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Carter County agrees to apply to $2.75M Montana tourism grant to fund museum expansion
Summary
County commissioners authorized the museum and county to pursue a $2.75 million Montana Tourism Development Grant (over five years) and approved a separate $50,000 CDBG planning grant motion; the county will act as fiscal agent if the application is filed.
The Carter County Board of Commissioners agreed to proceed with an application for the Montana Tourism Development Grant to support an expansion of the local museum and related tourism infrastructure, and they authorized moving ahead with a $50,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) planning grant for an architectural report.
The project lead (speaker 8) told commissioners the tourism grant would total $2,750,000 over five years and that the application requires the county to serve as fiscal agent and to document funding sources. "It's that $2,750,000 grant that would be paid out over 5 years," the presenter said, adding that the first two years of detailed budget work total $1,250,000 and that Year 1 funding is capped at $250,000. She said the grant is reimbursement-based and that the county would be responsible for submitting invoices to the state for reimbursement.
Commissioners discussed match, who would serve as fiscal manager (Judy or Dana were named as options), legal-review needs for contracts with architects, and whether committee members or advisory groups might present conflicts of interest. The board moved and seconded a motion to support the $50,000 CDBG planning grant for the museum's preliminary architectural report; the motion carried with no public opposition. Later, the board approved proceeding with the tourism development grant application and to act as fiscal agent if the county applies.
The presenter outlined staffing and budget items included in the application: a $21,000-per-year project manager/community-coordinator line (to offset project management time routed through the museum budget), $10,000 annually for legal counsel review, and funds for a consulting firm to handle bidding and RFPs. She also described three funding-source columns in the budget: (1) Montana tourism development funds, (2) local/private contributions and sponsorships, and (3) county contributions.
Next steps: the presenter will circulate the final application to commissioners before filing (due Jan. 22); staff will prepare a resolution/motion for county authorization, local partners will produce letters of support, and the county will prepare to act as fiscal agent if awarded.
