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5/25/2026
Policy has been years in the works
Great Falls officials are putting the final touches on the city’s 2045 growth policy document, which includes future land-use designations that will help guide development priorities.
Last week, city staff sought guidance from city commissioners on a few lingering details, including a land acknowledgement statement, land-use designations near the proposed Little Shell resort project and the classification of city parks.
A section of the draft growth policy includes a run through the region’s history, including the 1883 founding of Great Falls, its 20th-Century industrial expansion and some of the more modern economic planning at the turn of the 21st Century.
During a May 19 meeting, city commissioners reviewed only the land acknowledgement portion of that history, which was drafted in January, according to Planning and Community Development Director Brock Cherry. The 170-word draft acknowledged the Indigenous tribes that used the region prior to European expansion and recognized the disruption caused by that expansion.
Some commissioners said that the statement was too detailed for a land planning document.
“To me, what does that have to do with future land use decisions that we’re going to make?” Commissioner Rick Tryon said. “I don’t think anybody has claimed that the Great Falls of the Missouri were first noticed by Lewis and Clark. I think that’s sort of known that the 19th Century profoundly disrupted Indigenous lifeways.”
The opening line to the city’s personnel policy manual says: “Great Falls is named after the Great Falls of the Missouri River which were discovered by Lewis and Clark in 1805.”
Commissioners Casey Schreiner and Shannon Wilson wanted to keep the statement in full as drafted. Tryon, along with Commissioner Joe McKenney and Mayor Cory Reeves, didn’t want to do away with an acknowledgement but felt the last 47 words of the statement would suffice. That paragraph acknowledges the land as historically used by Indigenous peoples and recognizes their contemporary presence and contributions.
Cherry concluded that the final draft of the acknowledgement will be “more direct” and “apolitical.”
Commissioners also discussed some designations in the future land use section of the growth policy. Future land-use designations include areas outside of current city limits and are intended to guide future developments in the event of geographic growth. They aren’t strict zoning decisions, but changes to a land-use designation could be an extra step for a future developer to get a nonconforming development approved by the city.
The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians plans to develop a gaming, resort and recreation facility just outside of Great Falls’ northwest boundary. Last week, city commissioners discussed whether the designation for that area should include commercial uses.
The area of the proposed Little Shell development, commonly known as Hill 57 or Mount Royal, is designated as “traditional neighborhood.” That designation is the same as the existing neighborhood within city limits.
Commissioners opted to keep that designation as a neighborhood and noted that the Little Shell Tribe is pursuing a fee-to-trust transfer for its development in order to secure gaming privileges. That plan doesn’t include future annexation into Great Falls, and commissioners said that there is a process in place if that land use needs to be reconsidered by the city in the future.
Commissioner Wilson said that participants in Neighborhood Council No. 3 have been skeptical of anything that opens up a rush for commercial development in the area.
“It seems to me that they want to preserve the flavor of their neighborhood,” Wilson said. “It’s not so much the Little Shell coming. It’s just they don’t want to be run over by the conglomerate coming. And they’re very passionate about it.”
Commissioners also discussed whether the city’s parks should lose their “open space” designation and instead take on the land use of the surrounding neighborhood, often various forms of residential.
“As you know, the last couple years we’ve had conversations about the 57 parks in our city,” said Mayor Reeves. “And there are some that are just absolutely under-utilized, not used at all. But the taxpayers are paying for them to be mowed, watered.”
After some debate, commissioners decided that the parks would remain designated as open space.
Finally, commissioners indicated that it was acceptable to sunset a 2004 Missouri River Urban Corridor Plan, which sought to outline desirable development strategies along the river. It accounted for historical industrial pollution and offered schematics for possible riverside neighborhoods. The plan pre-dated some significant developments, such as the West Bank park and commercial area.
Stuart Lewin, a local attorney and member of the 2004 plan’s work group, argued that because much of the pollution remains unresolved, the plan should remain as a guiding document. Cherry, the planning director, told commissioners that the growth plan incorporates much of the spirit of the 2004 plan.
Commissioners agreed that it was unnecessary to include the 2004 plan in the growth policy.
A public hearing on the growth policy is scheduled for the June 16 city commission meeting. At that time, commissioners will consider formally adopting the policy. The most recent draft policy is available here, and the city’s website for growth policy development is here.
Following Up
A year ago, MTFP reported on an unexpected request from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), which conducts customs checks on international flights. The agency asked airports, big and small, to cough up tens of thousands of dollars to pay for its IT equipment even though the federal government previously covered those costs.
For Great Falls International Airport, the request was $75,000 up front and nearly $10,000 annually after that. For a smaller airport in Cut Bank, the CBP request neared $100,000, which dwarfed the airport’s $40,000 annual budget.
The Great Falls International Airport Authority Board reluctantly granted the request and instituted a new fee for international flights to cover those costs.
Recently, CBP came back with another request. This time, the agency said that its phone system has failed and has asked the Great Falls airport to pay for its replacement, according to board documents. The estimated cost is $7,000 annually on top of the previous IT costs.
In April, the board approved paying for the upgrades using the existing fee fund from international flights.
5 Things to Know in Great Falls
Family Promise of Great Falls, an organization that helps families experiencing homelessness, announced two grants from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines. The grants total just over $17,000 and were routed through the affiliated Montana Federal Credit Union and Citizens Alliance Bank.
First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park announced events for “Outdoor Extravaganza Day” on May 30. At 9 a.m., volunteers can join a crew to help maintain trails. At 1 p.m., Dan “the snake man” Waitt will give a presentation on snake behavior and interactions. A “jump talk” about how Indigenous peoples used the buffalo jump is also at 1 p.m. Finally, a sunset hike is scheduled for 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Cochrane Dam will be open for public crossings on June 6 for bicyclists and hikers. The availability is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to a press release. Access is available from either the north or south shores, but participants should expect a five-mile hike or ride to get to the dam.
The city of Great Falls is once again seeking a Cascade County employee to be a representative on the Super TIF Advisory Committee. The committee advises about city decisions about tax increment financing proposals. By Friday, the city didn’t respond to a question about what happened to Don Ryan, who was previously named the county representative on the board.
Great Falls Public Works Director Chris Gaub announced staff honors during the May 19 city commission meeting as part of Public Works Week. Solid Waste earned the division of the year award and utilities foreman Jake Mansch was named employee of the year. A 15-year veteran, Mansch was on call for 685 hours beyond normal work hours in 2025. Gaub also recognized multiple employees for their response to the March 8 high wind event that disrupted utility lines, took down trees and ripped the roof off of Lincoln Elementary School.
Dept. of Corrections
The May 18 edition of Great Falls This Week incorrectly stated that the city planned to expire the East Industrial Park tax increment financing district by 2028 while issuing new bonds for development. The new bond issuance will, in fact, extend the term of the TIF district past 2028.
The proposal can be found on page 767 of the city commission meeting documents. City commissioners approved the proposal at its May 19 meeting. Look for full coverage of this plan in the coming days from MTFP.
