County OKs $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.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.