Iryna O’Connor, Deputy City Attorney

Thomas J. Jodoin, City Attorney

The City and the County jointly own, as tenants in common, the City-County Building located at 316 North Park Avenue in Helena, Montana. This building was originally owned by the federal government but in 1978 the United States government deeded the building to the City and the County as tenants in common to be used as an administrative building. Currently, the building is being used to house various City and County departments. Previously, the City-County Building was administered by the City-County Administrative Building, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non- profit corporation, pursuant to an Interlocal Agreement entered into by the City and County in 1977. This corporation used to have its own employees that maintained the building and had its own accounting. However, over the years the operation for the building has been consolidated in the City’s Facilities Department with the City’s Administrative Services Department providing all of the accounting and budgeting services. As such, the need for the corporation has been eliminated and the City and County are currently wrapping up the dissolution of the corporation. The dissolution process should be completed by the end of the year.

The City and County are also working on finalizing the joint purchase of a new Law and Justice Center located at 404-406 Fuller Avenue. The Law and Justice Center will also be owned jointly by the City and the County like the City-County Building. The building will be used to house the City of Helena Police Department and the accompanying administrative and record services, and the Lewis and Clark County’s Sheriff and Coroner’s Department. Future plans for the building include the relocation of the Justice and Municipal Courts to the building.

Section 7-11-104, MCA authorizes one or more public agencies to contract with any one or more other public agencies to perform any administrative service, activity, or undertaking or to participate in the provision or maintenance of any public infrastructure facility, project, or service.

Over the last several months the City and the County have worked together to arrive at terms and conditions specified in the Interlocal Agreement as presented to the City Commission. The Lewis and Clark County Commission is also prepared to take action to authorize and approve the agreement.

The City and County would like to enter into a mutual Interlocal Agreement to outline each government’s rights, duties, obligations, and responsibilities with respect to the maintenance and operation of the City-County Building and the Law and Justice Center.

The City and County would like to enter into a mutual Interlocal Agreement to outline each government’s rights, duties, obligations, and responsibilities with respect to the maintenance and operation of the City-County Building and the Law and Justice Center.

The proposed agreement will allow for a more efficient and cost-effective operation of the two buildings while still providing both governments with an opportunity for input about the budget, maintenance, and operation of each property.

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