The public can now throw block parties on Kalispell's residential streets.  

City Council on Monday narrowly passed an ordinance allowing residents to host gatherings on residential blocks or use city-owned downtown parking lots for weekend events. Those looking to organize a shindig must obtain a special event permit from City Hall.  

Disagreement sparked over whether a required $1,000 refundable damage deposit was too high or not high enough. The deposit is intended to cover costs related to cleanup and removal of traffic control devices.  

While Council was comfortable requiring the deposit for events on parking lots — which will likely be hosted by organizations with deeper pockets — a few councilors got heartburn over the thought of imposing it on residents planning smaller functions on their block.  

Mayor Ryan Hunter said the price may pose a barrier for someone who simply wants to hire a DJ, set up some speakers and have a barbecue on the street.  

City staff landed on the price tag by considering past cleanup costs and keeping it manageable for smaller events. That’s why there is a provision requiring applicants to cover any costs that exceed $1,000, according to City Manager Jarod Nygren.  

The deposit also accounts for staff time to clean up, much of which will likely require overtime pay because the events will be on weekends, Nygren said.  

Councilor Sid Daoud opposed the deposit, arguing that the liability insurance applicants are already required to carry should provide sufficient protection for the city.  

However, Nygren said the city would likely absorb the cost of any damages below its $10,000 deductible rather than file a claim.  

“We’re not going to go after our insurance for a $2,000 item. That wouldn’t make any sense,” Nygren said. 

That’s why Councilor Jed Fisher ultimately voted against the ordinance. He said he didn’t want to see taxpayers foot the bill for someone else's shindig. 

“I don’t think somebody on Social Security should help pay for a party somewhere that they had nothing to do with,” Fisher said. 

Daoud motioned to reduce the deposit amount to $250 but it failed to receive any support from Council. He later voted against adopting the ordinance because of the high deposit price. 

Councilor Sam Nunnally said the deposit was cheap considering the city won’t be collecting any revenue on food and beverage sales at either a block party or parking lot event.  

“There’s a reason why event centers and locations charge for food and beverage percentages, and that is because of the costs of the extra trash,” he said.  

The ordinance allows the organizers of events in municipal parking lots within the city's Core Area (B-3) and Central (B-4) business zones to obtain permits to serve alcohol. 

Councilor Dustin Leftridge successfully amended the ordinance to reduce the percentage of property owners who must approve an event on their street from 100% to 80%. The revision also included a 15-day window to appeal the application.  

Leftridge said he didn’t want unresponsive homeowners that don’t live in Kalispell year-round to block an event.  

Hunter supported Leftridge’s suggestion but said he would have liked to see the consent threshold as low as 60%. 

“I believe block parties like this are great things for community cohesion and neighborliness and everything else, and you hate to have some folks put the kibosh on it over something that I think is a fairly minor inconvenience” he said.  

Resident Darla Provencio told Council during public comment that block parties could be disruptive to Kalispell’s large senior population. She argued that older residents rely on consistent routines, and that disruptions caused by such events could trigger confusion and other health-related issues.  

“A block party may last only a few hours, but the effects on these residents can linger far longer,” she warned.  

Nunnally voted against the ordinance, saying he could not envision shutting down longer residential streets like those in his neighborhood, which extend well beyond the typical 300- to 600-foot block.  

The ordinance is structured so that residents on longer streets may have a hard time obtaining enough support from neighbors to get an application approved, according to Nygren.  

Representatives of Downtown Kalispell Forward expressed their support for opening up city parking lots for weekend events.   

“We see it as a really important opportunity for events to be activated downtown. It creates an opportunity to open up after hours and on weekends,” downtown business owner Elizabeth Lockwood said.  

Leftridge also successfully amended the ordinance to allow events on federal holidays that fall on Mondays or Fridays.  

COUNCIL AUTHORIZED Nygren to secure a loan for two fire pumper trucks.  

The $1.9 million loan would have a 10-year term and come through the Montana Board of Investments INTERCAP Loan Program, which the city uses to manage its cash flows, according to a memo from Finance Director Aimee Cook.  

Council also authorized the purchase of three Ford Interceptor Utility Vehicles, a street-cleaning machine and a side loader garbage truck.  

The body also issued bonds to help fund water and sewer improvements within the resident owned Morning Star Community in Kalispell.  

Council in June 2025 created special improvement districts to help fund such upgrades in the community. A portion of the bonds will be forgiven, and the rest will be covered through an assessment levied against the mobile home park.  

“These are the neighbors right behind my house, and I love that they’re getting off of their septic and going to city sewer and water,” Doaud said.  

FLATHEAD COUNTY Democrats Chair Ron Gerson urged Councilors to defend Hunter amid an ongoing effort to oust him from office.  

“I think it’s absurd, and I think any elected official on this Council should stand up in support of Mayor Hunter for this absolutely baseless accusation and petition effort. It’s so distracting,” he said. 

A political action committee is seeking to gather enough signatures from registered voters to hold a recall vote after its petition was approved by the Flathead County Election Department and county Attorney’s Office.  

Councilors did not voice their support for Hunter or mention the recall effort before the meeting was adjourned.  

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.