Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park, Montana (photo by Janet Cornish)

CDS of Montana

 Assisting Communities, Agencies and Organizations Across Montana

Community Development Services (CDS) of Montana was first established in Butte, Montana in
1987 as Janet Cornish Consulting Services.  In 1991, the firm broadened its mission and became CDS of Montana, providing technical assistance in community and economic development, public involvement, capital improvement and infrastructure planning; municipal finance, particularly tax increment financing; and professional writing.  Its principal, Janet Cornish has decades of experience in the community development field and has worked on projects throughout the state of Montana and the Pacific Northwest.  Subscribing to the notion that strong and viable organizations combined with effective programs create stronger communities,  Janet works with government agencies, non-profits, and other publicly oriented entities to define, structure and fund their efforts.

Anselmo Mine • Butte, Montana

(photo by Janet Cornish)

CDS of Montana Featured Projects

Urban Renewal Districts

Butte-Silver Bow Uptown Urban Renewal District (URA1) - Base Year - 1980
Great Falls West Bank Urban Renewal District - Base Year - 2007
Whitehall Urban Renewal District (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - Base Year - 2013
Butte-Silver Bow Urban Renewal District (URA2) (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP)
     Base Year - 2014
Hellgate Urban Renewal District - Missoula (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP)
     Base Year - 2014
Reserve-Scott Street Urban Renewal District - Missoula (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP)
     Base Year - 2014
Lewistown Urban Renewal District (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - Base Year - 2014
Anaconda Urban Renewal District (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - Base Year - 2014
Columbia Falls Urban Renewal District (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - Base Year - 2015
Bozeman Mid-Town Urban Renewal District Expansion (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP)
     Base Year for Expansion - 2015
Belgrade Urban Renewal District (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - Base Year - 2017
Bozeman North Park Urban Renewal District (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - Base
     Year - 2017
Butte-Silver Bow South Harrison Avenue Urban Renewal District (with Lanette Windemaker,
     AICP) - Base Year - 2019
City of Billings - Examination of the feasibility of expanding an existing district or creating a new   
     district in the Founders Park area of Billings (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - 2020              Bozeman Pole Yard Urban Renewal District (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) -  Base Year -   
     2020
Columbia Falls 2015 Urban Renewal District 2021 Expansion (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP)

Havre - Pioneer Technical Services - Urban Renewal District - Base Year - 2025

Targeted Economic Development Districts

Stevensville - Airport TEDD (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - Base Year - 2013
Bonner - West Log Yard TEDD, Missoula County (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP)
     Base Year -2014
Yellowstone County - Lockwood TEDD Statement of Infrastructure Deficiency - 2015
City of Columbia Falls - TEDD District (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - Base Year - 2015
Kootenai River Development Council - Lincoln County TEDD District (with Lanette
     Windemaker, AICP) - Base Year - 2016
City of Columbia Falls - Columbia Rising TEDD (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - Base Year -
     2018
Broadwater County - Wheatland TEDD (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - Base Year - 2019         
Missoula County WYE TEDD (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - Base Year - 2020
Ravalli County 2015 TEDD Expansion Assistance (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - 2022

Missoula County -  Pioneer Technical Services -  Targeted Economic Development
     District at the "WYE" - Base Year - 2024 

Tax Increment Financing Industrial Districts (TIFIDs)

Butte-Silver Bow TIFID District at Ramsay - 1994
Great Falls Airport Industrial District (with Stelling Engineers) - Base Year - 2008
Sunlight Industrial District in Jefferson County (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP)
     Base Year - 2009
Northern Jefferson County Industrial District (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - Base Year - 2009
Stevensville Industrial District (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - Base Year - 2010
Fort Benton Industrial District - Base Year (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - 2012
Bonner Mill Industrial District in Missoula County (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP)
     Base Year - 2012
Hill County Industrial District (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - Base Year -2013
Great Falls Central Montana Technology and Agricultural Park Industrial District Expansion
     (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - Base Year - 2013
Great Falls East Industrial Park (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - Base Year - 2013

