09/09/2024
“Helena This Week” is reported and written By JoVonne Wagner. Send your Helena news and tips to [email protected].
Helena City Commission to vote on proposed sign ordinance
Helena city commissioners this week will consider options for a new sign ordinance that addresses billboard regulations and permit requirements and could limit the number of signs allowed within the city.
City planner Michael Alvarez presented the alternatives from the tentative sign ordinance to the city commission last week and said the recommendations came from community members, local business owners and sign-industry leaders.
According to the proposed electronic billboard lighting regulations, billboards not located in residential districts must be turned off between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless the business operates during that time. Billboards located in a residential district must be turned off after business hours.
The city staff also recommended that changing messages and moving animation not be allowed on electronic billboards, a prohibition that local sign-industry professionals oppose.
The proposed ordinance would cap the number of billboards within city limits after the city staff received mixed responses from the community. Some residents submitted public comments supporting sign limits, while some business owners and nonprofits were in opposition.
To compromise, the staff recommended a “cap-and-release” program to reduce the number of billboards in the city, prevent additional billboards from being built and better monitor billboard compliance. If adopted, billboard owners must apply online for a billboard business license through the city’s planning department and pay an annual $100 fee. However, city staff said they wouldn’t begin implementing the change until 2026.
Currently, there are between 100 to 110 billboards within the Helena city limits. If the proposed ordinance is approved, the fees would generate around $10,000 each year, according to community development director Chris Brink.
The city commission will vote on the ordinance at its next meeting on Monday, Sept. 9.
Public Notice
HCC’s open house: The Helena Citizens Council will hold an open house on Sept. 25 at the Civic Center to engage the public in conversations about the city’s urban growth and development initiative, Helena Forward. The event will be in the south lobby from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and HCC representatives will attend. For more information on Helena Forward or the open house, visit the city of Helena’s website.
First parking meeting: The recently formed parking advisory committee will meet for the first time on Thursday, Sept. 12, in room 309 of the City-County building, 316 N. Park Ave., from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The committee’s goals are to review and recommend parking costs and management objectives to the city commission after members of the public have raised concerns over the last several months.
A view of the recently renovated Kindrick Legion Field after the American Legion Baseball Organization funded the $250,000 project to replace the artificial turf and other improvements. Credit: city of Helena
5 Things to Know in Helena
A grant for the babies: Lewis and Clark County commissioners accepted a $247,000 grant from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to fund a home-visiting program. The short-term program will allow county health officials to meet with parents during pregnancy and after their baby’s birth to assist with infant health, home and car safety, and to connect families to community nonprofits. The county will also be able to extend the home services to neighboring Jefferson and Broadwater counties.
LCPH film series begins: “The Invisible Shield,” a four-part documentary series, will premier on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the Myrna Loy at 15 N. Ewing St., with a discussion following the showing. The series, hosted by the Lewis and Clark Public Health Department, explores the history and efforts of the public health field through decades of illnesses and pandemics. County health officer Drenda Niemann told the city commission last week that the goal of the films is to inform the community and shift its perception of public health. The show is free and begins at 6:30 p.m. Visit the Myrna Loy’s website for more information on the series.
Helena fire captain retires: The Helena Fire Department last week announced the retirement of Capt. Jason Rigsby after 30 years of service. Rigsby started his firefighting career in October of 1994 in Livingston before moving to Helena in 2000. During his career, he also led the department’s technical rescue team and was promoted to fire captain in 2021.
Support for the cancer community: Some members of the Cancer Support Community of Montana are looking to establish a Helena location after briefly speaking to the city commission last week. The nonprofit, which provides services, resources and programs to those impacted by cancer, met with local health care providers to garner support. According to one spokesperson, the organization is building its business plan and will begin searching for a location in Helena once it has approval from its board of directors.
The derby is upon us: Helena’s annual Septemeberfest Soap Box Derby is back this weekend. On Friday, Sept. 13, there will be pre-derby race festivities at the Walking Mall from 4 to 8 p.m. Races are Saturday, Sept. 14, from 1 to 4 p.m., on Sixth Street. Check out the derby’s website for additional information.
