Casino development dominated the Kalispell City Council work session on Monday in both council discussion and public comment.

Council members Kari Gabriel, Sandy Carlson, Phil Guiffrida, Rod Kuntz and Chad Graham attended the meeting; Mayor Mark Johnson and council members Jim Atkinson, Wayne Saverud and Tim Kluesner were not present.

The discussion stemmed from public concerns about additional casinos being built in the city. There are 24 existing casinos in city limits with a potential for 22 more under current zoning regulations.

Tom Jentz and Jarod Nygren of the Kalispell Planning Department brought a recommendation from the Planning Board suggesting increasing the 300-foot buffer zone between casinos to 400 feet, amending sign standards for casinos within a designated entrance corridor and prohibiting new casinos north of Idaho Street and south of Airport Way and Twin Acres.

Guiffrida praised the Planning Department for its work on the recommendations but said he wants to the regulations to go further.

“The issue is the image of what you see when you roll through these areas and how we’re trying to find a balance with the property owners and the business owners of Kalispell,” Guiffrida said.

Guiffrida said he opposed the boundary lines prohibiting casinos in the north and south ends of Kalispell, which would divide the city and push the casinos from one area into another.

“Then you have neighbors saying, ‘If you don’t want to put this next to you, why do you want to put it next to me?’” he said.

Guiffrida supported the option of limiting casinos to B-5 districts — areas that are reserved for commercial development. Casinos are currently allowed in any business district under conditional use permits that prohibits the establishments from being located within 300 feet of churches, schools, residential zones and other casinos.

Limiting casinos to B-5 districts would prohibit those already located outside the districts from expanding and if a casino closed, it could not be reopened as a gambling establishment. Since a majority of the casinos are already located outside B-5 zones, this would eventually lead to a retraction of casinos outside those areas, Guiffrida said.

Limiting casinos to B-5 districts was tabled in the spring after the council approved the development of a Town Pump and Lucky Lil’s on the north side of town, without any ordinance to prohibit the placement.

Casino development brought plenty of public comment when it was discussed in April, and citizens came out again Monday night to reiterate their stances.

“We don’t want to see arterials [main roadways] lined with casino development,” said Mayre Flowers of Citizens for a Better Flathead. “If you’re going to be discussing this more, I would hope you keep the hearing open for more public input.”

Jenny LaSorte, a Kalispell resident, said she was concerned about the families affected by gambling addiction. She asked that the boundary lines on Idaho Street and Airport Way and Twin Acres be considered by the council.

“Twenty-four casinos is scary; 46 is downright terrifying,” LaSorte said. “Gambling takes the food out of kids’ mouths and the clothes off their backs. The city approves casino construction but doesn’t support people with gambling addiction. There’s something unethical and immoral about the imbalance.”

Roxanne Brothers wanted to rid the town of all casinos and asked where the council stood between the casino companies and residents of Kalispell.

“Where is your head? Those folks are suffering. Don’t you ever think about the people in Kalispell or is it all about money?” Brothers asked.

Guiffrida said he appreciated the wave of public input that has come with the casino development. But, he said, restricting all casino development could result in a costly lawsuit against the city.

“We can’t outright outlaw these casinos or else the state would have our heads,” Guiffrida said. “The most expensive thing for the taxpayers would be litigation.”

The council will hold off on voting for the amendments to casino development in city limits until the first week of December, allowing the public to learn more about B-5 zoning and the options brought by the city planners.

IN OTHER BUSINESS, Public Works Director Susie Turner outlined the new updates and amendments made to the city’s water and sewer regulations. The biggest topic was the change from bimonthly to monthly billing.

According to Turner, the new billing format says that meters will be read on the first of each month, bills will be processed and mailed out on the 20th of that month and due by the 10th of the next month.

The new payment schedule transition is expected to be in place by January 2016.

Other changes to the regulations mostly included clarifications and updated language to the ordinances that were last updated in 1981.

The Kalispell City Council will hold its next regular meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19 at City Hall.

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at [email protected].