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8/25/2025
Water quality issues ongoing at Golden Estates Mobile Home Park
Helena officials said this week that the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, rather than the city, will need to address water quality issues at a local mobile home park.
Residents at the Golden Estates Mobile Home Park, 2995 Prospect Ave., have seen their water service drastically change after the property was sold to a new management company earlier this year.
Water-boil notices and water shutoffs have been ongoing; however, residents’ complaints to Capital Communities, the new property owners, have gone unanswered, according to Commissioner Andy Shirtliff, who asked during Monday night’s commission meeting how the city can help resolve the water issues.
City Public Works Director Ryan Leland said that the mobile home park is within city limits and connected to the city sewer system, but not to the city’s water. Instead, the park operates its own public water supply through the Montana DEQ.
Leland said that the previous owners of the mobile home park started the process of connecting to the city’s water supply in 2023 after experiencing well issues. Leland added that the city does hold approved plans from the DEQ for the park to disconnect from its well and utilize the city’s water.
The park needs new infrastructure to connect to the city, and Leland said those costs could be as much as $1 million. That work was not completed before the park was sold.
“This is really not a great situation,” Commissioner Emily Dean said during the meeting and then asked Leland what party is responsible.
Leland responded that the water issues remain under the purview of the DEQ.
“As far as keeping up with the public water supply of what they’re supposed to supply to their residents and make sure it’s clean and has the quantity, that does fall in the jurisdiction of public water supply at the DEQ…,” Leland said.
According to Leland, if the new property management moves forward with connecting to the city’s water supply, the city would then be responsible for ensuring water requirements and access are met.
DEQ did not respond to questions from Montana Free Press.
Public Notice
The Montana Department of Transportation will hold an open house Wednesday, Sept. 3, at Jim Darcy Elementary, 990 Lincoln Rd., to discuss plans to add a roundabout at the Applegate Drive and Lincoln Road intersection in Helena’s north valley. The event will be from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. A virtual open house will be held Thursday, Sept. 4, via Zoom, and will include a Q&A session. People can register for the call on the MDOT website here.
5 Things to Know in Helena
The Helena Police Department recognized a local student for her efforts in 2022 to prevent a mass shooting. During a city meeting last week, Helena Police Chief Brett Petty acknowledged student Sierra Poynter for reporting a potentially dangerous person to law enforcement in May of 2022. The individual, Logan Pallister, had made threats to Poynter, a coworker at the time, about attacking Helena High. Pallister was arrested after Poynter reported his threats to HPD, and officers later found multiple firearms and explosive devices in his possession. Pallister was sentenced earlier this year to more than seven years in prison, according to the Daily Montanan. In June, Poynter was named the Montana Association of Chiefs of Police’s Citizen of the Year.
Last week, the city commission approved carrying over about $38.6 million in expenditures to the 2026 fiscal year budget. In a previous meeting, City Finance Director Sheila Danielson told the commission that funds were budgeted for multi-year capital projects throughout the city, parks, facilities, public works and transportation departments. The money, however, was unspent. In order for staff to continue working on the projects, the commission needed to reapprove the funding. Some major projects supported by the carryover funding include street and traffic improvements of about $4.4 million and about $11 million in water projects.
The city commission also approved an updated Western Montana Hazard Mitigation Plan that will be in effect for the next five years. The plan details how Montana Disaster & Emergency Services, the county and other local partners prepare for and address natural or human-caused hazards through risk assessments and strategic planning. City-County emergency manager Kyle Sturgill-Simon told the commission that with the plan in place, the city would be eligible for federal emergency grants.
The Helena Police Department confirmed a new officer during last week’s city meeting. Police Chief Brett Petty welcomed Dominick Cappadora to the HPD as a new officer after he completed his one-year probation. Cappadora is a Wisconsin native who was a part of that state’s National Guard and later deployed to Afghanistan. The commission approved the confirmation 4-0.
Rocky Mountain Development Council is gearing up to celebrate its 60th anniversary of providing community support. RMDC community outreach coordinator Steven Ferriter announced last week the council’s plans to celebrate with an open house on Sept. 11 at its Neighborhood Center, 200 S. Cruse Ave. RMDC, initially named as the Human Resources Development Center, has been assisting the surrounding Lewis and Clark, Broadwater and Jefferson counties with housing needs, child and family support and senior services since 1965. Residents can contact the council at [email protected] for more information about the open house.
Comings and Goings
Walmart has proposed adding a convenience store and gas pumps to its property at 2750 Prospect Ave., according to documents submitted to the city. Barghausen Consulting Engineers, representing Walmart, is proposing to build a 1,600-square-foot convenience store with six gas pumps using the existing water and sewer connections. The project will be discussed during a city meeting Monday, Aug. 25, at 1:30 p.m.
A project to develop housing and commercial space on McHugh Lane will also be discussed during a city meeting Monday, Aug. 25. According to city planning documents, Smith Holding and Steed Companies, which together hold 40 acres west of McHugh Lane and north of the city limits, plan to build a subdivision of 38 lots for both multi-family residential and commercial properties.
Eye on Helena
Montana U.S. Representative Troy Downing attended last week’s Hometown Helena gathering and briefly spoke on the Medicaid impacts of President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill.
Downing said that federal laws regarding Medicaid employment requirements now match state laws and that individuals should have opportunities to remain eligible for coverage.
“ One of the things I just want to say is that the work requirements are for able-bodied [individuals] without children,” Downing said. “And there’s so many exceptions there, and I really see this as being a public outreach and education issue to make sure people understand that they’re not necessarily being kicked off as long as they check the box.”
To watch Downing’s full discussion at Hometown Helena, visit the Helena Civic TV website here.
Might Be Fun
The Holter Museum of Art will hold its inaugural Holter Art Fair, “Rock the Block,” Saturday, Aug. 30. The art fair will feature local artists, craft booths, games, a silent auction, food trucks and a live band. It will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the museum, 12 E. Lawrence St. Tickets are required and can be purchased here.
