Politics & Government

Missoula County Government: Missoula County Weekly: Feb. 7-11

See the latest announcement from the Missoula County Government .

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Press Release Desk, News Partner
(Missoula County Government)

Press release from the Missoula County Government:

02/07/2022 4:00 PM

Find out what's happening in Missoulafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

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    COVID-19 testing and vaccine appointments with the Health Department are located at 3665 W. Broadway. Vaccines are available for anyone age 5+. Visit missoulainfo.com to schedule an appointment.

    The Missoula Education Foundation is launching a second round of the #vaxxedandproud incentive campaign. The campaign is aimed at getting all eligible 5- to 15-year-olds in Missoula County vaccinated against COVID-19. Any 5- to 15-year-old who lives in Missoula County and is currently enrolled in a participating school can enter once they have completed their first dose. They are eligible for prizes once they are fully vaccinated. Prizes are valued at $5 to $500 and include Chromebooks, gift cards to local businesses and more.

    Visit www.missoulaedfoundation.org for details about the prizes and eligibility rules. Missoulainfo.com has educational vaccine materials for parents.

    Find out what's happening in Missoulafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

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    Missoula County commissioners will hear a resolution of intent to establish a county-wide Commercial Property Assessed Capital Enhancement (C-PACE) Program at their public meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10.

    C-PACE programs allow commercial property owners to invest in energy efficiency, water conservation, renewable energy systems and clean energy improvements and pay those investments back through an assessment on their property taxes. Owners of commercial, industrial, agricultural and multifamily properties of at least four units would be eligible to participate. There would be no cost or impact on any property owner who does not choose to participate in the program and participating commercial property owners would work with private lenders to finance projects, which would then be repaid through their property taxes.

    Find out more and join the meeting

    Missoula County commissioners will hear the final resolution to adopt the Missoula County Housing Action Plan: Breaking ground as well as the final resolution to adopt the Long Range Transportation Plan: Missoula Connect 2050 at their public meeting 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10.

    The purpose of the Missoula County Housing Action Plan is to identify the best roles and opportunities for Missoula County to help ease the shortage of housing units, especially those that are affordable to people with low to moderate incomes.

    The Long Range Transportation Plan will serve as a guide regarding transportation system infrastructure, funding and priorities as it pertains to the Missoula County Growth Policy. This plan is updated every four years to reflect the changing dynamics of the area.

    Find out more and join the meeting

    From the City of Missoula:

    Missoulians face challenges in the housing market, including risk of losing their current housing, for several reasons.  The Community Development Division of Community Planning, Development and Innovation is hosting community listening sessions to hear from residents about their experiences, concerns and solution ideas to inform future policy strategies. Please join us for one of these vital community conversations!

    To simultaneously respect privacy and follow current COVID-19 guidance, listening sessions are held on Zoom and will not be recorded or broadcast on YouTube. Information shared in the listening sessions will be shared without names and reported out as themes, rather than individual experiences.

    Both listening sessions will follow the same format and are being offered at different times for schedule convenience. Community members are encouraged to attend one session.

    12 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8
    Zoom Link

    6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17
    Zoom Link

    In addition to participating in a listening session, visit Engage Missoula to share additional ideas and engage with community members in discussion and solution creation. 

    You may be able to participate in this session on a computer at the Public Library if you need technology access to join the listening session by Zoom. You are also welcomed to share individual feedback with Emily Harris-Shears outside of the listening sessions if you’re unable to attend. 

    Contact Emily Harris-Shears, Affordable Housing Trust Fund Administrator with questions.  Harris-shearse@ci.missoula.mt.us or 406.552.6394

    The Missoula County commissioners are accepting applications for the Tax Appeal Board and Seeley Lake Cemetery District Board. All current members are eligible for reappointment and will be given priority should they submit a letter of interest and meet the qualifications to continue serving. New applicants are encouraged to apply. Applications are available online. The application deadline is 3 p.m. Friday, March 4.

