Lincoln Co. considers moving offices into Asa Wood

Lincoln County officials are looking into consolidating and relocating some of its county offices to the grounds of the former Asa Wood School.

According to a press release from the county Health Department, a public meeting about the possible changes will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6, in the Ponderosa Room at Libby City Hall.

The county has received a grant from Brownsfield to evaluate the feasibility of consolidating most county offices into a single building. The study was conducted by Technical Assistance to Brownsfield (TAB) and the Pioneer Development Company.

Earlier this year, county commissioners approved a feasibility study to look into the possibility of consolidating offices.

But District 3 Commissioner Josh Letcher isn’t sure about the future of the proposed consolidation.

“”We’re nearly $1.7 million in the hole on our budget, so I don’t know where the money will come from,” Letcher said. “It’s a good dream, but beyond that, I don’t know.”

County probation officer Vanessa Williamson said she and Kathi Hooper, head of the Health Department, have spearheaded the effort.

“We haven’t bought the property and we’re still exploring our options, but this property (Asa Wood) is the only one large enough to house the offices we’re considering moving there.”

Williamson said the consolidation could include the following offices: Public Health Department, Environmental Health Department, 0-5 Program, Probation Office, Crisis Response Team, Treatment Court, Elections Department, Forester, Asbestos Resource Program, Department of Motor Vehicles, Treasurer’s Office, Planning Department, Clerk and Recorder, IT Department, Commissioner’s Offices, Human Resources and Finance Department.

“We’re not closing the Eureka annex or moving the jail and we’re not reducing services,” Williamson said. “We looking at consolidation in a more central location and it’s great property that we don’t want to pass up.”

The annex building, located on Mineral Avenue, houses offices for adult probation, justice court, elections and the health department.

“One of the issues with the annex is that with the businesses surrounding us, there isn’t enough parking for people who come to the annex,” Williamson said.

The county forester’s office is located in the Libby City building and the county rents it.

The other buildings are owned by the county.

Williamson said Asa Wood has been gutted and most of the asbestos abatement work is done.

“We envision being able to use the gym for various events, there would be more parking and the central location makes it easier for county residents to access,” she said.

Williamson said the study showed Lincoln County was one of the fastest growing counties in Montana.

The results of the study will be presented at the public meeting.

The county wants to hear from the community how to best serve its residents, including improvement of existing services, adding services and obstacles to accessing services.

Asa Wood was closed in 2011 after a vote by the school board because the district was facing a massive budget shortfall of $700,000. The 42,200 square-foot school building was built in 1953, with additions in 1956, 1960, 1967 and 2015. The last work was the addition of a commercial kitchen in 2015.

According to previous stories, former Superintendent K.W. Maki, wasn’t in favor of selling the property, which included nine acres. In 2012, the school board asked the Environmental Protection Agency to remove vermiculite asbestos from the walls.

In May 2021, the district received a $388,000 grant from the EPA to mitigate asbestos, lead-based paint and mercury-based thermostats.

The school district had to provide $70,000 in matching funds and in-kind work. Then, in September 2021, Libby Public Schools entered into an agreement to sell the defunct school to a California-based Compass Health. The deal was for $730,000 and it was closed on Jan. 25 when Compass bought it.

Amanda Harcourt, the director of the Lincoln County Asbestos Resource Program, said in an email to The Western News, “As far as I know, all of the regulated asbestos has been abated. However, Vermiculite Containing Insulation (VCI) still exists within the CMU walls of the West wing and areas of the crawl space.”

Compass Health executives have previously presented plans to build a 35- to 45-unit assisted living facility on the property or developing the lot into commercial and mix-use buildings and homes with sections for senior and low-income housing.

Darren Smith, the CEO and owner of Compass Health, Inc., said in January plans included an assisted living and senior living facilities as well as workforce housing.

A request for comment from Williamson was not returned by press time.