The City of Helena’s leadership is working quickly to address the ever-changing situation of COVID-19. Under the authority of the Mayor’s Declaration of a State of Local Disaster, myself and City Dept. heads are continually assessing options for safe-guarding the public and City employees. Several steps have already been taken to minimize potential exposure to the virus both internally and at the community level.

Updates to staff operations include:

• Determining essential and non-essential staff by department and establishing remote or socially distant work environments.
• Working closely with staff to accommodate families with school-aged children or children in daycares that have been closed.
• Determining the safest and most responsible way to continue to provide Capital Transit’s paratransit and East Valley bus service while not risking staff or the public’s exposure to COVID-19.
• Ensuring our emergency responders and law enforcement have sufficient personal protective equipment based on the Centers for Disease Control recommendations.
• Coordinating with the Lewis & Clark DES Coordinator, county and state officials in implementing the Lewis & Clark County Emergency Operations plan.

City initiatives to support businesses and alleviate the economic impacts of social-distancing include:

• Temporarily suspending downtown parking enforcement (effective: Thursday, March 19)
• Temporarily maintaining services to households delinquent in payment for City utilities (effective: Thursday, March 19)