Missoula County Commissioners Consider Legal Action Against Design Firm

MISSOULA, Montana — A Missoula Public Library structure has failed two safety inspections and county commissioners are considering legal action.

At a meeting Thursday, commissioners heard from a risk management official about the challenges posed by the “DNA climber” located in the public library.

The structure, which resembles a strand of DNA, was built by a Salt Lake City company, Process Curiosity. More than $300,000 in federal funds was used to finance the project, which was completed in 2022.

It has not been opened to the public since then, as it failed all safety inspections.

“We’ve really gotten to that point where we need to talk to you about next steps and whether litigation is the path we need to go down,” said Erica Grinda, Missoula County’s director of risk and benefits.

It was stated that they had contacted the design agency to modify the structure to meet safety standards, but no changes were made.

The meeting ended when a county attorney said further discussions could undermine any litigation strategy.