Missoula welcomes new City Council; Code Reform on tap

Martin Kidston

(Missoula Current) The City of Missoula kicked off the New Year on Monday by swearing in several members of City Council, and with several big items on the agenda, January is expected to be a busy month.

City Council president Amber Sherrill administered the Oath of Office to Mayor Andrea Davis, who begins her first full term as the city's top administrator. Davis said adopting Missoula's new Unified Development Code stands as a high priority.

“It's a massive undertaking,” Davis said after the ceremony. “It's the framework and foundation for all the housing goals that we have. We've been working hard on that for the last couple years.”

The city in 2024 adopted its new Land Use Plan, and the Unified Development Code serves as the plan's implementation. Among other things, the plan will apply zoning across the city and consolidate and align development codes “into one consistent and user-friendly structure.

The document will also establish a clear process for development review and project approval while striving for beneficial development. It's expected to cut red tape, streamline the development process and uncork the city's potential for attainable housing.

“That allows us to address a lot of the housing attainability and affordability goals we have as a community,” Davis said.

In this year's election, each city ward elected a new City Council member, or sent an incumbent back to office. This year's batch of newcomers included Justin Ponton in Ward 2, Sean McCoy in Ward 6 and Betsy Craske in Ward 1.

Those reelected for another term include Jennifer Savage in Ward 3, Stacie Anderson in Ward 5, Kristen Jordan in Ward 6, and Mike Nugent in Ward 4. Nugent is expected to serve as the new City Council president this year.

He also named code reform as a top city priority.

“It touches so many things and so many of our goals, including affordable housing and cutting red tape so people can start businesses and work hard and be successful here,” Nugent said. “From there, we'll work on cost of living in Missoula and try to help people be able to thrive here. We've got a good group on council and we're ready to get started.”

Davis said the city will also enter 2026 with a new director of Parks and Recreation and with the recently adopted Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails plan already adopted, “we have a lot of work to continue to deliver programs and gathering places the community loves.”

Davis said the city will also move forward on building Station 6 for the Missoula Fire Department. And with a wide net of federal dollars in hand, the city will tackle a number of looming infrastructure and transportation projects.

“We have really major federal dollars already committed to the city in terms of South Avenue and Russell Street and a number of others, including the downtown Safety, Access and Mobility project,” Davis said. “We'll continue working on those.”