Kalispell moves to increase forestry fees

To address years of backlog of urban forestry projects, the Kalispell City Council will ask residents for their take on increasing the city’s forestry assessments.

The Urban Forestry Program is responsible for caring for the city’s trees, paid for in part by an assessment imposed on city taxpayers.

Council voted during a regular meeting Monday night to hear public feedback on a plan to raise the assessment. Under the proposal, a resident with an average square lot that currently pays a $15.26 assessment would see their bill go up to $41.07 a year.

Council member Kari Gabriel said the city hasn’t supported trees as well as it should have for years.

“I just want to remind the public that we are a Tree City USA [community] and we’re quite proud of our trees, and we spent money on them,” Gabriel said.

City Manager Doug Russell said the city estimates that to take care of the forestry system’s backlog of more immediate needs it will take roughly $400,000 over the next two years.

The council adopted the creation of the Urban Forestry District in 2000 to help finance the care of trees throughout the city. At the time, its members chose to fund the assessment at roughly half of the proposed amount.

Over the last 17 years, there was one increase to help fund the program in 2009.

Kalispell Parks and Recreation Director Chad Fincher said the plan the council supported Monday night would fund the urban forestry department for a decade.

The option the council left aside would cost less for residents — the average lot that pays $15.26 annually would have increased to $38.15 each year. But Fincher said that plan would have only supported the program for five years.

The option the council voted to receive public feedback on would address two years worth of backlog of hazard pruning and removals and contract out pruning of some trees.

The plan would also allow the program to hire a full-time arborist in 2018 with the goal of eventually creating a year-round crew. In the following year, the program would hire a supporting groundsperson.

Council member Tim Kluesner said he was in favor of the plan that was eventually rejected, calling it the “lesser of two evils” due to its lower cost for the average property owner.

“With what we got coming down the road this fall for additional tax increases of other levying districts as well, I think that it would be a good thing to lessen the burden as much as possible,” he said.

Council member Jim Atkinson said during his time on the council, he’s often heard Kalispell residents voice concern for the condition of the city’s trees.

“I feel the community is interested in taking care of our tree population,” he said.

Atkinson added that not putting the money forward now, “will kick the can down the road a few more years.”

There are currently 8,706 trees in Kalispell’s urban forest. According to the city manager’s report, around 90 stumps and 160 trees need to be removed. Roughly 700 trees need pruning.

During previous work sessions, the council voiced supporting in investing more in the city’s urban forest by increasing the contracting amount for tree removals. Removing a tree costs between $200 and $800, depending on its size. The cost to prune a tree is between $100 and $500.

A public hearing for the assessment is scheduled for Aug. 7, at 7 p.m. at the council chambers, located at 201 First Avenue East.

Reporter Katheryn Houghton may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at khoughton@dailyinterlake.com.