City Considering Extension of Landfill Monitoring District

Published on September 25, 2023

HELENA, Mont. – The City of Helena Commission is evaluating the extension of a special assessment that provides funding for environmental quality monitoring and management at Centennial Park. The City is required to monitor the air, soil and water in-and-around the park, which was built on the site of an old landfill. On Sept. 25, the City Commission voted 3-1 to approve a resolution of intention to extend the district, kicking off the public process.

In 2010, the City Commission established the Landfill Monitoring District to fund the monitoring and maintenance of the old landfill site. State law requires the re-creation of special assessment districts every 13 years.

Currently, residential property owners within City limits pay $7.23 per year for each parcel they own. The assessment for Commercial properties is determined by the size of developed (impervious) property, such as roofs, driveways, and parking lots. The commercial assessment ranges from $18.08 per year for less than 10,000 square feet of impervious area, up to $150.70 per year for more than 250,000 square feet of impervious area.

The fund primarily pays for costs associated with testing. It also allows the City to pay for improvements to infrastructure as needed. Monitoring efforts in-and-around Centennial Park currently include 29 water quality testing locations and more than 60 air quality monitoring sites.

The City is required to allow for a 60-day protest period prior to the Commission making a final vote in December. Property owners will be receiving a public notice letter in the mail in late September, along with a protest form to submit written opposition to the proposal. The deadline to submit the protest form is November 27, 2023.

If the district is not extended, the City will be required to continue funding the program. The costs will likely fall to users of City solid waste services. 

More information on the City’s Landfill Monitoring District, can be found at https://www.helenamt.gov/Departments/Public-Works/Landfill-Monitoring-District.