Advertise on podcast: The Agenda with the Missoula County Commissioners

Are you interested in hobby farming but don't know where to start? Maybe you know a kid in your life who wants to get into robotics or animal husbandry? Missoula County extension agents can help you get connected and grow your skills! Extension agents represent the practical application of research at land grant universities, like Montana State. In Missoula County, we are fortunate to have four agents who specialize in 4-H, family consumer science, horticulture and agriculture. This week, the commissioners spoke with Campbell Barrett, 4-H extension agent, and Natalie Sullivan, agriculture and livestock extension agent, about what free resources they offer to residents.  Links mentioned in this episode: Land stewards surveyAgTalks seriesPasture evaluation programFind a 4-H programVolunteer with 4-H Text us your thoughts and comments on this episode! Thank you to Missoula's Community Media Resource for podcast recording support!

2026 is a federal election year, and thousands of voters will cast their ballots by mail or at polling places across Missoula County for both the June primary and November general election. It takes more than 600 people to run these elections, and you could be a part of the action as an election judge!  This week, the commissioners spoke with Bradley Seaman, elections administrator, about what election judges do (no robe or gavel required) and how residents can get involved. Click here to sign up to be an election judge! Text us your thoughts and comments on this episode! Thank you to Missoula's Community Media Resource for podcast recording support!

If you’ve lived in the Missoula Valley, you’re familiar with the inversion that often happens in the winter months. What’s actually happening during an inversion, and what do wood stoves have to do with it?  This week, the commissioners spoke with Kerri Mueller, air quality specialist, and Elena Evans, environmental health manager at Missoula Public Health, about the history of air quality regulations and why clean air matters for all residents. Links mentioned in this episode:  Missoula Public Health Air Quality Division AirNow Map Montana Dept. of Environmental Quality Air Quality Text us your thoughts and comments on this episode! Thank you to Missoula's Community Media Resource for podcast recording support!

Jordan Thompson, acting executive officer of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, recently joined the commissioners for a jam-packed episode on tribal government. Jordan gives a history lesson on the formation of the Flathead Indian Reservation, a breakdown of land ownership and so much more. Don’t miss this behind-the-scenes look at CSKT! Text us your thoughts and comments on this episode! Thank you to Missoula's Community Media Resource for podcast recording support!

Another year is almost at a close, which means another round of myth busting! This week all three commissioners take turns quizzing each other on local government myths about how tax dollars can be spent, jurisdictional authority, tax increment financing and more! Heard a myth about county government? Submit it on missoulacountyvoice.com!  Text us your thoughts and comments on this episode! Thank you to Missoula's Community Media Resource for podcast recording support!

The federal process for approving and recommending seasonal respiratory vaccines deviated from the typical schedule this year. That led to confusion about who is eligible for Covid vaccines and delayed shipping and distribution of the shots. This week, Jeanna Miller and Sara Heineman from Missoula Public Health joined the commissioners to unpack how all of this happened and how the Immunization Clinic at MPH is here to help. They also discuss what they learned from the health department’s recent countywide vaccine access and barrier report.  Text us your thoughts and comments on this episode! Thank you to Missoula's Community Media Resource for podcast recording support!

Mountain Line is the Missoula Valley's zero-fare bus system that helps residents and visitors work, play and connect to their community. From electric buses to a new facility by the airport, Mountain Line is anything but stationary. This week the commissioners spoke with Jordan Hess, CEO & General Manager at Mountain Line, about how the bus system keeps Missoula rolling. Text us your thoughts and comments on this episode! Thank you to Missoula's Community Media Resource for podcast recording support!

Recently, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency published updated floodplain maps for Rock Creek and the Clark Fork and Bitterroot Rivers. Missoula County Floodplain Administrator Matt Heimel joined the commissioners this week to discuss what homeowners need to know and the next steps in the adoption and regulation process.  The preliminary maps will be presented to the Missoula County commissioners during their public meeting on Thursday, Nov. 6. See the agenda at missoula.co/bccmeetings. Learn more at https://missoulacountyvoice.com/clark-fork-river-bitterroot-river-and-rock-creek-floodplain-mapping-update Text us your thoughts and comments on this episode! Thank you to Missoula's Community Media Resource for podcast recording support!

