Helena Citizens Council Chair Ben Kyper informed the Helena City Commission this week that the HCC's regular Thursday meeting conflicts with a special city meeting called to address an Attorney General investigation — and that the organization will not reschedule to accommodate it. Kyper said the HCC will hold its 5:30 p.m. meeting as planned but acknowledged attendance may be lower than usual, and he gave individual representatives latitude to leave and attend the special meeting if they wished to submit public comment.
Kyper was clear that the HCC would not adopt an official organizational position on the resolution matter under debate at the special meeting. He encouraged members to participate as individual residents — either by attending in person or submitting comment through the city's online portal.
The HCC's own Thursday agenda includes updates to its guiding principles. The special city meeting, focused on whether to repeal or amend a citizen-backed resolution that drew nearly 300 in-person attendees at its January adoption, represents one of the more consequential political moments in recent Helena civic history. Whether HCC members show up in significant numbers to that meeting will likely be noted.