Feds To Give GFPS $2.3M; Levy Still On!

ECB Staff on April 9, 2020

You won’t read about this in the local mainstream media, but the federal government is coming to the rescue of Great Falls Public Schools.

As a result of the multi-trillion dollar federal response to the coronavirus, GFPS stands to receive $2,382,452.53 (p. 3 from the embedded .pdf via the Montana Office of Public Instruction).

Of particular note, on p.1: “School districts will have broad latitude on how to spend these funds.”

Thanks to Sen. Llew Jones (R-Conrad) for sending this to one of our readers, who promptly sent it to E-City Beat.

Of course, the School District is fully cognizant of what they will get — over $600,000 more than the permanent tax levy ($1.75 million) they are seeking to impose on all of us.

They still want the levy anyway.

GFPS Pushes Levy In Spite Of Soaring Unemployment Due To COVID-19

Philip M. Faccenda on April 9, 2020

According to a tweet from Lee’s Holly Michels, unemployment in Montana has (predictably) skyrocketed, with 41,000 new claims filed in just Sunday and Monday of this week:

Of course, this trend will only continue. People are hurting right now, here and everywhere else.

Other Montana communities, like Bozeman and Belgrade, have opted to compassionately cancel or defer their school levy requests.

Our school district? Not a chance.

No, instead of pausing their addiction to taxes — for even one year, as we all grapple with a historically punishing economic collapse — our masters on The Hill remain hell-bent on levying a permanent tax on the rest of us so they can fatten their salaries while so many of us, hard at work just weeks ago, are now forced into joblessness and financial uncertainty.

It is staggering to witness just how little regard our school administrators and trustees have for the people who pay the bills, isn’t it?

MT Stay At Home Order Details

ECB Staff on March 26, 2020

Here’s an excerpt from Governor Bullocks statewide stay at home Directive which he announced will go into effect starting Saturday, March 28 at 12:01 AM.

“Prohibited activities. All public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a household or living unit are prohibited, except for the limited purposes permitted by this Directive. The March 24, 2020 Directive that closes certain businesses to ingress, egress, and occupancy by the public, while expanding delivery and to-go options, remains in effect. However, the portions of that order requiring social distancing (Section 1) and social distancing guidelines for retail businesses (Section 3) are superseded by the requirements in this Directive.“

You can view or download the entire Directive here.

Governor Bullock Issues Statewide Stay At Home Order

ECB Staff on March 26, 2020

At his 4:30 PM press conference Thursday Montana Governor Steve Bullock issued a Directive that mandates a statewide stay at home order. The order applies to all citizens and businesses except for “essential” activities and services.

The order goes into effect at 12:01 AM, Saturday, March 28. The Governor asked that citizens refer to the Directive for a list of businesses that will be closed or restricted during the shelter in place order. As of this writing the Directive is not on the State website.

The other resource for citizens with questions is a phone number you can call for more information. 1-800-755-6672

For updated information and news releases check the State website here.

Will Bullock Announce A Montana Lockdown?

ECB Staff on March 26, 2020

Rumors are swirling that Montana Governor Steve Bullock will announce a statewide lockdown, perhaps as soon as this afternoon, Thursday March 26.

While different states have different kinds of “stay at home” orders, generally speaking a lockdown means that everyone must stay at home except for emergencies, essential tasks like trips to the grocery store or pharmacy, and those who have essential public safety jobs.

We don’t know if the rumors about a Montana lockdown are true but the Governors press conference will be carried live at 4:30 pm by KXLF here.

Bullock Extends, Expands COVID-19 Closures & Restrictions

ECB Staff on March 24, 2020

From the State website:

“Governor Steve Bullock today issued a directive to extend closures of public schools and dine-in food service and alcoholic beverage businesses through April 10 and mandate social distancing measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Montana.

“Montanans have an obligation to slow the spread of this virus. Our fellow Montanans can all continue to set a good example for each other in adhering to social distancing directives – and know that it will save lives,” Governor Bullock said. “For every person who stays at home and avoids non-essential gatherings, the better our chances to fight this virus and protect our frontline health care workers and emergency responders.”

Governor Bullock announced that effective immediately, non-essential social and recreational gatherings of individuals outside of a home or place of residence of greater than ten people are prohibited, if a distance of at least six feet between individuals cannot be maintained. This measure is consistent with actions taken in other states to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Retail businesses are also required to establish, implement, and enforce social distancing policies to ensure a minimum of six feet between customers, effective March 28, 2020. This requirement does not apply to grocery, health care, medical, or pharmacy services, although they are also encouraged to comply with social distancing protocols if possible.

