Sign up for the free Missoula This Week newsletter and stay in the loop on Missoula city government, public school meetings, business news and upcoming entertainment and events. Sign up 1/17/2025“Missoula This Week” is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to [email protected].‘If it’s cold out, we’ll find a place for you inside’Missoula homeless shelters are working with the city, county and other service providers to make sure they have enough space for people as a weekend arctic front brings the coldest temperatures of the winter so far. The National Weather Service forecast calls for snow on Friday, with the wind picking up Friday night and Saturday. Overnight lows are expected to drop to the single digits Saturday through Tuesday. While the shelters are busy, the organizations indicated they have enough room in their existing facilities to make it through this weekend, said Emily Armstrong, the city’s houseless programs manager. The group is also planning for the rest of the season by identifying additional places people can stay and other resources they may need, like gas or propane, she said. “We’re always concerned about our folks who are living outdoors when the weather gets cold or snowy and icy,” Armstrong said. “That’s why we’re having conversations and why service providers are willing to flex and open up space beyond their capacity. If it’s cold out, we’ll find a place for you inside. … We want to keep folks safe and warm the best we can during cold weather.” In the past few days, 175 to 190 people have been staying nightly at the Johnson Street shelter, which has 165 beds, said Jill Bonny, executive director of the Poverello Center. The Poverello’s West Broadway shelter has 10 to 15 beds available, and the organization is working to direct more people to that location, Bonny said. “We will not turn anyone away due to capacity,” she said. “We will find a way to get them all inside to stay warm, dry and safe. We will have a better idea of how many individuals still need shelter after this cold snap.” A couple of congregations have offered space for small groups of people during the extreme cold, Bonny said. The Poverello Center and other service providers will staff those locations when needed, she said. With an increase in shelter guests, the Poverello is asking for donations of blankets, socks, gloves, warm coats, boots, towels, shampoo and soap, Bonny said. YWCA Missoula’s Meadowlark shelter for families with children and people fleeing domestic violence is also nearing capacity, said Becky Margolis, YWCA communications manager. As of Thursday, all 26 rooms for families were full, with one or two spaces available in the overflow dorm, she said. The 13-room domestic violence shelter had one open room. The Meadowlark offers short-term emergency shelter, typically for a maximum 90-day stay. Numbers fluctuate throughout the year but, generally, more people seek shelter when temperatures drop, Margolis said. The organization’s waiting list has decreased, but it’s unclear how many families may come to the Meadowlark this weekend, she said. The YWCA is working with other organizations and is preparing to expand its capacity as needed by offering spaces like a conference room as an emergency temporary overnight shelter for families, Margolis said. In the almost four years since the Meadowlark opened, the YWCA has seen an increase in the need for shelter, particularly among families, Margolis said. Families are staying longer for many reasons, including the lack of affordable and accessible housing, she said. The YWCA has invested more resources into its family housing center, including two new housing case managers who work with families to find housing and resources, Margolis said. “There are a lot of barriers and not a lot of options,” she said. While the focus is often on emergency shelter, ultimately, the city and service providers are trying to move people to housing, said Armstrong, the city’s houseless programs manager. The community can support that effort by contributing to the United Way’s Housing Solutions Fund, which ran out of money in October, she said. The United Way also has a disaster and emergency response fund, which can help support those in need during extreme weather. Public Notice The Montana Department of Transportation is seeking public input on recommended improvements to U.S. Highway 93 between Missoula and Florence. The department and civil engineering firm Robert Peccia & Associates (RPA) for two years studied the corridor, which has seen steadily increasing traffic, Sarah Nicolai, RPA project manager, told the Missoula County commissioners on Monday. The project aims to improve traffic efficiency and safety by reducing conflicts with animals and fixed objects, such as signs and guardrails, and encouraging appropriate speed, Nicolai said. The study provides a long-term vision for the corridor, but short-term improvements will be needed to address safety concerns while the department secures funding, she said. The study splits the corridor into five segments and proposes a suburban design with added turning lanes, curbs and gutters and raised medians near Missoula, Lolo and Florence, Nicolai said. In the more rural s-curves north of Lolo, the study proposes widening the inside shoulder to give drivers more room. For the rural section of the highway between Lolo and Florence, the study suggests dividing the highway with a depressed median to reduce potential crashes. The proposal also recommends changes at seven intersections and wildlife crossings. Residents can learn more about the study and ask questions during open houses from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22, and Thursday, Jan. 23, at Lolo School in the Commons. Those unable to attend can email questions to Becca MacLean at [email protected] or call 406-207-4484. 