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Helena approves short contractor service after sanitation truck is rear‑ended
Summary
At a Sept. 24 special meeting, Helena officials approved a short-term contractor to maintain residential garbage pickup after a side-loader sanitation truck was put out of service by a rear‑end collision; an insurance appraisal is pending and the city expects to seek reimbursement.
Speaker 1 called a special Helena meeting Sept. 24 to address a sanitation truck that was rear‑ended and put out of service, and asked the council to approve additional contractor days to maintain residential trash pickup.
The council approved a motion to authorize contractor assistance for an additional period so routes in Helena West and Tallinn would continue while the city’s fleet is reduced. Speaker 1 said a liability claim has been opened with the at‑fault driver’s insurer and that the insurer asked the municipal league to perform a property evaluation before issuing payment. "We have opened a claim with that insurance, carrier," Speaker 1 said. "What they want is the municipal league coverage to step in first and do the property evaluation." The appraisal, the speaker said, had not been completed and total damages were unknown.
Speaker 1 told council members the city had previously authorized five days of contractor service after the accident and requested approval of an equal additional period. "If you approve that tonight, that'll be a total of 7,500 that you've approved so far since the accident," Speaker 1 said, characterizing previously approved spending and the new request as part of expected reimbursable 'loss of use' costs submitted to the liability carrier.
Council members and speakers also discussed the condition of the rest of the sanitation fleet. Speaker 1 said the damaged vehicle is a side loader that is no longer usable; the city has a rear‑end loader in service and another side loader whose arm is not operational while parts are on order. "If they can get the arm going, then we'll have 2 residential trucks in operation," Speaker 1 said. Another participant urged adding a third truck to allow rotation for maintenance: "I think we need to get a third truck," Speaker 2 said.
Miss Miller moved to approve the contractor payment; Mister Messina seconded. The clerk called the roll and recorded four yes votes; the presiding speaker announced the motion passed. The transcript records the motion text as approving "$37.50 for the contractor to assist in garbage pickup," while earlier context in the meeting and Speaker 1’s summary referenced $3,750 and a cumulative $7,500 figure; the exact dollar amount approved in the motion is therefore unclear from the transcript.
Under the plan described at the meeting, the municipal league’s property evaluation will determine the insurance payment for the damaged truck, and the city intends to submit the contractor expenditures as reimbursable 'loss of use' costs to the liability carrier. The meeting adjourned after the single agenda item was decided.
Next steps: the city is awaiting the municipal league appraisal to determine the damage assessment and will follow up with pricing for replacement vehicles as those figures become available.
