Kalispell looking for qualified firms to tap for projects

Kalispell is seeking statements of qualifications from local engineering firms to be able to call them for professional services as various projects arise that don’t need to be put out for bid.

The city is looking for firms with expertise in water, sanitary sewer and stormwater systems, roads, multi-use paths and street lights, traffic engineering, geotechnical engineering, landscaping, surveying, financial studies, energy evaluations, land acquisitions and structural analysis and design.

“Under statute, local governments are allowed to do a request for qualifications in general from firms,” City Attorney Charlie Harball said.

“Let us know what your qualifications are. Then you take their statements and put them in a binder and as projects come up through that year you can go through and based upon criteria pick and choose out of there. You can do it that way or go out for every job.”

Kalispell recently intended to select a pre-approved firm for some limited engineering work for stormwater drainage improvements in the Willows subdivision.

Instead, the city officials found they had last put out a broad request for qualifications in April 2010, making their list of qualified firms outdated and something that first needed to be refreshed, delaying the work by about three weeks.

“That’s not as fresh as it needs to be and was really too old,” Harball said.

A request for qualifications was issued Monday. Interested firms must submit their statements of qualifications to the city clerk by 5 p.m. Friday, July 13.

The full request for qualifications is online at www.kalispell.com/clerk/projects_open.php.

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.