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6/30/2025
Once completed, the new road would connect Interstate 15 to U.S. Highway 2 southeast of Helena
After several months of delay, the city of Helena is moving forward to acquire a federal grant that would ultimately fund plans for area highway improvements.
During a city commission meeting last Wednesday, staff reported that they had received the go-ahead from the U.S. Department of Transportation to proceed with a $1.3 million grant.
The city first received an award notice from the government in January and planned to meet with project officials for a preliminary kick-off meeting in February.
However, the planning process was put on pause by the Trump administration. The city now anticipates having an agreement signed within the next two months.
The Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant would fund planning and pre-construction activities for an arterial road that would connect Interstate 15 to U.S. Highway 12 southeast of Helena, according to city staff.
The project aims to improve connectivity and traffic flow, provide travelers with an alternative route to the highway and space for future development.
“It’s gonna release some congestion of the Capitol interchange, improve the safety of motorized and non-motorized folks,” transportation director David Knoepke told the commission. “It’ll open up that ground out there upwards of 700 acres for mixed-use, residential, commercial [use].”
The planning phase is estimated to take about two years, and the city then plans to apply for a BUILD grant program to fund construction.
Public Notice
The city of Helena is requesting public feedback on its draft “Helena Forward” land use plan. Last week, city officials announced that the plan is ready for public input after a year of community workshops and stakeholder meetings, the most recent held in January. The city has partnered with the Houseal-Lavigne consulting firm to incorporate the community’s comments into the plan, which, when finalized, will replace Helena’s growth policy. Visit the Helena Forward website to access the draft plan and to submit comments.
5 Things to Know in Helena
Fire department fee initiative: Helena Fire Chief Jon Campbell presented to the city commission last week a potential initiative to establish fees for some of the department’s services. Some of the incidents that could generate fees include motor vehicle accidents with fluid spills, vehicle fires, false alarm calls, gas line breaks and specialized rescues, Campbell said. Insurance companies, property owners and contractors would be responsible for paying the fees associated with the emergency service. According to Campbell, an analysis showed the initiative could bring in about $130,000 a year.
Commissioner Melinda Reed said the fees could be inequitable for local shelters and nonprofits that have a lot of false alarms but don’t have the budget to pay additional costs. Campbell said that false alarms are part of the job and that the initiative should not discourage people from making emergency calls for service. The commission will continue to discuss the topic at future meetings.
Curbside recycling update: The city of Helena’s contract for curbside recycling will expire with Helena Recycling by the end of this year. City public works staff last week recommended continuing the subscription-based recycling program and asked the commission for consensus about moving forward with the city’s integrated solid waste master plan and the recommendations of offering yard waste collection. If the commission approves, the city would begin collecting yard waste recycling, which is estimated to take about three to four years to implement.
Holter awarded national military arts grant: Last week, the Holter Museum of Art announced it had received a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mid-America Arts Alliance. The grant will go towards the museum’s healing art program, “Courage to Create,” which supports art classes for military members, veterans and their families. The Holter was one of 48 nonprofits selected nationwide for the funding. The museum will begin the free art classes in August. For more information about the museum or the art program, visit the Holter website.
New Carroll College presidents: Caroll College Board of Trustees Chairperson Patrick Beretta announced last week that the newly hired college president, Dr. William Ruud, will no longer take the position because of “unforeseen events,” and that Ruud is “stepping away to focus on personal matters.” The board of trustees appointed Dr. Jennifer Glowienka, the senior vice president for academic affairs, and local Bishop Austin Vetter as the college’s interim co-presidents for the 2025-2026 school year.
35 Actions for 35 Historic Places: The city of Helena and the Lewis and Clark County Heritage Tourism Council launched an online campaign for the public to help identify 35 historic places in the county that residents want to help preserve. The campaign has a public survey aimed at addressing how much the community knows about local historic properties and preservation efforts. The survey is available on the Lewis and Clark County historic preservation website and will be available through August.
By the Numbers
Or $2,373,577 of Lewis and Clark Public Health’s annual total revenue comes from federal grants, according to public health director Drenda Niemann. During last week’s city administrative meeting, Niemann updated the city commission on public health reports, which included her concerns about future grants because of the shifting priorities of the Trump administration.
Money from the federal grants funds county health efforts, including suicide, substance misuse and chronic disease prevention, home visiting services, nutrition information, immunization services and emergency preparedness, Niemann said.
“ There’s a lot of changes happening at the federal level as far as the Centers for Disease Control, [the] United States Department of Public Health and Human Services and so forth,” Niemann said during the meeting. “The restructuring that’s happening, as well as grant funding uncertainty, has us all watching very closely at the federal budget. … For fiscal year ‘26, we’re good, really not sure what to expect into the future.”
Programming Note
Helena This Week will not publish on Monday, July 7, as the MTFP staff takes a break for the Fourth of July. We will return to our regular publication schedule on July 14.
