoconference.

Public comments can be submitted via email to publiccomment@kalispell.com or verbally during the video conference at https://bit.ly/3oAymZF

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at 758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.