Legislators weigh changes and nominations in House Bill 12 historic preservation funding

Senators on the Finance and Claims Committee opened a public hearing on House Bill 12, the biennial appropriation package for the Montana Historic Preservation Grant (MHPG) program, and heard more than a dozen proponents and several opponents.

Representative John Fitzpatrick, the bill sponsor, said the program is funded by a five‑percent allocation of bed‑tax revenue designated when the Montana Heritage Center was established and is administered by the Department of Commerce. Fitzpatrick said the House subcommittee adopted evaluation criteria intended to stretch a limited appropriation among more communities: the subcommittee reduced the maximum grant from $500,000 to $350,000, emphasized preservation of the building envelope (roof, walls, foundation, exterior doors and windows and core utilities) and prioritized projects providing defined public use. He said the committee also sought to avoid repeatedly funding projects that had received an award…