New 911 building under budget so far

So far, a consolidated Flathead County 911 center appears to be under budget.

The latest estimate for the 11,800-square-foot center in northwestern Kalispell is $6.376 million.

That includes slightly more than $400,000 in contingency funds set aside for unexpected expenses, project manager Corey Johnson of CTA Architects Engineers told the Flathead County-City 911 Administrative Board on Tuesday.

The total is roughly $524,000 less than the $6.9 million figure provided to voters when they narrowly approved the project in November.

If bonds are issued for $6.9 million, that will translate to $12.48 annual increase in property taxes on a $200,000 house.

A $6.376 million bond issue would mean a smaller property tax increase.

However, at least six weeks remain of fine-tuning the construction documents, which in turn will affect the cost estimate.

An actual cost won't be determined until construction companies bid on the contract.

The timetable is for bids to be sought on March 12 with contractors turning in bids by March 31.

The contract is expected to be awarded in early April. The board aims for a Dec. 31 completion of the building.

The bonds will not be issued until a contract is signed nailing down the actual costs of building the complex.

Then the bond amount will be adjusted to reflect the actual costs and taxes will be adjusted accordingly.

The new building is part of a plan to merge the county's four emergency dispatch centers into one facility.

The new center will handle current and future 911 needs, serve as the new emergency operations headquarters for all of Flathead County and be the depot for the county's emergency vans and trailers as well as a significant amount of other emergency equipment.

Reporter John Stang may be reached at 758-4429 or by e-mail at jstang@dailyinterlake.com