Kalispell City Council to vote on state program aimed at energy efficiency upgrades

Kalispell City Council will vote on a resolution of intent Monday, the first step in establishing a C-PACE district in the municipality.

The meeting will be held at City Hall, 201 First Ave. E., at 7 p.m. It is also accessible via Zoom.

Council last week heard a presentation on the C-PACE program from Adam Gill, director of the Montana Facility Finance Authority, the agency tasked with administering the state’s newly implemented initiative. C-PACE, or Commercial Property Assessed Capital Enhancement, was instituted by a law passed in 2021 and is designed to help businesses and others with the upfront costs of improving energy infrastructure.

The first loans through the program were issued in Montana this year.

Eligible investments under C-PACE include HVAC systems, solar panels, and a large variety of heating and cooling upgrades, including efficient boilers, chillers and furnaces.

The term of the loans theoretically allows participants to rely on energy savings to cover the debt. The loans are repaid through an additional tax assessment that is applied to the upgrades, and as such are attached to the property itself.

Local governments must first establish the tax district to implement C-PACE. Officials then pass the funds collected on to the MFFA, which remits the payments to a private lender.

The public is invited to comment by email or in person at Monday’s meeting.

ALSO BEFORE Council is an item on the consent agenda confirming Kalispell Police officers Carlee Brown and Hunter Maier. According to the meeting’s agenda, the two have successfully completed their probationary period at Kalispell Police Department.

Reporter Adrian Knowler can be reached at 758-4407 or aknowler@dailyinterlake.com.