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Missoula County hires Jason Mitchell as chief public works officer
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners approved an employment agreement for Jason Mitchell to replace retiring Public Works Officer Shane Stack; Mitchell will begin onboarding March 31. Commissioners discussed infrastructure funding pressures, especially bridge repair needs.
Missoula County commissioners approved an employment agreement for Jason Mitchell to become the county's chief public works officer; Mitchell is scheduled to begin onboarding March 31, county staff said.
The agreement fills the vacancy created by the impending retirement of Shane Stack, the county's longtime public works officer, who will leave in June after more than 30 years of public service. County staff told commissioners Mitchell will spend onboarding time with Stack and other department leaders to get up to speed on ongoing projects, many of which involve federal funds.
Mitchell previously worked for Missoula County in the 9-1-1 center as a technology employee and has experience in water and wastewater projects and in vertical construction, county presenters said. "I'm really excited to get started and and glad I have some time to work with Shane," Mitchell said during the meeting.
Commissioners and staff also discussed the scale of the county's infrastructure needs during the appointment discussion, noting that bridge repair demands consume significant resources. County staff provided a count in the meeting chat: 61 bridges more than 20 feet in length, 65 bridges under 20 feet, and 352 small bridges and culverts; five structures were identified as load-posted. Staff emphasized that bridge repair costs can exceed the size of the county's typical annual public-works budget.
A commissioner moved to approve the employment agreement; it passed by voice vote. The recorded vote tally was not specified in the transcript. County staff said a ReadySign document for the agreement would be sent to Mitchell after the meeting.
The new hire comes as the public-works department transitions leadership while managing multiple federally funded projects and a lengthy bridge-repair backlog. Commissioners said they expect the transition period with Stack to include briefings on project priorities and funding constraints.
