The Missoula County Board of Commissioners approved the consent agenda on Thursday while postponing item 8 to the next meeting, and commissioners discussed an application for federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds aimed at assisting low-income residents with expensive septic replacements.

During the consent discussion, a county official (Speaker 2) noted that the county is preparing a competitive application for federal CDBG dollars that would flow through the state and be used for rural septic replacements and related supports. Speaker 2 said this would be the first time the county has pursued that separate placement approach and described it as “super cool,” emphasizing it would target rural needs.

Staff members reported receiving several online comments in support of the program and described a clear community need. A presenter (Speaker 4) cautioned that projected available funding is limited, estimating roughly $500,000 would be available if the county is awarded funds and noting that many more septic systems in the county likely need replacement than that amount would cover.

The commissioners moved and seconded approval of the consent agenda with item 8 excluded; the motion passed with affirmative votes. The meeting record indicates the county will return item 8 for consideration at a future meeting.

Next steps: staff said they will follow up with a timeline for the grant application process and report back to the commissioners. The county did not specify an exact award date; one speaker referenced a possible summer 2026 timeframe related to implementation planning.