The Kalispell City Council on Monday unanimously passed a resolution giving the city manager the direct authority to reach out to the state attorney general for assistance with issues related to criminal prosecution.

City Attorney Charles Harball explained the attorney general has offered support to local prosecutors navigating issues such as new laws surrounding legalized marijuana in Montana. Previously, the council was required to pass a new resolution for each instance in which local prosecutors sought the attorney general’s help. The recently passed resolution is designed to streamline that process.

The council also approved the first reading of a proposal for an art installation from the KALICO Art Center, but because council member Tim Kluesner opposed the resolution, it will need to go through a second approval process.

The KALICO Art Center proposed a project to install vinyl decals with artwork from a local artist on 12 traffic signal boxes. KALICO would be required to enter into a maintenance and use agreement with the city for the future of the boxes, and it is likely the art center would also have to contact the Montana Department of Transportation for approval before installation.

KALICO also requested $7,200 in funds from the city’s Tourism Grant Program to cover the cost of the decals and the reward to the selected artist.

“The purpose of the tourism grant is to bring in more nonresidents into the valley, so this would support that as well as beautify the city of Kalispell,” KALICO Executive Director Jemina Watstein said.

Kluesner said he felt KALICO’s plans were too incomplete to receive his seal of approval at this stage, but the rest of the council and the mayor voted in favor of the proposal.

ADDITIONALLY, THE council went over four proposals related to development in the city. Three were unanimously approved.

The first was a final plat request for Peterson Acre, a four-lot minor residential subdivision on 1.01 acres at 435 College Ave.

Another was a final plat for Eagle Valley Ranch Phase 1, a 49-lot residential subdivision encompassing 21.9 acres located along U.S. 93 North. This is the first phase of a total development consisting of approximately 99 acres.

A third was an offer from development firm Matterhorn Capital LLC to purchase city-owned lots at Old School Station. The developer proposed buying either Lot 3a or Lots 8 and 9 at full listing prices. The lots have been listed for sale since April 2017.

Finally, the most complicated item on the agenda was an appeal from Paul Bardos of Woodland Apartments, LLC, a nine-unit apartment complex located at 23 Woodland Park Drive/517 Shady Glen Drive.

Bardos appealed a 2019 decision by the Kalispell Site Development Review Committee that required the developer to cede property along Shady Glen Drive to meet city standards for sidewalks along that right of way.

Bardos explained he and his team feel this requirement is unfairly applied to all developments across the city, regardless of their size.

“As a single item, it is representative to us of an impact on the project that gives a hardship or produces a hardship on us that makes these infill lots extremely difficult to develop and make workable under the terms in which the standards are being applied,” Bardos said.

But after discussing the city standards and the traffic patterns in the area, the council continued to support its 2019 decision. A resolution to reject Bardos’ appeal will go before council on Dec. 21.

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at (406)-758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.