FAQs
The submission of the complaint form triggers the investigation/ inspection process. This process determines if a violation exists. If a violation exists, the property owner is notified of the violation. City staff will then work with the property owner to achieve voluntary compliance. On rare occasions, when voluntary compliance is not achieved, the City will pursue legal action. Legal action is always the last resort. Over 90% of cases are resolved in the investigation/ inspection phase with no legal action needed.
♦ Take Highway 87 (north) towards Havre. Watch for Ryan/Morony Dam sign. Go about 5 miles and follow the signs for Ryan Dam. Ryan Dam sits atop the original great falls. You can also visit Morony Dam following these directions.
Listed under "Services:" Cascade County Clerk and Recorder's Office, (406) 454-6801, located at 121 4th Street North, Suite 1B-1, Great Falls, MT 59401.
3800 Ulm North Frontage Road - Airport exit from I-15
The owner is responsible for the permits, or he or she may designate this responsibility to the contractor. When this happens, the owner should be sure the contractor has obtained all the appropriate permits and that the contractor receives all the inspection approvals. The contractor needs to have a valid city license to legally do work within the city limits.
The short answer is yes. See the following for more specifics on the roof design:
- The roof design for the new aquatics center consists 75% of shed sloped roofs shedding towards a low slope roof (tapered insulation sloping to roof drains).
- This low slope roof in the center collects the water and drains it to subgrade stormwater piping, completely containing it. The roof assembly is of metal deck with R-30 continuous rigid thermal insulation, with cover board for roof protection and resiliency, and a single-ply membrane finish with 30-year warranty.
- The aesthetics of the roof design gives homage to the Air Force airplanes symbolizing “wings” with the roof forms.
- The ceiling below all the roofs is “exposed to structure” as in, there are no ceiling finishes below the roof assemblies, so the deck of the roof will be completely visible and easy to access.
- The middle low slope roof portion will provide platforms for air handler units for the building.
Reasons why a steep slope roof aka Gable roof is not being considered for the project:
- Gable roofs shed water and snow to the perimeter of the building along pedestrian walking paths, making it icy and wet, or dangerous due to snow fall.
- Gable roofs shed water and snow to the perimeter of the building along the building foundation, making the foundation susceptible to movement due to water infiltration. Great Falls is known for expansive soils so it is good practice to avoid water along foundations.
- Gable roofs are difficult to accomplish in large, expansive spaces, such as pools and gyms. Even at 3:12 roof slope, which is not very steep, the volume of space over an area that large is 22’ tall, verses 7’ of height in the shed roof system we’ve designed.
- Gable roof insulation systems are typically not as energy efficient as a low slope roof with insulation entirely above deck. In the assembly, we’ve designed the insulation is entirely continuous with no breaks. In gable roof assemblies, typically insulation is interrupted by roof framing, and special venting systems are needed for the roof finishes.
- The design described above will not expose the roof finish to the neighborhood, whereas Gable roofs would make it so that the metal roof finish would be very visible.
- The low slope roof provides a place for air handlers to be installed. Gable roofs do not have that area to install air handlers, therefore air handlers would have to be located on the ground, and ducts would be exposed as they route to the building. That would not be appropriate for a park with large amounts of patrons.
- Proper design and construction can alleviate the issue, Gable roofs often have issues with ice damming and gutter damage, which can present significant water damage within the building.
No, the readings have not been inaccurate. If the meter reader does not get a drive-by reading from a meter, they will read the meter manually.
♦ 30'x50' Pole: 110'
The agendas are posted on the City's website and available to the public on the Thursday afternoon immediately preceding a Commission meeting.
For individuals who cannot afford an attorney, the State may appoint an attorney if certain financial and other criteria are met. This attorney would be a Public Defender. Applications for the Public Defender can be obtained from the Municipal Court at the window in the basement of the Civic Center.
The members of the Council are elected to two-year terms during the City General Election. To run for a Council seat, one must be eligible to vote in Cascade County, be eighteen years of age, and be a resident of the district that one wishes to serve. All of the nine Council districts are located within the corporate City limits of Great Falls. The residency requirement continues for the duration of the member's elected term, and if a member moves from the district s/he will be required to resign from the Council. No filing fees are required, but a Declaration for Nomination and Oath of Candidacy Form must be submitted to the Cascade County's Elections Office.
If a vacancy develops on a Council due to the resignation of a member, the remaining members will appoint a new member to serve the remainder of the vacant position.
In May 2018 voters supported the creation of the Great Falls Park District Number 1 with a proposed assessment amount of $1.5 million annually for the first three years to address deferred maintenance and other operational needs.
The City will match the $10 million dollar grant by bonding to use a portion of the Park District Number 1 assessments. Taxes will not be increased. The operating costs will be covered through fees and current support levels.
Yes. Fill out the CodeRED registration form but be sure to select the “Business” option. Please note that emergency calls cannot be delivered to an automated attendant. Automated attendants will disrupt the process and the calls will not be delivered. Businesses should register their direct, manned emergency number and establish a procedure for distributing the CodeRED message to their workforce.
If you are not yet eighteen, a parent or guardian who is over eighteen must co-sign your registration.
We hope you never get a ticket, but if you find yourself in this situation, it pays to pay your ticket right away! If you don’t pay a parking ticket within 30 days, there is an added fee of $10.00.
If a vehicle has more than 5 unpaid parking tickets, the vehicle can be booted. To remove the boot, all parking tickets and a $150.00 boot fee must be paid in full. You can pay your tickets with a credit card by calling 406-455-8430.
Great Falls Fire Rescue, (406) 727-8070, located at 105 9th Street South, Great Falls, MT 59401.
The Building Safety Division: Planning & Community Development, which is located on the main floor of the Civic Center, Room 112, #2 Park Drive South, in downtown Great Falls.
3800 Ulm North Frontage Road - Airport exit from I-15
No, parking tickets do not go on your driving record.
If you were involved or are the insurer of one of the involved parties, you can get a copy by making a request through the City Attorney's Office. Please visit their Police Records Request page for information regarding this process.
On each agenda is an item called "Petitions and Communications." This item is designated for anyone in the audience who would like to address the Commission on any matter that is not on the agenda of the meeting and that is within the jurisdiction of the City Commission. Oftentimes citizens bring new ideas for ordinances and resolutions to the Commission during this portion of the meeting. If this occurs, the City Commission may direct the City Manager to work with staff to formalize the idea and prepare it for Commission consideration and possible action.
The Great Falls Park District Number 1 was created to help with the needs identified in the Park Master Plan that was adopted by the City Commission at their November 15, 2016 meeting. Some of the needs identified in the Park Master Plan were deferred maintenance, staffing levels, as well as a new indoor combined recreation and aquatics facility.
Fees are based on the valuation assigned to each individual project by the owner and/or contractor. If the valuation is deemed 'undervalued', the Building Division will use the International Code Council 'Building Valuation Data' (BVD). The BVD table provides the average construction costs per square foot, which can be used in determining permit fees for a jurisdiction. Commercial project valuation is based on the final bid or the BVD. Remodels are determined by contract price or the estimated value of material and labor.
A victim may sign an affidavit requesting that the charges be dismissed which is available from the City Prosecutor’s Office in Room 101 in the Civic Center. The affidavit must contain a detailed explanation of the reasons for the request. It is advised that any victim speak to Victim Witness Assistance Services prior to requesting that charges be dismissed. Any dismissal will be based on consideration of all relevant evidence and there is no guarantee that the charges will be dismissed simply because a request has been submitted.