Big things are happening at the Missoula Montana Airport: the recent terminal expansion has given the airport an entirely new look, the runway was re-paved and airlines are offering more routes and destinations. In the last year and a half, passenger traffic has broken records month after month. This week the commissioners sat down with Brian Ellestad, director of the airport, to discuss the details of running a busy regional airport. Text us your thoughts and comments on this episode! Thank you to Missoula's Community Media Resource for podcast recording support!

From artisans to restaurants to manufacturing, Missoula County is home to businesses of all shapes and sizes. The Missoula Economic Partnership exists to facilitate growth, collaboration and mutual understanding between the private and public sectors. Christine Littig, business development director at MEP, joined the commissioners this week to discuss local business trends and how entrepreneurs are responding creatively to the economic landscape. Text us your thoughts and comments on this episode! Thank you to Missoula's Community Media Resource for podcast recording support!

Marshall Mountain Park sits between East Missoula and Bonner and is publicly owned by Missoula County. Many lifelong residents learned to ski there as kids, and the legacy of learning continues today.  This week, the commissioners spoke with Jackson Lee, park manager, to review what’s new at Marshall Mountain Park since it was acquired by the county in spring 2024. They discuss new trails, planned improvements, forest health and Commissioner Slotnick’s nascent mountain biking career. Learn about how Marshall came into public ownership in this episode from 2023. Text us your thoughts and comments on this episode! Thank you to Missoula's Community Media Resource for podcast recording support!

Youth and young adults transitioning from foster care or incarceration in Missoula County are at elevated risk of homelessness and continued involvement in the criminal justice system, according to the 2025 Just Home report. The report is part of a larger initiative between the Missoula County Community Justice Department and Homeword to address the connection between housing instability and incarceration. This week, the commissioners spoke with Karissa Trujillo, executive director of Homeword, and McKenzie Javorka, program evaluator at the University of Montana Rural Institute, about what the report revealed about marginalized populations in Missoula County and actionable next steps. Related links: Coordinated Entry System Text us your thoughts and comments on this episode! Thank you to Missoula's Community Media Resource for podcast recording support!

Front Step Community Land Trust (formerly the North Missoula Community Development Corporation) is tackling one of the largest issues facing residents: affordable housing. This week, the commissioners spoke with Brittany Palmer, director of Front Step, to discuss what community land trusts do and how their work can help push back against the rapid economic changes facing small towns and cities. Related links: Thursday, July 17: Housing Night with the Missoula PaddleheadsText us your thoughts and comments on this episode! Thank you to Missoula's Community Media Resource for podcast recording support!

The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula is home to the largest intact World War II internment site in the United States. From 1941 to 1944, the U.S. Department of Justice managed two Alien Detention Center barracks at the Fort and imprisoned 1,200 Italian nationals and more than 1,100 Japanese Issei men. The museum recently opened “Far from Home: An Internee Experience at Fort Missoula,” an immersive exhibit in a restored barracks building on the grounds of the Fort. This week, Commissioner Slotnick sat down with Matt Lautzenheiser, museum director, and Ron Wakimoto, board member of the Friends of the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, to dive into the history of this site and why the stories of internment are still so prescient today.   This episode opens with Commissioner Slotnick's remarks from the exhibition opening. Thank you to Dennis Bragg for supplying this audio clip! Alien Detention Center Barracks Recording of the grand opening of Far From Home: An Internee Experience at Fort MissoulaLearn more about Assembly Centers, War Relocation Sites and Alien Detention CentersText us your thoughts and comments on this episode! Thank you to Missoula's Community Media Resource for podcast recording support!

Andrew Hagemeier, director of Community and Economic Development, is back on the podcast this week to help bust myths about subdivisions, zoning and land use. Other topics include tax increment financing, the Wye Water System project and affordable housing.  Be sure to check out the TIF and TEDD 101 episode for a primer on how tax increment financing works. Text us your thoughts and comments on this episode! Thank you to Missoula's Community Media Resource for podcast recording support!