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Flathead County moves from break-fix to preventive maintenance, cites custodial-contract savings
Summary
Building maintenance manager Nate Cressy told commissioners the county closed the year on budget after switching non-CJIS custodial work to a contractor, reducing personal-service costs about $182,000 and enabling a FY27 plan to fund countywide roof assessments and preventive HVAC work.
Nate Cressy, Flathead County's building maintenance manager, told the commissioners on May 11 that a midyear move from county custodians to contracted custodial services for non-CJIS areas helped the department meet its current-year budget and reduced personal-service costs by roughly $182,000.
Cressy said the contracted model stabilized labor costs and reduced administrative burden while retaining county custodial staff for high-security CJIS areas. "By moving our general office spaces and public buildings to a contracted model while retaining our vetted county staff for high security CJIS areas, we've realized financial stability," he said.
For fiscal year 27, Cressy proposed pivoting from a reactive "fix-when-it-breaks" approach to a preventive maintenance strategy anchored by a countywide professional roof-assessment program. He said the assessments would prioritize repairs based on condition rather than age, allowing the county to avoid higher emergency repair and mold-remediation costs later.
The plan also includes increased preventive maintenance for aging HVAC systems, continued LED retrofits to reduce utility costs and a systematic approach to grounds work (including expanded de-icing triggers). Cressy emphasized the priority of safety and reducing work-compensation risk: "We're setting up these county facilities for no slip, trips, and falls."
Commissioners asked how roof and HVAC projects would be scheduled and funded. Finance staff confirmed the county has a capital improvement plan (CIP) that includes roofs and HVAC entries, and Cressy said the roof-assessment reports will feed timing and cost estimates for the CIP and future budget decisions. He noted generator and HVAC upgrades at the historic courthouse will be a comprehensive project because the HVAC units are located in the attic and will require coordinated work on the roof and mechanical systems.
The maintenance presentation left no formal motion or vote recorded; commissioners thanked staff and moved to the next agenda item.
