Behind the support of members of the business community and the recommendation of the Urban Renewal Agency, the Kalispell City Council made an 11th-hour compromise to extend the life of the West Side Tax Increment Finance District.
The TIF district, started in 1997 and scheduled to sunset in March, will continue accruing funds and remain a possible redevelopment tool after the council approved the addition of two projects into the West Side Urban Renewal Plan at a special meeting at City Hall on Jan. 4.
Jane Howington, in her final meeting as Kalispell city manager and who requested the unplanned session after councilors balked at a previous TIF-saving project, presented four options recommended by the URA that would extend the availability of TIF funds. Howington started with the agency’s top choice: a $750,000 revolving loan fund for property owners to demolish blighted buildings.
“There are many abandoned buildings or very unutilized buildings in need of repair in the core area,” Howington said. “This would allow us to incent owners to scrape property and remediate blight, and it would give them a period of time to market their property before they had to repay loans.”
The Wright’s Kalispell Lumber building on West Idaho Street was mentioned first and foremost as a possible site. Howington said owners of the builders have expressed interest in taking down the building.
A person with Wright’s Lumber declined to comment for this story.
The council went on to approve a second motion that could improve safety and structural components at the intersection of Meridian and Appleway. The council rejected a motion to possibly purchase a piece of private property near the Gateway West Mall for a parking development.
Representatives from the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, Montana West Economic Development and the Flathead County Economic Development Authority expressed support for extending the TIF district.
The city also announced that Dave Dedman, who has served as interim Kalispell City Fire Chief since Dan Diehl stepped down in June, is taking over as full-time chief.
Dedman, a Kalispell native, started his career with the local fire department in 1996 as a firefighter and was operations chief before taking over as interim chief.
The Jan. 4 meeting was Councilor Duane Larson’s final one. The longtime councilor is retiring. Phil Guiffrida III will be sworn in as Larson’s predecessor on Jan. 9.