The State of Montana 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 our area. At its January 26, 2015 meeting, the City Council approved the application for these funds through the CLG Program. On February 27, 2014, the City received approval of its application for this grant cycle of April 1, 2015, through March 31, 2016. Two original contracts must be signed by the City's Authorized Representative (Mayor) to execute the grant program for this cycle.

City Council may:

• Agree to participate in State CLG program and accept CLG grant funding to coordinate historic preservation activities; or
• Decline to participate in State CLG program and not accept CLG grant funding to coordinate historic preservation activities. If the City declines the CLG grant program, other funding sources would be necessary to continue the historic preservation efforts in the community.

If the City Council approves execution of the grant agreement, $5,500 in State of Montana Certified Local Government funding would be allocated to the community. Local match for the CLG includes $1,031 from the City-County Planning Division, $1,000 from Yellowstone County, and $469 from the City of Laurel for a total program funding of $8,000. The Planning Division will also continue to provide in-kind match through staff support of approximately 20 hours a week to administer the Yellowstone Historic Preservation Board (YHPB) activities and the CLG Grant Administration. The funding package will be used to contract with the Western Heritage Center for consulting services that assist with completion of projects identified in the YHPB Work Plan. The budget proposed with local funds and in-kind match is sufficient to meet the requirements of the CLG Grant and has been approved by the State Historic Preservation Office.

Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the Mayor to sign the Certified Local Government Grant Contracts for a $5,500 Certified Local Government grant from the Montana State Historic Preservation Office.