A proposed ordinance to make government facilities such as public schools, jails, fairgrounds and police and fire stations permitted land uses in all zones passed the first of two readings with support from the Kalispell City Council on Monday.

Such facilities presently are listed as conditional uses in the city’s zoning ordinance and normally would require a conditional use permit. However, Montana law lets government agencies exempt themselves from local zoning. And in almost every case over the last 10 years, government agencies have proclaimed their exemption rather than go through Kalispell’s lengthier conditional use permit process.

The goal of the change is to streamline the procedure so government agencies decide to go through the city’s standard development review process and cooperate with its zoning regulations and design standards.

“We want to make the process easier so they don’t opt out. So they look at our zoning, our setbacks, our parking requirements, and go through Site Review Committee,” Planning Director Tom Jentz told the City Council on Monday. “We’re trying to take care of the part that’s burdensome for them.”

City Council voted 6-1 in support of the proposed change. Mayor Tammi Fisher and council member Kari Gabriel were not present. The ordinance comes up for its final reading on Tuesday, Jan. 22.

Council member Bob Hafferman was the only vote against the change.

“If the same principle was applied to private enterprise, I’d consider it,” Hafferman said. “We’re saying government is out here all by itself, which it’s getting to be.”

Council member Tim Kluesner countered Hafferman’s statement, saying “government is already exempt” from local zoning, referring to the state law. “This way ... we open our arms and they come in to talk to us. That’s what we hope happens.”

IN OTHER BUSINESS on Monday, council members:

v Appointed Matt Regier to the Kalispell Planning Board;

v Authorized Municipal Court Judge Lori Adams as a signatory on the city’s bank account;

v Approved spending up to $215,000 of federal grant money to buy a use-of-force digital training simulator for the Kalispell Police Department;

v Postponed the purchase of two used dump trucks for the streets department.

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.