Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parking Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kalispell council hears update on Westside residential parking zone as enforcement and costs are questioned
Summary
Staff reviewed the history and operation of the Westside parking-management zone; councilors and KPD discussed enforcement pauses since December 2025, enforcement costs exceeding ticket revenue, permit prices and whether enforcement should be complaint-driven or proactive.
City staff briefed the council on the Westside residential parking management zone during the Aug. 10 work session, outlining its origins (community and school-district work beginning around 2012) and the program adopted in 2015. Staff said the zone was intended to manage student parking near Flathead High School, and material in the packet included counts of resident and student permits and program revenue since adoption.
Council members asked detailed questions about enforcement and program performance. A councilor asked how long proactive enforcement had been paused; KPD/parking staff said proactive enforcement had been limited since December 2025. The staff representative said enforcement currently occurs only on the shaded (checked) streets shown in the zone map and that expanding the enforcement area or adding block faces would require a council ordinance amendment.
Councilors pressed on finances and operations: one councilor observed that enforcement costs appeared to exceed ticket revenue. KPD staff said enforcement is handled by a parking enforcement officer (not general patrol), and that officer has been reassigned to proactive parking duties in the high-school district; staff also said student permits can be purchased from school or the city and that year-long permits are $25. The packet showed a drop in student permit purchases of roughly 40% from the previous year; KPD staff said violations are "primarily students."
Councilors debated whether the program should remain proactive or shift to complaint-driven enforcement, and whether raising fines or other changes (including a special improvement district) could alter program finances. Staff said they would verify whether recent citywide fine changes apply to the Westside zone and can run additional surveys if council requests further public input.
What happens next: staff will verify the applicability of recent parking fine increases to the Westside zone, can pursue surveys if the council requests them, and will bring related budget resolutions for consideration as part of next week's budget hearings.
