Lewis and Clark County Commissioners Review Health, Infrastructure Grants and Contracts

Lewis and Clark County commissioners took up nearly $43,000 in public health contracts and a federal grant application at their March 17 public session, working through an agenda that stretched from nurse supervision services to national accreditation and federal pandemic relief funds.

The largest single item was a contract with NAPSA for national accreditation, valued at $21,971. The agreement would take effect upon approval by both parties and run for up to 24 months. The packet did not specify what program or agency the accreditation covers; full contract documents would clarify the scope.

Lewis and Clark Public Health also brought forward a $5,835 contract with the Missoula City-County Health Department to provide nurse supervision for the county's Nurse Family Partnership Program. The contract term covers October through December 2025, meaning the service period predates the February 10, 2026 memo from Lewis and Clark Public Health staff member Sarah Sandau that placed it before commissioners. Sandau's memo noted the funds come from a county health funding line, though the source document was truncated before identifying the specific program.

A third health item asked commissioners to approve a grant application to the National Environment Health Association-Federal Drug Administration Retail Flexible Funding Model program, seeking up to $15,500 to cover the period from April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027. Sandau also prepared that staff report.

Commissioners additionally took up a reading of amendments to the Lewis and Clark County Community Decay Ordinance. The meeting packet confirmed the reading was scheduled but did not include the text of the amendments or identify their sponsor.

Ann McCauley, the county's Director of Grants and Purchasing, presented an update on the county's American Rescue Plan Act funding and recommendations for any dollars not yet obligated. Background materials in the meeting packet show Lewis and Clark County received two tranches of federal ARPA funding in fiscal years 2021 and 2022 totaling $13,486,352, directed at local pandemic impacts. The State of Montana separately provided an additional $2,380,376 in ARPA money through its minimum allocation grant program, designated specifically for water and sewer infrastructure. Those figures appear in a staff report McCauley prepared in March 2024; the March 17 session represented a follow-on update on how remaining unobligated funds should be directed.

Vote tallies and final dispositions for each item were not available in the meeting packet excerpts reviewed. The packet also referenced a contract with Helena Asphalt in the meeting title, but no details on that agreement appeared in the documents obtained. Full meeting minutes and the session video would confirm which items passed, which were tabled, and the terms of any Helena Asphalt agreement.