Federal money OK'd for highways, Kalispell

The city of Kalispell and the Montana Department of Transportation stand to gain a combined $3.17 million once President Barack Obama signs an appropriations bill passed by the U.S. Senate last week.

The Montana Department of Transportation gets the lion’s share, $2.92 million to help with projects along the entire U.S. 93 corridor from the Idaho border to the Canadian border.

Kalispell is earmarked for $250,000 for work on the Public Safety Building, the former City Hall where police, fire and municipal court still have offices.

Transportation Director Jim Lynch said the $2,922,000 essentially increases the state department’s program funding, but can be used only for projects on U.S. 93.

The appropriation comes with its own obligation program, he said, which is a guaranteed reimbursement from the federal government. Highway projects in Montana are paid for with state money and then reimbursed with federal dollars.

Lynch said the Montana Transportation Commission decides where that money will be used. The department perennially has more projects than money available to fund them all, he said. Since it can’t be predicted how bids will come in on any one project, he’s not able to say which could go first.

He anticipates that Obama will sign the appropriations bill before Christmas, although it can take anywhere from a week to 30 days after Senate passage. Funding would be available to Montana 30 to 60 days after it’s signed.

Kalispell put in for $500,000 to help with the security, space efficiency and heating-and-ventilation-system work that needs to be done on the Public Safety Building.

Fire Chief Dan Diehl said the original plans for the project came to $1.18 million.

Safety, energy efficiency and consolidated office space will be the outcomes.

Parks and Recreation Director Mike Baker, who worked on the funding application, said the money will go to realign office space for fire, police and municipal court that were left in a less-than-desirable configuration after other city offices relocated to the former Wells Fargo building.

It also will help provide a better level of security for the court’s quarters and a more efficient access to deal with the public.

Baker said the project will step up improvements to fit municipal court and police needs.