Montana Code Annotated
Part 41. Municipalities
7-1-4127. Publication of notice -- content -- proof

7-1-4127. Publication of notice -- content -- proof. (1) When a municipality is required to publish notice, publication must be in a newspaper, except that in a municipality with a population of 500 or less or in which a newspaper is not published, publication may be made by posting in three public places in the municipality that have been designated by ordinance.
(2) The newspaper must:
(a) be of general circulation;
(b) be published at least once a week;
(c) be published in the county where the municipality is located; and
(d) have, prior to July 1 of each year, submitted to the city clerk a sworn statement that includes:
(i) circulation for the prior 12 months;
(ii) a statement of net distribution;
(iii) itemization of paid circulation and circulation that is free; and
(iv) the method of distribution.
(3) A newspaper of general circulation does not include a newsletter or other document produced or published by the municipality.
(4) In the case of a contract award, the newspaper must have been published continuously in the county for the 12 months preceding the awarding of the contract.
(5) In a county where a newspaper does not meet the qualifications in subsection (2), publication must be made in a qualified newspaper in an adjacent county.
(6) If a person is required by law or ordinance to pay for publication, the payment must be received before the publication may be made.
(7) The notice must be published twice, with at least 6 days separating each publication.
(8) The published notice must contain:
(a) the date, time, and place of the hearing or other action;
(b) a brief statement of the action to be taken;
(c) the address and telephone number of the person who may be contacted for further information on the action to be taken; and
(d) any other information required by the specific section requiring notice by publication.
(9) A published notice required by law may be supplemented by a radio or television broadcast of the notice in the manner prescribed in 2-3-105 through 2-3-107.
(10) Proof of the publication or posting of any notice may be made by affidavit of the owner, publisher, printer, or clerk of the newspaper or of the person posting the notice.
(11) If the newspaper fails to publish a second notice, the municipality must be considered to have met the requirements of this section as long as the municipality submitted the required information prior to the submission deadline and the notice was posted in three public places in the municipality that were designated by ordinance and, if the municipality has an active website, was posted on the municipality's website at least 6 days prior to the hearing or other action for which notice was required.
History: En. Sec. 3, Ch. 455, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 354, L. 2001; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 97, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 279, L. 2013.

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