MISSOULA — On Monday night, the Missoula City Council voted to approve a mail-in ballot-only election for this upcoming municipal election, as well as allowing for primaries to take place within that election for various municipal seats. And the city also released the developer from the Scott Street development from their daycare clause.
Missoula City Council voted to have primaries for City Council seats and the office of Mayor when three or more candidates file for office.
The election will also be a mail-in ballot-only, meaning no in-person voting will be held. According to the City, by making the election mail-in ballot-only, the potential savings could be up to $200,000 when compared to an election with in-person voting.
The City now also has an interlocal agreement with Missoula County for how to handle the upcoming Lolo St. Bridge project, one that has secured $3 million in federal funding.
And the city also released White Pine Parcel, LLC from the clause where a daycare would have had to been placed within the Scott Street development.
This release was echoed with disappointment from many council members, including council member Gwen Jones.
“Sometimes we are a little bit too aspirational and we need to tether that to reality. And we need to, I think we've also learned you really have to have the developers in at the beginning of the conversations. So they can say, instead of just signing onto the entire project, they can say, I think that'll work or I think that won't work. Here's why,” said Jones.
It’s also Pollinator Week in Missoula, with Mayor Andrea Davis encouraging the public to take a second and appreciate the many pollinators that exist in Missoula and the jobs that they do.
And just as a heads up, City offices will be closed on June 19th in observance of Juneteenth.
