Daniels County commissioners agree to apply for state historic preservation grant for courthouse

The Daniels County Board of Commissioners voted on Dec. 15 (year not specified in the transcript) to proceed with an application to the Montana State Historic Preservation grant program for repairs to the county courthouse.

Commissioner said the application is estimated to cost roughly $8,500 to prepare and that a grant award could cover a large portion of structural repairs, including the sagging floor at the courthouse corner, balcony rehabilitation and roof work. “I would like to proceed with the grant,” the Commissioner said when putting the motion before the board; another commissioner seconded and the motion carried by voice vote.

County staff told the board the program typically funds preservation of historic structures and that mechanical upgrades are more competitive; staff recommended scoping the grant to the building envelope and structural stabilization. Commissioners discussed likely project costs and agreed to gather contractor cost estimates and to assemble a single bid package so that one contractor could manage the work if the grant is awarded.

The board also discussed the local match and project phasing: one commissioner estimated a likely project cost lower than the program maximum and noted a 20 percent local match in some program options, while staff said the application could be scaled to the parts of the courthouse with the highest preservation need.

Next steps: staff will prepare and submit the application when the program opens in January, collect construction cost estimates, and return to the board for required signatures and any commitment of local matching funds if the county advances to the award stage.