Repurposing the vacant buildings at the Montana Developmental Center was the topic of an October 31 meeting at Boulder City Hall.
Chaired by Tom Harrington of JLDC and initiated by Jefferson County Commissioner Leonard Wortman, the group of about 20 Boulder community leaders and representatives from the state agencies of OPI, DPHHS and Labor discussed the feasibility of providing veterans’ services at the MDC campus.
The meeting began with Harrington’s overview of the four years since the passage of SB 411, the bill requiring closure of MDC. Harrington noted that the bill includes language about the repurposing of MDC but that nothing concrete has happened to date. Rebecca de Camara, Administrator, Developmental Services Division of DPHHS, said that the last MDC resident was recently moved to the Intensive Behavior Center (IBC) located on the MDC campus, and that the cottage is being boarded up. She stated that most of the former MDC clients are in community placements and are “doing quite well.”
