This issue discusses the City of Helena Charitable Giving Campaigns, Vigilante Bike Park Taking Shape, Curbside Recycling Options, and more!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Over 50,000 Montanans Registered for Statewide Earthquake Drill
Over 50,000 Montanans Registered for Statewide Earthquake Drill
Contact: Katie Gallagher (406) 444-1718
For Immediate Release
October 2, 2013
Media Advisory
Over 50,000 Montanans Registered for 2013 Rocky Mountain ShakeOut
HELENA, MT- On October 23, 2013 at 10:23AM Montanans across the state will drop, cover, and hold on as part of the 2013 Rocky Mountain ShakeOut, Montana’s first statewide earthquake drill. Montana is a seismically active state, which means that an earthquake could happen at any time. The purpose of the ShakeOut is to educate all Montanans on the appropriate actions to take to ensure safety when the ground starts to shake.
Over 50,000 Montanans have already signed-up to participate in the drill, joining over 21 million people across the globe. Registrants come from Ekalaka to Eureka, and include individuals in public and private K-12 schools, private businesses, state agencies, and more. A growing list of Montana participants can be found at www.shakeout.org/rockymountain
The 2013 Rocky Mountain ShakeOut is organized by the State of Montana Disaster and Emergency Services, Governor’s Office of Community Service, American Red Cross of Montana, the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, and local partners across the state. The drill is supported by the Earthquake Country Alliance, whose members include the U.S. Geological Survey, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the American Red Cross.
The following are experts in earthquake preparedness/mitigation in Montana and are available for interview:
Michael Stickney, Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology (Butte)
Michael Stickney grew up in Missoula and received a B.A. in 1978 and a M.A. in 1980, both in geology from the University of Montana. He received an honorary PhD from Montana State University in 2004. In 1982, Mike was appointed Director of the Earthquake Studies Office and promoted to senior research geologist in 2002. He is a member of Seismological Society of America, Western States Seismic Policy Council, and currently serves as president of the Tobacco Root Geologic Society. Mike has written extensively on seismic related topics including tectonics, seismic hazard, and historic earthquakes of the northern Rocky Mountains.
PHONE: (406) 496-4332
EMAIL: mstickney@mtech.edu
Paul Spengler, Lewis and Clark County Disaster and Emergency Services(Helena)
Paul Spengler is the Disaster and Emergency Services Coordinator for Lewis and Clark County. He has been conducting community earthquake drills in the Helena area for over thirty years, making Lewis and Clark County a leader in the state for earthquake awareness and preparedness. He has successfully engaged schools, private businesses, and city and county facilities.
PHONE: (406) 447-8285
Kent Atwood, State of Montana Disaster and Emergency Services(Helena)
Kent Atwood is the State Hazard Mitigation Officer at the State of Montana Disaster and Emergency Services. He is has knowledge of past and current seismic retrofit projects in Montana and is an expert is earthquake hazard mitigation.
PHONE: (406) 324-4782
For questions or additional information, contact Katie Gallagher, Governor’s Office of Community Service, at 444-1718 or via email atkgallagher@mt.gov
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Katie Gallagher
Grant Coordinator
Governor’s Office of Community Service
Phone: (406) 444-1718
Email: kgallagher@mt.gov
Monday, August 5, 2013
August Issue of "On the Gulch." Great Things Happenning in Helena!
This months City of Helena employee newsletter has an excellent update on Centennial Park, enforcement of traffic violations, recognition of the work on the Tenmile Watershed, and more!
Link to file:
https://intranet.helenamt.gov/
The August issue of "On the Gulch: A Newsletter For and About City of Helena Employees:"
[click images to embiggen excellent]
Link to file:
https://intranet.helenamt.gov/
The August issue of "On the Gulch: A Newsletter For and About City of Helena Employees:"
Friday, May 24, 2013
BikeHelena.com!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Helena, Montana
May 24, 2013
The Helena Tourism Alliance has launched its new website, BikeHelena.com (www.bikehelena.com) this week. Bike Helena is a website and brand to promote all things cycling in Helena, Montana.
BikeHelena.com is designed to be a clearinghouse for any and all cycling information in Helena, which is helpful for locals and visitors alike. BikeHelena.com features trail maps, ride suggestions, trail reports, events, bike rentals, bike shops, bike clubs/teams, weather information, blogs, videos, local and statewide cycling advocacy groups, tips on where to eat and drink in Helena, and the ability to book local hotels.
The Bike Helena brand sponsors local and regional biking events to help spread the word about biking in Helena. As part of a sponsorship, races are offered complementary Bike Helena gear and help from Bike Helena staff with marketing their event to a local, statewide, or national audience.
Helena, Montana is one of the premier Mountain Biking destinations in America and BikeHelena.com is designed to make riding our extensive trail network as user friendly as possible.
