The Kalispell City Council unanimously approved two measures at its March 7 meeting that follow up on a $312,000 legal settlement with a developer over water line extensions.
On Feb. 7, council members approved an agreement with Owl Corporation where Kalispell would reimburse the developer for its investment over-sizing water main lines on the north side, between the old campus of the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and West View Estates. In exchange, the city obtains the legal rights from Owl Corporation to collect “latecomers fees” when subsequent development projects hook up to the water line.
At its most recent meeting, the council voted to add the water main extension project to Kalispell’s capital improvement plan for water facilities. Doing so allows the city to use water impact fees to pay for the reimbursement to Owl, since yet-to-be built developments like Starling subdivision will eventually be served by the water main line.
The council also voted to extend the agreement from 17 to 30 years, anticipating that could be the time period before the water main lines reach maximum capacity from development.