5 Things to Know in Missoula The Missoula City Council on Monday approved restricting garbage and recycling collection hours to no earlier than 6 a.m. in residential zones or 300 feet from residential zones and no earlier than 7 a.m. in bear buffer zones. In December, Council Member Eric Melson first proposed a 7 a.m. start time for all residential areas but accepted a suggestion to move back an hour to give haulers more flexibility. The council supported the later time for bear buffer zones to encourage residents to put their trash out in the morning, giving bears less time to access cans before pickup. City Attorney Ryan Sudbury said GIS staff should be able to put together a map showing the affected areas, including the 300-foot buffer, before the rules take effect in 30 days to help haulers more easily comply. Last week, the city of Missoula received a $59.5 million federal grant to complete the Russell Street regional connector project. The money will be used to reconstruct Russell Street from Dakota Street to Mount Avenue and West Broadway between Mullan Road and Cowper Street. The grant makes up 80% of the project funding, with other federal, state and local contributions making up the rest of the $74.4 million total price tag. Work on the project began nearly 30 years ago, and the first phase of improvements along Russell Street from West Broadway to Dakota Street was completed in 2020. On Wednesday, the Missoula City Council voted to increase the budget for its neighborhood grants program from $20,000 to $35,000. Council Member Daniel Carlino proposed the increase to allow for more projects, such as transportation safety improvements, art and recreational opportunities. Kalina Pritchard, neighborhoods specialist, said it’s common for the city to deny requests or partially fund projects because requests exceed the $20,000 total. The increase can be paid for with general fund, parks and recreation or road district money, depending on the project, Carlino said. Council members Gwen Jones, Stacie Anderson and Mike Nugent opposed the increase, citing concerns about the budget. A major project to upgrade downtown streets took a step forward Wednesday when the Missoula City Council approved a $248,760 contract with DJ&A for preliminary engineering services. The city received a $25 million federal grant in 2023 for the Downtown Safety, Access and Mobility project, which includes changing Front Street and Main Street into two-way streets, updating Higgins Avenue to a three-lane street, creating protected bike lanes along Higgins and trail improvements. The city expects the final design to be completed in 2026 and construction to begin in 2027. Council Member Bob Campbell voted against the contract, citing concerns from some business owners about the project. Visitors to Missoula Animal Control must schedule an appointment beginning Friday while remodeling is underway. Appointments for animal pick-ups and surrenders, adoptions, licensing and other services can be made by calling 406-541-7387 from noon to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Parking will be limited. The expansion project broke ground in September and will create more room for animals, a larger lobby, a laundry facility and a surgery room. By the Numbers The number of bill drafts and requests the city of Missoula was tracking as of Thursday. Missoula’s legislative priorities include property tax reform, behavioral health legislation that improves crisis care and promotes early intervention, legislation backed by the Montana Coalition to Solve Homelessness, Medicaid expansion renewal, investment in housing programs, supporting local authority for land use decisions and defending tax increment funding. The city is tracking bills related to these priorities, as well as others that would affect the municipality, such as bills changing the definition of blight or altering voted levies, said Jessica Miller, citizen services manager. As bills are added or adjusted, the city’s position may change and staff will update the spreadsheet, she said. Mayor Andrea Davis said she and staff work with the city’s contracted lobbyist to evaluate if and when a city representative should testify on a bill or send comments to the Missoula delegation.MLK Jr. Day All are invited to Missoula’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday at St. Anthony’s Parish. The event, organized by the Missoula MLK Planning Committee and Empower Montana, will be streamed live on MCAT. The celebration will include a history of MLK Jr. Day, a keynote address, award presentations for the youth art and essay contest and music, followed by a community social and dinner. The post Area homeless shelters brace for predicted cold snap  appeared first on Montana Free Press.