A subcommittee of three Kalispell city councilors will brainstorm potential projects eligible for funding through a trails and sidewalk assessment district on Monday night.  

The regularly scheduled meeting of Kalispell City Council begins at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 21 in City Hall, 201 First Ave. E.  

The subcommittee, consisting of Councilors Chad Graham, Jed Fisher and Ryan Hunter, will discuss parameters for what a sidewalk and trails assessment district would look like, and the type of projects that could come out of it.   

The district would use tax dollars to fund the maintenance and construction of new trails and sidewalks in the city. The amount of funding needed has yet to be decided and would be put before voters.  

Council last discussed the idea during a July work session while looking at the Bicycle and Pedestrian System chapter of the broader Move 2040 Transportation Plan prepared by KLJ Engineering.  

The transportation plan recommends various path types that would improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, using priority-based ranking to target areas that promote connectivity between neighborhoods, economic hubs, recreation and schools. 

Some councilors were reluctant to raise rates to fund projects that did not benefit the entire community. Councilor Sid Daoud argued that the timing for increasing rates was not ideal. Councilor Kari Gabriel wondered whether it may prove unappealing to senior citizens who may not use the walkways.  

During the work session, City Manager Doug Russell presented general options for how a sidewalk and trails assessment district could look. Each option would generate a different level of funding that would impact the number of blocks of sidewalk constructed, the length of trail and including American with Disabilities Act improvements. Options did not look at what specific areas of the city could see construction. 

Hunter told the Inter Lake that the subcommittee is looking to start fresh, coming up with a more detailed plan to pinpoint certain project areas.  

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at [email protected] and 758-4407.