For more information on Bike Helena and BikeHelena.com,
Please contact Pat Doyle, Community Outreach Director, Helena Tourism Alliance, 406-449-2107
Website: http://www.bikehelena.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
City of Helena Becomes Affiliate Community Member of Montana Main Street Program!
Montana Main Street Program Awards Project Grants and Welcomes Helena as New Affiliate Community
(HELENA) – The Montana Department of Commerce is awarding a total of nearly $36,000 to five Montana Main Street (MMS) communities, one of which is a brand new member to the program. The previously enrolled communities of Glendive/Dawson County, Shelby, Terry and Whitehall will receive grants, along with the newest Affiliate Community Member, the City of Helena.
The Montana Main Street (MMS) program is dedicated to bettering the economic, historic, and cultural vitality of Montana downtowns through community development, revitalization, and historic preservation. MMS fosters grassroots efforts through coordination and technical assistance, focused on a comprehensive approach to restoring healthy community commercial districts and preserving the historic structures that contribute to Montana’s unique sense of place.
The Affiliate Community tier allows all eligible communities the opportunity to learn and develop the Main Street Four Point Approach™ while accessing the resources and services of the program network. This tier is designed for communities entering the program and in the early stages of organization and capacity building.
The Helena Main Street efforts will be led by the City of Helena Community Development Department, Helena Business Improvement District, and Downtown Helena, Inc. Other organizations associated with the downtown are encouraged to participate in the process of strengthening the district through long range planning and more specific prioritized projects.
“The new Helena Main Street project is a collaboration of organizations, businesses, and residents as part of a larger effort to maintain and grow the economic vitality of the downtown commercial district,” said Meg O’Leary, Director of the Montana Department of Commerce.
Helena joins as the 20th member of the state program after successfully completing an application for membership and demonstrating a dedication to the downtown district.
“Helena demonstrated a clear vision for their downtown revitalization efforts, significant accomplishments in the downtown to build upon, and collected a flood of membership support letters that represented a wide range of downtown business and tourism groups, local independent businesses, and historic and cultural institutions,” said Tash Wisemiller, Coordinator of MMS.
FY2013 Montana Main Street Grants (to date):
Helena: $7,500 - The City of Helena plans to conduct a property tax analysis and revenue mapping project to better understand the value of downtown development and investments made in the downtown commercial district. The project would include the creation of a citywide set of maps demonstrating land and property valuation with revenue production charts, collaborative Helena GIS training, and a pair of community presentations to report the findings and issues unique to Helena.
Glendive/Dawson County: $15,000 - The city of Glendive, in coordination with Dawson County, will update their existing Growth Policy in response to recent significant regional economic growth related to oil and gas development. The update will integrate goals and policies related to the preservation and revitalization of downtown Glendive, improving commercial opportunities, and developing long-range plans to collaboratively promote tourism throughout the jurisdiction.
Shelby: $3,000 - Shelby will utilize Main Street grant funds for the creation of a historical walking tour in the Main Street business district and adjacent historic neighborhoods. The project is part of a larger effort to identify and list historic properties, promote tourism in the community, and connect the downtown business district to the Shelby heritage tourism plan.
Terry: $1,500 - The town of Terry will utilize Main Street grant funds for the continuation and completion of a Growth Policy (started in FY2012 using Main Street Funds) to plan for sustained growth and promote regional economic development in coordination with a strong downtown district.
Whitehall: $8,800 - Whitehall was awarded Main Street funds to assist in the creation of an urban renewal tax increment finance district to address blight, promote investment in streetscape beautification, and generate a funding source for infrastructure improvement.
Affiliate Update: Deer Lodge
The most recent Affiliate member to be accepted into the program in June 2012 was the City of Deer Lodge. The community has since begun major planning efforts, spearheaded by the Deer Lodge Development Group, to restore the historic Hotel Deer Lodge, filling the vacant building with an operating hotel and retail space along main street. The larger plan aims to strengthen the downtown commercial core with new business, save the landmark historic building from disrepair, and connect the downtown with the wealth of historic and cultural attractions in the area. The Deer Lodge Development Group submitted a successful application to the Montana Office of Tourism, resulting in a $30,000 grant award to create a smartphone self-guided walking tour of the historic downtown. “Deer Lodge is positioned adjacent to a major tourism corridor in the state and the potential here is significant. There are really exciting plans underway and we look forward to supporting such efforts” said Wisemiller.
The Montana Main Street Program is housed within the Community Development Division of the Montana Department of Commerce and offers technical assistance and expertise to member communities and awards competitive grant funding to communities actively working on downtown revitalization, economic development, and historic preservation.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Design Concepts from Greening America's Capital's Grant looking at the Downtown Helena Area, Please Comment!
The Last Chance Design concepts from the Greening America’s Capitals project are now available online at www.helenamt.gov. The public is invited to comment about these proposals. Please submit comments by March 22, 2013 to kmacefield@helenamt.gov.
