The Kalispell City Council will hold a public hearing this evening on proposed increases to the city’s utility rates.

The city is considering water and sewer rate raises, as well as higher impact fees, that could go into effect this month if approved. Sewer fees could increase by about $13 a month throughout 2021 and by about $3 per month every subsequent year until 2025. Water fees would increase about $3 per month every year until 2025, under the current proposal.

The council also will consider three zoning requests.

The first is a request from the Montana Department of Transportation to annex property at 672 and 680 Two Mile Drive and rezone the property to RA-1 (Residential Apartment). This property, located between Greenbriar Drive and the U.S. 93 Alternate Route, is currently zoned county R-1 (Suburban Residential) and is used for residential purposes. The surrounding area is a mix of R-4 (Residential) and RA-1 zoning. There are reportedly no specific development plans for the property at this time.

The zone change request was considered at the Kalispell Planning Board’s last meeting on Feb. 11, and the planning board recommended accepting the request.

The second request on the docket for tonight’s meeting was also discussed and recommended at the Feb. 11 Planning Board meeting. Sandra Sulewski is requesting the city rezone property located at 1260 North Meridian Road currently zoned R-3 (Residential) to B-1 (Neighborhood Business). The property is currently used for residential purposes and there are no specific development plans at this time, but in her zone change application Sulewski wrote this approval would “enable this property to provide a building space for future affordable housing and/or low impact small business use.”

The final request at tonight’s meeting comes from WGM Group on behalf of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, for final plat approval of one multi-family lot on 8.3 acres known as Snowline Acreage, located north of Bloomstone Homes, west of Kidsports and south of the My Place Hotel. The preliminary plat was originally approved in June 2019 with 11 conditions. These have now all been “met or adequately addressed,” according to the meeting agenda.

The council will also look at making various building code updates at the meeting this evening. They are considering adopting: the 2018 International Commercial Building Code, the 2018 Residential Building Code, the 2018 Mechanical Code, the 2018 Fuel Gas Code, the 2018 Swimming Pool Code, the 2018 Existing Building Code, the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code and the 2017 National Electrical Code.

These codes are updated by the International Building Codes Committee every three years and were recently approved by the state of Montana. These updates would replace codes from 2012 within the Kalispell city limits. The council held a work session on adopting these codes on Feb. 24.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 201 First Ave. E.

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