KALISPELL — On July 6, the Kalispell City Council unanimously voted on three changes to downtown parking rules aimed at opening up more street parking for shoppers and visitors.
(WATCH: Kalispell city council approves downtown parking changes)
The changes include higher ticket fees, new employee lot access, and a crackdown on a parking loophole. The council has been discussing the issue for months.
Parking tickets in downtown Kalispell were once $10. Now violations will follow an escalating scale — $20 for a first offense, $40 for a second, and $60 for a third.
New license plate recognition technology will track who is parked where and how many violations that vehicle has received. Council members hope the raised fees will make it easier for customers to find a spot, since more vehicles will be moving to avoid the steeper fines.
Also voted on was employee parking access. Right now, businesses can buy specific spots reserved only for their employees. Under the new plan, a $30 monthly fee gives employees access to every city lot through license plate recognition technology, helping get employees into lots and off side streets.
The employee parking change drew the most debate during the council meeting. Some council members raised concerns that employees who leave for lunch might not find a spot near their workplace when they return. The council moved forward with the change but says it wants to collect more data from the new technology before making any additional changes.
The council also addressed what's known as the "rolling loophole." Under the old rules, a driver could park in a two-hour spot, then simply move one space forward to reset the clock. Under the new rules, a vehicle must move at least 600 feet before the two-hour limit starts over, according to the new ordinance. License plate technology will enforce it.
The council has voted, but enforcement is still coming. According to the council, the city has budgeted for the license plate technology and is working to purchase it, pending final budget approval.
