Kalispell staff recommends GCCM delivery for wastewater biosolids dewatering improvements

City of Kalispell staff told the council at a February work session that they will ask the council to approve use of Montana''s general contractor construction manager (GCCM) alternative project delivery model for a wastewater biosolids dewatering improvement project, citing repeated unsuccessful bids under the traditional design-bid-build process, the city's contractual limit with Glacier Gold and an impending schedule tied to Glacier Gold's operations.

The recommendation matters because Glacier Gold has accepted the city's biosolids since 1993 and a 2004 contract set a limit of 600 dry tons per year; city staff said Glacier Gold lacks additional capacity and may shut its Olney facility. That schedule, combined with the technical complexity of reconfiguring the treatment plant's dewatering room while keeping daily operations running, led staff to recommend the GCCM model as a way to secure contractor interest, shorten delivery time and provide early cost transparency.

Assistant Director of Public Works Keith Haskins and consulting engineer Scott Buecher of AE2S outlined the project scope and procurement steps. Haskins said the immediate need is to replace an…