MISSOULA — The Missoula City Council voted to oppose federal legislation Monday night while also appointing a new fire chief and addressing local development issues.
The council unanimously appointed Lonnie Rash as the new Missoula Fire Department chief, with his first day set for July 7. The appointment received full support from the Missoula Firefighters Union, which represents 116 of the 126 firefighters in Missoula.
"It was a lot of work, I know, finding a cream of the crop candidate and we're very appreciative for that. We do we believe that Chief Rash is going to provide us with that vision and strategy, credibility and trust, and most importantly, strong leadership. And I think sometimes that's that the importance of leadership is overlooked a little bit in the fire department and we really need that strong leadership," said Missoula Firefighters Local 271 president Andrew Drobeck.
Watch the recap of the Missoula City Council meeting:
The council also passed two resolutions urging Montana's congressional delegation to oppose President Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," citing concerns about its impacts on public lands and social programs like Medicaid and SNAP.
Council member Eric Melson sponsored the resolution opposing the legislation's impacts on public lands.
"Our public lands, our forests, our rivers, our grasslands, and our mountain tops, these places are more than just scenery for resolutions. They're where we learn, where we seek challenge, where we fall in love, where we raise our kids, where we ramble and reflect and find silence and solitude and connect with each other and live the world we can have," Melson said.
The public came out in strong support of both resolutions, which passed unanimously.
"I feel really grateful that we are talking about something and making a statement on something that is out of our control, taking a stand on things that are outside of our purview," said one member of the public.
Another resident emphasized the importance of protecting public lands, stating, I have to point out also that these public lands are our privileges as long as they're allowed to be, as long as we allow them to be. But they are our rights as long as we continue to demand them to me. So I urge everyone to continue to demand them to be our rights for the future."
Residents also voiced concerns about potential cuts to social programs.
"I'm a retired special education teacher and Medicaid paid for physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy for students that could not afford it. And super important for [them], and it still is important," said one public speaker.
"Here in Missoula, these cuts could result in thousands of Missoulians losing access to the care and food they need. That is why we're urging you to take a stand against these cuts with this resolution," said Nicole Gomez Patalano, Justice Initiative Director for Catalyst Montana.
In other business, the council approved the Parks, Recreation, Open Space, Trails and Trees (PORST) 2040 Master Plan after 22 months of development.
The plan aims to support other city goals related to housing, community health and transit.
The council also approved a hearing on the appeal of a demolition permit for the Old Post Hospital at Fort Missoula, brought forth by the Missoula Preservation Commission.
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