After a busy summer, the Kalispell City Council looks to hold a relatively brief meeting Monday on just a single agenda item.

The only decision for the council to make regards a new police search building.

The city is searching for a new building to house items related to Kalispell Police Department searches, but all of the bids for the project came in significantly above the city’s budget.

In March 2020, a budget of $278,000 was established to build a new space for KPD search items.

The building would include a 40 x 40-foot climate-controlled garage with a mezzanine for evidence storage and a shed roof storage area for bicycles. The city originally planned to build a new building on current city-owned property.

However, due to changed market conditions, the city had to adjust the budget to $349,352 in the summer of 2021.

Even with the increased budget, all of the bids for the project exceeded the amount the city planned to pay.

Three bids were received on Sept. 9. Camas Creek bid $567,200, Tradewerks bid $579,914 and BMY bid $933,000.

According to the agenda, all three proposals are considered “far above budget.”

The council will discuss next steps on Monday. The agenda proposes the city decline all of the bids and put the building project on hold. The agenda recommends the city “monitor for a more competitive building market.”

By waiting to build the new building, however, the city will need to negotiate maintaining the current rental facility where search items are presently stored. Right now, the city pays $600 per month to rent that space.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 201 First Ave. E.

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at 406-758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.