Glacier County commissioners hear plan to reopen Browning Branch Library; EPA funds to cover abatement

Glacier County commissioners on Tuesday heard a detailed plan to reopen the Browning Branch Library after years of closure, with Sweetgrass and consultants saying a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields subgrant would cover much of the cleanup work.

The library board’s Claire Stone told the commission the update included a timeline and cost estimates that could let the branch reopen "hopefully by the end of this calendar year," pending testing, bids and county review. A presenter who reviewed Staley’s structural evaluation and the analysis of cleanup alternatives said the library board selected Alternative 2 — a near-full abatement and encapsulation approach — as the preferred path forward.

Why it matters: The plan would restore local library services in Browning and requires coordination among the library board, county staff and Sweetgrass to ensure grant compliance and minimize county fiscal exposure. Commissioners emphasized they want to see contract language and the subgrant agreement before the county signs anything.

The presenter said Staley’s current abatement estimate is about $224,000–$225,000 for gutting and abatement and that a separate rebuild estimate (to put the building back together) is about $125,000; Staley’s abatement total does not yet include HVAC costs and will be updated. The APCA (analysis of brownfield cleanup alternatives) also lists a roughly $10,000 contingency for potential pipe repair that depends on test results and the presence of asbestos-containing material in that area.

Claire Stone, representing the library board, highlighted local funding the board has already set aside: a depreciation fund she said contains about $157,000, plus roughly $77,000 of insurance recovery that could be applied. "We’ve been trying to dot our i’s and cross our t’s," Stone said, adding the board will still pursue donations and grants to cover shelving, books and computers.

Sweetgrass representatives and the project consultant described the subgrant flow: grant funds come to Sweetgrass from EPA, Sweetgrass issues a subgrant and pays the abatement contractor directly after the library (as subrecipient) approves invoices. "No money will go to the county," one Sweetgrass representative said; Sweetgrass also noted it will provide standard EPA-required language for any county-level contract and offered to work with county staff so county officials can draft contract text that protects their interests.

Timeline: presenters described a public meeting and 30-day public comment window once the bid specifications are ready; after that, they expect 30 days for bidding and an estimated 60 days of construction once work starts. The presenter said bids sometimes come in below engineering estimates but cautioned that HVAC and final bid items could change totals.

Budget impact: the board and presenters said reopening will require additional operating revenue; with two more staff and increased utilities the library estimates needing about $75,000 in new revenue to operate two branches safely and avoid leaving staff alone in a building. The presenters also cited statewide per-capita library funding figures to show Glacier County’s library funding lags the state average.

County response and next steps: commissioners thanked the library and Sweetgrass, said they wanted county staff (including the county finance officer) to review any subgrant and contract language and asked staff to coordinate a public meeting date and notify commissioners. No formal county commitment of funds or contract signature was made at the meeting.

"We definitely can sit with Chancey on that," a Sweetgrass representative said, describing an offer to draft contract language and provide EPA-required provisions. The board asked the presenters to provide historical Browning operating hours and staffing numbers for commissioners who requested more background on pre-pandemic operations.

The commission will expect to receive the public meeting date and any updated Staley estimates and draft contract language before taking further action.