October 27, 2025, and this is a regular business meeting of the Billings City Council.

Um please stand with me for the Pledge of Allegiance, and Councilmember Tidswell is with us for our invocation.

Foundation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice.

Let us pause for a moment of reflection.

We gather tonight with a gratitude for this community that we serve.

Grant us clarity of thought, respecting our dialogue, and the courage to make decisions that strengthen our city.

May our work reflect fairness, compassion, and shared commitment to the well-being of every resident.

Let wisdom guide our actions and unity inspire our progress.

Lord make it so.

Amen.

Denise, uh, would you please call the role?

Councilmember Shah.

Gullick, Nece, Owen.

Here, Rogers, Kennedy, here.

Aspen Liner.

Uh, excused.

Ted's well.

Mayor Cole.

Here.

Uh this evening, uh our city administrator and assistant city administrator are both out of town in Florida for a uh annual convention of the ICMA, the international uh uh conference of our city manager management association uh conference.

So uh Gina Dahl, our city administrator, is uh sitting in for them.

They'll be back on Thursday of this week.

Um, first up, uh we've got minutes from both our meetings of September 22nd and October 13 before us.

Is there a motion concerning one or either or comments?

Uh Councilmember Neys.

Mayor, I make a motion to approve September 22nd and October 13th, 2025 minutes.

Very good.

Is there a second, Councilmember Boyette?

Uh is there any discussion?

Then uh if in favor of the motion, this for approval, both sets of minutes, please say aye.

Aye.

If uh opposed, say nay.

Motion passes unanimously.

Uh council of courtesies this evening.

Do we have any council courtesies?

Uh seeing none, we will move on.

We do have uh two proclamations this evening.

Um the first one is in recognition of epilepsy uh awareness month, and we have a representative here who will also uh talk with us briefly, and the proclamation reads as follows.

Whereas Epilepsy Awareness Month is a nationwide effort to raise awareness about epilepsy and to improve and save lives through better care, advocacy, research therapies, and education.

And whereas epilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by recurrent and unprovoked seizures that can affect anyone at any age and at any time.

And whereas epilepsy is a spectrum disease comprised of many diagnoses and experiences that includes a wide range of seizure types, comorbidities, control capabilities, severity, and outcomes varying from person to person.

And whereas epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder, and approximately 3.4 million people in the United States, including including almost 11,000 in Montana live with active epilepsy.

And whereas more than 300,000 Hispanic Americans and almost 600,000 black non-Hispanic Americans live with epilepsy in the United States, and there can be significant delays in obtaining appropriate diagnoses for Native Americans, Asians, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders.

And whereas people with epilepsy need access to affordable, comprehensive, physician-directed, and person-centered health care and delays in accessing effective treatments, increase the likelihood of seizures and related complications, including injury, disability, and even sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.

And whereas, even though many treatments are approved to treat seizures, 30 to 40 percent of people with epilepsy still live with uncontrolled seizures, and the epilepsy-related medical costs associated with uncontrolled epilepsy are two to ten times higher than those of controlled epsilepsy.

And whereas epilepsy and seizures impose an economic health care burden on of approximately 54 billion dollars each year in the United States, and whereas 470,000 children live with epilepsy in the United States on and on average students with epilepsy age six to seventeen miss 11 or more days of school each year, and 336,000 kids have at least one seizure annually.

And whereas protections exist in the Americans with Disabilities Act, related uh and related civil rights laws, but people with epilepsy still encounter discrimination in areas including unemployment, or I'm sorry, including employment, education, and housing, and whereas we must increase public knowledge about epilepsy and seizures, including how to provide first aid and other assistance in an emergency, because 25% of the general public say that they would be nervous around a person with epilepsy.

And whereas we must increase public knowledge about epilepsy and seizures, including how to provide first aid and other assistance in an emergency, because 25% of the general public say that they would be nervous around a person with epilepsy.

Now, therefore, I, William Cole, mayor of the city of Billings to hereby proclaim this month of November 2025 to be epilepsy awareness month and encourage Billings residents to take action to overcome the challenges of living with epilepsy and accelerate therapies to stop seizures, find cures, and save lives.

So, with that, I I believe we have uh uh one or two representatives who would like from the epilepsy uh awareness community who would like to address the public.

Go ahead.

Can you hear me?

Okay.

Um, my name is Megan Hotson, and I'm the advisory board chair for the Epilepsy Foundation Montana.

Um, they came in to Montana roughly about 2019, and we have been slowly making our way through Montana.

Um I and good evening to all of you.

Sorry, my apologies.

Um, we just want to thank you all for doing this and recognizing uh November as Epilepsy Awareness Month.

Um, it is super important.

There's roughly 4500 people living with epilepsy and billings.

And then, of course, through the state of Montana, 10,800 people.

Um it's been around for centuries, and so they are slowly but surely making their way and advocating.

So tonight uh we gave you all a purple pumpkin.

The Purple Pumpkin Project started uh in 2012.

A father named Ron in Connecticut.

Um, his son was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2009, and he wanted to build awareness.

And since then, um, he created a Facebook page and it went viral.

And so we support having a purple pumpkin during this season.

So all of you guys, hopefully, everybody got their purple pumpkin for this upcoming holiday.

And um, so we just appreciate all your support.

So thank you.

Very good, Megan.

Thank you for your efforts and uh your community in getting the word out.

Uh what a number, 4,500, I believe you said in Yellowstone County.

So one in 26.

So very good.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We have another uh uh proclamation and recognition of Family Court Awareness Month.

And that proclamation reads as follows.

The family court system uh should prioritize child safety and act in the best interest of the children of Montana.

And whereas the children of Montana are our most valuable resource and key to our city's future success, prosperity, and quality of life, but they're also the most vulnerable members of our community.

And whereas Montanans are dedicated to quote support and preserve the family as the single most powerful influence for ensuring the healthy social development and mental and physical well-being of Montana's children, according to Montana statute.

And it is estimated that approximately 37% of Montana women and 34% of Montana men will experience intimate partner violence or stalking in their lifetime, and a majority of calls made to the Billings Police Department alleging assaults involve domestic violence, which is often experienced or witnessed by children.

And whereas adverse childhood experiences, also known as ACEs, include abuse, neglect, and various forms of household dysfunction are prevalent in our community.

And as the number of ACEs suffered by a child increases, so does the likelihood that the child will have significant negative behavioral and health outcomes, including, but not limited to alcoholism, drug use, criminal activity, severe obesity, depression, and suicidal ideation.

And whereas it's important to prioritize child safety in any court proceeding involving children, including custody proceedings.

And whereas professionals in child custody proceedings and child court personnel should receive trauma-informed and culturally appropriate training on the uh dynamics, signs, and impact of domestic violence and child abuse, so they can adjudicate domestic violence and child abuse allegations based on valid admissible evidence and enter orders that protect and minimize the risk of harm to children.

And whereas the Montana Family Court Awareness Project, the Northern Lights Family Justice Center in Yellowstone County, and many other organizations and individuals in Billings and around Montana are dedicated to bringing positive change in the family court system and promoting the importance of education and training on domestic violence, childhood trauma, and the judicial process.

Now, therefore, I, William Cole, mayor of the city of Billings, hereby proclaim November 2025 as Family Court Awareness Month in Billings and encourage all residents to better educate themselves on the issues of domestic violence, childhood trauma, and family and the family court system, and join with me in expressing empathy and uh for those individuals negatively impacted by domestic abuse and appreciation for the professionals and other individuals who work in this area to lessen the pain and help our fellow Montanans and citizens of Billings.

With that, um I think we uh Kayla, did you have any comments that you wanted to make about uh Family Court Awareness Month.

Council members, my name is Kyla Hale Stone.

I am the director of the Montana Family Court Awareness Project.

Um, and on behalf of the project, I want to express our deepest gratitude for your powerful and unwavering commitment to preventing family violence.

We applaud the work of the Billings Community Leaders as a whole in supporting vulnerable Yellowstone County families and children.

It is a profound honor to be here for the second year in a row, and once again to say thank you for proclaiming November as Montana Family Court Awareness Month.

Your support through this proclamation is more important than ever.

The momentum generated by last year's commitment paved the way for significant legislative victories.

Specifically providing the initial support that aided in two critical bills.

Last year's proclamation helped support Billings Representative Schomer, who's with us tonight, and City Attorney Halverson in passing a crucial bill that criminalized domestic violence in the presence of children.

And it also lent its support to Senator Lenz in passing a vital bill creating licensing, qualification standards, and required training for court appointed special advocates.

This year, your commitment is fueling the next stage of our work.

By proclaiming November Family Court Awareness Month, you are helping us roll out a campaign focused on educating Montana citizens and leaders about the importance of understanding the impact of long-term exposure to domestic violence.

This campaign is dedicated to protecting our most vulnerable citizens through prevention early on in family law, as well as trauma-informed care.

This year's proclamation helps support awareness of two critical family violence prevention training opportunities in our state.

The first one is strengthening families training and evidence-based family skills training program for high-risk families that is recognized both nationally and internationally.

The second one, trust-based relational intervention.

This provides caregivers and professionals, including judges, attorneys, GALs, and special advocates with trauma-informed strategies to care for vulnerable children and prioritize their best interest.

By taking this action, you are not only supporting the efforts of the Montana Family Court Awareness Project, but you are also supporting local programs like the Family Justice Law Center, Fair Family Ties, and the Family Tree Network, as well as incredible domestic violence victim support organizations across our state.

Your proclamation brings much needed attention to these efforts, helps grow viable solutions and family violence prevention, and gives voice to victim suffering.

So again, I thank all of you in the city of Billings for taking this step.

Thank you, Kyla.

Thank you, Representative Shermer, for your efforts being here tonight.

Very good.

Thank you.

With that, we'll move on to council report.

I apologize.

Go ahead.

Thank you so much for this proclamation.

My name is Denise Johnson, and I am a citizen of this great city and state, and I'm a child and family advocate.

For the last five sessions, I have worked with the legislature in developing and bringing bringing awareness to childhood trauma and which you may not know.

You brought up ACEs in the proclamation.

Montana actually ranks first in the nation in childhood trauma for our children per capita.

