The monument wasn’t on the agenda and the public was not giving a chance to speak. What else will the ‘civic leaders’ use an emergency ordinance for? Update to this story.
Via KRTV:
Helena city leaders are defending the process they took to remove the Confederate Memorial Fountain in Hill Park last week.
The fountain was donated in 1916 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. It included an inscription saying, “A loving tribute to our Confederate soldiers.”
During a meeting on Monday night, the Helena City Commission adopted an emergency ordinance suspending the city’s historic preservation ordinance for the fountain’s removal. Because the fountain was a contributing structure to the Helena Historic District, it would normally have to undergo a review process of up to 60 days before being removed.
City Manager Ron Alles said he doesn’t believe the city has to go through the demolition review process for properties it owns, although it usually does. In this case, he said commissioners wanted to remove the fountain quickly because of concerns it could become a focus for conflict, like other Confederate monuments in cities like Charlottesville, Virginia, where a woman died during a violent protest several days ago.
“We didn’t want Charlottesville here in Helena,” Alles said.
Alles said the emergency ordinance that commissioners passed Monday night was a way to formalize their intentions and the steps the city took to implement them.
“It puts closure on the event,” he said. “The decision was made, it was documented, the fountain was removed, and it’s time for us to move on.”
The commission announced their intention to remove the fountain last Wednesday during an administrative meeting. The issue did not appear on that meeting’s agenda.
Some critics questioned whether the decision came without adequate notice to the public.
Alles said the fountain issue was brought up by one of the commissioners during a time when they are allowed to bring up topics not on the agenda. He noted that Mayor Jim Smith had talked about plans to discuss the fountain in media stories before the meeting, and that dozens of people attended the meeting to give their opinions.
Alles also said the commissioners did not take a formal vote on removing the fountain. In most cases, he said, the type of work the city did to remove the fountain would not require a vote from the commission.