MISSOULA — Community leaders came together on Monday at City Club Missoula's State of the Community to discuss how Missoula is doing during uncertain times.
“So there is evidence of volatility at the federal level all the time, but only some of it actually affects us, and at the state level. I want to touch on a couple of these things and then give some examples of how we are working to be stable. And when I say stable, I mean, doing what needs to be done when it needs to be done,” Missoula County Commissioner Josh Slotnick said.
Missoula County Commissioner Josh Slotnick kicked off the talk, going over various activities the county is currently involved in.
From the Wye to Lolo, to the Swan Valley, the county has been busy at work partnering with both private industry and community members alike.
Some of these projects include the public-private partnership for the development of a water system at the Wye (paid for by Montana Knife Company and Grass Valley Gardens to later be sold to the county at a discount), the expansion of the water system in Lolo and the community neighborhood plan for the Swan Valley.
Slotnick finished by looking at the room and stating how important it is for all stakeholders of Missoula to come together.
“When you all and people you know choose to step in and become part of local government, we get so much stronger and we can get more things done, more stability, less volatility, and so much thanks to you all,” Slotnick said.
Mayor Andrea Davis followed, touching on how the city is working to address Missoula's affordable housing crisis.
She pointed to the development of city lands and private developers coming to the city, hoping to work together to keep Missoula, Missoula.
“When we invest in each other, when we invest in high-quality services, when we invest in our businesses and our neighborhoods, we get what we see out these windows, which is an extraordinary place to live, an extraordinary place to belong. And so with that, I just want to reinforce the fact that we get more done together. Strong partnerships like we have here and across this room are so meaningful, and it's what is going to get us through these incredibly uncertain times,” Davis said.
Finally, Leslie Webb, Vice President of Affairs and Enrollment Management at the University of Montana, pointed to growing enrollment numbers over the past five years as well as how the university is evaluating what programs are the right fit in a changing education landscape.
“Over the past year, we've seen encouraging steps to build stronger bonds between UM, Destination Missoula, the Missoula area Chamber of Commerce, downtown association, midtown association and the airport to collectively work together to ensure we maximize the opportunities. These are one-of-a-kind events [that] generate for our community and local businesses. And this has been a really, really high priority over the past year and it will continue to be over the coming years,” Webb said.
Overall, local government officials and community leaders say that it's important to come together to build a stronger Missoula.
