Silver Bow County budget committee approves $1.22M in expenditures; members question demolition grant, counseling contract, youth services and emergency phone

The Silver Bow County Budget and Finance Committee on Wednesday approved an expenditure list totaling $1,222,278.83 and questioned several line items, including a $20,000 demolition reimbursement, a $36,720.42 counseling contract, juvenile detention reimbursements and an emergency satellite phone paid through a public‑health preparedness fund.

Committee members voted 6-0 to approve the expenditure list after a brief period of questions and clarification from county staff. A motion to approve the list was made and seconded; the chair called the vote and announced the motion passed 6 to 0.

The most substantive discussion focused on a $20,000 reimbursement described in the list as a “Demolition project for 303 West Silver.” Ms. Woods, a county staff member who reviewed the claims for the committee, told commissioners the payment was drawn from Building and Code grants and donations and appeared to be a reimbursable grant to the National Affordable Housing Network. “This looks like a reimbursable grant through Building and Code to the National Affordable Housing Network to tear down this building,” Woods said. She added that, per the grant structure, the grantee incurs costs first and the county reimburses after proof of expenditure.

Commissioner Walker asked whether the demolition payment would result in new affordable housing on the lot and why county funds were being used to tear down the building. Woods said she did not have the specific redevelopment details available at the meeting and offered to follow up. "I am not sure on the specifics of that grant, but I can reach out and come back here and fill you in if you need," she said.

Commissioners also discussed claim 8157, a contract payment to Deep Roots Counseling for $36,720.42 that a commissioner said had been awarded by the Board of Health. Ms. Woods confirmed the amount and the claim number; she and the commissioners characterized it as a contract processed through the county’s claims system.

On juvenile detention, Commissioner O'Leary asked about a payment to Cascade County Regional Youth Services (claim 7936). Woods said that expense related to reimbursable grant funds helping cover the cost of youth held outside Silver Bow County and that the county received some state reimbursement for juvenile detention; she said the portion for the current year was “around $18,000” and that unspent funds from other counties can be reallocated to counties that used them.

Committee members also asked about claim 8132, a payment to Globalstar for an emergency satellite phone. Woods said the charge was paid from the county’s 2270 fund, a public‑health preparedness program funded by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to enhance local health response capacity under CDC preparedness frameworks. "So I would assume it would be for any emergency preparedness proactive, probably having an account with...they probably just have a satellite phone just in case of emergencies," she said.

A commissioner asked how revenue from Highlands Golf Course and the civic center is handled, noting the committee sees purchases for resale but not the revenue returned to the county. Woods said those sales appear as revenue in other reports and are reconciled monthly with the golf course and the civic center; she offered that commissioners could request a revenue report from the office for details.

No formal action was taken on any single claim during the meeting aside from approving the full expenditure list. Commissioners requested follow‑up information on the demolition grant and on the redevelopment plans for 303 West Silver, as well as additional detail about the counseling contract and the emergency satellite phone program.

The committee adjourned after approving the expenditure list and indicated there were no further questions on the budget transfers at that time.