So we also rank fourth in the nation for the highest number of children in foster care.

So Montana has a lot of work to do.

This proclamation is a huge step forward because obviously children that are removed, uh put into foster care or who experience domestic violence, experience trauma and ACEs.

So I also wanted to mention that I have a recently polished presentation that I am giving to service organizations, uh, church groups, and political groups regarding how we might get behind children and uh give them a better voice in this system since they are equal citizens in the state of Montana.

And I'll leave my card should anybody be interested in reaching out.

Thank you.

Very good.

Thank you, Denise.

If anyone would like that information, uh please feel free to contact the city and we'll pass it on.

Uh council, uh, do we have any council reports from organizations that we serve on on behalf of the council?

Um seeing none.

Um city administrator report, in this case, Gina.

Do you have anything for us this evening, Gina?

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, as mentioned earlier, Chris and Kevin are both at the International City Managers Association Conference in Tampa, and they are expected to return.

Because a couple of things.

The regular agenda item number two is uh the special review um one zero zero two.

Uh that matter has uh been with the applicant is wishing to withdraw that application.

So um actually procedurally, council will still need to hear that matter.

Uh city code does require that matter to be um heard and open before council can take action on that.

Um the other couple of things I wanted to mention are uh the short-term detention facility, as many or most of you probably know, has been open for a full week.

And um, by all accounts, uh at least from the city's perspective, things seem to be running smoothly.

Um, no major hiccups that we're aware of, um, but they are just slowly opening.

It's not completely open with all beds yet.

Uh there was one um communication received after 3 p.m.

That was from Wyatt Friday.

So you will actually hear that matter.

It was regarding consent agenda item one G and 1H, and uh regarding regular item three and four, the zone change 1072 and 1071 and 1072.

And um Mr.

Friday will address those during those agenda items as well.

Um that is really all I had for you.

Um, I know that Chris generally gives uh an update on the shelter, and so I will attempt to just give you a very brief update about that.

Um, Northern Industrial Health is working on its report and should be done by the end of the week and submit that to the DEQ.

Um Northern Industrial Health does not have uh at least they've reported to us, they don't have any additional uh cleaning recommendations.

So once that sub report gets submitted to the DEQ, they have indicated they have about a one-week turnaround.

And so after that, we do expect to receive a certificate of fitness.

And in the meantime, the city is working with um the shelter on putting together a short-term agreement for services following the termination of the previous agreement.

And that's all I have for you.

Gina, uh Councilmember Kennedy had a question about one of those items.

Council McKinney.

Gina.

When you said uh the item number two on the regular agenda is um requested withdrawal, but we still do the public hearing.

Um, can we just accept the withdrawal and move on?

Uh actually, council member Kennedy, the city code section does require after it has been published and the notice has been published.

Um a public hearing shall be held by council and before taking any action.

Um, council shall first consider the findings and recommendations of the zoning commission.

So I would recommend that you just um hear that matter as it is currently scheduled on the agenda is item number two.

Unfortunately.

All right, very good.

Uh thank you, uh Gina.

Um, we'll move on then to uh our first item uh public comment on non-public hearing items.

So this evening, uh that would be any of the items on our consent agenda, item number one and all the subparts.

There's copies of the agenda back by the door as you come in.

Everything else besides item one will have a public hearing later.

So you don't uh uh this is not the time for comment on items two through five.

But if you have uh comment on anything under item one, this is your opportunity.

We just ask that you come forward and tell us your name and keep your comments to three minutes and speak uh with some uh gusto into that microphone straight in.

Uh try not to turn your head because otherwise uh the microphone is very directional and it doesn't pick you up very well.

Is there any public comment on item number one?

If so, please come to the podium.

Uh public one number one is our consent agenda and the seven or eight sub-items under that.

Is there any public comment on item number one?

If so, please come forward to the podium.

Any public comment on item number one?

Uh no one is standing up, no one is coming forward.

So I will close the public comment period on item number one, and we will uh ask the council, council, are there any separations uh from our consent agenda?

Councilmember Kennedy.

Mayor, I would ask to separate um agenda item one I.

Uh one I second final reading on ordinance amending uh sidewalk impediments.

Uh any other uh separations?

Council No?

Okay, is there a motion then relating to the non-separated items?

Councilmember Nees.

I move to approve the items of the consent agenda as submitted with the exception of item uh one I.

Uh councilmember Rogers indicates a second.

Um any discussion?

Motions for approval of the non-separated items.

Is there any discussion?

Seeing none, if in favor of the motion, approval of the non-separated items, please say aye.

Aye.

If opposed, say nay.

Motion passes unanimously.

Then our separated item is item uh one I uh second reading on the sidewalk impediment uh changes.

Councilmember Kennedy, did you want to uh address that before we uh move on?

No, Mayor.

I uh I'm gonna vote against it.

So I just ask for it to be separated.

Very good.

Is there a motion in favor or against item one I?

Councilmember Gullick.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh I move to approve uh item number one I.

Um that's what I do.

Plan to do.

All right, council member uh and is there a second?

Councilmember uh niece indicates he has the second.

Uh would either of you like to address your motion.

No thanks.

Uh no and no.

Any further discussion on the motion?

Motion is for approval of item one I.

Any further discussion before we vote?

Seeing none.

If in favor of the motion for approval, item one I, please say aye.

Aye.

If opposed, say nay.

Uh motion passes.

Uh all council members, exceptional council member Kennedy voting in the affirmative.

Uh motion uh uh passes.

Um that brings us then to uh our uh regular agenda.

Uh Denise, would you read item number two, please?

Public hearing and special review one zero zero two, a special review to allow the development of a new casino as part of a multi-tenant commercial building at 5545 Holiday Avenue.

Zoning Commission recommends conditional approval and adoption of the findings of the nine review criteria.

Uh very good.

I believe Karen is our uh presenter tonight.

And just a reminder, council, um, there is a request that this uh from the developer that this be withdrawn, but our code provision 1623 E2 in your staff uh report says that before taking any action on an application for special review, the city council must first consider the findings and recommendations of the zoning commission, which we will proceed to do and turn it over to uh Karen.

Karen.

Um yeah, keep your voice up and talk in there as it was off.

Okay.

Okay.

So special review 1002 was for a new bar and casino.

They and um the plan was to put in a three-unit structure on one of those units would be the um allowed for the all beverage liquor license with gaming.

The zoning commission held their public hearing and has forwarded a recommendation of conditional approval.

But since the zoning commission held their public hearing, um staff received a request to forward to the city council asking to allow them to withdraw their application.

Um they're affiliated with a larger uh conglomerate and has pulled their funding to a different project.

Um with that, I do believe you have to open the public hearing and hear anyone that might be here, and then you can entertain your motion either way, whether it's to allow the withdrawal or act on the special review.

Very good.

Uh council, do you have any questions of Karen before I open up public hearing?

Okay, seeing none.

This is a public hearing on item number two.

Uh, even though there is a request to withdraw, you do have an opportunity to comment if you came this evening.

This is a public hearing.

So uh feel free to comment, just come forward to the podium, keep your comments to three minutes.

Tell us your name.

Is there any public comment uh on item number two?

This is a public hearing.

Is there any public comment on item number two special review 1002 at 5545 Holiday Avenue?

Any public comment?

None appearing and no one coming forward.

Uh, we will close the public hearing and uh back to council council member uh Boyette.

Councilmember Kennedy.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

Having conducted a public hearing considered written and spoken public testimony.

I move to allow the applicant to withdraw their application from special review 1002.

I'll second.

Second by councilmember Kennedy.

Uh any discussion.

Any discussion before we vote?

Okay, the motion was to approve the uh requested withdrawal and uh aid and seconded.

Uh if in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Aye.

If opposed, say nay.

Motion passes unanimously.

Um that's item number two.

Uh item number three.

Um, Karen again, I believe.

Uh uh Denise, would you read item number three?

Public hearing of first reading ordinance for zone change 1071, the south one point seven seven five acres of lot two and all of lot three Clearwater Estates subdivisions zoning commission recommends approval and adoption of the 10 review criteria.

Hello again, Karen.

Hello again.

Sorry.

There we go.

Okay, thank you.

Zone change 1071 is a zone change request on lots two and three of the Clearwater State Subdivision from mixed residential one and two and mid-century neighborhood two to the suburban resid neighborhood residential.

And the difference is between the NX zones, the NX1 and NX2 allow multifamily.

NX1 is one to four units in a one building, and NX2 allows two to eight units.

It requires build two zones, maximum lot coverage of 60%, and a requirement for a minimum front facade of window and door coverage.

The N2 allows single and two family dwellings.

Um it also requires a build two zone with 60% maximum lot coverage and the front facade window and door coverage, whereas the N3 zoning allows single and detached um under our zoning code.

And with Senate Bill 323, it also allows two family residential dwellings.

Um it doesn't require a bill two zone.

There is a setback requirement, a maximum lot coverage is 40%, and there are no window and door coverage requirements for this and N3 zone district.

And the existing zoning.

Excuse me, essential investments, strong neighborhoods and home base.

Uh adjacent uses in zoning are compatible and it does meet the West Billings Plan.

Um I'll close with some photos for you.

The subject property.

It's looking north, southeast, and to the west.

That concludes my presentation.

I'd be happy to answer any questions.

Do we have any questions for Karen?

And I I believe the uh uh developer's representative is also in uh the audience.

So we'll give them an opportunity if they want to comment after Karen.

Are there any questions for Karen?

Councilmember Nees?

Mayor, I don't have any questions at the time.

I just I I have to answer the questions I had earlier, and that was the email he was referencing.

So very good.

Thank you for clarifying that.

Anything else for Karen?

Councilmember Nees.

Or Councilmember Nees.

Uh Councilmember Ripsis.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, Karen, I I forget.

Was this a mixed residential or neighborhood PND?

The original um PND was mixed use residential.

So doesn't a mixed use PND require at least one NX district.

Well, this is only a portion of that original.

Um actually the next zone changes the other half of the original PND, and the entirety of both of these zone changes still um takes into consideration the original PND.

So the entire lot is considered the original.

The PND.

Two different developers, two different zoning annexation, and it's all one PND.

