The Montana State Historic Preservation Office has designated the City of Billings as a Certified Local Government (CLG) for historic preservation activities.  As a CLG, the City is eligible to receive state funding to coordinate historic preservation efforts in the area.  Applications for the FY2015 funding cycle from the State are due February 23, 2015.  The City of Billings has been utilizing CLG funding for activities in support of the efforts of the Yellowstone Historic Preservation Board since 1997.  A description of these activities is provided in Attachment 2.  The City Council must authorize the submission to the state for funding for the FY15-16 grant cycle.

City Council may:

• Agree to participate in the State CLG program and accept CLG grant funding to coordinate historic preservation activities: or;
• Decline to participate in the State CLG proram and not accept CLG grant funding to coordinate historic preservation activities. Declining participation would potentially limit historic preservation activities in Billings and Yellowstone County and/or require orther funding sources to be accessed for historic preservation activities.

City Council approval would allow the City of Billings to apply for $5,500.00 in State of Montana Certified Local Government funding. The local cash match for the Certified Local Government will be $2,500. The Planning Division will provide $1,031 towards the local cash match. The
Yellowstone Historic Preservation Board will request $1,000 from Yellowstone County and $469 from the City of Laurel towards the remaining local cash match of $2,500. There is also an in-kind match of $45,494 for a total cash match of $47,994. The $45,494 in-kind match is from calculating time and salary of the Historic Preservation Officer, as well as use of conference space and time of the Yellowstone Historic Preservation Board (See attached CLG Application). The total cash funding package for the grant program is $8,000($5,500+$2,500) that is used for consulting services provided by the Western Heritage Center to perform activities identified in the Yellowstone Historic Preservation Board Annual Work Plan.

Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the submission of an application for a $5,500 Certified Local Government grant for the 2015-2016 funding cycle from the Montana State Historic Preservation Office.