The voices of local political leaders have reached the governor's office.
No longer is a piece of land on Skyway Drive in Billings Heights going to be the site for a state mental health facility.
Watch halt on state mental hospital story here:
Montana Board of Investments executive director Dan Villa made the announcement on Wednesday.
“If due diligence resumes upon receipt of written guidance, no previously reviewed sites—including those on Skyway Drive—are viable, given local feedback, infrastructure costs, local zoning regulations, impacts on targeted economic development districts, and state land leasing processes,” Villa said at a board meeting.
The guidance the Board of Investments wants from the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), covers some of the Billings City Council's concerns.
Some council members reacted Wednesday afternoon to the state mental hospital being put on hold or pause.
“It's probably a smart idea,” said Council member Bill Kennedy. “And to be able to have the legislature and the executive branch decide actually what this whole thing is going to look like.”
“Taking a pause, slowing the assessment down, getting a lot more community and stakeholder input is a really smart way to go,” said Council member Jennfer Owen. “So I was very pleased to know that they listened, that they heard the concerns, that they're willing to have slower, more thoughtful conversations.”
State Sen. Dennis Lenz, R-Mont., tells Q2 that he is puzzled by this announcement since the state has used the same formula on other projects for 25 years.
“It was in process,” Lenz said. “But you know, we were not too far removed from the previous legislative session and there's been a lot of work going on so that's kind of all at a pause.”
Councilman Scott Aspenlieder says he likes how things have progressed.
“Grateful to Mr. Villa for the way that he has handled this," Aspenlieder said. "And I'm grateful for him pumping the brakes until we can get a concrete plan in place coming out of DPHHS."
One of the concerns mentioned is it will make it more difficult to fill mental health positions in Billings, but Kennedy disagrees.
“It'll help out the other mental health centers to be able to recruit because there'll be more jobs in this community to offer those services,” Kennedy said.
State Sen. Mike Yakawich, R-Billings, says the hospital still may be built in the area.
“It's not dead for Montana and from my view, not dead for Yellowstone County, but for now it's on hold,” said Yakawich.
"Everybody in Billings wanted to clearly see what it is,” Lenz said.“We're that close, and now we're on pause.”
“There's no doubt in my mind that this is the target,” Aspenlieder said about Billings.
“It's clear from the legislative session that the legislators have directed this money to be spent in eastern Montana,” Owen said.“Where that is, is still an open question.”