Comprehensive Planning

City of Dillon Growth Policy - 2000
Beaverhead County Growth Policy Resource Document - 2000
Lake County Growth Policy (Public Participation Facilitation) -2003
Department of Natural Resources Trust Land Division:
     Kalispell Neighborhood Plan - 2004
     Whitefish Neighborhood Plan  - 2005
     Montana Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement - 2006
City of Polson Growth Policy (with HKM Engineering) - 2006
Butte-Silver Bow Growth Policy (with MS Grant Writing Services) - 2008 Update
East Helena Growth Policy (with Robert Peccia and Associates) - 2009
Glasgow Growth Policy Resource Document (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - 2013
Stanford Growth Policy  (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) - 2015
"Making Boulder's Future Bright" Master Plan (with Lanette Windemaker, AICP) on behalf
     of the Jefferson County Local Development Corporation and Headwaters RC&D - 2017

Historic Preservation and Heritage Planning

Montana Preservation Alliance (now Preserve Montana) Easement Program Development- 1990
Montana Preservation Directory - 1994 (first edition)
Montana Historic Preservation Plan - 1997
Butte-Anaconda Regional Historic Preservation Plan - 1993
Southwest Montana Heritage and Recreation Plan (with Richard Dill and Associates) - 1995
Going to the Sun Road Cultural Landscape Report (with Renewable Technologies) - 2001
Montana Community Revitalization Project: Heritage Planning for the New Decade
     (project facilitator for the State Historic Preservation Office) - 2011
Heritage Resource Needs Assessment and Best Practices for the Montana Department of Fish,   
     Wildlife and Parks, under contract with Mitzi Rossillon, Consulting Archeologist, LLC - 2016

Housing

Montana Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (with Margie Seccomb) - 1992
Butte-Silver Bow Housing Plan (with MS Grant Writing Services)  - 2005
Cooperative Housing Feasibility Study (with Applied Communications), for the states of
     Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, on behalf of the Montana Cooperative Development
     Center - 2016
Tri-County Housing Study - Lewis and Clark, Broadwater and Jefferson Counties (with Applied
     Communications) - 2018

Capital Improvement Planning

County Bridge and Road Capital Improvement Planning and Financing Manual
     Montana Department of Commerce (with WGM Group) - 1997 and 2004
Butte-Silver Bow Transportation Plan (with HKM Engineering) - 2006
Butte-Silver Bow Water System Financing Analysis (with Dowl-HKM) - 2011

Community Health Needs Assessments

Butte-Silver Bow (with MS Grant Writing Services) - 2004 and 2011
Madison County (with MS Grant Writing Services) - 2011
Beaverhead County (with Human Resources Council, District XII) - 2013
Anaconda-Deer Lodge County (with Human Resources Council, District XII) - 2013

Technical Writing 

Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation Field Inspection Manual, Department of Natural Resources and Conservation - 2014

Janet Cornish

Qualifications for Janet Cornish, Principal of CDS of Montana

Education

M.S. (1977) Environmental Studies, University of Montana, Missoula - Thesis:  Public
     Transportation in Glacier National Park
B.A. with honors (1973) Political Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison  - Thesis:  Public
     Participation in the Chicago Model Cities Program

Experience

Community Development Services of Montana, Owner and Principal (1987 - Present)
Montana Tech Adjunct Faculty (1991 – Present)
Butte Silver Bow Urban Revitalization Agency (URA) Director (1979-1987)
U.S. Department of the Interior, Historic American Engineering Record, Community Liaison & Planning      Specialist (1979)
University of Montana, Administrative Assistant (1976 - 1977)
University of Montana Teaching Assistant, Department of Political Science (1975 - 1976)
Glacier Park Incorporated, Lake McDonald Lodge, Gift Shop Clerk, Information and Front Desk
     Manager (Summers, 1973-1976)

Professional Affiliations

Community, Culture and Heritage, Current President and Member of the Board of Directors since

     1995.

Montana Land Information Advisory Council, appointed by the Governor in 2017 and 2019,

     served 2017-2121

Montana Board of Architects and Landscape Architects, Public Member and Vice-President,                   

     appointed by the Governor in 2010, 2013 and 2016, served 2010-2017

US Bancorp Butte, Montana, Member of the Community Board of Directors, 2002-2014.

National Trust for Historic Preservation, Member of the National Board of
     Advisors  1987-1990

Glacier Park Foundation, Member of the Board of Directors, 1981-2025

Montana Cultural Trust, Citizens Review Committee, 1981-1985

Montana Association of Planners, 1979-2024, served as President, Treasurer,
     Legislative Chair and member of the Board of Directors