Courthouse, jail not only county building needs

Expanding the Flathead County Detention Center and replacing the old courthouse and courthouse annexes with a new office building would satisfy the county's most pressing space needs, but it won't resolve all of the building issues.

There are still a couple of other space needs on the horizon. Building maintenance is a challenge as well.

For example, Building Superintendent Jed Fisher is currently investigating a recently discovered floor joist problem in the old courthouse on Main Street - a problem that could require major repairs.

"There's a joist [beam] in the middle of the second floor that's sagging," Fisher said. "We won't know where we're going with it until we get a professional opinion. If we have to remove a substantial amount of drywall to get at the problem, it could potentially require closure of the building while we're doing the repairs."

Fisher's department is responsible for eight county buildings, including the courthouse and Justice Center on Main Street in Kalispell. At least six other buildings are maintained by the departments that occupy them.

"Electrically, we're tapped out in every office building," Fisher said. "We've added so many computers, cubicles, printers and electrical panels, they can't handle any more."

Most of the buildings have a long list of renovations needed to make them handicap-accessible and bring them into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, he said. Capital investments also are needed to replace boilers, air handlers and other equipment.

"We're spending about $100,000 per year on capital improvements, but we could easily budget $250,000 just to bring our current infrastructure up to speed," Fisher said. "We aren't addressing half of what needs to be done on an annual basis."

Other Flathead County building needs include the Agency on Aging and the Flathead County Library system.

"We had a space study done recently that indicated we need about 9,700 square feet, or twice as much room as we have now," said Agency on Aging Director Jim Atkinson. "We need a bigger kitchen, more offices, more space for the RSVP [senior volunteers] program, and possibly a larger dining area."

The Agency on Aging provides a variety of services and referrals intended to help the county's seniors lead independent and dignified lives. The available programs include Meals on Wheels, Eagle Transit, home repair, companionship, legal and insurance counseling and an ombudsman.

Flathead County Commissioner Gary Hall said the Agency on Aging's space requirements are high on his list of priorities. The agency currently rents space on the south side of Kalispell along Kelly Road, but Hall said it could be in line for an old National Guard building that's about to be made surplus property.

The county library did a space needs study as well. According to Director Kim Crowley, it concluded that the main library needed 52,000 square feet, up from about 28,000 now. Additional space also is needed for the Bigfork branch.

The estimated cost for the main library was about $9.5 million two years ago, not including site acquisition.

"That would be for new construction," Crowley said. "We can't expand the current library; there's no parking and the building itself isn't really suitable."

A larger facility would provide more room for study areas and meeting rooms, public computers, and book and media collections. There also would be a bigger children's area.

"Right now, we have one table in the children's area that seats four," Crowley said. "If they aren't there for a program, kids typically aren't using the area because there's no room."

The 52,000 square feet identified in the study should satisfy the library's space needs until about 2025, she said. Planning for the new building is just in the initial stages. The Library Board hasn't made a final determination yet regarding how to pay for it, but it would probably require a combination of public and private money.

There have also been discussions about the possibility of joining with the Glacier Performing Arts Center, which hopes to build a performing arts venue.

Ideally, Crowley said, the new library would be available within five years.

Reporter Bill Spence may be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at bspence@dailyinterlake.com