Kalispell council mulls business district, dog park

The Kalispell City Council takes on two big local issues at tonight’s work session — a plan to expand the city’s Business Improvement District and further discussion about the proposed Begg Park Dog Park.

The Kalispell Downtown Business Improvement District, funded and directed by downtown property owners, expires in June. The council is now considering resolution that would re-establish the district with expanded boundaries for a 10-year period.

When business owners representing 62.84 percent of the land area within the proposed district submitted petitions favoring the expanded boundaries, the council held a public hearing in January.

City staff considered all the protests received, even those protests received after the deadline, according to City Manager Doug Russell’s staff report to the council. The sum of all protests did not reach the 50 percent threshold.

Support for the expanded district prompted staff to put consideration of the district resolution on the Feb. 6 council agenda. The council chose instead to remove the item from the agenda and put it on tonight’s work session agenda.

The council will also continue its discussion of the proposed dog park at Begg Park. City staff has developed a plan for fencing, site work and amenities for the first phase of construction of about 3.5 acres. The first phase includes fencing, a drainage system and water feature to divert surface water, concrete disbursement slabs at the bullpen entrances, irrigation and landscaping. Roughly $50,000 would be needed from South Kalispell Urban Renewal Plan tax-increment funding to pay for the first phase. The city staff is asking the council to consider tax-increment funding to pay for the initial construction.

To date, the volunteer Paws to Play fundraising group has raised money for some of the amenities such as benches, dog-waste stations and signs.

The council meets for its work session, at which no formal votes may be taken, at 7 p.m. at Kalispell City Hall, 201 First Ave. E. in Kalispell.

For a full agenda or more information, visit http://www.kalispell.com/mayor_and_city_council.