County commissioners OK $78.6M capital spending plan

A $78.6 million five-year capital spending plan that includes $50 million for a new jail won unanimous approval Wednesday from the Flathead County commissioners.

The plan calls for spreading the expense of a new adult detention center over three years, with a $20 million earmark for fiscal year 2020 and $28.3 million in 2021. While the county has been saving money for a new jail for several years, the capital plan anticipates asking voters to support a $37 million bond.

The county has saved $5.4 million for the new jail, and will add another $1 million to that when it receives the county’s payments-in-lieu-of-taxes federal allocation for this year to compensate Flathead County for its nontaxable federal land.

The county expects to spend $6.7 million for capital projects in the coming fiscal year that starts July 1. Of that amount, the road department will spend $1.9 million for rural special improvement district improvements and equipment purchases. The solid waste district plans to spend $1.5 million on a phase-four access road, an equipment parking pad and equipment upgrades.

The fairgrounds anticipates capital spending of $619,000 for restrooms and upgrades to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. A furnace also will be replaced at the fairgrounds.

For fiscal year 2019 the county expects to spend roughly $6.5 million, though that amount is not fully funded and projects will be re-evaluated next year during the budget review. The Parks and Recreation Department has penciled in $3 million for a proposed indoor athletic facility.

“The importance of our county having a CIP (capital improvement plan) and planning for the future is very important to myself as a commissioner, and to the taxpayers, so we’re not spending their hard-earned dollars without planning ahead first,” Commissioner Gary Krueger said.

Over the five-year plan, the largest percentage of capital dollars falls within the public safety category, at $53.3 million, or 68 percent.

The second-largest earmark is for culture and recreation projects, with more than $8.7 million projected in capital spending through 2022, It includes the gymnasium and $3.9 million for new libraries in Kalispell and Bigfork. Of the $3.9 million library estimate, $1.5 million is earmarked for the land purchase for a new Kalispell library; $2.4 million will go toward the land and building for a new Bigfork library.

The third-largest projection in the plan is $7 million for public works over five years. The replacement of graders accounts for $1 million, future rural special improvement district projects account for $981,000 and $492,000 is projected for the replacement of the asphalt plant.

The commissioners also approved a $88.1 million preliminary budget on Wednesday that adds the equivalent of 1.5 new employees to the payroll and gives all county employees a 1.3 percent cost-of-living raise.

The final budget will be adopted in late August after taxable valuation numbers are provided by the state Department of Revenue.