Butte-Silver Bow commissioners hear DOC site pitch, review bids and accept grants and audit report

Butte-Silver Bow commissioners on Wednesday heard a presentation from the Montana Department of Corrections about plans to build a secure women’s facility, reviewed multiple road-construction bid openings and referred them to staff, and formally accepted two state Main Street grants and the county’s annual audit.

The Department of Corrections (DOC) told commissioners the state is considering locations for a new women’s prison and is entering conversations with local governments about potential siting. “We are full,” Brian Gookin, director of corrections, said, describing current statewide bed shortages and noting the department has been sending male offenders out of state. Deputy Director Eric Strauss said the department is seeking funding language (LC 1119) that would designate roughly $250 million for DOC construction; Strauss said the package would likely allocate roughly $220 million to the new facility while another $30 million would be used elsewhere.

The DOC presenters discussed the Acadia property south of Uptown Butte as an early candidate. Officials said the site is attractive because the state already owns a roughly 25-acre parcel there, program and classroom space exists on site, and Highlands College has expressed interest in partnering. The state said a new 400-bed facility would be sized to address current female offender capacity and programming needs, with vocational, administrative and recreation yards included in planning. “Most almost every one of the women that are in prison are coming out of prison and going into the communities,” Gookin said, framing workforce development and reentry programming as central aims.

Commissioners asked about community impacts, local public safety and tax implications. Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher and DOC staff acknowledged concerns about perception, the loss of taxable property (state-owned facilities are not taxable) and local service impacts; DOC said jurisdictions that host prisons in Montana have recorded low increases in local calls for service. The DOC estimated a full facility would require about 100 full-time equivalent positions covering corrections officers, nursing and maintenance roles and said siting discussions will include public engagement and local planning. The department emphasized it would work with local officials and that no final siting decision had been made. Commissioners later voted to place the DOC presentation on file (motion by Commissioner Thatcher; recorded vote 11–0).

Road projects: engineers read bids; council referred decisions to Public Works

Public Works Director Mark Neary presented bids on two Roads Division projects: the 2025 mill-and-fill program and the Excelsior Avenue reconstruction, phase 3. Multiple contractors submitted bids on both projects; Mr. Neary noted the engineer’s estimate for the mill-fill work was about $900,000 while the lowest bid reported was substantially lower. Commissioners voted to refer both communications (bid openings for communications 2025-88 and 2025-89) back to Public Works for recommendation (motions by Commissioner Thatcher; votes recorded as passing). For the mill-fill project the clerk recorded the referral vote as 11–0.

Grants: Phoenix Building redevelopment and head-frame relighting

Community Development Director Karen Burns presented two Montana Main Street grants awarded to local projects. One grant will pass $200,000 through Butte-Silver Bow to assist redevelopment of the Phoenix Building; another award of $20,000 will be passed through to support relighting of Butte Hill head frames, supplementing other funds for the head-frame relighting program. Public comment included local residents supporting the Phoenix Building redevelopment and encouraging planning for additional parking as downtown redevelopment increases. The commission opened and closed both public hearings and later placed the communications on file (motions by Commissioner Thatcher; recorded votes 11–0).

Finance: auditors deliver clean opinion, note internal-control findings

Pat (Patrick) Burt of Newland & Company presented the fiscal year 2024 annual comprehensive financial report and audit opinions. Newland issued an unmodified (clean) opinion on the county’s June 30, 2024 financial statements and on the schedule of federal awards. The auditors reported Butte-Silver Bow expended roughly $8.8 million in federal funds during the year and noted about $12 million remained obligated for future projects.

Audit findings included repeat internal-control weaknesses outside the treasurer’s office: inadequate segregation of duties at the parking commission, the Civic Center and the landfill (auditors said practical staffing constraints limit changes in some locations). A second repeat finding involved the Health Department’s accounts receivable for immunization and family-planning fees; auditors recommended monthly reconciliations and stronger procedures. Management submitted written responses and told the commission it has begun implementing corrective steps; the commission later placed the audit communication on file (motion by Commissioner Thatcher; recorded vote 11–0).

Montana Tech presentation

Montana Technological University administrators and faculty described a surge in federally funded research at the campus, reporting roughly $22 million in research expenditures for fiscal year 2024 and growth in critical-minerals work. Vice Chancellor Angela Lukin and faculty highlighted examples — national lab partnerships, an advanced electron microscope and plans for workforce training and a global summer practicum — and noted potential community partnerships that could accompany campus changes. Commissioners thanked the university for the briefing and subsequently placed the communication on file (motion by Commissioner Thatcher; recorded vote 11–0).

What happened formally

- The commission opened and closed two public hearings (communications 2025-110 and 2025-111) on Montana Main Street grants and later placed those communications on file (both motions passed, 11–0). - Bid openings for the mill-fill project (2025-88) and Excelsior Avenue reconstruction (2025-89) were read; both communications were referred to Public Works for recommendation (motions passed; mill-fill clerk-recorded vote 11–0). - The fiscal year 2024 comprehensive annual financial report and related audit findings were presented and the communication was placed on file (motion passed 11–0). - The DOC presentation and the Montana Tech research presentation were placed on file (motions passed 11–0).

The meeting also included multiple other agenda items and scheduling of future bid openings and public hearings; commissioners adjourned after public comment. Several commissioners and department heads said the county will continue discussions with state officials about any potential DOC siting and will coordinate public outreach and planning if the state advances a proposal.