Good morning, fellow Helenans. Grab your cup of coffee or tea or your beverage of choice while we catch you up with what’s happening in Helena.
Plenty of events happening this week! The fair is back, and the Montana Club is offering some exclusive Napa Valley wine tastings. We also have an update regarding the potential public safety levy, and we took a stab at a question from readers about the plethora of banks in Helena.
But first, a weather preview ☀️
I hope everyone is staying hydrated through this heat wave. This week, the weather is looking just a tad cooler with chances of some storms over the next few days, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Joseph Russell. Monday will have a high of 90, but temperatures dip slightly on Tuesday to an expected high of 86, and on Wednesday to 88, with thunderstorms expected in the afternoons. Overnight lows remain in the low 60s.
Glad You Asked, Helena 🙋🏻
Whether from our readers, my colleagues or friends passing through town — and one that I admit I’ve had since moving here — the question gets asked: What’s with all the banks? And so, with the help of our data reporter, Jacob Olness, we set out to find the answer.
First, though, we needed to find out: Does Helena really have that many banks? Well, if we look at it through a per-capita lens, yes, it does.
Data collected by OpenStreetMaps shows that the city has 36 banks and credit unions. Considering Helena’s population of about 35,000, the city then has about one bank per every 1,000 residents. The average per-capita bank ratio in Montana’s most populous cities is about one bank per 2,000 people.
But what makes Helena so different?
Well, essentially, Helena is the state capital and a hub for many regional businesses and organizations, making it a prime spot for banking and credit unions, especially as the city grows, according to Callie Aschim, president of the Helena Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Financial institutions serve every corner of our community, from families purchasing homes to entrepreneurs starting businesses and nonprofits advancing their missions,” Aschim told me through an email last week. “Their willingness to invest here reflects the diversity of opportunities in Helena and their belief in the community’s long-term future.”
And that’s big for the community, Aschim said. Besides the economic bonus of having all of those banks, she noted that those businesses typically step up to sponsor events and donate to local nonprofits.
OK, but why does Helena have so many locations of the same bank branch?’ For example, Stockman Bank is building another branch off Last Chance Gulch, which will be its third in the city, after one just opened off of 11th Avenue earlier this year.
The Montana Banks Association, which represents and lobbies for banks across the state, broke it down pretty simply for me: Banks are businesses and look for ways to better serve their patrons.
“Retail banking is very competitive in Helena and elsewhere around Montana,” MBA President Sam Sill told me. “Banks compete for customers just as many other retail businesses do – by providing the products and services people want, and delivering them to them where they are.”
Public Notice 🧐
The city is asking for feedback on its special event permitting process
🗓️ Survey closes at the end of August
ℹ️ The survey is intended to help staff identify ways to improve how they dole out permits for special events. If you’re a community organizer, this may be for you.
🔗 Here’s the link.
Knight Street to be closed this week for gutter repairs
🗓️ Roadwork is expected to continue until Friday, July 24
📍 The east portion of Knight Street at the intersection of Allison Street
ℹ️ The city is replacing the gutter as weather permits. Street parking or through traffic is prohibited, and residents should expect delays.
Following Up 🔄
Residents will have to wait a bit longer to learn when the city will bring forward a public safety levy for consideration and how much it would cost.
The levy is meant to fund additional police and firefighters, and City Manager Alana Lake looked to the city commission last week for direction and next steps, hoping to secure an election date and to pinpoint how much money the city will request. But commissioners have questions about the timing of an election and which of three levels of funding they should ask voters to approve.
Mayor Emily Dean has suggested holding the election next March rather than this November and recently proposed that the city forward the highest funding option, which she said would be “an investment” in the community.
“In my perspective, I’d like to be more forward-thinking in addressing the continual needs because we know it will continue to grow two, three, five years out, and then we are not coming back to the voters every four years,” Dean said. “We also want to, in my opinion, not just stop the bleeding, but really be investing in our future.”
Of the three funding options staff presented to the commission, the least expensive, at about $4.5 million, would pay for seven police officers and 18 firefighters. The second option would cost taxpayers about $5.4 million and fund nine police officers and 21 firefighters.
If the commission chooses to seek the highest staffing levels for both departments, that would amount to a $6.2 million request to fund 11 police officers and 24 firefighters. In that scenario, taxpayers with homes valued at $300,000 would see their taxes rise about $156 each year. Properties valued at $600,000 would see an annual tax increase of about $360.
The commission is expected to make a final decision regarding the levy at a meeting July 29.
Helena Happenings 🚶
Arts & Culture: Although the Fourth of July has passed, we are still celebrating the country’s 250th birthday in some places here in Helena, including at the Montana Heritage Center. A free performance of “Romancing the West: How the West Was Sung” by songwriter Christins Lynn Martin and cowboy poet Butch Martin will take place Thursday, July 23, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the center.
Outdoor Events: Speaking of the west and cowboys, the 66th Last Chance Stampede and Fair is back in town this week from July 21 to July 25 at the Lewis and Clark Fairgrounds. Great chance to watch some bucking bulls and get your fill of deep-fried fair food. You can get your rodeo tickets here.
The Food Scene: Napa Valley wine tasting in Big Sky country? Say less. The Original Montana Club is offering an evening filled with five wine tastings on Tuesday, July 21, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The wine will be paired with complimentary appetizers. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased on the club’s website.
Come behind the scenes of the MTFP newsroom with Local Editor Nick Ehli, Managing Editor Mara Silvers and Great Falls Reporter Matt Hudson as they discuss their nuanced investigation into Benefis Health System in Great Falls and the complexities of providing cutting-edge health procedures in rural hospital systems.