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    Listen to the full episode at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1846183/9999727

    As they’ve been highlighted in the local news and across the nation, we’ve learned elections are no small task, and conducting fair and balanced elections requires the willingness of paid public servants and a community working together.

    To help explain what the election process looks like for Missoula County, Elections Administrator Bradley Seaman joins Commissioners Josh Slotnick and Dave Strohmaier to highlight updates on recent changes to state election laws/procedures, what races will be on the ballot in the May 3 special district and school board election, and how to get involved with the election process as an election judge. He also addresses the misconceptions around the process for mail elections.

    The Elections Office hopes to recruit more than 600 election judges, poll book judges and polling place managers for the upcoming election year. Election judges greet voters, issue ballots, operate equipment, answer questions and hand out “I voted” stickers. They are paid for their service and their training.

    New and returning election judges can sign up at www.missoulaelectionjudge.com, by calling 406-258-4751 or by emailing electioninfo@missoulacounty.us.

    When registering, applicants will be required to provide their name, address and date of birth to verify they are registered to vote in Missoula County.

    Missoula County employees are working hard for you!

    Michael Tester, land survey intern

    "A couple years after graduating high school, l hired on with a land surveying firm in northwest Montana. I found the physical and mental aspects of the occupation challenging, yet satisfying, and knew almost instantly surveying was the profession I wanted to pursue. In 2009, I made the decision to go back to school in pursuit of my professional license in land surveying through education by exam. I spent two years at the Missoula College of Technology then transferred to Flathead Valley Community College to attend their accredited land survey program. I graduated in 2013 with a degree in land surveying.  

    I was hired on with Missoula County Public Works – Land Survey Office in the fall of 2013 and received my licensure as a land surveyor intern in June 2014. It was a bit of an adjustment coming from the private sector to local government, but it’s been great and very eye-opening to learn the intricacies of how local government works. Our department is small, three of us, so we are a tight-knit group, and I enjoy working and learning alongside the others. My everyday tasks range from processing and invoicing submitted surveys to researching 100+ years of land boundaries, writing road reports and everything in between. While working at the County and wearing the public servant hat, I’ve learned so much from engaging with the public and helping them navigate through County regulations, directing them to the proper department and showing/letting them know that we are here to help. I enjoy working in the land survey office and I’m currently in the process of applying to take the professional land surveyor exam. GO GRIZ!"


    Dave Larkin, Missoula County Public Works building official, earns International Code Council’s Master Code Professional Certification

    Missoula County Public Works congratulates Building Official Dave Larkin for earning the International Code Council’s Master Code Professional designation, the highest level of code council certification and the “gold standard” for demonstrating proficiency in the code profession. Larkin joins the elite group of master code professionals worldwide whose achievements continue to benefit both the code enforcement profession as well as their communities.  

    As a master code professional, Larkin is responsible for all the technical and managerial aspects of code enforcement. 

    “Earing the MCP is a pretty rare event,” Larkin said. “There are about 900 MCPs walking the planet, with only four in Montana. This award represents over 18 years of dedicated persistent study and certification driven solely by personal initiative.”

    This is a significant milestone and will help Public Works provide the highest achievable quality of service to the Missoula County community and enhance the public's quality of life by protecting their safety through proficient building code.  

    To earn the Code Council MCP designation, Larkin passed 10 core ICC exams plus several elective code council exams. Typical master code professionals hold 17 or more code council certifications. The MCP designation requires certified individuals to complete an additional 60 hours of continuing education units every three years to maintain active status. 

    Larkin’s next step for the department is seeking FEMA recognition through the Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule, which will positively affect Missoula County’s Community Rating System (FEMA’s national flood insurance and mitigation program) and benefit all Missoula County Residents.   

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

    County officials inviting the public for input on the new zoning draft
    Missoula County approves Bonner subdivision, moving homes onto market
    Missoula launches vaccine incentive program for kids; COVID testing kits still available
    Missoula health officials say COVID-19 case spike slowing

    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. 

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

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