Well, the original PND was under one um ownership and one developer.

And they developed it as one PND, an NX section at that time.

Since then, a portion of it has been sold off.

Okay.

And so that's why there's a separation.

Does that make sense?

I suppose so.

Thank you.

Very good.

Anything else for Karen?

Uh okay, Karen, do we have uh any sort of presentation from the developers representatives that would want to comment?

If so, they're welcome to council.

Um, Craig Dalton with Performance Engineering.

I'm the representative for uh Brown Development, who is the Clearwater Estates and the applicant for the zone change.

Um I just wanted to speak a little bit to where we started and and where we're at now.

Um councilmember Rupsis.

We we started this process, if you recall back in 2023 with uh annexation PND.

Um, at the time it was a single developer.

We didn't have any potential um other builders at that time that were gonna come in uh and kind of bring their own product to the to the development.

So we did our best uh at guessing what might come in here, and that was the original PND application.

Um it looks a lot different now than when we started.

Um I believe now this is at least my third time meeting in front of you guys uh on this particular piece of property.

Um so what does that say?

And I mean, we're almost three years into this.

We don't have a lot quite yet.

We just got our final plot approval tonight, which we appreciate.

Um, but this process is long and and we're back up here in front of you again to make a zone change, primarily because the builders that are gonna come in here want to build a different product.

Um we're going from N2 to N3.

We're not talking about changing densities drastically um in the N2 area.

Um we're we're not really changing drastically what we're getting at the end uh as far as total density over the project.

So I would just encourage us as a city to when we're talking about affordability and and things, timeline is one of the biggest costs to a development.

So I would appreciate if we can keep that in mind as we move forward in the future because uh going through multiple zone change to move a park space because we didn't guess in the right area on a PND is not an efficient process.

Um but to this application, it's pretty straightforward.

Um the builder that's gonna come in with that plat approval is building a certain product.

They want to have setbacks as opposed to build two zones because it meets how their product uh goes on these lots, and and that's really the end of it.

I'll take any questions.

Are there any questions for Craig?

Council Member Boyet.

Thank you for coming.

So N3 is usually a single family, but the state allows duplexes.

So are you gonna just build a bunch of duplexes then?

Is that already single family?

Do you have any idea?

Uh, this builder's um proposal is to build single family.

Yeah.

Very good.

Any other questions for Craig?

Thank you.

Well, she thank you.

All right.

Um we've had a presentation, we've had questions.

Uh this is a public hearing.

So we'll open the public hearing on item number three.

Uh, this is the zone change 1071 uh Clearwater State Subdivision.

If you'd like to comment, this is your opportunity.

Uh, this is a public hearing.

Please come to the podium uh at this point.

If you have any comment on item number three, as we said before, please keep your comments to three minutes and tell us your name.

Is there any public comment on item number three?

This is a public hearing.

Any public comment on item number three before I close the public comment?

Period.

No one's standing up, no one's coming forward.

So we'll close the public comment period and back to council.

Councilmember Kennedy.

Mayor, I would uh having conducted a public hearing considered written and spoken public testimony.

I move to approve the first reading of ordinance for zone change 1071 and adopt the findings of the 10 review criteria as recommended by the zoning commission.

Second, Councilmember Tiswell indicates a second.

Councilmember Kennedy or Councilmember Kennedy or Councilman Kennedy or Council Tids will either you'd like to speak to your motion.

No and no.

Back to council.

Council, you've got a motion before you for approval item number three.

Uh is there any discussion?

Councilmember Gullick.

Um, you know, I'll I'll vote to support this.

I have some reservations that doesn't thrill me uh in terms of of this enforced lower density.

I um that it has, you know, certainly it is entirely true that that of the things that had come before this council, almost all of them have been um properties of of higher density, and so we need to have some density diversity, and and so that seems appropriate um in many respects.

Um I guess that my reservations are more from the the public interest as well, though, of uh from a taxpayer perspective.

Um when you have uh lower density development doesn't um support our infrastructure that doesn't have the tax base to support it as much.

Um so it's not as good if you had developed the um a lot of the city this way.

Now, this is not a huge area, so I'll allow it.

Um yes, I'll support it.

Uh, but I just wanted to state my reservations.

Very good.

Uh thank you.

Any other discussion?

Councilmember Ripsis.

Uh uh, obviously, thank you, Mayor.

I'm obviously going to support this.

I would just ask um Karen, I I think it's just very confusing to me kind of looking at this and the other one in conjunction.

Um, knowing what the old zoning was and what the new zoning was.

And on your presentation, we had the map that showed the two together, but it wasn't in the staff memo.

And I think having an overall view of what the entire PND was and how that's shifting uh might be useful for future uh council.

So if anything like this comes up again, um everyone is a different iteration or a different uh combination of facts, I'm sure.

Um just having an overall view of the PND and how things are shifting around inside it, I think would be helpful, but um certainly going to support it.

Thank you.

Um I just wanted to point out too that it was in um the attachments, it was attached to the ordinance, which was typically it's included with the rest of the attachments, and I did leave that out.

So I might apologize.

Very good.

Thank you.

Any other discussion?

Uh Consumer Nice, Mary, I do have one question.

Maybe this was for why the applicant mentioned how uh this took a lot of time, and of course, time is money in development.

So uh why could you you know for us tonight?

It's it's very quickly.

We saw it last week it was coming to us.

We reviewed it, it's gonna be approved.

So that's it's fairly quick.

But can you explain um uh why this why this takes so long?

And then is there any option that you can see that we can shorten this up for the applicant when it's a zone change that's fairly simple like this?

Uh Councilmember Nees and Marion Council.

Uh I'll have to follow up with this specific situation.

And I wasn't aware I heard the discussion tonight regarding the builders and the changes and the different owners and people wanting to build different products.

So I guess terms of the process, if that requires to, you know, that you have you can't build, you can't make N2 work, which I guess is a conversation we'll have to have versus N three.

Um, yeah, we'll have to follow up.

I I don't know what how the process at the zoning end um caused an issue if they were changing up how they wanted to develop.

Um so we'll have to follow.

Okay.

It would be great if you could follow up with that and let us know.

That'd be helpful.

Thank you.

Very good.

Any other discussion?

Motion is for approval of item number three.

Any other discussion?

Uh I'll just comment uh in in response to Councilmember Gullick about uh impact on uh our tax base and the relative costs versus benefits of various types of development.

He might be right, but he also might be wrong.

Problem is we don't have the data to really make a good judgment about that.

Uh we all just have our own uh preferences or assumptions, and uh that's the value of having a uh detailed cost of services analysis, but easier said than done.

We've talked about that for many, many years.

They're not well uh well done out in other communities, so it's not a criticism or staff, but it is um uh just recognition of uh the need, at least um uh from 30,000 feet.

So uh with that, we'll move on uh to a vote.

Uh the motion again is for approval item number three.

If in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Uh aye.

Uh if opposed, say nay.

Motion passes unanimously.

Uh Janice, would you please read item number four?

Public hearing and first reading ordinance for zone change 1072 on approximately three acres of lot one, all of lot four, and approximately 14 acres of lot five of Clearwater Estate Subdivision zoning commission recommends approval and adoption of the 10 review criteria.

Very good.

Um back to Karen.

Okay.

This um, as I stated, this is the westerly, easterly, easterly portion of the Clearwater Estate subdivision.

And sorry.

Thank you.

Okay.

So this portion of the Clearwater Estate subdivision is is changing.

Um they're actually restructuring the areas of zoning, but pretty much leaving them the same with the NX One NX two, and then the neighborhood mixed use and the corridor mixed use.

And the similarities are the same, the number of units, the build two zones, and the lot coverage requirements.

Um the corridor mixed use one and the CM NMU allow for a little bit of neighborhood commercial uses.

Um the CMU one allows retail, um, and they're changing from the P1 from parks and rec to the P2, which allows for public and civic institutions, which they'd like to change and utilize their parkland for like uh United States parcel postal service location for the area residents.

Here is the aerial view of the subject property.

And the existing zoning.

The outline in red is the actual area that's being changed.

And this is the pro proposed zone districts.

So the zoning commission held their public hearing and is forwarding their recommendation of approval and adoption of the review criteria.

It meets the growth policy requirements, adjacent uses and zoning are compatible and it meets the intent of the West Billings Plan.

And again, I'll just have a few pictures for you.

And this is looking east, looking to the north to the west.

And that concludes my presentation.

And I can take it back to the zoning designation page if that's what you like to see here.

So I I know that the applicant's representative is here and he has much more detailed information than I can provide for you.

So um, and an explanation as to why they're moving the zoning districts around.

Very good.

We'll give uh the owner's representative an opportunity to address the council just a minute.

But are there any questions for Karen before we do so?

Council member um Rupsis or whatever your name is down there.

Thanks, Mayor.

Uh Karen, again, I'm just trying to understand the change between the two of them.

Can you flip back to the other one now, please?

So an explanation, as it's just a brief explanation.

I wasn't involved in the PND original.

Um, but the process itself requires them to be up ahead of their development.

And so when they're designing these and they're anticipating plus meeting all the criteria, once they start to develop and trends change or the requirements for connectivity and adjacent uses and the demand.

So um, and again, um Craig McCall can explain a little bit more detail as why they chose these um particular areas.

Anything further, Council Member Ripsis?

Oh no, I'm sorry, Mayor.

I'm just okay.

Thank you.

All right.

Uh if there's nothing else for Karen, uh Greg or whoever developers representative, uh Greg, uh uh, we've got this uh diagram up before us here, so feel free to make reference to that uh or unless you've got a bet something better that you want us to bring up.

Yeah, you bet.

Um Greg McCall with McCall Holmes and McCall Development.

Um honorable mayor and counsel, thank you for having this before you again.

As it was brought up earlier, the issue of the PND coming in with the zoning in place is maybe not what we intended necessarily when we were going through project recode, and it is causing a bit of an issue.

We're we're beginning to see that.

Karen and I have discussed this already.

There's been a few instances where as Mr.

Dalton brought up that we have to come back and do a second zone change, essentially.

You know, since we brought this in with the intent of having multiple zonings and not coming in with a monolithic zoning, which is was the desire of what we wanted to do with the PND.

