At Monday night’s Kalispell City Council work session, they addressed unsecured, unsafe properties and what to do about them. City Manager Doug Russell presented his version of an amended City Fire Code to address blighted, unsecured properties.
City staff has been receiving complaints about the dilapidated condition of the former Outlaw Inn, which has stood vacant for over a year when the buildings last sold. Neighbors have expressed concerns about the mess that has been created when the residents of the Outlaw Inn were evicted so that Fortify Holdings could convert the property into studio apartments.
It should be noted that the City cannot condemn a property unless it is in violation of a City Ordinance. So far, the former Outlaw Inn isn’t.
The Council also reviewed a staff report on lead pipes. Per an EPA requirement passed down through DEQ, we have until 2037 to remove all existing lead pipes. The City Water Works says all that has been done in Kalispell’s system. The only remaining lead pipes are those leading into homes, primarily homes built before the mid-1980s.
What’s needed is an inventory of those homes and a plan to aid the homeowners in updating their plumbing. Of the 10,000 that have been inventoried, 43 are lead and another 483 are still listed as unknown. The Council continues to look for ways to aid homeowners in paying for those lead pipe replacements.
Work Sessions are open discussions between City staff and the Council, and of course, any interested citizens. No decisions are made, no votes are taken.
