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Lincoln County Health Department reports shelter, septic and tick surveillance updates
Summary
Health department staff briefed commissioners on Aug. 13: new environmental health staff (Morgan Castillia), animal-shelter counts (13 dogs, 17 cats including 13 kittens), 165 septic permit applications in 2025 with 146 issued, and increased tick surveillance after first regional blacklegged tick detections in 2024.
At the Aug. 13 meeting, Lincoln County Health Department staff provided several operational updates to the Board of Commissioners.
Kathy (Health Department staff) introduced Morgan Castillia as a new environmental health employee now in her third week and noted she recently obtained a SIT license. The department reported 13 dogs and 17 cats in the county shelter (13 of the cats are kittens); many cats and kittens are being transported to the Humane Society in Kalispell for spay/neuter and adoption support.
On septic permitting, staff said Lincoln County has received 165 applications so far in 2025 — about three fewer than the same point last year — including 136 new systems, 23 replacements and six affidavits or declarations for unpermitted systems. Of those applications, 146 permits have been issued; roughly 68 applications needed local review, and seven permits from 2024 remain open pending closure statements. The department reported that roughly 20% of the county’s estimated 10,000 historical permits are now entered into the online permitting system and staff are seeking funding or temporary help to complete data entry.
Staff also announced that Robin Blumberg passed the state certified reviewer exam and the county is finalizing a contract with the state Department of Environmental Quality for permit review work that will generate revenue and allow more review work to be handled locally.
Public-health items included outreach events (Smiles Across Montana, back-to-school clinics) and seasonal advice: five bats that had human or pet contact were reported (one specimen described as "suspicious" for rabies because the brain tissue was degraded), the county reminded residents to vaccinate pets, and county staff noted increased statewide surveillance for blacklegged ticks — the species first found in Montana in 2024 — with no local detections yet in Lincoln County. Staff also reminded residents about Lincoln County Connections for event and resource listings.
Commissioners asked follow-up questions about permit searches and how property owners can report incorrect parcel permit information; staff said a land-research request form will be linked to the online map to collect corrections.