So we had some idea, some predictability of what was coming in.

If we were going to be annexing this, what would it look like?

And then we start putting roads in and we start doing the engineering work, and well, a park in that location isn't gonna work.

We're not gonna have a road that's gonna connect there now.

We know that.

And we end up starting to have to move some lines around, and those zoning lines can't move.

We have to move them, and that requires a zone change.

So um as from even sitting on the zoning commission as well, I can see that this is uh something we need to tweak in it in the current code.

That said, in the time period between when we were working cooperatively with Brown Development on what we thought would be our portion.

Um we had not owned, we did not own it at that time.

Um we were collaborating on how we could do this together.

And and as you get into that process, you just see see certain things change.

So um for the most part, we are just downzoning ever so slightly.

We don't believe at this point in time that there is that much need for CMU one in that location.

When you have four blocks down, you have all of Shiloh Commons and and there's plenty of access.

I mean, a half mile down the road, we can go pick up a cup of coffee.

Now we still thought there's a possibility, and with our news or in coordinator Karen's suggestion, we still kept CMU one at the intersection of 44th in the new zoning.

Maybe maybe there is some small business at some point in time that would make sense there.

And so we still wanted to allow for that.

Most likely we'll still probably do residential construction in that zoning, unless something were to change and something came to us before that, because you can do that in CMU one.

There was a question brought to us by the um by planning today that I think Mr.

Neese was your question pertaining to the parkland.

We also have a portion, if you were to look at the at the final plat that shows a private park that looks like a T and it's not listed in the new, but there is this chunk of P2 that is listed.

And so, like, why is that?

Is that still gonna be a park?

Or what are you doing here, Mr.

Development, Mr.

Developer?

That T portion is still going to be a park, a private park.

Um NX One allows for private parkland.

So in the event again, we had to move a line around, we had to change a lot line.

We wouldn't have to come back to you and and rezone it again.

So since it allows for it and wants it, um, we left that alone and just called that NX one.

The portion that's P2, we did have to call out because we did want to build a civic building in that at the tip of that.

It'll be kind of a uh terminating vista for 44th as you look in, be a really cool looking building that will house the uh postal boxes as well as maybe having like a picnic shelter on one side.

So that's the reasoning for that.

That's all I have.

Thank you.

If you have any other questions for me, I'd be happy to answer them.

Very good.

Thank you.

Uh questions for Greg.

Are there any questions for Greg?

Uh Councilmember Ripsis.

Thank you, Mayor.

Greg, did you say that Bell Avenue was not going to connect in to this to your subdivision?

I'm not gonna say I don't.

I'm gonna say I don't know.

I I mean, as a community builder and connectivity is a huge thing for me.

I believe it should connect through.

Currently, we we are not planning to and have been encouraged by engineering and so on.

Maybe Mr.

Dalton can answer this better than I can, but right now that is there it is not planned to connect.

Right.

Craig, go ahead and come forward and Wyath may ask you to comment on that as well.

Or or Karen or whoever.

Uh council member Repsis, the um the master plan does have uh Bell coming into this development in the future.

However, there is a a piece to the east of this that is currently undeveloped and there isn't really any uh current uh plan for that piece to the east of us that would be required to re to connect Bell over.

Uh as part of this, what what Greg was referring to.

Um it won't we are working with engineering to try to do some traffic calming things, and so Bell won't be a connect uh contiguous road all the way through this development into the clear water.

If you look at both plots together, Bell would come in and you would be for forced to go north.

Yeah, they're just to try to push people to going to Central Avenue when they're trying to come into the city as opposed to taking that right to the city.

So we'll connect.

It's just it won't go straight through all these properties out to the west.

Right.

It won't it won't be contiguous out to 48th ever.

Right.

So people in Bell Estates and Twin Pines and that kind of stuff will be able to walk through this area eventually.

Uh down Bell Avenue and up into whatever kind of commercial might exist here, all these neighborhoods will be connected in some way.

Correct.

Thank you.

Okay.

Very good.

Thank you.

Other questions for uh Greg or Craig.

Don't see any.

All right, very good.

Thank you very much.

Um, those are our presentations.

Uh we'll move then to a public hearing um on item number four.

This is a public hearing on item number four, uh, zone change 1072.

If you'd like to comment, please come to the podium.

Uh just ask to keep your comments to three minutes to tell us your name.

Is there any public comment on item number four?

This is a public hearing.

Please come forward if you have any public comment on item number four.

No one is standing up, no one's coming forward.

Uh, so I will assume that uh there's no public comment.

We'll close the public comment period.

Council, Councilburner Ripsis.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'd like to offer a motion.

Uh, having conducted a public hearing considered written and spoken public testimony.

Move to approve first reading ordinance for zone change 1072 and adopt the findings of the 10 review criteria as recommended by the zoning commission.

Second.

Second by Councilmember Nice.

Councilmember Rupsis, Council Bernice, would you there be like to speak to your motion?

No and no.

Uh further discussion on the motion.

Motion against for approval item four, consistent with the staff recommendation.

Uh Councilmember Goulick.

Um, I I think it looks like uh a good thoughtful change.

Uh I it it is connectivity is important to me, so I'm glad to hear that um there'll be some connection to future neighborhoods.

Um not going through that's uh three street to 48th, that's fine.

Again, this is really zoning, so we're not actually talking about street layouts here.

It's gonna have to comply with our ordinances in any case in terms of connectivity.

I'm very happy we have those.

Um I certainly will be supporting this.

Very good, Councilmember Nice.

I I just want to um make sure staff is aware of what Greg brought up about the this delay of these changes with this PNDs and hopefully we can come up resolution uh to make these some kind of fast track zoning uh on these PNDs that uh we don't have to go through the entire uh changes.

So I I would look forward to staff.

I know staff is busy with in planning with a lot of different things right now.

Um, but I I think this is important to get this thing moved forward so we can um avoid any kind of delays in development of residential homes.

Thank you.

Very good.

Any other discussion?

Okay, we'll proceed to a vote.

Motion is for approval of item number four.

Um pursuant to the staff recommendation.

If in favor of the motion, please say aye.

If opposed, say nay.

Motion passes unanimously.

That concludes item number four, brings us to item number five.

Uh Denise, would you please read item number five?

Public hearing and first reading ordinance to expand the boundaries of the South Billings Boulevard Urban Renewal District, S.

Bird, and adopt a modified urban renewal plan.

Staff recommends approval.

Very good.

Our uh planning director, Wyath Friday will have the presentation this evening.

So Wyath, when you've got your PowerPoint ready, it's all yours.

All right.

Yeah.

Okay.

Thank you, Mayor.

And council, I think we are good to go here.

All right.

Well, good evening.

So this is a big deal for this expansion process that we've been riding along on for quite a long time.

And I know uh the council's been talking about this uh since a good portion of 2024 and and as we've gone through 2025.

So excited to bring this to you and walk you through where we're at and your action tonight to move this uh along and expand the South Billings below our urban renewal district.

Um just wanted to mention um before I get started too.

I've got uh Brad Archibald from Pioneer Technical Services here tonight as well, given some at least moral support, if not technical support.

Um his team has been working uh with me and the rest of the city staff to work through this process with the findings of light analysis, working on the urban renewal plan amendments that are completed, uh communicating with Department of Revenue so they know what we're doing, and as we're moving forward to to potentially bring them all the materials for this process, and also working through some of the ordinance language and things of that nature.

So been working through this and it's been it's been going uh well.

Uh just just does take a lot of steps to get us where we need to go.

So a little bit of background.

Uh South Billings Boulevard original district was initially created in 2007.

Uh it was immediately amended uh in 08 with a slight adjustment, and then uh in 2021, 2021, we also did some an amendment, a minor amendment and added uh five properties to the district.

Uh the district is set to sunset in 2046.

That's tied to existing bonding that's attached to this district, and that date cannot be changed or moved any further.

So that is when uh the district uh including the area, if this area is included for expansion, will also uh sunset at the same time.

As I mentioned, council has discussed this starting back um in the beginning early 2024, mid-2024, had some uh work session discussions at that time, and um we then began looking at the pro the area um and saw that there was redevelopment potential and infrastructure needs within that uh the area.

And what you see on this sort of snapshot map is that blue, right blue boundary is the new proposed expansion area, and then um to your left um down to the uh corner is the orange kind of boundary, and that's the existing South Billings Boulevard Urban Rural District.

So you're seeing the kind of the eastern portion of the main district and the proposed expansion area that we are looking at this evening.

And currently that boundary is what is tied to the ordinance that you have in front of you tonight and to the urban renewal plan uh documentation as well.

Want to spend a little bit of time on this process and um all the engagement and steps that we took per state uh code as well as um as a city to to move this through the process and get it to where it is tonight.

Uh first we had council direction, um, two staff on the process uh that we had like as I said, discussions, but then um we had a work session on September 2nd, uh, where council said yes, let's formally move this forward.

And and then we had uh you pass a resolution of intent to expand the district on September 22nd.

And those were kind of the two pieces of uh process and direction from you that got us going on this and and moved it forward in a in that formal way.

Uh, we did the findings of blight analysis that was completed in uh in August and was presented, had to be part of that September 22nd action.

And at that time, and I'll uh touch on that a little bit on the next slide.

We we looked at the criteria and determined that this area would meet the state law requirements for the the bite analysis uh in urban renewal law.

Then we went in and did a lot of notification, and and this uh as I've called out here is per state law, and then also we did a few some extra things um as part of this to make sure we were communicating both with the other taxing jurisdictions and with the public overall.

So um we uh had direct notification to the county, the school districts.

There's two Elesion School District and School District 2 and the property owners both in the existing boundary and in the proposed expansion area.

There is a section of the urban renewal law uh 715 4221 that specifically discusses engagement and information flowing to the county and school districts, uh, other taxing jurisdictions uh that is required.

And so as part of that, we we hit those benchmarks through the public meetings and all that I've got outlined here.

So initially I went to the commissioners to one of their public discussion meetings on September 4th and let them told them because the council had given direction on the second to move it forward.

We were moving that forward and that the council was going to be doing the uh resolution intent on the 22nd.

