Kalispell City Council OKs emergency well repair

Kalispell City Council on Tuesday decided to move ahead with emergency repairs to the municipality’s largest water well.  

Council, sans Mayor Mark Johnson and Councilor Jessica Dahlman, voted unanimously to authorize an emergency fix to the Buffalo Hill Well, the city’s largest water producer in the lower pressure zone, which is roughly anywhere south of Lawrence Park.  

Johnson was absent after falling ill, said Council President Chad Graham, who presided over the Feb. 18 meeting. 

Declaring the project an emergency expedites the typically lengthy process of bidding for a contractor. City staff hope to repair the well before the summer, when demand peaks. 

“We would typically go through a bid process. However, we're just nervous because of the emergency nature of losing our largest production well,” said Public Works Director Susie Turner.  

A storage tank in the zone is also under construction and out of commission.   

The last time the well pump and motor underwent maintenance was 20 years ago, officials said.  

“It’s been about its life span. I wouldn’t say I was surprised that something started to go wrong with the well at this time,” Turner said.   

Councilor Sid Daoud said he was hesitant to back an emergency order. 

“I don't think it’s a good idea for government to work in that vein,” he said. 

But because the well is critical to the city’s water supply, Daoud said he would vote in favor of the repairs.  

Councilor Kari Gabriel sought to emphasize that declaring an emergency fix is an atypical move for the body.  

The city’s water system is complex, so problems tend to crop up, according to Turner. The are14 wells in the water system and in the past wells had to be decommissioned, rebuilt or added to meet growing demand.   

COUNCIL ALSO voted to extend its agreement with Glacier Gold Composting so that the company can continue managing the city’s biosolids while the municipal wastewater treatment plant undergoes upgrades. 

Kalispell’s treatment plant sends 70% of its biosolids to Glacier Gold and the rest to the Flathead County Landfill. The city will eventually send all its biosolids to the landfill but must first adhere to certain standards set by that facility, which requires new equipment.  

The move comes after a December meeting where councilors weighed moving away from composting, owing to public concerns surrounding PFAS, otherwise known as forever chemicals. The chemicals have been found to contaminate the product along with other pollutants.  

While Glacier Gold is closing its Olney facility, it has agreed to continue operating until the city completes its project. 

The contract was extended from April 2025 to September 2026, when the project is anticipated to be completed, said Turner. The city currently pays $238 per dry ton of sludge delivered to the Glacier Gold Compost Facility. The rate will increase to $370 per dry ton on July 1 and remain there through the end of the agreement. 

The new and upgraded equipment has a projected cost of $6.8 million, according to city documents.  

During public comment, Cameron Dexter with the sustainability advocacy group Citizens For A Better Flathead expressed disapproval of the city’s proposal to lower the water quality standards at a portion of Ashley Creek after a five-year study found that the current standards are unattainable.  

The lower portion of the creek is downstream from Kalispell’s wastewater treatment plant. 

KALISPELL POLICE officers Matthew Praetzel and Connor McKinnon were confirmed and applauded after completing their one-year probationary period.  

In the absence of Johnson, Graham pinned the officers’ badges.  

“Thank you for your commitment to our community,” Graham said. “Mayor Johnson and I would like to remind you that your main job is to go home safe with your family.” 

McKinnon was born in California and spent over seven years in the United States Marine Corps before moving to Montana.  

“Officer McKinnon has shown himself to be a quick learner, a great teammate and hard worker,” said Police Chief Jordan Venezio.  

Praetzel is a fourth-generation Montanan who grew up in the Flathead Valley. Coming from  a background as a missionary, he is the first member of his family to serve in law enforcement, according to Venezio.  

Mitchell Bump was also unanimously appointed to the city’s Tourism Business Improvement District.  

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and junderhill@dailyinterlake.com.