HELENA, Mont. – The Montana Department of Commerce announced today that 32 Montana towns, cities and counties will share more than $1 million of grant funding to help develop and plan infrastructure projects to increase the health and safety for those communities and their residents. The funding is through Commerce’s Montana Coal Endowment Program (MCEP).
“It is vital that Montana communities have safe and reliable infrastructure systems to enable steady growth and economic expansion, for right now and for many years to come,” said Paul Green, Director of the Montana Department of Commerce. “That is why Commerce will continue to allocate grants through programs like this, funding that can support eligible community development projects that will add health and safety improvements for Montanans and their communities.”
The State-funded MCEP program is designed to help address the affordability of local infrastructure projects by providing grants to lower the cost of constructing public facilities.
The following communities and districts will receive MCEP Planning grants:
- The Basin Water and Sewer District will receive $16,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a water preliminary engineering report.
- The Bigfork County Water and Sewer District will receive $40,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a water preliminary engineering report.
- The City of Bozeman will receive $40,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a stormwater preliminary engineering report.
- The City of Conrad will receive $40,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a wastewater preliminary engineering report.
- The Town of Culbertson will receive $32,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a stormwater preliminary engineering report.
- The Town of Darby will receive $30,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a wastewater preliminary engineering report.
- The City of Deer Lodge will receive $40,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a stormwater preliminary engineering report and $16,040 to complete a comprehensive capital improvements plan.
- The City of Dillon will receive $40,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a water preliminary engineering report.
- The Town of Drummond will receive $30,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a water preliminary engineering report.
- The East Canyon Ferry County Water and Sewer District will receive $36,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a wastewater preliminary engineering report.
- Flathead County Water District No 1-Evergreen will receive $40,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a wastewater preliminary engineering report.
- The City of Havre will receive $16,960 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a water preliminary engineering report.
- The Town of Joliet will receive $40,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a wastewater preliminary engineering report.
- The Town of Jordan will receive $40,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a water preliminary engineering report.
- Judith Basin County will receive $40,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a wastewater preliminary engineering report for the Geyser Water and Sewer District.
- Lewis and Clark County will receive $32,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a bridge preliminary engineering report.
- The Town of Manhattan will receive $40,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a water preliminary engineering report.
- The North Valley County Water and Sewer District will receive $18,885.72 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a water preliminary engineering report.
- The Town of Philipsburg will receive $40,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a stormwater preliminary engineering report.
- The Town of Pinesdale will receive $36,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a water preliminary engineering report.
- RAE Subdivision County Water and Sewer District No. 313 will receive $40,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a wastewater preliminary engineering report.
- Ravalli County will receive $40,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a wastewater preliminary engineering report.
- The Town of Richey will receive $15,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a water preliminary engineering report.
- The City of Ronan will receive $40,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a water preliminary engineering report.
- The Town of Ryegate will receive $32,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a water preliminary engineering report.
- The City of Shelby will receive $36,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a water preliminary engineering report.
- The Town of Sheridan will receive $32,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a water preliminary engineering report.
- The Town of St. Ignatius will receive $40,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a wastewater preliminary engineering report.
- The Sun Prairie Village County Water and Sewer District will receive $40,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a water and wastewater systems capital improvements plan.
- The Ten Mile/Pleasant Valley Estates Sewer and Water District will receive $25,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a wastewater preliminary engineering report.
- The Town of Whitehall will receive $40,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a stormwater preliminary engineering report.
- The City of Wolf Point will receive $20,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a wastewater preliminary engineering report and $28,000 to complete a capital improvements plan.
In 2021, the City of Forsyth received $15,000 of MCEP planning grant funding to complete a water system professional engineering report. The report was related to an extensive water system renovation that was long overdue for the community.
“The City of Forsyth is thankful and appreciative for the MCEP funds that were provided through the grant process for our preliminary engineering report,” said Dennis Kopitzke, Mayor of Forsyth. “Without the MCEP grant, the city would never been able to move ahead with the project.”
Eligible applicants for MCEP planning grants include incorporated cities or towns, counties, consolidated governments, tribal governments and county or multi-county water, sewer or solid waste districts. The funding for the program comes from revenues earned on interest from coal severance taxes.
For more information about MCEP planning grants, visit comdev.mt.gov.
PRESS RELEASE PROVIDED BY MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