And then we were moving into you know the next steps, the community meeting we were going to hold and the public hearing.

So talk to them on the fourth.

Uh, then we had the council meeting on the 22nd.

Then we had the community meeting on October 9th, and we then have the public hearing this evening.

So communicated with them with multiple opportunities where they could uh come and visit with you and also visit with me in a public meeting at their discussion on the fourth.

Uh school district two went to their development committee meeting, which is a subset of their board of trustees on uh August 4th.

Uh that was a preview as well.

We hadn't had the direction uh formally yet, but we knew I knew this was coming and wanted to get that in front of them so they were aware and could begin to engage, explained again that they were going to be uh we were having the residential intent on the 22nd, community meeting on the ninth, public hearing on the 27th.

School district 23, which is a lesion, um, talked to them before we uh initially was trying to get to their meeting, was not able to before your resolution of intent on the 22nd, but they were informed of that meeting, uh, went to their board meeting on October 1st, explained what was going on, explained the process, and then informed them of the community meeting on the 9th and the public hearing this evening.

Then overall for public comment, we had the work session on the second, the council resolution intent on the 22nd, the community meeting on the ninth, and the public hearing this evening.

Uh, in addition, even though this is more sort of a narrow focus on this process, the planning board, which also had to act on in this process to find whether the expansion was in conformance with the current uh billings growth policy, um, had held a public meeting on the 14th of October and made that recommendation to you.

And you have that letter included in your packet this evening, which is also required per state law.

So overall, um, we had a lot of opportunities for engagement.

That community meeting is not required by state law, but we have, as a practice in billings, done that every time we've had an expansion in a district.

Um, we did that in East Billings in the past.

We've done that, we did that in South Billings when we did that 2021 expansion.

So we've done those anyway, and then we've had to make sure we also have engaged in those other areas for public comment and and communication.

So basically wanted to make sure we everyone was aware that that's how we went through this and that we have met the uh requirements for the state statute for those taxing jurisdictions and engagement.

And you'll see in the memo, I also summarized comments we received both from uh the county commissioners, allegian school district, and the public, um, who are the ones who had comments to to really share throughout this process.

Um, and it was great.

Got to talk to them and have them ask questions, some education on how this all works and how they're involved as a taxing jurisdiction as a district, a school district, or the county.

So that all went according to kind of that process.

And then lastly, we had to do urban renewal plan amendments.

Um, that's a very significant part of this process because as you adopt and move forward with an expansion, you're adopting in this case an amended urban renewal plan from the one that was previously completed that reflects the new area, the description, the maps, and future potential projects uh that were found by city staff to potentially be improved in this area.

So, really briefly, the blight uh analysis report findings uh we, and this came to you already, but just want to recap it briefly.

The report found that we clearly were able to demonstrate that the proposed expansion area met the statutory criteria.

Um we had deteriorating infrastructure down there, we had unsafe structures, we had excess we have excessive vacancies.

Um, again, and this is important because we talked a little bit about this at the community meeting, and I've talked to some people who have called me throughout the process.

This doesn't mean that certainly that every property in this area is has you know significant infrastructure issues, unsafe issues or vacate is vacant at all.

There's some great and well-taken care of and successful properties in this area.

And that's common when you're looking at an overall area.

You're gonna find areas where these characteristics exist, but that certainly does not speak to the entire area.

And that's certainly the case in this situation as well.

But overall, when you look at the whole area, you find these um that there's the um areas for improvement, infrastructure deficiencies and things of that nature.

So when we did that analysis, that's what was found.

Um, and basically by expanding the district in this way, it gives the city um some tools to address those challenges where we can make strategic investments, you know, address infrastructure and look at community revitalization, help incentivize uh future development.

Uh this is somewhat repetitive, but just in terms of stakeholder input, again, just reviewing those different meetings we had throughout the process and getting us to the public hearing this evening, um, and also mentioning that that um growth policy uh conformance meeting that the planning board conducted as well.

So again, just a sort of a review of the time frame here.

We are uh we've done the blight analysis, you did the resolution of intent.

We notified all the property owners in the existing and proposed area that went out, those postcards went out on the 24th.

Those postcards are sorry, they weren't postcards.

I was wishing they were postcards.

They were letters, they were full-size letters.

Um, and there were 3,900 of them.

Um, and that, but what was important about that is that notified the property owners in the area of the existing and proposed district of both the community meeting that we conducted on October 9th and the public hearing this evening on the 27th, which again needed to be done as part of the process.

Um, and then we worked on a urban rural plan revisions planning board did their meeting on the 14th.

Um tonight you've got your first reading of the ordinance, and then if that moves forward, second reading on the uh 10th of November.

And then what will happen after that?

That's not over.

We will then compile all that material from this process.

And that's where Brad and his team have been have our helping and will help.

And we have to submit all of that to the Department of Revenue to show that we have followed the process to expand a district.

They will review that, and then when they find that it's conformant, conforming, and we did it, um, which we we have, then they will uh come back, set the base year for 2025 for that expanded area and move forward.

And you then there'll be 21 years um until the the sunset of the district.

So that'll be that's that happens kind of on the back end of this, but that's critical uh for for DOR to be part of that.

And like I said, um they've we've been in contact with them through Pioneer and have checked on a few things.

So we we know what's going on, they know what's going on.

And so um that's that's all we just have to document everything that's that's happened.

So with that, uh this evening, staff is recommending that the city council conduct a public hearing, which is the first step here with this ordinance, and then adopt on first reading an ordinance to expand the boundary of the South Billings Boulevard Urban Renewal District and adopt the modified urban renewal plan, including the tax increment provision, which is all included within that document as well.

So with that, I will be happy to answer questions.

Um, and then can when you're ready, you can move to the uh to the public hearing.

So thanks.

Very good.

Thank you, Wyatt.

So we'll open up for public hearing in just a minute after we have some questions.

Um, I'll just start with a question for you, Wyath.

Do we know if we've got representatives um from Yellowstone County or School District 2 or Legion with us this evening?

Um they'll have an opportunity during the public comment.

We can also make sure.

Okay, we do I see one from yes, we have a trustee from school district two.

So Johnny, we'll we'll make sure that we they have uh an opportunity to comment uh specifically if they'd like to.

Uh before we do that, also do we know if Brad uh Archibald has anything for us that he'd like to present?

Does not, but is here available for questions.

Okay, uh questions for Wyath or uh Brad.

Councilmember Kennedy.

Wyeth, you are showing that the uh Western Sugar is in this district we're looking at.

Does that mean they are that is all city or Western sugar is and they are a taxpayer in the city?

Uh councilmember Kennedy and Mayor and Council, that that is correct.

Um they were they have been in the city.

And in fact, I I had communication with their manager um when they were noticed about all the meetings.

Um we verified that they are and they were already and they are in the city um and would be included.

So yes.

Thank you.

Very good.

Thank you.

Other questions uh for Wyatt.

Councilmember Nees.

Um, I don't know if this is a question for you or maybe Gina, but we did get that letter late from Kevin Nelson concerning the dates of public notice.

Did you get a chance to read that and and did the timelines?

You went through those timelines pretty quick on here, uh, but can you specifically it's appears to me there's some question whether or not some meetings were held prior to public notice and opportunity to meet.

Can you address that to uh as far as the timeline on that and how we may met the state statute that he's quoting in his letter?

Have you had a chance to read that?

Uh Councilmember Neese uh Mayor and Council, yes, I have.

Um, and yeah, that's that's part of what I was describing here.

So and I guess I'm not I'm not clear.

I mean, I guess just in terms of information sharing.

So the opportunity for for comment, obviously tonight is a public hearing opportunity.

Um, but there's but the opportunity at the community meeting was was a opportunity as well, although obviously not a public hearing, but another opportunity.

Um, and then going and talking to them directly was was the initial opportunity.

I guess I'm not the the fact that I talked to the commissioners um initially on September 4th at their discussion session, told them that we had just had the meeting and you were moving forward and I wanted them to know that to me was was proactive.

Um, and so they got an early notice that this was going forward, and then they were they received the mailing notice on September 24th because they are a property owner within the district, and I communicated with them directly.

So, and then they had the opportunities, obviously, like tonight and at the uh community meeting and at the and even before that.

So yeah, I don't have any concerns, I guess, with any of these that um they haven't we haven't met the um what the the code requires for notification.

Yeah, so I guess some question I have about it is it's a notice to the county or school district to allow them to be on their agenda so they can have a public meeting about it in there.

So if you went to those meetings and it wasn't on their agenda, it wasn't noticed to the public.

So that wasn't a public notice meeting about it because you just showed up or had it had an informal conversation about it.

So was there a time when the city sent um notice to the county or the school districts so that they can have a public meeting on it and hear public or in their meetings about having their property put into a TIFF district.

So yeah, council member.

And mayor and council, yeah.

So a couple things.

So first, those actually I was on those agendas.

If you look at the commissioners discussion session on the fourth, I was on the agenda.

If you look at the school districts, I was I was on all those agendas, like on their agendas.

Um, but when they were also noticed about on the 20th, when the mailing went on the 24th and they were noticed of both the community meeting and the public hearing, I guess aside from me physically being there, they were also had the opportunity then to decide if they wanted to have a meeting or put it on their agenda.

That's totally up to them.

And I told the commissioner, well, I told them all that.

They, you know, that's that's their decision.

So yeah, they received both notice um in the mail that said you, you know, if you want to attend or participate, here are options.

Plus I was physically at their meetings on their agendas.

Okay, so you did give them the as it's the state law says that you did give them the meeting to give them the opportunity to meet, they chose not to meet with a public meeting.

Well, I yeah, I guess so.

When I was at the public meetings with them, they had an opportunity to communicate, right?

Which they did.

So I guess to me that was the first piece.

And then if they had chosen then beyond that to have another meeting of their own, that was sure they could certainly have done that.

Or they could have come to these meetings and expressed their comments directly to you.

Thank you very much.

Yeah.

Very good.

Other questions, uh uh Councilmember Shaw?

Um, I just wanted to add a point of information for council, which is that I had asked Wyeth to look into um if we were gonna be suddenly adding a bunch of centrally assessed properties to the Sabora because that has caused a lot of fluctuations in the downtown TIFF.

