Kalispell City Council is expected to hire a contractor on Monday to drill six new drinking water wells to replace sites contaminated by what are commonly known as forever chemicals.

Council meets at 7 p.m., March 2 in City Hall, 201 First Ave. E.  

Arlee-based Coldwater Drilling and Pump offered the lowest bid at around $1.7 million for the project, which the city will pay for through the Emerging Contaminants in Small and Disadvantaged Communities Grant program and a loan forgiveness program funneled through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.   

The city plans to drill two well sites to replace the Grandview Wells and Armory Well, which have consistently detected levels of per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, or forever chemicals, since they were tested in 2022.  

Two new wells will be drilled in Dry Bridge Park and a cluster of four wells will be dug near the decommissioned Noffsinger Springs site by the Buffalo Hills Golf Course. Both areas were test drilled and no PFAS were detected.  

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality, in January, cleared the project after determining it would have no significant environmental impact.  

ALSO ON Monday's consent agenda is a proposal to hire a contractor to repair and resurface the lazy river at Woodland Water Park, as well as to bring on an architectural consulting firm to design and build a new equipment garage and a storage facility for solid waste equipment.  

The city also plans to hire a contractor to build an ambulance for the new fire station planned near Mountain Vista Way and Farm to Market Road, with both projects funded through the voter-approved emergency responder levy.  

COUNCIL WILL consider a trio of development proposals, two of which are related to the large Bloomstone development between the U.S. 93 Bypass and the Dan Johns Kalispell Youth Athletic Complex.  

The developer is looking for final plat approval for an 8-acre subdivision with 42 townhouse lots and preliminary plat approval to re-subdivide 12 acres of its property into three lots for multifamily units.  

Council will also consider a preliminary plat request for 54 residential lots over two phases in the Starling subdivision located just west of Stillwater Road. 

COUNCIL WILL decide whether to pursue a state grant to fund the installation of a backup generator for the Kalispell Police and Fire departments.  

“The proposed project would mitigate the impact of power outages and is necessary for full police and fire capacity during emergencies,” according to a city memo.  

Council is also expected to schedule a public hearing for March 16 on its new land use plan meant to guide the city’s growth for the next 20 years.  

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