Kalispell City Hall wants community members with experience in affordable housing to help guide a study of the municipality’s housing market.  

City Council established an advisory committee at its June 15 meeting to help staff develop a request for proposals for the study, support the consultant throughout the study process and provide housing policy recommendations upon its completion. The body will consist of members of the public and individuals in the for profit and nonprofit sectors who have direct housing experience or interest. 

The proposal grew out of a housing initiative Mayor Ryan Hunter championed during his successful campaign for office. While he pushed for a permanent board that would also focus on homelessness, councilors ultimately opted for a temporary committee with a set goal and deadline.  

“I see this committee as being the opportunity to bring representatives of all these different entities together to be able to offer the city and Council some thoughtful recommendations,” Hunter said.  

The original resolution before Council called for a five-member committee, but councilors supported Hunter's request to increase its membership to seven so a broader range of backgrounds could be included in the group.  

While Councilor Sam Nunnally ultimately supported the move, he was weary of letting it grow too big.  

“The committees continue to grow and grow, and pretty soon we have a bureaucracy that is so large that they can’t move the ball forward,” he said.  

Nunnally asked his colleagues to put up guardrails dictating who could join the board, but Hunter argued that the move would amount to putting the cart before the horse.  

“We have to see who applies,” he said.  

Councilor Sid Daoud said it is Council’s responsibility to ensure the committee represents as many perspectives as possible — including voices that oppose affordable housing. 

“This should be less of a resume search and more of a cultural search,” he said. 

Kisa Davison, owner of Iron Star Construction, urged Council to ensure the committee builds off work that local housing-focused groups have already done and include representatives from those organizations.  

“My hope is that this process would actually strengthen that coordination, building on what is already there and producing some actionable recommendations rather than just recreating a dead horse to beat up over and over again,” she said.  

Kalispell has set aside $126,000 from a 2023 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant to fund the study, though the money is still being processed at the federal level.  

Development Services Director PJ Sorensen said that the city is likely to receive the funds so long as the program doesn’t get spiked by the federal government.  

Details on when and how often the committee will meet will be worked out by city staff. The group is not expected to last more than a year, according to a city memo.  

Applications are due by 5 p.m., June 30. The application can be found at kalispell.com/boards. 

The mayor, with Council’s consent, will appoint the members during a July 6 meeting.  

COUNCIL OK’D a tax increment financing loan for an affordable housing project in West Kalispell.  

Mach Development is looking to build a 24-unit apartment building at 40 Appleway Drive that will boast one- and two-bedroom rent-restricted apartments for households making below 50% to 60% area median income.  

The $113,700 loan will come from the West Side/Core Area tax increment financing program, which is intended to address blight and promote economic development in those neighborhoods.  

Because the development is exempt from property taxes through the Montana Housing Tax Credit program, the developer requested a loan instead of a grant, according to City Manager Jarod Nygren.  

The developer is looking to put the dollars toward demolition of the existing building and site preparation as well as boulevard improvements and construction of a sidewalk.  

“Deed-restricted housing is what we need more of and certainly this won’t solve that problem, but it makes headway and it’s always good to see,” Hunter said.  

COUNCIL ALSO accepted a grant for a backup generator at the city’s public safety building. 

The $284,075 grant comes from Montana Disaster and Emergency Services and requires a local match of $96,692.  

The need for a generator became apparent after a December windstorm left the base of operations for the Kalispell Police and Fire departments without electricity for two days.  

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 406-758-4407 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.