Kalispell Council moves ahead with infrastructure financing program

Kalispell City Council on Monday moved forward with establishing a special district that would assist commercial property owners with installing energy-efficient infrastructure.

Council approved a resolution of intent to establish a C-PACE, or Commercial Property Assessed Capital Enhancement, which is a financing program instituted in Montana by a law passed in 2021.

The program, which is administered by the Montana Facility Finance Authority, is designed to help property owners with the upfront costs of the infrastructure.

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 is designed to allow 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.

The first loans through the state’s program were issued in Montana this year. Although the state administers the program, the loans themselves are issued by private lenders.

City Council meets next on Tuesday, Jan. 3 and is set to vote on the C-PACE district.

CITY COUNCIL also confirmed police officers Carlee Brown and Hunter Maier at Monday’s meeting. Both had successfully completed their probationary period and received their badges from Mayor Mark Johnson, following remarks by Police Chief Doug Overman.

Both officers grew up in Montana, and in his remarks, Overman referred to them as “Montana kids done right.” In his report to the city manager’s office, Overman wrote that “both officers have been tremendous assets to our team and the community.”

The meeting was attended by their families and half a dozen members of the police department.

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