Residents press council on Higgins 'SAM' project funding, Midtown tree loss and a coroner's inquest during public comment

During the meeting’s public-comment period, several Missoula residents urged the City Council to exercise caution on major projects and to prioritize neighborhood and public-safety concerns.

Danielle Petri, a downtown business owner, urged council to postpone final votes on the Higgins safety, access and mobility (SAM) project until funding is fully identified. Petri said that at 30% design Public Works reported a $10 million shortfall, and that later updates showed a remaining $3–5 million gap. She expressed fear that council votes to advance design or implementation could later translate into requests for local taxpayer contributions through tax-increment financing or similar mechanisms. "How can city council vote whether to implement the project when we still don't know where this funding is coming from?" Petri asked; she recommended abstaining until funding questions are resolved and said she would attend the Public Works committee meeting for more detail.

Other public commenters raised related concerns. Susette Dusso urged the council to focus on building neighborhoods rather than maximizing unit counts, warning that some high-density designs can undermine local climate and neighborhood qualities. A commenter identified as Carrie spoke about the Midtown Commons and North MRL projects, saying environmental studies on tree canopy loss and heat impacts appeared incomplete and asking the council — including Mayor Davis — to re-examine a recent coroner’s inquest into a neighbor’s death involving police response and communication issues.

Remote callers Sarah Giuliani and Mary Giuliani echoed local concerns: Sarah thanked Petri for tracking the SAM project and highlighted potential impacts on working households if projects exceed budget; Mary reiterated worries about tree canopy loss and asked for greater accountability in staff outreach and committee coordination.

Council response and next steps: Mayor Davis acknowledged the public comments, noted staff have prepared clarifications and invited commenters to the upcoming Public Works committee meeting where the SAM project will be discussed in more detail. Petri said she planned to attend the committee meeting. No formal council action was taken on these public-comment items during the July 8 meeting.

The record: public-comment speakers used the three-minute allotment; mayor and staff noted the points would be taken up in committee and in future agenda items where applicable.