In a virtual meeting being held tonight through Zoom videoconference, the Kalispell City Council will vote on possible amendments to the city’s water and sewer rate schedules.

At the beginning of the year, the Kalispell Public Works Department presented its study of the city’s utility rates and impact fees, and the council has been discussing potential changes in the rates and fees at numerous meetings and work sessions. Public comments and concerns from council members prompted two new proposals for the city’s utility charges, which could be adopted at this evening’s meeting.

Originally, the council looked at a sewer rate increase that would see the average bill go from $8.44 per month to almost $13 per month throughout 2021. The new option would see the average monthly bill go up to about $11 throughout 2021 and increase every year by a smaller margin than the original proposals.

The two new rate structure proposals “accomplis[h] a lower increase in the first year and a transitional increase for the following years,” according to the meeting agenda.

“The first-year increase is as low as it can be adjusted while still supporting debt obligations (reserves and debt credit) for current capital projects and future capital projects…Due to the lower first year increase, the second to fifth year increases are critical to continue the support for all reserves, debt obligation, and service levels,” the report noted.

In addition, the first new option would decrease impact fees to 50% of their current value, whereas the second new option would keep impact fees at their current value. These proposals are a result of numerous public commenters who previously expressed concern about decreasing impact fees.

In both of these recently introduced scenarios, some capital projects on the docket would be rescheduled to comply with the new funding structure.

The City Council will take public comments on these proposals via email at publiccomment@kalispell.com.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. online at https://www.kalispell.com/480/Meeting-Videos.

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