Flathead County will pursue a contract with Jackola Engineering and Architecture for the project of revamping and updating senior citizen centers within the county.
Pending contract negotiations, the company, with offices in Montana, North Dakota, and Washington, will work with the county to make sure the senior centers comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.
Senior centers involved include those in Whitefish, Columbia Falls, and Bigfork, along with the Adams Building in Kalispell, where the Kalispell Senior Center office will be located soon.
In 2014, the county completed an ADA evaluation for all its buildings and parks, and the senior center facilities had “some of the most significant deficiencies.” A preliminary architectural review (PAR) in 2015 identified the ADA improvements required at each center, as well as a few other general building upgrades necessary for safety and accessibility at the senior centers.
Later that year, the county received a community development block grant through the state Department of Commerce to provide financial support for the construction project addressing the ADA deficiencies.
If the county can reach contract agreements with Jackola, the company will be responsible for preparing a construction bid package and supervising that bid process. Jackola would also provide the project engineering.
Jackola was one of three companies that sent in packages in response to the county’s request for qualifications for this project. All companies were graded on a 1,000-point scale, with the highest scorer heading to contract negotiations.
Commissioners Phil Mitchell and Gary Krueger approved the selection, with Commissioner Pam Holmquist absent.