He met with Andy and why I feel free to elaborate, but he met with Andy and they feel comp pretty confident that the major significant one is the railroad, and that's pretty stable.

So I just think it it it was a piece that kept bugging me and I was worried about it.

So I just wanted to let everybody know.

Yes, thanks.

Thank you, Councilmember Shaw.

Yeah, that was something we uh the Councilmember Shaw had brought up and we discussed actually because we also had discussed it.

I discussed it with the downtown district because they do have challenges because they've got telecom properties that are centrally assessed within the downtown district, and that's that's been a real headache for that district.

But um, we looked at we knew that we looked at the railroad um properties that are within the existing districts.

Um and and Andy and I talked about it, and we've looking back over time, like that has been extremely stable.

Um though those are not fluctuating like the telecom have at all.

Um, and the other piece, and I mentioned this to council member shaw was that um uh an advantage also of including the railroad right away along the north side of the expansion area also is that it does go up to where um the 21st Street underpass is if there was future uh um consideration of of a project there for that underpass to make it safer and more accessible.

If there was future um consideration of of a project there for that underpass to make it safer and more accessible, there's the potential that this this council could consider whether um you know urban renewal funds could help with that.

So, but anyway, the main thing was that yeah, we we are not seeing that that fluctuation like we do with telecom.

If there had been telecom in this area, we would have been probably yes, thinking about what to do with that.

So thanks.

Thank you.

Very good.

Any other questions?

Uh Council Ripsis.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, so why if you knew like my my concern about this has been um from the financial uh projection standpoint, um, looking at the expanded district uh going forward with all the um financial commitments or plans that we have now, whether it's the rec center currently under expansion or development, the um potential South Park pool redevelopments, the new uh soccer, the the second turf soccer field at AMN Park.

Um even this last week in in the budget committee um we talked about the the possibility of using Sapura funds for expanding the parking lot at the evidence facility.

We have all these planned uh or or kind of bookmarked projects going on, and we don't have visibility yet to the uh what's that's gonna do to the financials over the next of the of over the 21 period years that we have.

I didn't see any further information in that in the memo.

And to be clear, I wasn't expecting there to be.

I'm the only one really kind of concerned about this.

So I'm not trying to put you on there, but do we have any uh visibility, any any kind of projections, calculations that show um what this looks like over the long term so we can set realistic expectations of what the expansion will be able to do beyond what we already know today.

Yes, and council member Ripsis and Mayor and Council, yeah.

Thank you for that question too.

So uh what I can tell you is a couple things.

Um one is that um what we do, what we did do and we needed to do is that um if you look on page 25 and 26 of the Urban Rural Plan amended urban rural plan, we called out identified additional projects um that that uh could be considered that are within the expansion area.

And um that included parks projects both in South Park and Highland Park, it included a variety of infrastructure public works projects that were identified as well.

Um, and uh a rough um well, we I I asked the parks department and Andy and I have been in communication too and public works about you know some estimates of what we were looking at there.

Um, and that comes in, and that's this isn't an exact list or an exact number, but it comes in in the 25 million dollar range if you take all that.

And that includes the potentially the South Park pool improvements of 10 million right there, but the rest are obviously smaller, but it's not it's not insignificant, as you point out.

So I think what we're looking at going forward with this council and with what's in the urban renewal plan is to say, okay, we've identified these additional improvement needs and projects.

We already know, like you said, councilman Ripsis, what's in the existing district still, that um that's going to be an exercise and based on both those estimates of what the estimated costs are, but also what's most you know prioritization that we're gonna that's gonna have to get done now going forward based on what we now have in their renewal plan and what we know based on those estimates.

So that does have to occur.

We wouldn't we wouldn't put obviously numbers in their renewal plan because that is a you know long-term document, but we would put the projects, and that's where we'd want to need to go now to that list and say, okay, where are we, you know, where are we at here and what's the top and and we need to prioritize working with council and staff working through the CIP as well to do that.

So that's kind of where we're at.

It's it's absolutely going to be critical because of yeah, you can there's a lot that you can do.

Um, and so the question is going to be what are those key investments that the city wants to make okay.

Uh if there are any other questions, we'll move ahead for a public or with our public hearing.

Uh, this is a public hearing.

I uh we'll uh ask the people uh as before, try to keep your comments to three minutes, tell us your uh name and address if you're comfortable in doing so.

I think also it would be very helpful if you could um uh tell us if you live in the old district or their projected expanded uh area, or maybe some other part of our community.

That would all be useful information.

Um, but before we open up for the general public, if there are representatives from uh uh Yellowstone County or school district uh two or lesion, we want to make sure you have an opportunity also to go first.

Um if so, please come to the podium.

I don't see uh uh okay.

Uh Ms.

Ludwig, uh, you're with us, and then uh uh I think we'll just have general public comment after after you.

If you can bring that microphone down right to you, there you go.

Hi.

My name's Tanya Ludwig.

I'm uh zone actually zone one trustee.

I am for the south side.

Um and I do live in what the old area of the Espera as well, which I can attest that we have reached out, as you all know, to for the school district for the softball field over at Riverside.

I'm gonna tell you living over by there.

You know, I'm like right behind that field.

So I know what was in that field before the beautiful softball field at Riverside as now.

And without the help of the Espera, you know, it that field might still be there or it might not.

And then we with the addition of our solar panels, you know, that's gonna save money for the district with the savings of the you know, the energy costs.

And it's also gonna help the students in the long run because they'll get to learn about how the solar energy works as well.

So thank you for that.

And thank you to the Espera.

But you know, as a parent and as a resident of over there, I feel that the Espera the expansion would be a great asset, especially to the South Park, because that pool really needs the repairs.

There's a lot of kids that use that in the summer, and that's not the only thing the only people that use that.

You have Bethel Church that uses that in the summer for a community swimming event.

They throw every year.

And it's we need to have the Espera expanded so we can get some repairs.

So I'm done.

Very good.

Thank you for what you guys do.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

Thank you very much.

Okay, this is a uh public hearing.

So please uh feel free to come forward if you have comments on item number five.

Just ask that you uh again keep your comments to three minutes.

Tell us your uh name and address, and uh ideally, just out of curiosity, whether you live in the existing district, the new proposed area or some other area.

Good afternoon, councilman and mayor, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh I'm a lifelong resident of the South Side.

Uh I've skinned my knees.

I've darn near drowned my best friends in the pool and everything else.

You can have fun with that pool.

I've been in that.

And Ms.

Clark, if you just give us your name.

I'm sorry.

Yep, Paul Clark, South Side Triangle.

There we go.

Uh I'm enjoying the park immensely.

I've changed my mind about having the pool there.

I didn't, I wasn't for it, but I'm learning that let's keep what we got and build it.

Since the idea of an indoor pool seems a little foreign, Mr.

Zier has some ideas about it, but for now, let's have the south side and we'll just have a south side park with a pool.

Looks like the tennis courts need to be repaired.

Thank you, Conaco Phillips, for the beautiful gazebo.

Now let's work on the dreaded Western sugar.

And I just heard that it will be included inside the city limits.

Does that give us more authority or more of a persuasion with the pollutants that that facility has done?

Now you have Wilson Park just south of that Western Sugar.

It's I don't know if I want to be in that playground or that field, but they've got to clean it up, especially if the Y VAS is not going to maybe that plan is fell through.

You guys haven't told the public yet about that.

It's all in from what I understand, litigation.

Um so yes, let's keep the park.

Let's bring in the what Mr.

Zier wants to bring in as far as some activities along the interstate.

Again, when you are developing land out there on 44th in Central, there seems to be a real fight for something that I enjoy, South Park, my luxury.

These people out on the West End development don't seem to have that unless they get in their car and they drive five minutes commute to get to Rose Park or anything else.

So again, I'm an advocate for parks.

And I wouldn't advocate for pollution being controlled.

We are literally taxing or fining uh through federal agencies.

Our western sugar is pure pollutant.

Now it does employ jobs.

I get it.

But doggone it when you got your water so darn polluted and stinks, and no one wants to even put it on the ground, let's grow grass.

We have to stay diligent with them.

Keep your feet on Western sugar.

If they impose, if we can impose a little bit of a fraction about, all right, we're going to find you, but instead of this, we're going to have you improve.

We're going to have you improve South Park Pool.

Be a member of the community, Western Sugar.

Don't just be a mouthpiece from Denver.

God bless.

Thank you.

Kevin Nelson, 4235 Bruce Avenue.

Like I told you last week, with the power of TIFFs and the tax increment financing mechanism, where a city government can just show up and just take other people's money and uh take care of their own needs.

And that's what's happening here, in my opinion.

The uh the voters voted the pool down.

So the city council just said, well, we'll just expand the TIFF district and take everyone else's money and then they can pay for it.

And that's what you're doing here tonight.

Uh by your own admission, you've said that the area could never, if it was a standalone TIFF district, would never ever generate enough revenue to build a pool.

So there's no economic advantage going down there.

You need to be good stewards with other people's money and make sure you invest it wisely and investing it in a South Park pool with no return on investment is not a prudent thing to do.

When this all started, I think some of you remember I said, Can you follow the law?

The letter speaks for itself.

I don't think you did.

And the reason I don't think you did is because there's certain statutory requirements met.

How would anybody know that you were going to expand a TIFF district back in August at a school board meeting of a subcommittee?

Or how would anybody in the county know that you're going to move forward with a expansion in the county at a work session?

I mean, you had your work session on the second.

You never made a you never authorized or made the recommendation till the 22nd.

No one knew this.

And so I think the statutes are clear, and I think you missed the what's actually ought to be happening is you ought to be having the meetings now that everyone knows what you're doing.

How would anybody be effective at a public comment at a public meeting when you don't even know what you're doing?

Because that's what you would have expected these people to do at these other meetings because no one knew what you were doing.

So I would just oppose this, put it back to the voters, see if the voters really want this.

Put it on a single issue vote to see do the voters really want a South Park pool?

I I don't know.

But it ought to be up to the voters to decide and not for the other taxing jurisdiction to pay for it.

Interesting.

Powers denied.

