Page 14 - Flathead Beacon // 7.29.15

NEWS
CITY BEAT
KALISPELL
City Approves Parking District Near Flathead High School
After years of debate and planning, city officials have approved a permitted parking district for the residential neigh- borhood around Flathead High School.
The Kalispell City Council on July 20 voted 5-2 in favor of a 15-block parking district that will allow students and staff from the high school to purchase passes along with residents for the academic year.
Mayor Mark Johnson supported the ordinance along with councilors Tim Kluesner, Jim Atkinson, Sandy Carl- son and Kari Gabriel. Councilors Wayne Saverud and Chad Graham were opposed. Councilor Phil Guiffrida was absent and councilor Rod Kuntz recused himself because of his past involvement in neigh- borhood efforts to develop the district. The ordinance passed on a first reading and must be approved again in a second reading before final passage.
The district, known as the Westside Neighborhood Parking Management Zone, will feature parking restrictions for Second Avenue West between Sixth and Ninth streets west; Third Avenue West between Fifth and Ninth streets west; Fourth Avenue West between Eighth and Ninth streets west; and all streets between Fourth Avenue and Second Ave- nue West.
The district will be in effect during the school year from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mon- day through Friday. The cost of the per- mits will be determined at a later date by the city council; residents have asked for a cost of $10 each. City staff have identi- fied 240 on-street parking spaces within the district.
Each resident in the district will receive two free parking passes. Resi- dents, students and staff can purchase an unlimited number of passes. A pass will allow for parking but not ensure a space. Students and staff with permits will be limited to one side of each street or ave- nue in the zone each school year, and the
FLATHEAD COUNTY
County Jobless Rate Increase, Holds Steady Statewide
Montana’s unemployment rate remained unchanged in June at 3.9 per- cent, according to state data.
Employment levels in Montana con- tinued to rise over the month, but the unemployment rate held steady due to growth in the labor force, according to state labor officials.
Flathead County’s non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate ranked 10th highest in the state and hit 5.2 percent last month, a slight increase from May when it was 4.7 percent.
A year ago in June, Flathead’s jobless
zones will rotate each year.
The district has been debated among
school administrators, residents and city planners for over two years in an effort to regulate parking in an area some say is heavily congested because of the two schools.
Kalispell Planning Director Tom Jentz said the congestion has impacted the social makeup of the neighborhood and led to a higher number of homes being rented, 56 percent, compared to the city average of 33 percent. Upwards of 250 parking spaces are lacking between the two schools, according to city data. A pre- vious poll of residents found 97 percent were in favor of addressing the problem.
The estimated cost to implement the district is $20,000, according to city staff.
BIGFORK
Administrators to Host Community Tour of School
Administrators are hosting a commu- nity tour of Bigfork High School at 7 p.m., July 30, to show why the school district will ask voters for a $14 million bond to redevelop the site.
The district is inviting members of the public to tour the site and hear an expla- nation for the upcoming bond request. In May, the school board unanimously approved a bond request for $14 million to redevelop the high school. Voters this fall will decide whether to grant a significant makeover of a 50-year-old building and campus that is already out of space amid rising enrollment. Ballots will be sent in September and are due back by Oct. 9.
An independent site assessment last year found structural issues and growing needs throughout the campus, including more classroom space.
If approved, the renovation project would progress in priority phases. The school’s priorities would be adding new classroom space to ensure all high school students would be taking classes in the high school instead of the middle school. The site would be better compartmen- talized and space would be used more
rate was 5.7 percent and Montana’s sea- sonally adjusted rate was 4.5 percent.
Glacier County had the highest rate in the state at 9.3 percent, a 1.3 percentage point increase from May. Lincoln Coun- ty’s unemployment rate, ranking second highest, was 8.9 percent last month, an increase from 7.8 percent in May. Lake County was at 4.9 percent in June.
The Blackfeet Reservation had a 12.9 percent jobless rate, highest among Montana’s seven reservations. The Flat- head Reservation had the best rate at 5.2 percent.
The U.S. unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 5.3 percent last month.
“Montana’s economy continues to
efficiently for classes and other school programs, according to planners.
WHITEFISH
Violent Windstorm Destroys Building at Whitefish High School
A violent windstorm in Whitefish destroyed a building at Whitefish High School last week.
According to Activities Director Aric Harris, a large metal building that stores pole vault mats was nearly blown away on July 21. The building was moved nearly 30 feet from its original location.
“The wind picked it all up and threw it right down,” he said.
Besides destroying the building, the incident also damaged the track and a nearby fence. Harris said it’s unclear how much it will cost to repair everything. He said veteran teachers told him this isn’t the first time something like this has hap- pened and that they have long known that the area behind the school can be espe- cially windy.
grow, adding roughly 8,800 jobs in the first half of 2015,” Gov. Steve Bullock said. “Strong employment and labor force growth helps ensure Montanans have access to good-paying jobs, and busi- nesses can find the workers they need to drive economic growth.”
According to state data, Montana’s total employment levels increased by a few hundred jobs in June, for a total of 12,193 jobs added over the last 12 months and total employment of 504,627.
Total employment estimates include payroll employment, plus agricultural and self-employed workers. Payroll employment fell over the month, but has still posted a gain of 2,100 jobs since the beginning of the year.
WHITEFISH
Vote on New City Hall Denied
A group seeking to put construction of the new City Hall up for a vote has been told it has no legal leg to stand on.
Kalispell attorney Duncan Scott is representing the individuals who oppose the project, and who have been working to create a ballot initiative to amend city code so that it requires a public vote before the city can move forward with construc- tion of the new City Hall and parking structure, a $14 million project that has been planned and debated tirelessly.
The individuals sought to require pub- lic approval by majority vote for any city project costing more than $3 million.
In a letter to Scott, Whitefish City Attorney Angela Jacobs Persicke wrote that the proposed measure did not meet the legal requirements under state law and the city charter.
In response, Scott disagreed, saying amendments to a city charter are legis- lative matters.
“This opinion denying a public vote on the proposed City Hall is based on poli- tics, not the law,” Scott wrote in an email.
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“We expect strong wage growth in 2015, as businesses compete to recruit workers in this low unemployment rate environment” said Labor Commissioner Pam Bucy. “The Montana Department of Labor and Industry is committed to iden- tifying and training more Montanans to ensure that we have enough workers to meet the needs of Montana employers.”
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent in June on a seasonally adjusted basis, with advances in the indexes for gasoline, shelter, and food all contribut- ing. The index for all items less food and energy, also called core inflation, rose 0.2 percent in June.
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WIND DAMAGE IN WHITEFISH
A building behind the Whitefish High School was destroyed in a violent wind storm on July 21.
JUSTIN FRANZ | FLATHEAD BEACON
NEWS
COUNTY BEAT
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JULY 29, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM