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3/7/2025
“Missoula This Week” is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to [email protected].
No decisions made on sidewalks, but council agrees to vote on proposal
The Missoula City Council on Wednesday discussed the future of sidewalk assessments, with possibilities ranging from leaving the program as is to getting rid of it, but didn’t settle on an option.
Most of the three-hour Public Works and Mobility Department workshop on the transportation community investment program (CIP) focused on sidewalks in an effort to give staff direction after “frustration and confusion” over the past year, said Jeremy Keene, the department director.
The council will likely consider Council Member Sandra Vasecka’s proposal to decrease the maximum sidewalk assessment amount from $9,000 to $3,500 for single-family homes and duplexes in the coming weeks. While it’s unclear if and how the proposal will move forward, more than half of the council expressed a desire for some change to the assessment program.
The city builds sidewalks as part of larger street projects and assesses property owners for adjacent sidewalks, driveway approaches and boulevard work. For single-family homes and duplexes, the city pays the first $1,000, then splits the costs until the property owner hits $3,500. The city pays up to $12,000 more, then the city and property owner split costs until the property owner pays $5,500 more, capping the owner’s cost at $9,000.
Property owners can pay the assessment in full or over eight, 12 or 20 years. Residential properties with a sidewalk assessment of more than $3,500 or those making less than 120% of the area median income can defer payment until the sale of their home. The deferred amount accrues interest, plus an administrative fee required by state law.
During budget discussions last year, the council considered changing the assessment program but ultimately left it alone. In December, the council halted a sidewalk project planned for Eaton Street in the Franklin to the Fort neighborhood after neighbors raised concerns about the cost and design. The mayor directed the public works department to draft changes to the assessment program to reduce the burden on homeowners. The council approved the recommendations in January, making more people eligible to defer some or all of the cost.
However, the deferral option is not being used that often, said Kevin Slovarp, city engineer for surface transportation. Some property owners are not eligible and others do not want the future cost hanging over them, said Ross Mollenhauer, city engineering manager.
The city builds about one to two miles of sidewalks per year as part of its sidewalk program, which doesn’t include sidewalks installed as part of grant-funded road projects, Missoula Redevelopment Agency projects or new development, Keene said.
Sidewalk assessments make up 6% of the total annual revenue for the transportation CIP, an average of $215,000 per year or a little more than $1 million in five years, Mollenhauer said. For the four most recent sidewalk projects, the assessments accounted for 9% to 16% of the total project cost.
Public works presented three options to the council: keep the current assessments, reduce the amount as suggested by Vasecka or eliminate assessments.
Reducing the assessments to a maximum of $3,500 would create a budget shortfall of $76,000 for the paused Eaton Street project and a continual reduction moving forward, Mollenhauer said. The sidewalk assessments take about 400 hours of staff time because of the required notification letters and bonding, he said. If assessment revenue is reduced too much, continuing the assessments becomes unwise, Mollenhauer said.
Getting rid of the assessments would decrease revenue by about $215,000 annually, reducing the number of sidewalk projects the city could do by about one less project every five years, Mollenhauer said. However, public works staff have a pretty full plate right now, including several major grant-funded projects with deadlines, he said.
While the city is likely completing fewer sidewalk projects than when it assessed 100% of the cost to property owners, public works is building more sidewalks overall as part of other projects, Keene said. The increase in construction costs also plays a role in how many projects the city can do, he said. Most other Montana cities assess the full cost of sidewalks to property owners, Keene said.
The 12-member council was evenly split between the three options, assuming Daniel Carlino, who was absent from the meeting, would favor removing the assessments based on his past comments and votes.
Council members who favored keeping assessments said Missoula already provides more options to alleviate the financial burden than most cities.
“I feel like we’ve done what we need to on our side of the equation to meet the varying needs of demand,” Council Member Gwen Jones said. “We need to provide the tools to meet people where they are at and not get too caught up with the noise sometimes.”
Those who supported Vasecka’s proposal to decrease the maximum assessment amount said it was a good compromise between reducing the burden of a $9,000 bill and maintaining some revenue.
Council Member Stacie Anderson said while she likes the status quo, continuing the assessments didn’t seem worth the revenue they bring in. Council Member Kristen Jordan, echoing her and Carlino’s previous comments, said sidewalks are city-owned assets and should be paid for by the city. Council Member Jennifer Savage said the city desperately needs sidewalks but assessing homeowners, especially in historically low-income neighborhoods, puts too much of a burden on residents who may never use the deferral program.
Vasecka said she would be open to amendments to her proposal and would work with staff to bring it forward.
DOGE cuts $6 million UM grant
The University of Montana’s Mansfield Center lost $6 million in grants from the Department of Defense after the Department of Government Efficiency spearheaded by Elon Musk identified the money as “wasteful spending.”
The two grants, each about $3 million, were awarded in 2023 and set to run through 2026 to enhance education and opportunities for civic engagement, democracy and patriotism, said Dave Kuntz, UM director of strategic communications. The Department of Defense awarded the grants because it found value in the center’s work to inspire military service among the next generation, Kuntz said.
In a video posted to social media on Monday, Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell listed the UM grant as an example of DOGE findings of spending not aligned with the administration’s priorities.
“This stuff is not a core function of our military,” he said. “We believe these initial findings will probably save $80 million in wasteful spending.”
