City looking at jail options

A lot of uncertainty remains even as Columbia Falls plans to close its jail next spring.

Will the jail change into a temporary holding facility? How will prisoners be transported to the county? How much will it cost?

These are just some of the questions facing the City Council with the jail expected to close after the city merges its 911 system into a countywide system in February.

The council plans to continue monitoring the situation and will ask for a meeting with Flathead County Commissioners to discuss its options.

The city's dispatchers currently monitor prisoners, but with the new system dispatch services move to the county, prisoners would have to be taken to the Flathead County Detention Center.

"The priority is public safety, officer safety and fiscal impacts," said council member Don Barnhart. "The largest point of contention is how do we get prisoners transported."

The City Council began taking a closer look at the issue this fall after Police Chief Dave Perry submitted a report on his concerns in closing the jail.

The Sheriff's office is available for transporting prisoners on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. During off hours and weekends, Columbia Falls officers will likely have to transport prisoners. It could take up to five hours to book a prisoner at the county, Perry has said.

Additional officers might be needed to fill the gap when prisoners are being transported. It remains uncertain how often that might actually be needed.

"It is an issue and we can't say how much it's going to cost us," Barnhart said.

Council members suggested partnering with Whitefish and contracting out transport services or asking the county for additional support.

"I think we have to go into this and look for solution as we go," said council member Julie Plevel.

City Manager Bill Shaw said he's optimistic that a solution will be found by next summer.

"There's too many unknowns right now to give you clear answers," he said.