Big things are happening at the Missoula Montana Airport: the recent terminal expansion has given the airport an entirely new look, the runway was re-paved and airlines are offering more routes and destinations.

In the last year and a half, passenger traffic has broken records month after month. This week the commissioners sat down with Brian Ellestad, director of the airport, to discuss the details of running a busy regional airport.

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From artisans to restaurants to manufacturing, Missoula County is home to businesses of all shapes and sizes. The Missoula Economic Partnership exists to facilitate growth, collaboration and mutual understanding between the private and public sectors.

Christine Littig, business development director at MEP, joined the commissioners this week to discuss local business trends and how entrepreneurs are responding creatively to the economic landscape.

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Marshall Mountain Park sits between East Missoula and Bonner and is publicly owned by Missoula County. Many lifelong residents learned to ski there as kids, and the legacy of learning continues today. 

This week, the commissioners spoke with Jackson Lee, park manager, to review what’s new at Marshall Mountain Park since it was acquired by the county in spring 2024. They discuss new trails, planned improvements, forest health and Commissioner Slotnick’s nascent mountain biking career.

Learn about how Marshall came into public ownership in this episode from 2023.

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Youth and young adults transitioning from foster care or incarceration in Missoula County are at elevated risk of homelessness and continued involvement in the criminal justice system, according to the 2025 Just Home report.

The report is part of a larger initiative between the Missoula County Community Justice Department and Homeword to address the connection between housing instability and incarceration.

This week, the commissioners spoke with Karissa Trujillo, executive director of Homeword, and McKenzie Javorka, program evaluator at the University of Montana Rural Institute, about what the report revealed about marginalized populations in Missoula County and actionable next steps.

Related links:

• Coordinated Entry System 

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Front Step Community Land Trust (formerly the North Missoula Community Development Corporation) is tackling one of the largest issues facing residents: affordable housing.

This week, the commissioners spoke with Brittany Palmer, director of Front Step, to discuss what community land trusts do and how their work can help push back against the rapid economic changes facing small towns and cities.

Related links:

• Thursday, July 17: Housing Night with the Missoula Paddleheads

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The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula is home to the largest intact World War II internment site in the United States. From 1941 to 1944, the U.S. Department of Justice managed two Alien Detention Center barracks at the Fort and imprisoned 1,200 Italian nationals and more than 1,100 Japanese Issei men.

The museum recently opened “Far from Home: An Internee Experience at Fort Missoula,” an immersive exhibit in a restored barracks building on the grounds of the Fort. This week, Commissioner Slotnick sat down with Matt Lautzenheiser, museum director, and Ron Wakimoto, board member of the Friends of the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, to dive into the history of this site and why the stories of internment are still so prescient today.  

This episode opens with Commissioner Slotnick's remarks from the exhibition opening. Thank you to Dennis Bragg for supplying this audio clip!

• Alien Detention Center Barracks 
• Recording of the grand opening of Far From Home: An Internee Experience at Fort Missoula
• Learn more about Assembly Centers, War Relocation Sites and Alien Detention Centers

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Andrew Hagemeier, director of Community and Economic Development, is back on the podcast this week to help bust myths about subdivisions, zoning and land use. Other topics include tax increment financing, the Wye Water System project and affordable housing. 

Be sure to check out the TIF and TEDD 101 episode for a primer on how tax increment financing works.

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The Montana Legislature, which meets every two years, recently wrapped up the 2025 session in Helena. So, what happened at the Capitol this year? How do these new laws impact residents and county operations? 

From property taxes to jury duty summons to economic development, there is a lot to cover! This week, the commissioners spoke with Chris Lounsbury, Chief Administrative Officer for Missoula County, for a review of what went down. 

Learn more and see what bills Missoula County weighed in on during this session at missoulacountyvoice.com.

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This week, the Agenda takes on true crime in Missoula County. Since its inception in 2019, the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case unit has solved seven cases of homicides or unidentified remains.

The commissioners spoke with Ryan Prather, captain of the Detective Division at the Missoula County Sheriff's Office. Captain Prather also coordinates the volunteer Search and Rescue and Cold Case divisions, who work tirelessly for all county residents.

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Do you know who to call if there’s a bat in your house? What if you’re concerned about the welfare of a pet in your neighborhood?

From sheltering strays and adopting out cats and dogs, Missoula Animal Services staff work to ensure the health and safety of animals in Missoula County. This week, the Missoula County Commissioners spoke with Holli Hargrove, manager of MAS, to talk about the exciting new remodel of the shelter and much more.

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From its roots as a county agency to leading cutting-edge educational programs, the Missoula Art Museum has grown a lot since its inception in 1975. This week, the commissioners sat down with Laura Millin who has been at the helm of the free contemporary art museum since 1990. As she prepares to retire this year, they look back on the history and unique character of this beloved nonprofit. 

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Montana currently has only one passenger train line: The Empire Builder, which runs along the Hi-Line in the northern part of the state. That wasn’t always the case – and the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority is looking to reinstate a former southern route that would connect towns and cities to each other and neighboring states.

This week the commissioners were joined by Dan Bucks to discuss the status of expanding passenger train service, the potential economic benefits and much more. 

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Public Works Officer Shane Stack started working for the Montana Department of Transportation as a teenager and came to Missoula County in 2019. As Shane prepares to retire this summer, he reflected on the challenges facing public infrastructure, the ill-fated 2020 gas tax and how his department has gotten creative with funding solutions. 

