Page 14 - Flathead Beacon // 8.26.15

NEWS
CITY BEAT
KALISPELL
Stretch of Parkridge Drive to be Closed for Bypass Construction
Parkridge Drive between Stillwater Road and Barron Way will be perma- nently closed Aug. 28 due to the upcom- ing construction of the U.S. Highway 93 Alternate Route, or bypass.
City officials said the closure is sched- uled prior to school starting to allow resi- dences and school buses to develop routes to be used for the entire year, rather than requiring changes one month into the school year, when construction on the bypass is scheduled to commence.
KALISPELL
City Funds Additional Police Officers
As requests for law enforcement increase, the city is funding up to two new positions for the police department.
The Kalispell City Council voted to approve one additional full-time officer through its budget as well as a second position that is contingent on the city receiving a federal grant that would fund the position for the first three years. After that, the city would have to pay to keep the officer.
The addition of one new hire would bring the city’s squad to 37 officers.
This is the first time Kalispell has added at least one officer to its operations in a decade, according to city officials. The city lost an officer position during
FLATHEAD
County Budget Hits $105 Million
The Flathead County Commission is expected to approve a $105.2 million bud- get on Aug. 26, accounting for nearly $18.7 million in capital improvement proj- ects and 18 additional full-time county employees.
According to county administrator Mike Pence, Flathead County started out with a balance of $52.2 million for fiscal year 2016, and now that the state tax pro- jections are in, expects $97.8 million in total revenue, tax and non-tax.
As for cash reserves, the county is expected to have $12.3 million at the end of FY 2016, equaling about 23 percent of the county’s beginning balance. State law allows for cash reserves up to 33 percent.
Personnel costs continue to be a major portion of the total county budget, Pence said in a memo to the commissioners, with a 1.6 percent cost-of-living adjust- ment for county employees, or roughly $343,223.
The county also added 18 full-time equivalent employees in the last fiscal
the recession.
“With this new hire we’re getting
back to where we were in 2007,” Police Chief Roger Nasset said. “I know by look- ing at the numbers, it’s justified. It’s been very busy.”
Through mid August, the city’s police department had received 19,893 calls, according to city manager Doug Russell. At the same time last year, the depart- ment had received 19,201 calls.
The total first-year cost for both offi- cers would be $115,040. The federal grant would cover up to $125,00 over three years.
Nasset said the city hopes to fill one or both positions by late November. Fol- lowing training, the officer or officers could be working full-time in Kalispell by spring.
WHITEFISH
City Officials Auctioning off Surplus Items from City Hall
The city of Whitefish will auction off surplus items on Sept. 5 on the eve of the demolition and construction of City Hall.
The sale will be held at 418 E. Second St. starting at 9 a.m. A public viewing will be possible on Sept. 4 from 1-5 p.m. and Sept. 5, from 7:30-9 a.m.
The item’s include a steel reinforced door from 1918; steel jail cells; vintage glass globes; a 1979 Dodge Power Truck with hose nozzles; a 1993 Ford F-350 Ambulance; and 1977 Ford dump truck.
year, now sitting at 524.
Pence also noted that the county con-
tinues to maximize levied dollars within its legal authority to save over multi- ple years for an adult detention facility expansion project, which was started about 11 years ago with a $14 million price tag.
This means the county, under the direction of the commission, will levy to the maximum legal ability, and this tax revenue will be earmarked for the cap- ital improvement program for the new jail. Pence said it should generate about $10 million.
If the county continues to receive Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) money, some of that could be funneled toward the project, which could potentially see hitting the $14 million mark in seven years.
There is another $3 million included in the budget, transferred from the general fund cash balance, to fund the “likely” purchase of the Walmart property in Evergreen to use as a public safety facil- ity, which would include the jail.
Pence also mentioned the $3 million
Whitefish City Hall. BEACON FILE PHOTO
The property is part of the city’s devel-
opment of a new City Hall and adjacent buildings. Most items are still attached to the old structures and buyers will be required to remove them.
During construction of the new City Hall in downtown, a temporary site will be used at 1005 Baker Ave., effective Aug. 27. The Planning and Building Depart- ment, as well as Parks and Recreation Department, will remain in the Depot Park location.
community gym project proposed by the county Parks Department. About half of the project will need to be funded in order to receive $1.5 million in a required match raised by private donations.
By maximizing the tax levies, they will increase from 151.64 mills last year to 171.34 mills, equaling a 13 percent increase. However, Pence said the large increase was due to a 9 percent reduction in total valuation, and doesn’t show the actual tax increases for taxpayers.
A countywide mill is now worth $222,339 compared to $246,736. The total property tax for FY 2016 is $35,336,663, a 1.8 percent increase over the previous year’s $34,713,757.
“This 1.8 percent increase is the actual tax increase that is calculated with the formula provided by the State of Mon- tana as approved by the legislature and the Governor,” Pence wrote in his memo.
In plain terms, this means anyone owning a $200,000 property would see an increase of about $7.56 in county taxes, and a $100,000 property would see an additional $3.78 in county taxes.
“In reality, many of our taxpayers will
The half block of City Hall will be fenced off beginning Sept. 8 for the dem- olition of the building. Baker Avenue and Highway 93 will remain open for traffic during construction. As construction commences, First Street from the alley behind City Hall to Baker Avenue will likely be closed through the spring of 2016.
City leaders say the new site could be completed in 2017.
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see no increase in county property taxes as property added with new construction will cover most of the 1.8 percent actual increase in county property taxes,” Pence said.
FLATHEAD
Montana Troopers Increasing Patrols Before Labor Day
Those driving through Montana should notice more law enforcement on highways as the Montana Highway Patrol is increasing patrols.
The Montana Standard reports that the patrol is increasing patrols as part of a national crackdown on drunk driving over Labor Day weekend. The depart- ment is starting its 20-day, high-visibil- ity campaign Friday.
Officials say there will be more patrol vehicles and DUI checkpoints, as well as increased messaging about drunk driving through Sept. 7.
Officials say drunk driving accounted for 38 percent of crash fatalities over Labor Day weekend in 2013.
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AUGUST 26, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM