Belgrade City Council Workshop - June 29, 2026

The Belgrade City Council held a workshop on June 29, 2026, to discuss several operational and financial items, including planned America 250 celebrations, updates on city wells and infrastructure, a proposed street maintenance fee structure, and the fiscal year 2027 master fee schedule. The meeting also included discussion on cost recovery for special events and a consent item to excuse Councilmember Guffey.

Consent Calendar

• The Council unanimously approved a motion to excuse Councilmember Guffey from the meeting. The motion was made by Deputy Mayor Mademoiselle (likely Christa Anducci, as stated in roll call) and seconded by Councilmember Simon.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public spoke during the public forum. The Mayor called for public comment three times, and seeing none, closed the forum.

Discussion Items

America 250 Block Party and Fireworks

• Whitney, Communications Manager, and Jordan Green, Parks and Recreation Director, presented plans for the America 250 celebration. The block party will be held on Friday, July 3 (inferred) from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Broadway between Maine and Central, using the First Interstate Bank parking lot. Entertainment includes the Belgrade Orchestra Enrichment Council (5-6 p.m.) and the 80s cover band The Disruptors (6-8 p.m.). Fireworks will be launched from city-owned property on the west side of town starting around 10:30 p.m. Staff coordinated with multiple departments, the airport, and fire services. Sponsors include Northwestern Energy, Town Pump, Rocky Mountain Contractors, Stockman, and Rose Hours.

City Wells Update

• Jason Murphy, Acting Public Works Director, provided updates: Well 9's pump is installed, commissioning set for July 8-9. Well 8 is undergoing evaluation for glass bead packing; a new pump has not been ordered pending flow testing. Well 5, offline for a month, has seen water levels rise by about 10 feet and ran for two hours without cavitation.

Oxidation Ditch Repairs

• Bidding documents have been received from two engineering firms. The city is preparing to solicit bids for interior immersion coating and exterior crack repair on Oxidation Ditch Number 1. Testing equipment will be provided on-site.

Street Fee Discussion

• City Manager Greg Tran presented options for the FY27 street maintenance fee. The city currently charges $25 per single-family parcel, but a new fee structure is needed to cover roughly $1.6 million in operating and maintenance costs. Three options were discussed: (1) the original proposal using ITE trip generation (which resulted in a projected $64,000 annual fee for a FedEx facility), (2) a revised version adding a high-cube facility classification, and (3) an interim rate option using flat fees per parcel with categories. The interim option sets a single-family fee of $236.74 (based on a 14% increase from the Producer Price Index over two years plus exempt properties) and flat fees for multi-family (up to 4 units), commercial ($1,330 average), industrial, and high-cube facilities. The city manager recommended the interim rate as defensible, noting that a full traffic study may be needed in two years. Council members expressed support for the interim approach, emphasizing the need to balance economic development with cost recovery.

Master Plans Update

• The Transportation Master Plan (88 pages) has been submitted to MDT for review; a workshop is planned for September. The Utilities Master Plan (254 pages) will be presented in October with adoption anticipated in November. Both will be living digital documents.

FY27 Master Fee Schedule and Special Event Permits

• Charity, Finance Director, presented the proposed fee schedule. Key elements include: (1) Community development fees saw minor changes (condensed planning fees, added chicken permit, marijuana business permit, home-based business permit). (2) Public works and engineering fees will increase by 2.46% based on the Municipal Cost Index (MCI), a new methodology recommended for annual adjustments. (3) Utility rates: water +4%, wastewater +10% through 2029 (wastewater drops to 3% in 2029). (4) Special event permits currently cost $50 plus $118 for traffic plan review, but city costs range from $250 to $1,600 per hour for staff support. Council discussed the need for cost recovery while preserving community events. There was general consensus to explore a tiered fee structure or hourly rates, similar to other cities, and to differentiate between small and large events.

Key Outcomes

• The Council unanimously excused Councilmember Guffey.
• No formal votes were taken on street fees, master plans, or the fee schedule; these items will return at future meetings for action.
• Direction was given to staff: (a) proceed with the interim street fee rate option with flat fees per parcel; (b) use the Municipal Cost Index for annual fee adjustments where feasible, with periodic full cost analyses; (c) develop a special event fee proposal reflecting the size and city resources required, considering exemptions for historic community events.
• Staff will explore adding no-parking signs near parks to address safety concerns from event parking.
• The City Manager's performance review will be moved from the first July meeting to the third July meeting to accommodate the Mayor's absence.

Meeting adjourned after final announcements.