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 annually to receive state funding to coordinate historic preservation efforts in the area.  Applications for the FY16-FY17 funding cycle from the State are due February 22, 2016.  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. Major recent projects being coordinated by the Yellowstone Historic Preservation Board are the National Register applications for McKinley School and the McKinley School Neighborhood Historic District. The City Council must authorize the submission to the state for funding for the FY16-FY17 grant cycle.

City Council may:

• Agree to participate in the State CLG program and approve submitting a CLG grant application that provides funding to coordinate historic preservation activities; or
• Decline to participate in the State CLG program and do not authorize  a CLG grant application.  Declining participation would potentially limit historic preservation activities in Billings and Yellowstone County and/or require other funding sources to be accessed for historic preservation activities.

City Council approval would allow the City of Billings to apply for $5,500 in State of Montana Certified Local Government funding. The local cash match for the Certified Local Government grant will be $44,740. The cash match includes funds from the the Planning Division that will provide $43,271, this amount includes a portion of the Historic Preservation Officers salary of $42,240 that can count as cash match and $1,031 in cash that will go toward consultant fees. The Yellowstone Historic Preservation Board will request $1,000 from Yellowstone County and $469 from the City of Laurel that will also be used for consultant fees.  There is also an in-kind match of $3,254.80 generated from board members' time, use of the Planning Division conference room, and other incidentals for a total match of $47,994.80. The total funding package is $53,494.80 ($47,994.80 (Match) + $5,500 (CLG Grant))(See attached CLG Application). The total cash funding package for the grant program is $8,000 ($5,500+$2,500(local cash contribution)) 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 FY16-FY17 funding cycle from the Montana State Historic Preservation Office.