GREAT FALLS — Due to the increase in COVID-19 cases, the City of Great Falls is temporarily moving the City Commission meetings online via Zoom to limit the spread and impact of COVID in the community.
The Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services reported that there were 100 new confirmed COVID cases in Cascade County over the last 24 hours; there are currently 992 active cases in Cascade County. Benefis Health System in Great Falls on Monday said it had 28 inpatients with COVID; four of those patients had been vaccinated, and 24 had not.
The city provided the following information about commission meetings in a news release on Thursday, September 2, 2021:
Links to Zoom meetings are listed on the top of each agenda posted at: https://greatfallsmt.net/meetings. City Commission members, City staff, and presenters will attend the meetings virtually. In-person participation will not be provided. The City Commission meetings via Zoom will begin September 7, 2021, and will remain in this format until further notice.
People are encouraged to submit their public comments in writing. Written submissions are the most efficient way for the public to relay comments for Commission consideration. Zoom and phone-in options are also available. Please note that the call-in option may not be the most ideal option as there may be significant waiting times depending on how many calls are in the queue.
To streamline resident participation, the City has developed a Public Participation Guide for City Commission Meetings listed below:
WATCH MEETINGS
- Live Streaming through City’s Website: https://greatfallsmt.net/livestream
- City190: Spectrum TV Channel 190 live and re-aired
- Watch recordings of past meetings through City’s Website: https://greatfallsmt.net/meetings
PARTICIPATE & COMMENT
Register and join the meetings via Zoom:
- Links to Zoom are listed on the top of each agenda posted at: https://greatfallsmt.net/meetings. Public attendees may offer comments through video using a computer, mobile device or through calling in using a phone number provided through Zoom. Attendees will be called upon by the Mayor during public comment portions of the meeting utilizing a queuing system.
SUBMIT COMMENTS IN WRITING
- Mail to City Clerk, PO Box 5021, Great Falls MT 59403
- Email to: commission@greatfallsmt.net
Please remember to include the agenda item or agenda item number in the subject line, and include the name of the commenter and either an address or whether the commenter is a city resident. Please ensure that comments arrive before 12:00 PM on the day of the meeting. Due to tracking and dissemination requirements, written communication must be received by that time in order to be shared with the City Commission and appropriate City staff for consideration during the agenda item and before final vote on the matter; and, will be so noted in the official record of the meeting.
PARTICIPATE BY PHONE
- Call in during specific public comment periods at 406-761-4786.
Please note that the call-in option may not be the most ideal option as there may be significant waiting times depending on how many calls are in the queue. The public would need to watch the meeting through the viewing methods listed above and call in when prompted by the Mayor. Calls will be taken in the order in which they are received. Callers will be restricted to customary time limits, e.g., if there are five callers in the queue, a person may be on hold for approximately 25 minutes. Zoom Pre-registering to phone in for meeting participation is the preferred method.
