County seeks comment on updated community decay ordinance

Lewis and Clark County has opened a 30-day public comment period on proposed updates to its Community Decay Ordinance to align county enforcement with HB 742, enacted by the Montana Legislature in 2025. The county commission approved the first reading of the updated ordinance at its Jan. 8, 2026 meeting, and will consider a second and final reading on Feb. 10, 2026.

Under the state law changes, an officer of the county may not conduct a site inspection for a community decay complaint unless the county has received complaints from at least three property owners who live within one-fourth of a mile of the subject property. The Board of County Commissioners may waive that requirement if it determines a condition constitutes a public health issue. That threshold narrows the circumstances under which individual complaints can trigger inspections, while preserving a route for action where health risks are evident.

The county will accept public comments by email or phone through Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. Submit written input to Beth Norberg at bnorberg@lccountymt.gov or by phone at 406-447-8385. Commissioners will hear a summary of the comments and hold the final reading at a public meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in the Commission Chamber of the City-County Building at 316 N. Park Avenue in Helena. General county business contact information is 316 N. Park Avenue, Helena MT 59623, phone 406-447-8200.

For residents, the practical effect is straightforward: neighborhood concerns about blight, run-down properties, or other decay will face a higher bar to prompt a county inspection unless three nearby property owners join a complaint or the commission finds a public health emergency. In denser parts of Helena a quarter-mile radius may include many neighbors, making the three-complainant threshold easier to meet. In more rural parts of Lewis and Clark County that same radius may encompass few property owners, which could limit how often community complaints result in inspections.

The update reflects a balance between curbing frivolous or isolated complaints and ensuring county authorities can act when public health is at stake. It also places added importance on neighbors coordinating when they have shared concerns and on documenting conditions that rise to health risks.

The county has posted the Community Decay Ordinance with edits (PDF, 100KB) and HB0742.pdf (PDF, 72KB) for review. The takeaway? If a property near you worries your block or your health, speak up now: send a comment to Beth Norberg, mark your calendar for the Feb. 10 meeting, and bring clear details so the commission can weigh local experience. Our two cents? Team up with nearby property owners and make your concerns known before the Feb. 7 deadline.