Bill Would Raise Minimum Complainant Threshold Before County Inspections

Representative Steve Gist presented House Bill 7-42 to the Senate Local Government Committee, proposing that nuisance or community-decay complaints require three property owners within a quarter-mile to trigger inspection, replacing a current one-complainant trigger. Gist said the change aims to reduce disputes that arise from single-neighbor complaints and avoid using enforcement to push residents out via fines.

Gist noted the bill would include a friendly amendment to allow counties to act without the three-complainant threshold when there is a direct health or public-safety violation, citing a Missoula County situation where county intervention and assistance helped an elderly resident clean up a property.

Jennifer Olson, government affairs director for the Montana League of Cities and Towns, testified in support, saying the measure brings clarity for code enforcement officers and focuses on education and local notification.

Shannon Theriault, Missoula Public Health environmental health director, testified as an opponent in form only to support the sponsor’s proposed amendment. She said community-decay cases often involve complex issues such as mental health or hoarding and that getting three property-owner complaints within a quarter-mile could be difficult in some circumstances, but the amendment would preserve authority to address direct health threats.

Representative Gist closed by thanking stakeholders and noting collaboration with Missoula County; the committee closed the hearing on HB 7-42 after brief questions without immediate action.

What happens next: The committee closed testimony; proponents signaled willingness to add an amendment to preserve authority for direct health hazards, and the bill may be amended before further consideration.