Cascade County meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Cascade County Commission to weigh elevator upgrade, street sweeper purchase

Cascade County commissioners are set to review a $78,820 courthouse elevator modernization and a $292,526 street sweeper purchase at a work session this week, while the county's proposed fiscal year 2027 budget heads into public hearings that run through Sept. 3. The meetings are all agenda-only, with minutes not yet published, so no final decisions have been recorded.

Commission work session: equipment and budget

The Aug. 19 work session includes two contracts. Contract 26-118 covers the elevator upgrade with A&E + SMA Design at $78,820. Contract 26-119 is for an Elgin Pelican Street Sweeper, totaling $292,526, with $253,267.01 coming from MDT/CMAQ funds and a county match of $39,258.99.

The commission also opened the public hearing for the proposed FY 2027 budget, which will continue through Sept. 3. Public comment on non-agenda matters within commission jurisdiction is also allowed.

Commission administrative items

At the Aug. 11 meeting, the commission reviewed several contracts and a tax list amendment. Contracts include 26-110 with DJA LLC, 26-111 for a memorial bench, 26-112 with CCSO PDK, and modifications 26-113 through 26-116 (P00001-P00005). The board also considered Resolution 26-30 to amend tax lists. An appointment to the BHLAC board was on the agenda.

Planning Board: no business

Cascade County's Planning Board met Aug. 18 in a hybrid format at the Courthouse Annex in Great Falls and via Zoom. The agenda listed no items for discussion or decision, with "None" under the single agenda entry. The meeting appears to have been procedural only.

Zoning Board: special use permit

On Aug. 20, the Zoning Board of Adjustment reviewed a special use permit application (SUP 009-2026) and considered draft minutes from its April 16 meeting. No old business was listed.

Coming up

The FY 2027 budget public hearing continues through Sept. 3, with the commission expected to take further action. No other upcoming meetings are listed in the next 14 days.

County commission to weigh $1.4M in juvenile detention contracts, $79K jail security upgrade

Cascade County commissioners this week are set to consider more than $1.4 million in contracts for juvenile detention services and a $79,084 upgrade to the Sheriff's Office door lock system. The items appear on the Aug. 5 agenda, one of several commission meetings held over the past two weeks. No minutes have been published for any of the recent meetings, so no actions are final.

County Commission — July 28

The commission met July 28 to review the treasurer's and accounts payable reports, approve prior minutes, and consider several contracts. These included an animal shelter interlocal agreement (Contract 26-99), elections services (Contract 26-103), and a vaccine memorandum of understanding with Alluvion (Contract 26-105). The board also considered an appointment to the DUI Task Force and an appointment to Great Falls Transit. No votes were recorded in the agenda.

County Commission — July 29 (special meeting)

A special meeting was held July 29 to interview three candidates for the Aging Services Director position: M.W., S.F., and G.R. Each interview was scheduled for 45 minutes. After the interviews, the board could move into executive session under state law. A public comment period on non-agenda matters was set for noon.

Behavioral Health Local Advisory Council — Aug. 3

The Behavioral Health Local Advisory Council met Aug. 3 to vote on membership changes, including the resignation of J. Kadner and the application of K. Stone. The council also reviewed a draft strategic plan, received updates on the Community Resource Guide, and heard from representatives of mental health court, CSAA, and the crisis steering committee. No minutes have been published.

County Commission — Aug. 5

The commission's Aug. 5 agenda includes the most significant financial items. A consent agenda contains four BIA amendments (Contracts 26-113 through 26-116) totaling $1,412,800 for juvenile detention services at the Cascade County Juvenile Detention Center. Separately, the board will consider a $79,084 contract with Central Lock & Safe for a new door lock system at the Sheriff's Office. Also on the agenda: a $73,584 contract with DJ&A, LLC to update the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (Contract 26-110), a memorial bench in Black Eagle Park at no cost to the county (Contract 26-111), and Resolution 26-30 to amend cancelled tax amounts. All items are listed as agenda items; no votes have been recorded.

Coming up

The Cascade County Commission will meet again Aug. 11. The agenda is largely procedural, with several contracts up for review: Contract 26-110 (DJA LLC), Contract 26-111 (memorial bench), Contract 26-112 (CCSO PDK), and modifications P00001–P00005 to Contracts 26-113 through 26-116. The board will also consider Resolution 26-30 to amend tax lists and an appointment to the Behavioral Health Local Advisory Council. The meeting is open to the public.

Cascade County Commission weighed contracts for animal intakes, detention center, and audits; behavioral health council meets Monday

The Cascade County Commission placed several contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars on its July agendas, including a detention center modification with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and an interlocal agreement with the City of Great Falls for animal intake services. Minutes for all three recent commission meetings have not yet been published, so the items below reflect what was scheduled for consideration, not confirmed outcomes.

