Road and District Petitions

Let us know your thoughts on road and district petitions in Missoula County.

Missoula County routinely considers petitions to make changes to roads, establish or update rural special improvement districts (RSIDs), add properties into a district and more. The projects featured on this page are submitted to the Clerk and Recorder’s Office to ensure they meet various statutory requirements related to each petition. The Board of County Commissioners then considers approval of projects at their public meetings. Road petitions require at least two public meetings: the first to open the hearing and set a time for the commissioners, staff, and interested members of the public to complete a site visit, and the second to make the final decision on the petition or continue the hearing if needed.

Comments on these projects inform the commissioners how the community feels about the petitions, so the commissioners can make well-informed decisions on each project. You can also refer to this page to find the meeting dates, times and locations for each petition.

Road petitions procedure

Missoula County residents can petition to establish, alter or abandon a public road right-of-way by filling out an online form and returning it to the County Surveyor’s Office. This form is not required, but it will help make sure you’re following each step of the process outlined in state law. It is also recommended the petitioner(s) have the County Surveyor’s Office review the petition for accuracy and completeness before obtaining signatures. Road petitions require a signature from a minimum of 10 landowners in the Missoula County road district. Since Missoula County is a single road district, the landowners may own land anywhere in the County. The petition must specify:

• The particular road/roads affected
• The general route
• The lands and landowners affected
• Whether the landowners consent
• Where consent is not given, the probable cost of the right-of-way
• The necessity for and advantage of the petition

Within 30 days of submitting a completed petition, the Clerk and Recorder’s Office schedules a public hearing at a Missoula County commissioners meeting. Notice of the hearing is published in the newspaper twice under the public notice section and all owners of land abutting the road or street are mailed notice of the public hearing. At the public meeting, the commissioners listen to comments and arrange for an on-site investigation of the area affected by the petition to determine the feasibility, desirability, merits and cost of the action. One commissioner and one Public Works staff member attend this road viewing and interested residents are also welcome to join. The commissioners and staff will also determine the day of the follow-up public hearing on the proposed petition to take place after the road viewing. At that meeting, the commissioners may make a decision on the petition or continue the hearing. Within 10 days of making a decision, the County mails all affected landowners notice of the commissioners’ decision.