11/9/26 Kalispell City Council Session

The City of Kalispell City Council held a work session on November 9, 2026, to continue developing a traffic-calming policy and review a tax increment financing (TIF) request for the Parkline District redevelopment. For traffic calming, staff presented revisions and proposed a recurring annual program budget of $208,000: $158,000 for a transportation engineering position and $50,000 for construction. Staff identified a 5.25% increase to the Street Maintenance District assessment as sufficient to fund both components, while also outlining other possible funding mechanisms, including a voter-approved levy, special improvement districts, grants, and the general fund. Council discussed eligibility and prioritization criteria, design standards, and a proposed stakeholder review process; the draft is expected to return for further consideration, with funding direction anticipated in March 2027 and adoption targeted for spring. No funding or policy vote was taken at this work session.

The council also discussed Parkline Partners LP’s request for $13,876,689 in West Side Core Area TIF assistance for public infrastructure associated with redeveloping the Kalispell Center Mall. The request includes a privately maintained, publicly accessible extension of 3rd Avenue West, utility extensions, and streetscape improvements; the wider project was described as involving approximately $127.3 million in private investment. A third-party analysis estimated about $22 million in tax increment over 20 years and concluded the project would not be viable without TIF assistance, though council members questioned the precision and assumptions behind the forecast. The Urban Renewal Agency had unanimously recommended approval on October 15, but the council took no final action at this work session. Council members generally expressed support while asking staff to develop a draft agreement addressing reimbursement milestones, the development outcome, and pedestrian and bicycle connectivity, and to return for a work session. Public comment also raised concerns about a separate previously discussed TIF-funded city vehicle maintenance facility.