Montana ‘governor's mansion' should be used by state, not remain empty, bill sponsor says

Yahoo

04-03-2025

A postcard of the Montana's Governor Mansion which was built in 1959 and is located at 2 Carson Street in Helena.
If a Montana governor chooses not to live in the 'governor's mansion' owned by the state, Sen. Mary Ann Dunwell, D-Helena, believes it should be used by others that term, such as legislative workers with disabilities.
Dunwell presented a bill this week to create a policy for how the 12,000-square-foot house at 2 Carson Street is used if a governor opts to live in his own home, as Gov. Greg Gianforte does.
Dunwell said she was open to amendments on her bill, which would make the residence available for rent by temporary employees of the Legislature during the interim and legislative sessions, with preference to those with disabilities.
Generally, Dunwell said, her interest is in not having the building vacant, as it has been for at least three years.
Proponents of Senate Bill 496, including a beloved former Senate staff member who uses a wheelchair, said the space shouldn't sit empty given its potential, and state buildings shouldn't be wasted resources.
'It just baffles my mind, actually, that we would have a substantial, very nice residence that's not being used and sitting empty without plans as to what is supposed to happen to it,' said Ann Brodsky, a Helena resident in support of the bill.
But the house, however the state wants to use it, will require a lot of work, said Stephen Baiamonte, with the General Services Division of the Department of Administration. He described it as being in 'a tremendous state of disrepair,' and even sitting empty, he said it's costing the state an estimated $100,000 a year.
In 2019 and 2021, the Legislature appropriated $2.3 million for upgrades to the house, built in 1959, Dunwell said. But earlier bids came in at more than $1 million over budget, and the project stalled, according to earlier reporting by the Daily Montanan.
Dunwell told the committee she had met with Department of Administration Director Misty Ann Giles, who said said she would ask her engineering team to come up with some options to use the building and present them to the Legislature.
'I have not heard that that's been done,' Dunwell said.
The Department of Administration did not respond Tuesday to questions about the status of the request to engineers or options for the Legislature to consider by press time.
The longer the wait, the less that $2.3 million is worth, Dunwell said, and in the meantime, she argued a use policy is sensible because three years have gone by without a plan for the house.
'In my opinion, senators, it's a waste,' Dunwell said. 'It's an inefficiency in government. And it's up to us to make sure we do away with some of that waste and inefficiency.'
She said the property would work well for people who have disabilities because it has a lot of parking and plenty of space for people to handle medical equipment or navigate with wheelchairs.
Charles McKay, the CEO of Aspen Adult Services, agreed. McKay said when President Donald Trump took office and pointed out federal buildings weren't fully occupied, many civilians found it 'egregious.'
McKay said unused space still needs to be heated and maintained.
'The idea that that is happening in the city here, not two blocks over this way, is just really interesting to me,' McKay said.
McKay said his organization serves more than 100 disabled adults, and it houses 35 staff in office space that totals less than 6,000 square feet, half of the executive residence. He said the structure could accommodate six residents.
'As a representative for the disabled in Helena, I really would like you to consider utilizing that space to take care of the people who really do need it,' McKay said.
Jack Racicot, who worked as a Senate committee staff member and uses a wheelchair, said he had to commute last session from Whitehall to the Capitol because he couldn't find suitable options for accessible rentals in Helena.
'Meanwhile, the governor's residence sat vacant, an underutilized asset that could be put to far better use,' Racicot said.
He said the bill is 'a commonsense solution.'
'If the governor isn't living in the executive residence, why not use it as short-term housing for legislative employees?' Racicot said. 'Its proximity to the Capitol makes it for an ideal location, and instead of letting a valuable state property sit empty, this bill ensures it benefits both taxpayers and those who serve our great state.'
SB 496 states the Department of Administration, in consultation with the Legislative Services Division, shall adopt rules to set the occupancy limits, rental fees, and other details to implement the bill.
Sen. Denise Hayman, D-Bozeman, wanted to know if the building was even safe, and Baiamonte, with General Services Division, said getting the house up to snuff again would take time and money.
He said it needs a new electrical system, roofing, plumbing, potentially work on ADA compliance, and repairs to a failing front porch.
In response to a question from Sen. Jacinda Morigeau, D-Arlee, Baiamonte said mothballing the structure would cost less than the estimated $100,000 the state spends now.
However, he said the state of Montana wants to be a 'good neighbor,' so it maintains the grounds and ensures the casual observer can't tell it's vacant. He also said it would be expensive to take down.
Morigeau also requested the bill's fiscal note, but it hadn't been posted with the bill at the time of the hearing. It was not yet posted by early Tuesday afternoon.
In response to a question, Brodsky said Gianforte owns a couple of mansions in Helena, including one he said he would donate, but she didn't know if any contracts had been drawn up for such a donation.
In January 2024, the Governor's Office announced the Gianfortes had purchased the historic Hauser Mansion and planned to donate it to the state 'following my service.' Gianforte won re-election in November 2024, and his second term runs through the end of 2028.
Chairing the meeting, Sen. Wendy McKamey, R-Great Falls, wanted to confirm there had been no discussions to date about any contracts about building exchanges or donations.
Baiamonte said he didn't know the status of any donation, and no plan was in the works for the official executive residence.
'We don't have any plan right now for the residence until we see what happens in the session,' Baiamonte said.
McKamey also wanted to know how long it would take to get the building into shape, and Baiamonte estimated it would take about two years, but it would depend on the scope of work.
The only opponent of the bill, Mickie Imberi, said it was a bad idea because it raised questions about who would process applications, do maintenance, and manage the property.
'It doesn't sound like it's a good idea from a landlord's point of view,' Imberi said.
Sen. Janet Ellis, D-Helena, suggested a study bill might be in order given all the interest, and McKamey said it was a good idea, but the timeline might be too tight for the current session.
'But one thing I really do value is that that building be used,' McKamey said. '… I think it's a real shame that it isn't used. It's not simply because it's a large area, but because it's the CEO's residence that needs to be occupied. When residences are not occupied, they just deteriorate.'
Committee members asked many questions about the proposal Monday but did not take immediate action on the bill.