On Feb. 28, the Mansfield Center was notified that the grants were terminated, Kuntz said. The center is working to assess if and how it can continue programs funded by the grants and how the loss of funding will impact staff, he said. The number of resulting layoffs is not finalized but could be a “measurable amount” as the center has grown over the years, Kuntz said.
“They do a lot of critical work for the state,” he said. “Losing access to a $6 million grant certainly impacts the resources they have to stay fully staffed.”
The grants funded several projects aimed at closing the gap of civic engagement between rural and urban areas, Kuntz said. That included training mostly rural K-12 teachers to incorporate democracy studies and civic engagement in their curriculum; providing a comprehensive civics program for college students; outreach to rural areas to encourage civic engagement and discourse; a summer workshop in Washington D.C. for students from urban and rural areas; and research to identify the best ways to get people more engaged in civics and democracy.
“The consequence of canceling this grant is going to be less Montanans educated in the realm of civics, democracy and patriotism,” Kuntz said. “That is something the university will continue to prioritize as we identify resources to continue important work like this.”
Public Notice
Next week, Missoula County commissioners will hold a public hearing and consider changes to the plan for the Blackfoot Crossing subdivision, formerly known as the West Bonner Log Yard, east of Missoula.
The proposed changes to the subdivision’s timeline, lot lines and easements would lay the groundwork for the developer’s future requests to change the growth policy designation and zoning to allow some commercial and residential development at the site along with industrial uses, said Jennie Dixon, a Missoula County planner, during a Feb. 10 commissioner meeting.
The commissioners originally approved the subdivision, located on Cowboy Trail Road north of the Blackfoot River, in 2023. The 117-acre property was recently bought by Blackfoot Crossing LLC, and the new owner, Gregory Morse, is proposing changes, Dixon said.
In early February, Morse held a neighborhood meeting at Bonner School to present his vision for the site, the Missoulian reported. That proposal includes leaving some of the property zoned for industrial uses but rezoning the eastern part of the property to allow businesses and residences. Morse said he would rezone an area next to the river as open space so it is not developed.
The changes the commissioners will consider on Thursday include dividing the development from two phases into three, extending the final plat deadlines and revising easements to accommodate a new plan for a public water and sewer system. The developer also proposed removing certain berms around the property.
The meeting begins at 2 p.m. in the Sophie Moiese Room of the Missoula County Courthouse. The public can also join the meeting online.
5 Things to Know in Missoula
Ten new Missoula firefighters hired in part from the 2024 fire levy and a $7 million federal grant graduated from the rookie training academy this week, the department announced Thursday. The graduation is a milestone in enhancing the department’s ability to serve the growing community, which was the main reason for the 34-mill levy to help pay for 20 new firefighters and a new fire station, officials said in a press release. The department hadn’t added new firefighters since 2008, while emergency calls and response times have increased. Eleven new trainee firefighters will begin the rookie academy this month, according to the department.
The city of Missoula is one of the first nine organizations nationwide to receive the Transportation Demand Management accreditation from the Association for Commuter Transportation recognizing its commitment to innovative and sustainable mobility solutions, according to a press release. The designation is a testament to Missoula’s prioritization of smart growth, reducing carbon footprints and enhancing mobility for all, Mayor Andrea Davis said in a statement. The accreditation effort was led by Missoula in Motion, which offers education and programs to encourage the use of sustainable transportation.
The Missoula County Clerk and Treasurer’s Office will not process vehicle transactions Thursday through Sunday while preparing a new vehicle titling and registration system. All Motor Vehicle Division exam stations will also be closed from March 13 through 16. The office will accept tax payments, issue birth and death certificates and provide recording services as usual. The new system will offer more online services, electronic payment options and improved turnaround time for all vehicle service transactions, according to a county press release. It will simplify county operations and improve functionality for law enforcement, car dealerships and insurance companies, the release said.
Missoula County’s outdoor burning season opened March 1. All outdoor burning requires a permit, which costs $7 annually and can be purchased or renewed online or in person at most fire protection agencies. Only untreated wood and vegetation generated onsite can be burned. Within city limits, parcels must be at least one acre to be eligible for a burn permit. It is illegal to burn piles of leaves and grasses inside the Missoula Air Stagnation Zone. Residents must activate their permit each day they plan to burn either online or by calling the automated phone line at 1-888-583-6497 after 9 a.m. Burning is allowed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the best window for smoke dispersion, according to Missoula Public Health. More information about outdoor burning and safety tips are available online.
Bridge Pizza’s Higgins Avenue location is closing March 10 for renovations, according to a Facebook post. The Hip Strip restaurant, open for 30 years, will be closed into the summer for a “well-deserved refresh,” the post said. The Bridge’s Brooks Street location will remain open with expanded delivery to serve as much of Missoula as possible.
By the Numbers
The number of home sales in 2024, up from 924 the previous year and the first increase since 2020, according to the Missoula Organization of Realtors’ annual report. The median sales price of a Missoula-area home — $562,400 — increased by 2.25%, a significant drop from 15% in 2022 and 28% in 2021, according to the 2025 Five Valleys Housing Report.
While Missoula’s housing market appears to be stabilizing, low housing supply, a lack of affordable housing and increasing rents remain challenges, according to the Realtor organization. Read more about the housing report here.
