Missoula County Government: Missoula County Weekly: Dec. 20-24

Press release from the Missoula County Government:

12/20/2021 4:00 PM

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At the meeting, Economic and Lands Development Director Emily Brock presented a workplan and budget documenting the steps that would be necessary to pursue the proposal, the first of which would be to perform due diligence to determine if there are any “fatal flaws” – any legal, financial or geographical elements that would prohibit development of Larchmont altogether. The estimated cost for this initial process is $77,500.

Following public comment and discussion, the commissioners ultimately declined to pursue the “fatal flaw” process, and the County will not further pursue the proposal at this point. The commission instead directed Brock to move forward with the analysis of all county properties.  

Following that process, the County could revisit the proposal in the future if Larchmont were to emerge as an ideal property that would provide more benefit to the public if divested. Taking this route will also provide a more complete picture of what other properties could be divested to help address Missoula’s housing crisis. 

Read more

FAQ on the proposal: http://missoula.co/larchmontproposal

One year ago, Missoula’s Temporary Safe Outdoor Space began offering people experiencing homelessness a safe space during the pandemic. While United Way of Missoula County, HOPE Rescue Mission and Missoula County government set up the space in response to COVID-19, it quickly became a model of how a service-rich environment with a collaborative community built on relationships can help reduce homelessness.

Today we celebrate the:

• 86 individuals served at the TSOS
• 26 individuals who transitioned into stable housing after receiving services at the TSOS
• 15 individuals who obtained a photo ID with the help of TSOS staff and who now have the documentation needed to rent an apartment, buy a vehicle, cash a check, get a job and obtain other means needed for forward progress
• eight individuals connected to case management for the first time after arriving at the TSOS.

The success of the TSOS exemplifies the importance and need for a safe and secure space for people trying to obtain housing. The current TSOS land agreement is temporary, and the operation will relocate to a more permanent site in the future. The City/County-led Operation Shelter is currently exploring a new location for the TSOS. Once it is relocated, the site will be furnished with hard-sided shelters the County purchased with federal ARPA funding. The hard-sided shelters will help establish a more sustainable program.

We congratulate and thank everyone who has worked tirelessly to make the TSOS a successful model of collaboration as we celebrate the successes of the past year!

Learn more about the space at http://missoula.co/tsos

A message from the City of Missoula:

Missoula Parks and Recreation needs your help this winter. While much of Mount Jumbo is closed during winter months, 75 to 100 elk that use the mountain as winter range can often be spotted from the valley floor.

Parks and Recreation seeks citizen scientists to join the Elk Spotters program from Dec. 1 to May 1. They will send you a datasheet, maps and instructions so you can make looking for elk part of your daily routine.

Visit www.missoulaparks.org to learn more.

Missoula County Public Works road crews begin plowing roads outside city limits between 5 and 6 a.m. following a snowstorm, with the goal of having school bus routes cleared first. You can view plow routes at http://missoula.co/roadsdivision.

Have concerns about a particular area in the County that’s not being plowed? Call ‪406-258-4753 to let us know. Also, please keep in mind that while we are responsible for plowing roads throughout much of the county, the City of Missoula plows within city limits: https://www.ci.missoula.mt.us/558/Snow-Removal

The Montana Department of Transportation plows state and interstate highways: https://www.mdt.mt.gov/vision.../roads/plowing-deicing.shtml

Drive carefully and stay safe out there!

 COVID-19 vaccines are available for anyone age 5+. Visit http://covid19.missoula.co/get-vaccinated to schedule an appointment.

Listen to the full episode online or on Spotify, Stitcher or Apple Podcasts.

 Why would a county government need to engage in strategic planning? In this episode, Chief Operating Officer Anne Hughes and MSU Local Government Center Director Dan Clarke join the commissioners to discuss Missoula County's strategic planning process and how it helps the organization advance beyond "the way we've always done it." This includes planning through the lens of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion; incorporating flexibility to accommodate all county departments; and infusing empathy into local government. 

 Missoula County is carving out a courageous new path in hopes of creating an efficient model that will be used not only for the County, but also as a valuable resource across Montana. This episode is full of leadership nuggets and exemplifies the power of creating a framework that benefits not only your organization, but the community it serves in the best way possible. 

Nick Holloway, deputy disaster and emergency services coordinator, Office of Emergency Management

As deputy disaster and emergency services coordinator for the Missoula County Office of Emergency Management and a member of Missoula County’s all-hazard incident management team, I work on response and recovery efforts for all types of disasters, including wildfires, flooding and, of course, the pandemic. I also facilitate Missoula County’s community organizations active in disaster, or COADs. These organizations coordinate efforts outside of traditional response agencies to meet the needs of the public when disasters strike.

2021 was a busy year! One of the larger assignments that we took on was the vaccine coordination effort last winter and spring. When vaccines were first available, we were tasked with distributing the very limited supply of vaccine in an as equitable, efficient and safe manner as possible amid an enormous demand. This was no easy task, but I’m proud of the fact that Missoula County led the state during this unprecedented effort.

No two disasters are alike, and our team employs an organized, consistent and well-developed approach to rein in chaotic situations under difficult, often fast-moving conditions. The work is hard but immensely satisfying because our goal is to serve the public on some of their toughest days and provide for the best possible outcome.

• Annual Toiletree to benefit YWCA
  Lasts until Saturday, Jan. 8, at the Missoula Public Library – Level 1
• Find the Elf on the Shelf
  Lasts until Thursday, Dec. 23, at the Missoula Public Library
• Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day
  6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 21, at the Poverello Center

Find more events this week on the County’s Event Calendar!

Missoula County Clerk and Treasurer adopt new online wait line system
Missoula’s long-range transportation plan set for final adoption
Missoula County directs $1M in ARPA funds to upgrade Lolo plant
Missoula Food Bank receives $257k in grant funding

To join commissioner department, administrative and public meetings via Microsoft Teams and view the agendas, visit the Missoula County Commissioners’ Meeting Minutes and Agenda Portal. Please note that agendas for department and administrative meetings are published two business days before the meeting, and public meeting agendas are published the Friday before the meeting. Administrative and public meeting video recordings are available on the Missoula County YouTube page after the meeting, and MCAT plays the public meetings live on their Spectrum Channel 190. Email bcc@missoulacounty.us or call 406-258-4877 if you have any questions or comments on an upcoming meeting.

• Tuesday, Dec. 21
  Commissioners’ Administrative Public Meeting
• Wednesday, Dec. 22
  No department, administrative or public meetings are scheduled on this day.
• Thursday, Dec. 23
  No department, administrative or public meetings are scheduled on this day.
• Friday, Dec. 24
  No department, administrative or public meetings are scheduled on this day. Office closed in observance of Christmas.
• Monday, Dec. 27
  No department, administrative or public meetings are scheduled on this day.

This press release was produced by the Missoula County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.