Hello Jefferson County. I wanted to take a minute to update you on a few things the County has been working on lately.
We are currently in negotiations with a landowner in the north end of the county who wants to donate a parcel of land to the county for parkland. We are gathering information about the costs associated with the initial transfer and the estimate of ongoing costs.
This would be a tremendous opportunity to conserve parkland in the county, especially in the northern part where undeveloped property is very sparse. We will be conducting at least one public hearing about this when we have all the information and are ready to make a decision.
We are still working on determining if Building Five on the South campus of the former Montana Developmental Center (MDC) in Boulder is going to be feasible to be remodeled into office space for our Health Department and other entities needing office space.
A preliminary look at the funding available shows that we are not too far off from viability for the project. Hopefully in the next couple of months we will have a final determination and be able to make a decision on this project.
I had the privilege to meet with Colonel Steve Lavin and a couple of his associates at the Montana Highway Patrol Headquarters on the MDC north campus. Boulder Mayor Rusty Giulio, City Councilman Drew Dawson and I like to meet with them quarterly to keep communication open between our entities.
The Highway Patrol is very pleased with the new facility and the Boulder community as a whole. It plans to enhance and expand the programs and training it offers to local and federal law enforcement agencies as funds become available. We are glad MHP is able to use this facility and help bolster the local economy.
As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is anything you need or something you have a question about concerning the county.
Kirsch is chair of the Jefferson County Commission. Reach him at ckirsch@jeffersoncounty-mt.gov or (406) 225-4025