Any power that applies to or affects the public school system, you're doing that.

Powers denied.

Any power that applies to or affects the public employees' pension, you're doing that with TIFF districts.

I don't think you have the power in some of these instances to capture some of these mills that you do capture.

I think you're going to run into trouble with that.

Thanks.

I have a question.

I cannot read that.

I don't wear these because they make me look good.

Okay.

And ma'am, if you there we go, pull that uh microphone down.

That's great.

Um I am I have a sneaking suspicion.

I am now included where I live uh in the expansion area, but I'm not really sure.

So let me ask this.

And Member, can I get your name?

Uh Nancy Talcott.

Um I live at on Brockt Avenue, Southwest, which is east of Sam's Club and south of King Ave East, the little corner there.

And there's us.

We are a trailer court, and there's a kid's school, and then there's more trailer court as you go east.

So are we included in this?

Do I have to be worried that someone's gonna come knocking on my door and try and buy up my lot?

Uh it shouldn't have that impact, but um uh uh Dick or Wyatt.

Um we'll we'll get back to you on that uh while they look.

Did you guys get that address?

Yeah, right east of Sam's club.

Okay, yeah.

Immediately east uh across the road.

Sam's Club.

Uh so the assumption is you would be in the expanded district uh unless somebody more knowledgeable tells us you are not.

So Wyatt, do you have an opinion on this?

Oh, I'm sorry, you're in the current district.

Okay, very good.

So you are in the current uh South Billings Urban Renewal District, but not the ex uh proposed expanded area.

So you will be in the new district because you're already in the old district.

We're not changing the old, we're adding to the old and making it bigger.

Okay.

So what do I be expecting?

Because I'm in the old, it's not going to be the new, that's going to be larger.

Um because the letters and stuff I got talk about financial development, yada yada.

Development is a word that I am very suspicious of because I used to live in Los Angeles and I saw a lot of that stuff happen, and it's not always really good.

And I understand that trailer courts are being bought up here in Montana, and people are being unhomed, basically, because they don't own the lot, which I'm fortunate enough to own the lot, but still in the days in today's market, what we have is gonna not if I sell something, I'm not gonna be able to buy anything, even of so anyway.

I want to know.

I'm 79 years old, okay.

Pretty healthy.

Um, so what have I got like 10-15 years before you guys come knocking to just to sell my force me to buy or sell, excuse me.

Really, it's a lot, it's a valid question.

I've seen this happen throughout my life, and I really don't want to get caught in the crosshairs.

I just would like to be prepared.

Very good.

Uh we try not to have a dialogue, but your question is uh basic one.

So um I'll just try to give a basic explanation.

Uh first of all, this again doesn't change anything that has not already existed for 20 years with where you are.

It only will affect other properties outside of where you live.

So if you were going to be an impact before, uh you might have already felt that.

But it shouldn't.

It doesn't raise your taxes, and it what it does is it just requires that new growth, tax growth in this expanded area has to be spent in that area.

And that could potentially go to uh government, could go to developers.

We don't know.

Uh nobody has a crystal ball, but I wouldn't lose a lot of sleep because again, this is an area outside of where you already uh live.

So I'm gonna have to call it good there, but hopefully that's of some assistance.

Thank you.

Very good, thank you.

Uh, is there other public comment?

This is a public hearing.

Um please again.

We just asked that tell us your name and address and hey.

Here, council people.

My name is Gene Culver, and I own a building at 2716 Minnesota Avenue.

Based on what I'm seeing there, it looks as if that area on Minnesota Avenue has been excluded.

Is that correct?

Uh uh Councilman Kennedy is saying yes.

I I'm not uh uh I don't have a blown up.

Well, we have a number of problems down there, not only with the homeless, but there's also several blighted buildings, and I'm just curious if this could be put into the new district, because as I say, it's one of the first things you see when you look out the windows of the Northern Hotel.

So we have that with people who are coming in from uh from outside of billings and staying at these hotels.

So I'd just like that to be considered, perhaps.

Uh okay, Jean, we'll ask uh staff uh when we're done with public hearing to comment on that.

Um, but if you're uh immediately north, you're probably in the downtown TIFF district um already.

So but uh we'll ask staff to comment more specifically.

Thank you very much.

Could be very difficult to change the parameters at this point because of all the past notice.

As I said, thank you very much for hearing me out.

Okay, yeah, you got thank you.

Uh again, staff will ask you to comment on some of these uh uh things that come up uh when we close the public hearing.

Um why don't you hold off on that one?

We'll wait until we have all the public uh comment in.

Um is there any other uh public comment at this time?

Any other public comment?

This is a public hearing.

Uh last call, uh any other public hearing on item number five before we close the public comment period.

No one's coming forward, no one is uh standing up, so we'll close the public hearing on item number five.

Uh come back to staff or Brad, you stood up.

You I think you wanted to comment on something that was said during the public comment period or questions that were asked.

Yeah, thank you very much, Mr.

Mayor and Honorable Mayor and members of the council.

I just wanted to offer that in my experience, the effort to engage with the other taxing jurisdictions that that the city of Buildings went through here is best practice.

Um as a courtesy, very frequently in doing these TIFF type projects.

Um we will meet with staff from the other taxing jurisdictions, but the effort put in here to actually get on the agenda and go to their meetings in advance of this public hearing.

This public hearing meets, in my understanding, the code requirement.

And for these that I've done in the past, Department of Revenue has been pleased with this being the public hearing for their to give them their opportunity to comment public.

But the effort that this staff went to to engage with them, like I said, would in my opinion is the best practice.

That's all I want to say.

Very good.

Thank you.

Uh Wyeth, uh uh uh Gene Culver had the question about his property.

Um, do you have any comment on that?

Uh Mayor, Mayor and Council, I'm trying to uh check that right now to see if I can figure out exactly where he's where that property is located on the very edge.

So um if yeah, I just need a couple minutes.

And if you can just get back to him maybe after the meeting or whatever.

Sure.

Um, but uh uh I assume you would agree that if it is not part of this district, it would be very difficult to change the boundaries at this stage in any direction.

Um mayor and council, that's correct.

Um, I mean, yeah, you would you would be needing you would be doing that right now.

You would need to do that on your first reading if you were gonna change that the boundary.

So yeah, I I don't expect that to be happening right now.

Or yeah.

Mayor.

Uh council member Nees.

As I understand, maybe Dick, you're white if you could answer this, but as I understand, everything that was in the city was uh along Minnesota Avenue was all included in the TIFF district.

Am I I I thought I asked that question once before, and I was told that everything in the city along Minnesota Avenue was being included if it wasn't already in the TIFF district, um, the downtown TIFF district.

Is that Councilmember Nissan Marion Council?

That you're correct in the sense that the area along right, that's why I'm trying to see exactly where that address is in relation to that piece of the property.

Because yeah, we were trying to capture that uh everything that's in the city going over to the refinery.

So I was just trying to see where his property is.

So if it's not if it's not in the TIFF district, it was probably in the county, which would then now.

Are you in the city now?

Okay.

So we'd have to double check that too.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Make sure.

Yeah, because there is a uh excluded area uh uh around the rescue mission.

I can see it doesn't uh go all the way to the tracks, for example.

There's uh it um yeah, yeah, that's because that's already included in the downtown district.

Yeah, yeah.

Okay, very good.

Uh we've had our public hearing.

Uh uh council.

Uh it's now uh back to uh you uh uh uh councilmember Kennedy asked to make a motion and council member Shaw.

Uh do you have a questions before we do?

It is your district.

It is your district.

I'm gonna I'm gonna defer to uh uh the council member whose district this is in.

Absolutely.

Councilmember Shaw.

I appreciate that.

Thank you.

Um having conducted a public hearing, considered written and spoken public testimony.

I move to approve the first reading ordinance expanding the boundaries of the South Billings Boulevard Urban Renewal District and adopting a modified urban renewal plan as recommended by staff.

Very good.

Councilmember uh uh is it okay, Councilman Given?

If we give it counselor Kennedy, okay.

Uh right uh Councilmember Kennedy has the second.

That's fine.

Did you want to speak to your motion?

Um, I I mean I don't think council needs to hear a big um rousing.

I think we all understand the stakes here and the purpose behind this and eventual goals.

Um just I think it can't be said enough to remind the public we are not increasing anyone's taxes with this.

That is not what's happening.

It's um strategic use of certain tax dollars in certain areas of town.

So I that often is misconstrued with TIFFs, and I just I don't think we can say it often enough that we're not increasing taxes in this area of town.

We're just trying to concentrate some tax dollars here to try and reinvest in it.

So, Kenny and Casper Gullick.

I just want to make a couple comments.

And number one is um we push to have this expansion.

Number one to talk about the South Park pool.

But the whole thing is the expansion on the South Side.

When this came up years ago to set up the tax increment financing district, who do you think goes over to Sam's and goes over to each of the businesses over there?

The people in the triangular area.

The triangular area is an area that's fertile to go ahead and start building and create a tax base.

And it is a blighted area.

We're not just talking about the pool there.

We're talking about expansion of a lot of different areas.

The city of Billings has seven different parcels of land on 27th and different areas that could be developed for future use.

And that could be developed for commution uh commercial use instead of just um between the prison and uh other governmental agencies, we can finally get a tax base on the south side, which is so needed.

But I do have to address one thing.

The tax increment financing district, Sabura was not set up to fund the whole Amen Park area to build something that the mill levy went down.

So, you know, we're building the uh um the basketball courts.

Um, we have a private that's building the ice, and there'll be some parking lots there.

And there'll be some expansion on those um on the soccer fields.

This is in the middle of our ward.

Um councilwoman Rogers and myself.

And the one thing we looked at is if you don't expand this and have growth on the uh south side of the tracks in all of this area, you're not gonna see growth in a tax base.

The other is the pool at South Park.

Why it's so important is we have kids from the friendship house from all over town.

We have kids from all over that come from childcare centers to swim in that pool.

And if you took the tour, I wouldn't even let my grandkids go into the changing rooms because it's so disgusting.

So it's about time we looked at doing something in the area.

And that area needs to be you talk about blight, it is blight.

