Theft, law enforcement and city development were the main topics at Wednesday’s town hall meeting at Kalispell City Hall.

Six people attended the meeting led by Ward 3 council members Rod Kuntz and Jim Atkinson.

Kyle Mahoney, a Kalispell resident who is a native of Spokane, said he has noticed a strong uptick in crime on the west side of town in the last year.

He’s taking action by managing a Facebook page, “Flathead Lost, Found, Missing or Stolen.”

“Not everyone has time to deal with this,” Mahoney said. “As a stay-at-home dad, I have the time, and someone should do something about the amount of theft in the city.”

The page acts as a public forum for residents to ask for help finding stolen items or report misdemeanor crimes happening in their area of town. Some people post items they have found around Kalispell, hoping to find the owner of missing items.

 “There’s not enough room in the jail and people get released to just keep committing crimes,” Mahoney said. “This is a very trusting place — it’s no wonder criminals come here.”

Mahoney said he believes his Facebook page could help police at least follow leads on theft in the city.

Both Kuntz and Atkinson praised Mahoney for his volunteer work, saying it could be an asset to city police.

“I know it’s been said before and it won’t be the last, but the issue is money,” Kuntz said. “There isn’t a fiscal remedy in place.”

Mahoney said he’s not trying to promote vigilantism, but he believes the community needs to step up in the face of high turnover at the county jail.

Mahoney is holding a public meeting for people interested in learning more about his Facebook group at 7 p.m. on Oct. 16 at the Eagles Club.

Other issues that came up during the meeting included parking, street lighting and development. Kuntz and Atkinson pointed to the Core Area Redevelopment Plan as the solution to current parking problems and the route to future revenue streams to create more city services.

The next Kalispell Town Hall meeting is 7 p.m. on Nov. 4 at City Hall. The meetings are held without an agenda; residents who want to bring concerns or issues to the roundtable discussion are encouraged to attend.

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.