Space is running out in Kalispell’s equipment storage garage, but budget constraints have kicked expansion plans down the road.  

Public Works Director Susie Turner on Monday gave Kalispell City Council the rundown on space and staffing constraints at the garage, which is located just south of Legends Stadium.  

The facility allows the majority of repair and maintenance work — jobs like fixing headlights to overhauling engines —to be done in-house. Crews occasionally need outside help but avoid it when possible because it can prove expensive and timely, Turner said.   

But as the municipality expands, so does its toolshed, she warned.  

“The city has grown, so has our fleet and our facility eventually is going to need to grow with the city,” Turner said. “We are running out of space, both in square footage and in height. We’re just not going to be able to keep up with the services we provide, which I think is a huge benefit for the city.”  

Three mechanics are currently staffed at the garage, and they service more than 325 pieces of equipment across five departments, ranging from emergency vehicles to lawn mowers. Over the last nine years, the city accumulated 86 new pieces of equipment.  

But the building was constructed decades ago and is no longer able to accommodate larger equipment, Turner said. Material is often shuffled around to maximize space, and the low ceilings mean fixing up big vehicles, like ladder trucks or garbage trucks, must be done outside, sometimes in freezing temperatures, according to Turner.  

While national trends indicate that six technicians are needed to tend to the city’s inventory, Susie said that the three-person team is actually more efficient than the nationwide average.  

That’s why the city will be on-boarding only a fourth mechanic for now, which Turner said will allow the garage to continue servicing its equipment effectively.  

“Bringing on just one mechanic will be substantial for us,” she said.  

But Kalispell is also anticipating the influx of new public safety equipment coming out of last year's voter-approved levy to bolster the city's emergency services. 

“We have two more engines coming, a ladder truck and an ambulance, so our fleet is going to increase even in the next couple of years,” Turner said.  

While a new garage is not in the cards for fiscal year 2026, Turner proposed eventually building a new 13,500-square-foot storage garage next to the current one. The project would cost an estimated $6 million, which could be funded through a 10- or 20-year loan and by diverting funds from the several departments that the garage services.   

CITY MANAGER Doug Russell also asked for Council’s opinion on a request from Flathead County to consider running a mail-only ballot for the next municipal election. Councilors quickly panned the proposal. 

“I think it would be very confusing, I think it would decrease participation, and it’s already a problem, you know the amount of participation in municipal elections so I would not support it,” said Councilor Ryan Hunter.  

Councilor Sid Daoud and Mayor Mark Johnson also expressed their disproval of the proposal.  

“I think it should only be in person,” Johnson said. “It’s an obligation. People died to give us this obligation.”  

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and [email protected].