And so it needs to be done, and that's why I'm gonna support it tonight and keep on supporting so we have more growth in the in the whole south side area, not just one side gets a benefit and the other side doesn't.

We have to be all in this together.

Thanks.

Very good.

Thank you.

Council McGillett.

Nothing.

Councilmember Owen.

Thank you, Mayor.

I just um, in the sort of spirit of what's being said here of correcting the record, I just want to push back on the notion that we are somehow scooping up revenues that would end up in other taxing jurisdictions, because I think that's a fundamental mischaracterization.

This is an area of town, as councilmember Kennedy and other council members have said, desperately in need of investment.

We are going to grow a tax base here and create revenues where revenues do not currently exist.

This is an area where tax revenues have been stagnant or incrementally growing.

And what's going to happen is we can now attract development into an area that deserves it and is desperately in need of it.

And those revenues will return to the district and the county and other taxing jurisdictions in half the time that if we started a brand new district.

This expansion makes sense.

It gives us tools to bring investment to an area of the community that needs it.

Um I do think the South Park pool renovation will improve property values around it.

It sits right on the edge of the park.

It's visible, it shows commitment to the community.

It shows this community is on the move.

But we know there this is a food desert.

It's in need of a grocery store.

There are some heavily blighted properties.

There is work to be done in this district, and this is an incentive to get it done, grow the tax base and return those new revenues, not existing revenues, but new revenues to the taxing jurisdictions that would not have them, but for this district.

So I am enthusiastically supportive of it and um am glad that this is before us tonight.

Very good.

Thank you.

Other comments on the motion.

We literally have horse pastures one mile from downtown billings uh in this area.

And it is an amazingly well located area for future residential development uh to promote uh those uh uh housetops to support uh the grocery stores, the commercial development, but also just downtown redevelopment because of its close proximity, it's great location uh close to the interstate.

Uh so we have a tremendous opportunity here, but we've got to lean into it.

I'm hoping that these TIFF dollars uh will also be go to some of those planning efforts.

I don't know there's gonna be enough money to fund uh major residential development in the area, uh, but at least we could use some of those dollars to get started on planning, identifying those areas uh that need to be annexed that currently are not in the city limits, so that we can promote uh uh residential development in particular um in uh many of these areas.

So um I certainly will support this uh motion.

Are there other uh is there other discussion on the motion?

Uh Councilmember Nees.

Thank you, Mayor.

I I will support this motion.

I I am I am concerned about the size of it.

I think it is a very, very big TIFF district.

Um, but as has been noted, and if you drive down there, it it is needed.

It is a blighted area.

And so if if I'm not a fan of TIFF districts to begin with, but if um if this is I think this is gonna help this area over the time, it's it's not gonna be a full TIFF district coming in, you know, just over halfway through it.

And so I think we're gonna um there's enough time left to help this area redevelop.

And um I am uh I I like to say I'm gonna support this, but I think we're we're opening the door to possibly having the state limit some of the things we do with TIFFS just because we're getting such a big area.

Mayor, I agree with you.

This area is surrounded by a tonic ton of county that is also blighted, but we can't do anything with that unless it's annexed into the city and developed.

And so maybe this would be an opportunity for that.

Um, and I would look forward to this area seen in you know when this TIFF district is ending, what 40, 46 or 48, whatever it was, is seeing how well we've done as far as developing this.

So thank you.

Very good.

Thank you.

Uh Councilmember Rupsis.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'm gonna just gonna say real quickly, I'm gonna continue my lonely protest here.

Um, I think we've heard uh between the existing commitments and tonight, uh anywhere around 25 million dollars.

We're we've basically have about 50 million dollars worth of commitments uh for a TIFF district that right now brings in about four, four and a half million per year.

It looks like revenue from the last budget.

Uh so over 20 years, that's you know, 100 million dollars, which leaves us 50 million over 20 years, which is not nothing.

Um, and it will do good things uh throughout this area, right?

And so I so I want to support it, but I feel like we should have had uh at least a spreadsheet showing those you know commitments there so we can be honest about how much capacity we really do have.

Um, because if we look at something like uh, you know, the the AC hotel that we just uh approved for what was that five million dollars?

Um, this this is that money can go really fast.

Um so I'm I'm disappointed that we have that, but um I'm gonna continue my lonely protest, uh, even though I really do want to support this and and all the great things that it will do for the community.

Very good.

Uh Council Bravo.

I might as well jump in.

Um growing up in Billings, uh, you won't believe this, but we would never let a relatives driving from Denver drive up South 27th Street coming into Billings.

Uh, we were ashamed of that area.

It's a much better place now.

It's gonna be better.

I want to come back in 21 years and see what can happen with a TIFF.

I actually take people down and show them what the current TIFF has done in Sabora on Hollowell and Orchard Lanes.

And the one of the streets I show them is Hillview, which if you wouldn't believe Hillview uh 50 years ago, you you wouldn't even want to walk on the street.

It is beautiful now because of TIFF.

TIFF can help us if we use it the right way in the smart way.

So, yes, we need it desperately.

Very good.

Any other discussion on the motion?

Before we proceed to a vote.

Okay, uh the motion uh uh Council Shaw is approval item five, consistent with the staff recommendation.

You have the paperwork in your and uh uh draft documents in your uh packet.

If in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Aye.

If opposed, please say nay.

Uh uh we have uh one lonely protester in council member uh Rupsis, and we appreciate the spirit of that.

And we understand also the wisdom of uh what he's saying, I think too.

So uh with that, though, all other council members vote in favor, the motion passes.

That concludes item number five and brings us uh finally to public comment on things that were not on our agenda tonight.

So if anybody would like to comment on something that was not on our agenda, this is your opportunity to do so.

We just ask that you come uh to the podium, uh speak clearly into the microphone, keep your comments to three minutes to tell us your name and address.

Is there any public comment on non-agenda items?

Seeing nobody coming forward, uh, we will oh uh slide yes, um Tanya Ludwig 378 Jefferson Street.

I'm probably gonna open a can of worms with this one, but um I live in the Southwest part of the South Side.

We used to have a Southwest task force, but currently we don't have one, and I'd like to know why.

And I have been attending well whenever I can, I've been attending the South Side Task Force meetings.

So I would just like to find out how we could get the Southwest task force started up again.

And if we have someone that knows what's going on, can you please help the Southwest?

Some of us that are living over there would like to have a task force again because I've been talking to some people.

So that's all I have to say.

Very good.

We can have a dialogue about that.

Thank you.

Because there certainly was it, and then kind of fell into disuse.

Uh very good.

Is there any other public comment uh on non-agenda items before we close the public comment period?

Ma'am, if you want to comment, you need to come to the podium.

So you go.

Mr.

Mayor and City Council, my name is Patricia Harn.

I live near uh North Park, between North Park and uh Albertsons on 27th.

Can you hear me okay?

Yep, you sound great.

Uh-huh.

And uh I get my mail via uh P.O.

box.

I'm cautious about giving out my address.

Um anyway, uh I want some to make some comments on the animal shelter fiasco.

Um have some recommendations.

You just said that it's not really a conversation that I'm just supposed to make my recommendations.

My uh now I'm not fully up to speed on all that's going on, and the uh city manager is not here.

Um, but I saw an article a few days ago in the news, and uh one of this the animal shelter staffers swears that they're not going back to the old shelter.

And um, I'm very concerned about uh the fact that animals have nowhere to go.

I'm an animal rights person, first and foremost.

Uh and let's see.

Okay, I've got two minutes left.

Um, so I have a couple of recommendations.

Um I understand you have an inspection within the week, or it's it's happening with okay.

Now, if the inspection fails, or if the uh shelter staff still refuses to go back, which they swear, they seem to be swearing that they're not gonna go back to the old building.

Um I'm very concerned about that because um right now they're probably only handling about one-tenth of their normal um uh animal uh numbers.

Um so they're not really able to do their jobs unless they get that old building back.

What you can do to uh expedite that if um if they're stubborn and don't want to go back is to start scheduling a second review to reassure them to uh so I I don't know the processes, but I would get on board and and get busy um scheduling another review to reassure them that it's safe to go back there.

And um above all, I would recommend that uh you relocate the um site for burning hazardous materials.

Is there an alternate site that you can do this?

I think that would be the foremost concern.

Obviously, it's it's their foremost justifiable concern that they don't want this to happen again.

The entire city doesn't want this to happen again.

So another burn site needs to be um re-established immediately.

And um also this is uh rather explosive, but get ready, I'll be back.

Uh, we need to start talking about banning breeding.

Um there's animal rights people all over the place, and they feel compelled to have six dogs because of all the homeless dogs, not to mention the cats.

So we need to start talking about banning breeding.

Thank you.

Very good.

Thank you.

Appreciate those recommendations, and many of those things are happening.

So very good.

Any other public comment uh on items not on our agenda tonight?

Uh before we close the public comment period, no one is coming forward, no one's standing up, so we'll close the public comment period.

And um, I'm not aware of any public or council initiatives.

Uh, Councilmember uh Boyette.

They're not initiatives, but I just wanted to bring everyone's attention to our volunteer dinner Wednesday night.

And I have my volunteers, Tom and Ed and Kendra from there.

They're trained, they know what to do at the meeting at the dinner.

And then secondly, uh uh our uh city administrators review is coming up next month.

And I've sent a new form out to Councilman Shaw, Councilman Nice, and Mayor Cole to look at the new form before we mail it out to the rest of the city council.

Just be aware of that.

Thank you.

Council, would you just remind us again that uh exact date time uh for the volunteer dinner and location?

Uh the 29th, six o'clock.

And the people who have been they've been invited, and then they just need to respond whether they're coming or not.

All uh at the senior center.

We have about sixty people so far have signed up to come volunteers for the city of Belling.

It's it's always a great event.

Uh uh Tiny's is catering again.

Tiny's is catering, and we have a special gift for all the 60 people.

Very good.

So be there or be square and uh invite uh anybody who you know serves on one of our many uh boards or commissions.

Uh we want to have as many people as possible.

Council Ripsis, were you raising your hand about something?

No.

Okay.

Very good.

Thank you for that reminder.

We appreciate it.

Appreciate your efforts on that event.

With that, then council, we are adjourned.