In recent weeks I’ve received numerous complaints and questions about the situation at the so-called “homeless camp” in the parking lot and property of the First United Methodist Church in downtown Great Falls. The situation has caused a lot of controversy due to it’s location and the fact that the “camp” is growing, in the…
At last weeks Great Falls city commission meeting we voted unanimously to approve a tax abatement, worth about $2.8 million over 10 years, for the Calumet refinery here. The abatement is an incentive for Calumet’s bio-fuel expansion project which is creating more high-paying jobs in Great Falls, is environmentally friendly, and will help to boost…
Rules? What rules? I’ve been following the Great Falls City Commission for years and pointing out instances of, in my opinion, questionable conduct of business. I and others here in Great Falls would say the commission at times appears to make their own rules while ignoring city code when it suits them. The latest instance…
With 2022 almost here, I thought it would be a good time to provide Great Falls folks with a brief outline of what I, as a City Commissioner, consider to be two very important areas of focus in the coming year. First, I believe we need to make it a priority to follow up on…
Tuesday of this week E-City Beat received the video clip below with the following message from an anonymous sender: “Ol Bob too scared to hold a commission meeting in person but doesn’t mind a mask less packed house.“ The video was recorded on Monday November 8, 2021 during a Sawyer Brown concert packed with mask-less…
Former Great Falls city commissioner Tracy Houck announced her resignation from the city commission via Facebook post on her Tracy Houck for Great Falls City Commission page posted November 4, at 1:11 PM. Houck stated that her resignation would be effective November 5, 2021, giving the public, City administration, and her fellow commissioners less than…
On Wednesday this week E-City Beat received an email from a reader which included the following: “Mayor Kelly strongly supports the proposed Big Sky Country National Heritage Area for all of Cascade County and parts of Choteau County – even though he refused to answer that question for E-city Beat when candidate questionnaires were sent…
Leadership. Experience. Integrity. These three words billboard Mayor Bob Kelly’s political persona in Great Falls. They aren’t words anyone else has assigned to Kelly. No, those are his words. Which begs the question, then: is taking credit for something you had no involvement in an example of integrity? Back in 2012, before Bob Kelly was…
Last week an E-City Beat reader made the following comment on one of our Facebook posts, referring to current Great Falls city commissison candidate Susan Wolff: “And don’t forget Commission candidate Wolff’s part in the HUD scandal that exposed Commission fingers in the Block Grant pot.“ The comment apparently points back to a piece on…
Wow. In response to my piece earlier today, former Mayor Mayor Michael Winters had a lot to say, commenting: “No one !! I mean NO ONE deservers four (4) terms in any city elected office !AND NO ONE should close city commission meetings for ANY REASON !We have relied on covid to bring about anything…