Lincoln County approves AED purchase, awards campus restoration bid and moves to run green-box disposal sites

Lincoln County commissioners on May 27 handled several procurement and intergovernmental items: they approved an AED replacement program, decided to pursue operating green-box dumpster sites in-house rather than renewing the Evergreen hauling contract, awarded campus repair work to the low bidder, and renewed the county's auditing contract.

Striker AED program Commissioners voted to move forward with the Striker AED replacement program, noting the purchase will be funded through safety-fund sources identified in staff materials. Commissioners said the program offered good long-term value and asked staff to ensure county coverage, including the northern side of the county.

Hauling and green-box dumpster sites After reviewing prior presentations and health-department forms, the board moved to forgo renewing the Evergreen contract and instead pursue county-run green-box dumpster sites using leased trucks and county workers. Board members acknowledged an initial startup cost (discussed as several thousand dollars) but said the county would retain control and potentially save money long term. Public commenter Jonathan Jameson supported the decision.

Campus restoration bid Bids were opened for repairs at the Flathead Valley Community College Lincoln County campus. Complete Restoration submitted a responsive bid of $312,940.80; ServePro (Callispel) submitted $411,915. Commissioners accepted the engineer's recommendation and voted to award the work to Complete Restoration.

Nexus CPA annual renewal The board renewed the annual auditing contract with Nexus CPA Group; commissioners said the firm provided continuity and no substantive changes were flagged in the contract text.

Animal control agreement with the City of Libby The board reviewed the animal-control agreement that expires June 30, 2026. The current contract provides $25,000 to the county general fund for services. Commissioners discussed leaving the fee unchanged for the coming year but adding a $2,500 annual contribution toward the spay/neuter clinic and possibly directing funds to the sheriff's office rather than the general fund. Legal review and precise contract language were requested; the motion on the agreement was held until next week pending edits and legal review.

Resolutions adopted Commissioners read and adopted Resolution 2026-15 (amending buildings-for-lease-or-rent regulations) and Resolution 2026-14 (amending subdivision regulations). Both resolutions were introduced with staff and planning-board support and approved by motion and vote.

What happens next: Staff will finalize the hauling/green-box plan and return contract language for review; legal staff will evaluate routing of City of Libby funds to specific sheriff's office purposes; the campus restoration contractor will be contacted to schedule work. The animal-control contract edits and the final vote on that agreement were deferred for a follow-up meeting.