Related links:

• Snow plow routes map (works best on desktop)
• Report a road maintenance concern
• Bridge maintenance updates

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Transportation planner Aaron Wilson is back on The Agenda this week to talk about how the Missoula Metropolitan Planning Organization leverages federal funding for critical upgrades to roads and bridges. Aaron and the commissioners discuss traffic congestion, bypasses and how detailed planning gives Missoula an advantage during the federal grant process.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Reserve Street Safety Action Plan
• Missoula Long-Range Transportation Plan Update

Listen to Aaron's previous episodes:

• The Infamous Reserve Street, 2024
• Reserve Street: The Sequel, 2024

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We probably know what comes to mind when you hear "health department." But there is much more to Missoula Public Health than infectious disease monitoring. From air quality to restaurant inspections to the WIC program, the work of MPH undoubtedly affects your life and your health.

This week the commissioners spoke with Jeanna Miller, Chief Health Officer at MPH, about how your city-county health department works to ensure healthy conditions for all residents.

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The Clark Fork and its headwaters represent a duality of incredible fish habitat and miles of former mines and industrial sites. More than 20 years after it began, the restoration of Ninemile Creek west of Missoula has delivered promising results, and not just for the trout.  

This week, the commissioners met with Paul Parson, Montana restoration director at Trout Unlimited, to talk mining history, environmental stewardship and how TU is facilitating the clean up former mine sites across the West. 

• Clark Fork River projects
• Ninemile Valley abandoned mine restoration

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This week the commissioners welcome Missoula Mayor Andrea Davis back to the podcast to talk about a topic that affects all city and county residents: housing. What role does local government play in addressing this complex and difficult issue? What is the City of Missoula doing right now to help more residents continue to call Missoula their home?  Tune in for a thoughtful discussion about current and future solutions.

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Every two years, the Montana Legislature meets for 90 days to pass bills and the statewide budget. Bills become laws and dictate policy on everything from taxes to healthcare access and more.

Starting in January, 100 representatives and 50 senators will meet in Helena to work together in committees and hearings to address issues that matter to all Montanans. This week, the commissioners spoke with Missoula Rep. Mark Thane about his predictions for the session, his insights on school funding and what types of tax relief are on the table.

This is a longer episode with lots of tax talk. Click here for a refresher on tax vocabulary.

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The commissioners recently approved the creation of a new targeted economic development district, at the site of an old gravel pit between Reserve St. and I-90. These districts, often referred to as TEDDs, use tax increment financing to invest in necessary improvements to infrastructure.

Have we lost you already? There’s a lot of confusion around what increment financing does or does not do. This week, the commissioners sat down with Andrew Hagemeier, director of Community and Economic Development, to get to the bottom of TEDDs and TIF.

Related links:

• Grant Creek Crossing TEDD
• Wye 2 TEDD

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Missoula County residents are lucky to live in proximity to multiple rivers and creeks, but this also means increase risks of flooding. Missoula County is currently working with both state and federal agencies to update floodplain maps for the Clark Fork River, the Bitterroot River and Rock Creek. But what exactly is the floodplain, and why are updated maps needed? 

Recently, the Missoula County commissioners spoke with Matt Heimel, floodplain administrator for Missoula County, and Adriane Beck, director of the Missoula County Office of Emergency Management. Adriane and Matt answer these questions and help decode the many acronyms around the floodplain mapping process.

Visit missoulacountyvoice.com to learn more about this process.

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"Selling Marshall Mountain could reduce property taxes." "Any town in the county can incorporate if they want to." "County residents subsidize the City of Missoula." Have you heard these statements before? Are they true or false? 

This week the commissioners spoke with Chris Lounsbury, chief administrative officer for Missoula County, to get to the bottom of these myths and others.

Have you heard a rumor about county government? Visit missoulacountyvoice.com to submit it and see if it's true!

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You’ve heard (and maybe even experienced) how difficult it is to find accessible and affordable childcare. While this is certainly a problem across the nation, what can be done right here in Montana, or even in Missoula County, to address this vital need?

This week, the commissioners sat down with Grace Decker, educator and coordinator for the Montana Advocates for Children, to discuss the importance of investing in early childhood services and what creative solutions are happening in our community and across the state.

 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Montana Advocates for Children
• Missoula Childcare Advantage
• Zero to Five Missoula
• Hidden Cost of Child Care calculator
• Report | Lost Possibilities: The Impacts of Inadequate Childcare on Montana's Families, Employers and Economy

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From programming to paint to pesticide disposal, Home ReSource has just about everything you may need to start or finish a project around your home. Last month, staff from Missoula Public Health and Home ReSource celebrated the opening of the much-anticipated household chemical disposal facility.  

This week, the commissioners spoke with director Kelli Hess about what constitutes household chemical waste, the benefits of buying second-hand building materials and much more. 

Related links: 

• Waste Wizard 
• Household Chemical Disposal 
• Sign up for Last Best Haz Waste Days, Sept 6-7, 2024
• Missoula Valley Water Quality District 

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You’ve heard the saying: plan for the worst and hope for the best. But when it comes to emergency planning, what does that actually mean? If a wildfire starts near your property, do you know where to look for information? What’s the difference between an evacuation warning and an evacuation order?

This week, the commissioners had a very timely conversation with Adriane Beck, director of the Office of Emergency Management, about how to talk to your household about your emergency plan, why you should sign up for Smart911 and much more.

 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Sign up for Smart911
• “Go bag” or emergency kit checklist
• Miller Peak fire information
• Pre-disaster mitigation plan - 2024
• Ready.gov - Emergency preparedness resources

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In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control awarded a $1.8 million grant to Partnership Health Center to set up a community health worker program in partnership with Missoula Public Health and All Nations Health Center. Since then, this team of seven has helped more than 500 clients. But what exactly does a community health worker do?

This week, the Missoula County Commissioners spoke with Eileen Lamble, a community health worker, and McKenzie Javorka, program evaluator from the University of Montana, about how this program helps marginalized individuals re-connect to healthcare services. 

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Community Health Worker StoryMap
• Training program at the University of Montana

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