Work session identifies assessment need for police, fire

The Kalispell City Council outlined future plans for three city departments at a work session Monday that reviewed master plans for Kalispell Parks and Recreation, the Kalispell Police Department and the Kalispell Fire Department.

One of the most significant action items to emerge from the discussion Monday was support for an outside agency to assess the operations of the police and fire departments. Such a study hasn’t been conducted since 2018.

Studies for the two departments would cost approximately $50,000 each.

Police Chief Doug Overman and Fire Chief Dan Pearce were both supportive of such an assessment. Pearce called an assessment a “must” because of increased call volumes and delayed response times caused by the city’s growth.

In 2018, when the last operational study was conducted, the fire department handled 3,437 calls, according to Pearce. He said the fire department responded to almost 4,400 calls last year.

“We are literally just running call to call to call,” he said.

Pearce also said response times for the growing western portion of the city have crept up to around 8 minutes, while the department would prefer to keep them around 4 to 6 minutes.

“I don’t want to say it’s a matter of saving lives…but it truly is,” Pearce stressed.

The operational assessment would look at the possibilities of increasing staffing and space for the police and fire departments.

IN THE Parks and Recreation master plan, Director Chad Fincher identified $600,000 in deferred maintenance work yet to be completed since the last master plan was adopted in 2007. Fincher explained the previous plan “had a very ambitious amenity package” that accounts for much of the uncompleted maintenance.

Fincher pointed out several projects that have been completed since the 2007 master plan went into place, including trail connections, the playground in Lawrence Park and improvements to Woodland Park pond quality from the removal of waterfowl.

Council members and one public commenter offered a number of suggestions for the Parks and Recreation Department going forward.

Council member Ryan Hunter suggested revisiting the possibility of establishing a funding district for park acquisitions, as well as taking another look at recreational amenity requirements for new developments. Hunter also brought up the ideas of a discussion about a trail going north on the Buffalo Hill Golf Course and multiple uses for the parcel to the south of Legends Field.

Council member Jed Fisher raised the idea of building a multi-use facility for sports such as pickleball, basketball and indoor soccer, in the hopes that building such a facility would generate jobs and income.

City Manager Doug Russell said the Tourism Business Improvement District is currently conducting a feasibility study to look at building this type of facility.

Public commenter Chris Hall urged council to focus on sidewalks prior to building parks or other large facilities. “There’s certain things we’re missing in our community that need to be addressed first before we go on these luxury, big plans,” he said.

DURING THE public comment period, Tonya Horn, executive director of the Flathead Warming Center, implored council to incorporate “supportive housing” — a form of housing that caters to people who aren’t housing-ready by including social services on-site — into its future plans.

“I’d like for us to think about the human cost as we’re making financial decisions,” said Horn.

In relation to the housing discussion, Council member Chad Graham railed against “lip service” being paid to the concept of affordable housing without real action being taken to improve housing availability throughout the valley.

Finally, Mayor Mark Johnson reiterated his commitment to following the same process for all developers who want to build in the city.

“I just want the public to know that as the mayor, I will not take influence from anybody from the Governor’s Office, from a senator’s office, from a representative’s office, [or] from the commissioners’ office to change our process and procedure that every other taxpayer is expected to go through when they see us,” Johnson said.

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at 406-758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.