Kalispell council directs staff to limit hours at Seventeenth Street parking lots to 7 p.m.

During a Kalispell City Council work session, council members directed city staff to change posted hours for two municipal parking lots near Seventeenth Street and First Avenue so the lots close at 7:00 p.m., with signage and enforcement to follow. The direction was given by consensus; the change does not represent a formal ordinance vote.

City Manager Russell said the lots were originally built to provide overflow parking for school events and related activities and noted the city "doesn't see any issue with it going to 07:00 because then you just, you know, stop that problem before it even occurs further into the night." He told the council the police department has purview over municipal parking enforcement and that staff would retain flexibility to allow parking for scheduled events.

Council members and staff described the complaints prompting the change as late-night gatherings in the lots—reports of loud noise, headlights shining into nearby homes, and occasional vehicle burnouts. Councilor Hunter asked how the city would convey flexibility for event parking; Russell said temporary or bagged signage and coordination with the school district would be used when events require later hours. Councilor Dahlmann and others expressed concern about inconsistent closing times across city lots and urged clear signage and a brief, targeted enforcement period so the community learns the new rules.

Residents who spoke during the public-comment portion described ongoing neighborhood disturbance. Resident Dale Bowles said he and his wife "have been out there observing every night for 8 weeks now" and described large trucks doing burnouts and running engines late at night. Bowles and others suggested wording such as "event parking only after 7 p.m.; trespassers may be cited" and noted the smaller lot nearby holds about 20 cars and may be suitable for workers who need long-term parking.

Staff said there are currently signs at the lots showing an 11 p.m. closing and that updating or adding two to three official signs at entrances would be straightforward for the city's sign shop. Police staff noted one recent trespass letter exists for the nearby high school property and that school buses and other vehicles attending an event would be treated as event parking under the proposed signage. Council members asked staff to monitor the change and return with any needed adjustments after implementation.

The council's direction was administrative: staff will change the posted closing time to 7:00 p.m., install updated signage on the affected lots, coordinate event exceptions with the school district and police, and report back if implementation requires further changes. No formal motion or recorded roll-call vote occurred during the work session.