Flathead County Commissioners Pass Resolution Authorizing Construction of $105 Million Public Safety Facility
The resolution represents a “formal action” to move forward with financing on the new justice center to be located on Snowline Lane
By Maggie Dresser
Flathead County commissioners on Tuesday passed a resolution issuing the first round of bonds for the $105 million public safety facility passed by voters in the November 2025 election, authorizing the project’s construction.
“This resolution is important because it puts the legal and financial structure in place for the bond and it allows the county to move forward with construction funding,” Flathead County Administrator Pete Melnick said at the April 21 meeting.
The resolution issues the first $95 million in bonds, representing the “formal action” in paying and reimbursing the costs of designing, constructing and furnishing the new facility. It also establishes a construction account where the bond proceeds will be deposited along with a debt service account.
Flathead County voters last November passed the $105 million public safety levy that is planned to double the current jail’s inmate capacity and relocate the facility to south Kalispell.
Located on 115 acres at 225 Snowline Lane, the new public safety facility will house the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office while the new jail will improve safety and efficiency with a central hub on a single floor. While the jail capacity will double, only 14 employees will be added to the current staff of 38 because of the efficient design, which will include a control tower and allows indirect supervision. Upgraded technology like automatic cell locks will also be added.
In addition to addressing overcrowding, the design offers a safer environment for inmates and staff while Jail Commander Jenny Root plans to bring in more programming at the jail to help reduce recidivism and services for the population suffering from mental illness.
Built in 1987, the current jail on Main Street originally housed 63 inmates and has since not kept pace with the area’s population. In 2018, the jail increased its capacity to 154 beds, but the current facility can only operate at roughly 75% due to the high volume of mentally ill or violent inmates who require additional space.
The new design increases the medical wing to capacity to 30 beds, a massive upgrade from the current four beds.
Officials have spent the better part of the last decade planning for the jail expansion, starting in 2017 when a fund was established followed by a facility analysis in 2018. But plans stalled until 2023 when a needs assessment was conducted and concluded a capacity of 250 beds would be needed in the future jail.
In 2024 the county purchased a $3.9 million, 115-acre property in Lower Valley located at 225 Snowline Lane and Elevatus Architecture was selected to design the facility. Last year, a pre-construction service contract was signed with Martel Construction.
County commissioners at the April 21 meeting described a long road that led to the bond passage as crews prepare to break ground in south Kalispell.
“I just want to thank everybody for all of their hard work on this,” Flathead County Commissioner Pam Holmquist said. “I know it’s been a long time coming.”