Detention center contract with Border Patrol

Contract 26-100, listed on the July 22 work session agenda, would modify the detention center contract with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, raising the ceiling from $82,800 to $181,815. The agenda described the item as part of a consent agenda that the commission would "discuss and potentially approve."

Animal intake agreement with Great Falls

Contract 26-99 is an interlocal agreement with the City of Great Falls for contingency animal intakes and holds. The proposed term is five years, with a $140 per-animal intake fee. The item appeared on both the July 22 and July 28 agendas.

Audit, medical, and elections contracts

Several other contracts were on the July 22 agenda:

• Contract 26-102: Bakertilly, LLP audit contract for fiscal years 2026 through 2028, at $115,000 (FY2026), $119,000 (FY2027), and $123,000 (FY2028).
• Contract 26-104: Service agreement with Benefis Medical Group for Dr. Rachel Amthor's medical services at $200 per hour for FY2027.
• Contract 26-103: Election records destruction for 2020 through 2024.

The July 28 agenda also listed Contract 26-103 (described there as elections services) and Contract 26-105, a memorandum of understanding with Alluvion for vaccines.

Appointments and interviews

The July 28 agenda included consideration of a DUI Task Force appointment and an appointment to Great Falls Transit.

On July 29, the commission held a special meeting to interview three candidates for the Aging Services Director position: M.W. at 8:00 a.m., S.F. at 9:15 a.m., and G.R. at 10:30 a.m., each scheduled for 45 minutes. The agenda noted a possible executive session under MCA § 2-3-203(3) for candidate evaluation, followed by a noon public comment period on non-agenda matters.

What residents should know

Because minutes have not been published for the July 22, 28, or 29 meetings, it is not yet possible to confirm which contracts were approved, which appointments were made, or whether the commission moved into executive session on July 29. Readers seeking confirmed outcomes should consult the official Cascade County Commission minutes once posted.

Coming up

The Cascade County Behavioral Health Local Advisory Council meets Monday, August 3. The agenda includes a vote on membership changes — the resignation of J. Kadner and the application of K. Stone — a vote on September Executive Committee changes, and a review of a draft strategic plan. The council will also hear updates from representatives of mental health court, CSAA, and the crisis steering committee, followed by a public comment period on behavioral health issues.

Cascade County Commission Packed Subdivision, Contract Agendas; Planning and Zoning Boards Idle

Commission agendas loaded with contracts, subdivision plats

Cascade County's recent Commission meetings featured full agendas, but minutes have not yet been published for either session, so no outcomes can be confirmed. What was scheduled is on the record.

The July 8, 2026, Commission work session agenda included final plat approval for Horizon Meadows Minor (Section 19, T20N R04E, Parcel #2639500) and a preliminary subdivision plat for Sunland Minor. Both items also appeared on the July 14 agenda, suggesting they carried over.

Several contracts with specific dollar amounts were on the July 8 agenda:

• **Contract 26-78** — Bullet Proof Vest Partnership Grant for 10 vests, total $15,938, 50% reimbursable.
• **Contract 26-86** — Acceptance of FFY 2025 Emergency Management Performance Grant, total $113,840, county match $56,920.
• **Contract 26-84** — Copper Creek LLC removal and installation of a grease interceptor at the Cascade County Sheriff's Office, $122,222.
• **Contract 26-73** — Docutopia digitization of legacy large-format maps and drawings, $74,980.

Consent agenda items also covered aging services contracts and grants. A presentation from the Great Falls Development Authority was scheduled.

July 14 agenda adds resolution and more contracts

The July 14, 2026, Commission meeting agenda listed Resolution 26-29 (Policy 90.7 CCOM BLF) and additional contracts:

• **Contract 26-77** — Senior Medicare
• **Contract 26-83** — MDT Construction
• **Contract 26-85** — DNRC Fire Protection
• **Contract 26-86** — FFY25 Fire EMPG

The agenda also included a Great Falls Development Authority presentation and carried-over items on Horizon Meadows and Sunland Minor.

Because minutes are not yet published for either Commission meeting, it is not possible to confirm which items were approved, tabled, or rejected. Readers should check the official Commission minutes once posted for vote tallies and final actions.

Planning Board and Zoning Board held no substantive business

The Cascade County Planning Board met July 14, 2026, but the agenda listed only Item 4 as "None," with no other items scheduled. The meeting appears to have been purely procedural.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment met July 16, 2026, with no agenda items listed for discussion or decision.

Neither board had minutes published as of this report.

What this means for residents

The subdivision plats for Horizon Meadows Minor and Sunland Minor, if approved, would shape how land in those areas is divided for future use. The contracts cover public safety equipment (vests), emergency management funding, sheriff's facility maintenance, and records digitization — services that touch county operations broadly. Until minutes are published, residents cannot confirm what the Commission actually decided.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed for the next 14 days. Residents should monitor the Cascade County website for newly posted meeting notices and minutes from the July 8 and July 14 Commission sessions.