School districts should follow the planning guidance provided in the March 19, 2020 Directive to seek waivers of pupil instruction time and obtain continued state funding during this period.

The Directive, like its predecessor orders, is a public health order enforceable by county attorneys. It preempts all county health ordinances if they are less restrictive.

Montana is also preparing for a potential surge of patients needing hospital care. On Monday, Governor Bullock announced a Directive that temporarily waives the bidding process to quickly procure or distribute emergency supplies or contract for additional space to care for patients. Additionally, the directive streamlines the process for releasing patients and discharging them back to their home communities without delay as they recover, which will free up beds and equipment for new patients.”

You can find the full Directive here.

When Can Great Falls Get Back To Work?

Rick Tryon on March 24, 2020

Editors Note: Just minutes after posting this piece we learned that Governor Bullock has extended restrictions and closures statewide until April 10.

Yesterday, Monday 3/23, in a special meeting of the Great Falls City Commission we voted on the following two matters:

Resolution 10341, Affirming a Local Emergency and Acknowledging and Defining the City Manager’s Power to Declare an Emergency and The City Manager’s Exercise of that Authority. Action: Adopt or deny Res. 10341.

Ordinance 3217, Granting temporary authority to Approve Contracts and Expenditures in Furtherance of the Municipal Emergency Proclamation and Order and Suspending State and Local Procurement Requirements.

I voted for each and they both passed unanimously. You can find the details of both Resolution 10341 and Ordinance 3217 here.

In addition, I asked during the commission initiatives portion of the meeting that either the Mayor and/or City Manager reach out to both Governor Bullock and the city county health officer to get clarification on the criteria or conditions that would need to exist in order to either extend or, hopefully, end the state and county orders closing and restricting Great Falls businesses.

I intend to follow up until we get those answers. Because Great Falls needs to get back to work as soon as possible and local business owners and their employees need to have some certainty and some concrete benchmarks as to what to expect in that regard.

I also asked the City Manager to put together a draft resolution suspending city sanitation and water fees for the duration of the orders to close or restrict business for those businesses and their employees who are directly impacted.

We all need to do everything we can to help get through this situation. Together.


Governor Bullock’s Statewide Closure Directive

ECB Staff on March 20, 2020

Editors Note: following is a portion of Governor Bullocks press release and Directive, you can view or download the whole document here.

“To curtail the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Montana, Governor Steve Bullock today announced measures to close dine-in food service and alcoholic beverage businesses and other activities that pose enhanced health risks, effective at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2020. This Directive expires at 11:59 p.m. on March 27, 2020, the same day that school closures are set to expire, though the date will likely be extended. 

“Both young and older Montanans, in urban and rural communities, have tested positive for coronavirus, making it even more clear that this virus impacts us all and that these actions are imperative to protecting our friends and neighbors,” said Governor Bullock. “We face extraordinary health risks – and with it even further risks to our economic and social well-being – if we do not act now. I do not take this decision lightly and it was done so in consultation with public health professionals. Montanans, too, need to take this seriously. It’s up to all of us to stop the spread of this virus.”

Under the Directive, the following places are closed to ingress, egress, use, and occupancy by members of the public:

The following places are closed to ingress, egress, use, and occupancy by members of the public:

o Restaurants, food courts, cafes, coffeehouses, and other similar establishments offering food or beverage for on-premises consumption.

o Alcoholic beverage service businesses, including bars, taverns, brew pubs, breweries, microbreweries, distilleries, wineries, tasting rooms, special licensees, clubs, and other establishments offering alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption.

o Cigar bars.

o Health clubs, health spas, gyms, aquatic centers, pools and hot springs, indoor facilities at ski areas, climbing gyms, fitness studios, and indoor recreational facilities.

o Movie and performance theaters, nightclubs, concert halls, bowling alleys, bingo halls, and music halls.

o Casinos. “

Questions About Cascade County COVID-19 Order Answered

Rick Tryon on March 19, 2020

Here is a FAQ sheet from the City County Health Department answering question concerning today’s COVID-19 Order closing and restricting services for businesses in Cascade County.

The Order begins on Friday, March 20 at 6:00 AM and extend through 8:00 AM Friday, March 27.

You can also view or download the FAQ PDF here.