Verbatim
“We need to demand stronger leadership that prioritizes accountability, transparency and genuine connection with our constituents. It’s time to invigorate our efforts and ensure that our values resonate clearly with all Montanans.”
—Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins’s social media comments in response to Jesse Mullen’s post announcing his resignation from the Montana Democratic Party’s executive board on X, formerly Twitter, last week.
Mullen, the Democratic candidate for Montana’s secretary of state, said in a press release that he is stepping away from the position due to the lack of internal accountability and transparency related to the party’s budget and spending.
Collins, on X, stated how “disheartening” it was to see how the party missed opportunities to be transparent for both supporters and board members. Collins also stated that he supports Mullen and that his seeking public office will help the integrity of the Democratic Party.
3 Questions For
Last month, Gov. Greg Gianforte urged Montana school leaders to consider limiting student distractions by establishing cell phone-free schools. While some school districts have already adopted phone-use policies, Helena Public Schools began considering similar approaches before the governor’s input. Superintendent Rex Weltz spoke with Montana Free Press about Helena’s plan on student cell-phone limits and what parents and students can expect in the future. His comments have been edited for length and clarity.
MTFP: What does the district’s cell-phone policy look like and when did the schools start the discussion of looking into a phone ban?
Weltz: We don’t actually have one. It’s not a district-wide policy. The elementary and middle schools are going to be different than the high schools. Our high school procedure is that it’s at the discretion of the classroom teacher. Some teachers allow them for instructional purposes. There are several teachers who ask students to put them away, out of sight. So you’re going to have some sort of a conglomerate, if you will, of practices.
The last two months of school, there was interest in discussing the use of cell phones throughout the district. And that then has lenses to it, like through the lens of high school students, through middle school and elementary.
There was a discussion about what do we want to talk about and how is it affecting students, both from a mental-health standpoint and an academic standpoint. Those are important conversations that we had in April and May. Over the summer we had discussed it, but we didn’t have everybody at the table because everybody’s out. So it slowed down a little bit, but we knew that we needed to keep the discussion open.
MTFP: What can parents and students expect next from the district as it addresses cell-phone limits?
Weltz: During the summer we gained partnerships with the Helen Education Foundation. We planned out what our strategies might look like, getting stakeholders involved, students involved, parents involved. So those now are starting to take shape. We don’t know what they look like yet because we’re now just starting those conversations, but we knew that we wanted to get multiple people involved in the conversation.
We’re being thoughtful around the conversation that we need everybody’s input. We need input before we make the decision. So that’s why we’re being a little more methodical if you will. We started this conversation before the governor sent out his recommendation. We knew that this was important to us. Once we get people together around the table, I foresee some sort of feedback forms. I think that’s probably where we’ll go. We’re gonna probably run a book study around this as well. There’s “An Anxious Generation,” we’re gonna read. We will read that as a community.
MTFP: The district utilizes the Montana Cares app so students have an outlet to communicate and report any issues or concerns to school authorities. Do you think a phone ban could impact school safety?
Weltz: We haven’t had a lot of those conversations. This is really in the genesis of this. It’s pretty new, right? So we probably will get those conversations. We will get those feedback and concerns. I think that there are probably solutions around what that looks like. But I think the beauty of going a little slower and getting more information is that others are doing this now.
They’re figuring it out, and we can learn or we can grow from their wins and losses. So we’re going to find out from other people how they address that.
I think one of the concerns will be in case of emergency, or something’s going on in school, how does the student notify, especially when you have an app? That’s why we didn’t make the decision so quickly. We really need to spend some time and find out what’s important.
I wanted to have facts about what we’re going to do and what it looks like so that we’re not based on fear. I want people to know that we’re taking an approach that we want feedback before we make a decision.
Might Be Fun
A true local brew: The Lewis and Clark Brewing Co., 1517 Dodge Ave., is preparing to make its Neighborhood IPA and until Thursday, Sept. 12, is accepting hops from area growers to add to its Neighborhood batch. Those who contribute will get an appreciation card for four free IPAs once it’s made. For more information on the brew, visit Lewis and Clark’s website.
Eye on Helena