Comments can also be mailed to: City of Helena Community Development Department, Planning Division, 316 N. Park Ave., Helena MT 59623.
Greening America's Capitals helped the city and community stakeholders create a common vision for designing intersection improvements to improve traffic flow, create safer crossings for pedestrians and bicyclists, and improve the connection to downtown. The project looked at the one-way/two-way question plus the challenges of a five-point intersection along Last Chance Gulch.
Focus groups helped identify preliminary design concepts and implementation strategies for presentation at the second open house. These focus groups included: Business and Economic Development; Green Infrastructure and Landscape; Multi-modal Transportation and Circulation; Historic Preservation, Public Art and Culture; Social Services/Public Health; and Implementation Strategies.
Ideas that spurred the most interest and excitement during the planning process: improving the crossing of Neill at Front Street and connecting through alley along Women’s Park to historic core; expanding the mall into 6th and Last Chance Gulch Intersection; and slowing speeds in downtown.
Working with the public, the consultants identified incremental opportunities for implementation: striping and sharrows on South Last Chance Gulch; infrastructure project programmed for Front Street; look for other public and private projects that can help implement the Sustainable Street Network.
Greening America's Capitals is a project of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities between EPA, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to help state capitals develop an implementable vision of distinctive, environmentally friendly neighborhoods that incorporate innovative green building and green infrastructure strategies. This program assists three to five communities per year.
Helena was selected for the Greening America’s Capitals program in 2012 along with Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Des Moines, Iowa; Frankfort, Kentucky; and Indianapolis, Indiana.
More information about Greening America’s Capitals can be found at http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/greencapitals.htm.
For more information, please call 447-8491.
Comments can also be mailed to: City of Helena Community Development Department, Planning Division, 316 N. Park Ave., Helena MT 59623.
Greening America's Capitals helped the city and community stakeholders create a common vision for designing intersection improvements to improve traffic flow, create safer crossings for pedestrians and bicyclists, and improve the connection to downtown. The project looked at the one-way/two-way question plus the challenges of a five-point intersection along Last Chance Gulch.
Focus groups helped identify preliminary design concepts and implementation strategies for presentation at the second open house. These focus groups included: Business and Economic Development; Green Infrastructure and Landscape; Multi-modal Transportation and Circulation; Historic Preservation, Public Art and Culture; Social Services/Public Health; and Implementation Strategies.
Ideas that spurred the most interest and excitement during the planning process: improving the crossing of Neill at Front Street and connecting through alley along Women’s Park to historic core; expanding the mall into 6th and Last Chance Gulch Intersection; and slowing speeds in downtown.
Working with the public, the consultants identified incremental opportunities for implementation: striping and sharrows on South Last Chance Gulch; infrastructure project programmed for Front Street; look for other public and private projects that can help implement the Sustainable Street Network.
Greening America's Capitals is a project of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities between EPA, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to help state capitals develop an implementable vision of distinctive, environmentally friendly neighborhoods that incorporate innovative green building and green infrastructure strategies. This program assists three to five communities per year.
Helena was selected for the Greening America’s Capitals program in 2012 along with Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Des Moines, Iowa; Frankfort, Kentucky; and Indianapolis, Indiana.
More information about Greening America’s Capitals can be found at http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/greencapitals.htm.
For more information, please call 447-8491.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
City of Helena is seeking interested citizens to serve!
CONTACT: Debbie Havens, Clerk of the Commission 447-8410
NEWS RELEASE - PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
The City of Helena is seeking interested citizens to serve on the following boards:
Board of Adjustment
One citizen to serve as the alternate member on the Board of Adjustment. Term will begin upon appointment and expire October 1, 2015. The five-member board acts on applications for variances in the zoning ordinance.
Helena Open Lands Management Advisory Committee (HOLMAC)
One citizen to serve on HOLMAC. The unexpired term will expired June 30, 2015. Members of HOLMAC shall perform various functions for the City related to the management of the open space properties.
Helena Zoning Commission
One citizen to serve as the alternate member on the City Zoning Commission. The term will begin upon appointment and expired September 30, 2015. This board shall perform zoning functions for the city and shall be the sole Zoning Commission for the City of Helena.
Public Art Committee
One art organization representative to serve on the Public Art Committee. The unexpired term will begin upon appointment and expire December 31, 2013.
This committee promotes community awareness of public art and will be involved in recommendations for providing public art in Helena. Goals and guidelines have been established to assist the committee members.Helena Citizens Council
There are currently vacancies in Districts 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 of the Helena Citizens Council. If you are interested in finding out what district you live in or serving on the HCC, please visit their web page at helenacitizenscouncil.com or call the HCC Coordinator at 447-8493.
Applications are available at www.ci.helena.mt.us /commission/boards or by calling 447-8410 and can be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office, 316 N. Park Avenue, Room 323, Helena, MT 59623 or by email.
The deadline for applications is 4:00 p.m., Thursday, March 21, 2013.
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