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7/28/2025
City to conduct speed study on Boulder Avenue in response to accidents
Helena residents are asking the city commission to address traffic concerns in an elementary school neighborhood after several recent car accidents.
Helena resident Jeremiah Johnson, who lives near Bryant Elementary School, told the city commission at a Monday night meeting that a reckless driver struck his parked vehicle on Friday, July 18. Johnson said this was the second time in the last eight months that his car had been hit at his home.
“I’m here to talk about the speeding problem that we’re having on Boulder Avenue and to ask for help,” Johnson said. He suggested that the city take steps in the area to decrease speeding.
Johnson asked the city to consider installing four-way stop signs where Boulder Avenue intersects with both Sanders and Harris streets, a section of the avenue that runs past Bryant Elementary.
Other area residents and parents also expressed their concerns during the meeting about the speeding problem, specifically with the many schoolchildren who live in the neighborhood and often walk to school.
Melissa Hibbard, a parent and resident who has lived on Boulder Avenue for the last four years, agreed that the area needs more stop signs.
“I have a 3-year-old who’s just starting to ride a bike, and I’m terrified to let both of my children out the front of my home because of how fast people drive,” Hibbard said. “My neighbors have been hit twice; we’ve heard both of those accidents happen. My husband was right there on the scene … and was utterly shaken up by what he saw.”
Boulder Avenue connects drivers traveling from the east side of Helena, outside city limits, through the Sixth Ward to the city’s west side. Residents said drivers speed on the road due to the lack of signs.
During the meeting, Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins asked City Manager Tim Burton if he could investigate the issue. Burton said he is working with Lewis and Clark County staff to “look at the broader area” around Boulder Avenue.
City staff later told Montana Free Press that because Boulder Avenue spans both city and county jurisdictions, they will work on “collaborative solutions” for the entire avenue.
In the meantime, staff said the city transportation department will review the neighborhood area within the city limits and conduct a speed study within the coming weeks.
Public Notice
Intersection remains closed: The installation of gutters at the intersection of Knight and Allison streets has taken longer than expected. According to city staff, the project was intended to be completed by July 23 but was prolonged until Monday, Aug. 4, because of contractor availability. Street parking and through traffic are prohibited during the work. Area residents will have access, but temporary delays are expected.
5 Things to Know in Helena
Health department cautions public about algal blooms: Earlier this month, Lewis and Clark Public Health warned residents about harmful algal blooms (HAB) in Lake Helena and advised people not to swim or eat fish caught in the lake. County environmental health specialist Adam Maes told MTFP that people can identify active algal blooms by the blue-green hue or scum on top of bodies of water. Maes said that anyone exposed to an algal bloom should contact poison control officials and follow up with a doctor. HAB poisoning symptoms can include irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, skin rashes, stomach pain, diarrhea, headache and vomiting. HAB can also be harmful to pets. Maes encouraged residents to report any additional sightings of HAB to the Department of Environmental Equality through its online portal.
Parents file lawsuit against Helena schools: Local parents Hannah Cail and Beagan Wilcox Volz filed a lawsuit against the Helena Elementary School District earlier this month regarding the closure of Hawthrone Elementary. Similar to their recent appeal to the Lewis and Clark County superintendent of schools, both parents allege that school officials failed to be transparent and follow state and district policy throughout the process to close the school. Cail and Wilcox Volz ask that the district provide them with all information and documents regarding the closure and that the court “appoint a standing master” to monitor the district’s operations, according to court documents.
Helena school admin gets raise: During a school board retreat earlier this month, the Helena school board of trustees unanimously approved a 2% pay increase for the district administrators. The raise would impact the district’s 2025-2026 general fund budget by $61,000, according to school documents. The board of trustees also approved a 2% pay increase for the district’s employees who aren’t impacted by bargaining agreements. That pay raise is expected to cost $38,356.
County likely to see property tax decrease: The Lewis and Clark County commissioners last week approved their budget for the 2026 fiscal year, which includes an estimated residential property tax decrease for county property owners. While the county won’t receive final numbers from the Montana Department of Revenue until August, county staff were able to predict that residents with properties valued at $100,000 could have a tax decrease of about $94, while those with $300,000 properties could see a tax decrease of about $283. Residents with properties valued at $600,000 would pay about $443 less than last year. These numbers are based on the previous year’s mills and are expected to change, according to county staff. Residents are encouraged to contact Lewis and Clark County’s finance office at (406) 447-8309 with property tax questions.
Grandstreet Theater lease extended: During last week’s city meeting, commissioners approved renewing a 10-year lease with Grandstreet Theatre. The city currently holds a lease agreement with Broadwater Productions Inc., which manages the theater. That lease expires next year. The production company has operated the building as a community theater for the past 50 years.
By The Numbers
Pounds of food donated to Helena Food Share during the annual Symphony Under the Stars event earlier this month. According to Patty White, the food share’s communications director, Symphony Under the Stars is Helena Food Share’s largest food drive during the year.
Verbatim
“Obviously, we don’t know every possible federal law that might apply, but if you genuinely can’t do anything, tell us the law. Tell us why. Don’t try to evade. If you’re actually listening and want to help, then use your knowledge and position to help accomplish something. Help protect our community. Don’t just tell us, ‘We’re doing something.’ Tell us what you’re doing.”
— Helena resident Phoebe Howell at the city commission meeting last Monday in regards to the perceived lack of a city response to the detainment of Christopher Martinez Marvan, who was taken in by Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this month in Helena.
Howell was apparently responding to Mayor Wilmot Collins’ remarks at the end of a city meeting on Monday, July 7, after several hours of public comments from residents urging the city to take action after the arrest. Collins told those attending that city officials take the comments seriously and that they “will do things” within their authority.
Martinez Marvan was relocated to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, during the week of July 14. According to his attorney, Andres Haladay, Martinez Marvan was moved after his court hearing in Missoula, where the judge denied his petition for release.
Helena Celebrates Pride
Montana Pride 2025 began Sunday and will continue this week with daily events, shows and classes. The annual Pride parade is on Saturday
