Billings City Council Meeting Summary, November 25, 2025
Billings City Council Meeting Summary, November 25, 2025
The Billings City Council convened on November 25, 2025, to recognize the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, review routine consent agenda items, and deliberate on two major land use proposals in the West End area. The meeting focused heavily on a joint public hearing regarding the annexation of Barber Farm (Item 4A) and a concurrent zone change (Item 4B). Following extensive public testimony regarding traffic, school capacity, and neighborhood character, the developer requested a withdrawal of the applications to refile with modifications.
Consent Calendar
- Motion Passed Unanimously: Approval of non-separated items on the consent agenda (excluding items 1B, 1I, and 1J).
- Item 1B (Separate): Approved the short-term service agreement with the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter, contingent upon the City Attorney making minor clarifications to Section 3B and Section 5F regarding animal disposal fees and responsibilities after approval by the shelter and City Administrator.
- Items 1I & 1J (Separate): Approved the second final reading zone change 1071 (Clear Water State Subdivision) and the associated item after Councilmember Asplinter recused himself. Councilmember Ripsis clarified that two bills from a client on the payment report were erroneous and trivial, prompting a transparency note but not a full recusal.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Zonta Club of Billings: Renee Kopic, representing the Zonta Club, addressed the proclamation for the 16 Days of Activism. She expressed that gender-based violence is a "stark reality" in Billings, citing that 37.2% of Montana women experience intimate partner violence. She advocated for support of raising awareness, better firearm access policies for known abusers, and budget allocations for shelters and support services.
- West End Neighbors (Items 2A/2B & 4A/4B): A unified front of neighbors from subdivisions including Cloverleaf Meadows, Sundance, and Twin Pines expressed strong opposition to the proposed high-density developments. Key positions included:
- Incompatibility: Speakers argued the proposed density (6.67 to 7.55 units/acre) is fundamentally incompatible with the surrounding low-density single-family neighborhoods (0.8 to 2.2 units/acre), violating zoning criteria regarding the "character of the district."
- Traffic Safety: Residents expressed concern that the current infrastructure cannot handle the projected influx of 300-400 additional vehicles, noting that surrounding roads (Central, Broadwater) lack capacity or future funding.
- School Capacity: Mothers and parents testified that local schools (e.g., Metal Arc Elementary) are already at capacity and that the development would exacerbate overcrowding.
- Infrastructure & Water: Speakers raised objections regarding the lack of immediate road extensions (44th, 46th Streets), potential well water pressure drops, and the inability to access the proposed road connections through neighboring subdivisions without future legal action.
- Paul Clark (South Side Triangle): Expressed support for the eventual development and traffic growth but advocated for simultaneous investment in parks and community planning to buffer neighborhoods from commercial growth.
- Developer Representative (Taylor Kasperic): Stated the position that the development is necessary for affordable housing and aligns with state-mandated duplex laws and growth policy. However, after reviewing the public sentiment and legal constraints regarding zoning amendments, the developer stated a willingness to withdraw the application to engage with the neighborhood on a modified plan.
Discussion Items
- Proclamation (16 Days of Activism): Council unanimously supported the proclamation recognizing violence against women and heard statistics on domestic violence in Montana.
- Annexation 2505 & Zone Change 1073 (Item 2A/2B - Sunny Cove Fruit Farms): Council approved the annexation and zone change for the Sunny Cove property. Councilmember Tidswell and Mayor Cole voted against the annexation due to a 23-year development agreement requiring park contributions from developers in the benefited area, stating they must vote against it to remain consistent with past positions, despite supporting the project's vision.
- Annexation 2506 & Zone Change 1074 (Item 4A/4B - Barber Farm):
- Staff Presentation: Wyatt (City Administrator) noted that the annexation and zoning resolutions contained mechanical errors regarding phased implementation (Phase 1 vs. Phase 2 effective dates) which were corrected on the evening prior to the vote. Staff recommended conditional approval for annexation and approval for the zone change.
- Council Deliberation:
- Councilmember Kennedy: Raised concerns that the NX-1 zoning at the northern edge of the property is not funded or physically connected until a future date (2031 or later) and that the city lacks the authority to amend the zoning map itself or require specific road connections (Broadwater to Shiloh) as conditions of annexation due to existing laws and lack of right-of-way.
- Councilmember Owen: Expressed concern regarding the lack of analysis on the aquifer/nitrate levels in the West End and requested a moratorium on approval until the Bureau of Mines study is complete, though staff noted no immediate water/sewer issues for the city portion.
- Councilmember Boyette: Argued that the city cannot simply reject the density based on incompatibility because state law (MTCA 76-2-204) mandates duplexes in all residential zones, effectively limiting the City's ability to enforce stricter single-family-only zones.
- Councilmember Nee: Noted that the developers have built similar complexes elsewhere but supported the withdrawal to allow for better neighborhood integration, acknowledging the difficulty of the "quasi-judicial" process where aesthetics cannot be a basis for denial.
- Developer Withdrawal: After public comment, Taylor Kasperic on behalf of the developer reaffirmed a request to withdraw the applications entirely (both annexation and zone change) to refile after meeting with the neighborhood, rather than utilizing a referral back to the Zoning Commission which would require a 60% vote and re-publication.
Key Outcomes
- Item 1 (Consent): Unanimously passed (with adjustments to Animal Shelter agreement).
- Item 2A (Sunny Cove Annexation): Motion passed 9 to 2 (Mayor Cole and Councilmember Tidswell voted no). The vote was 9 in favor, 2 opposed, with Councilmember Asplinter recusing himself.
- Item 2B (Sunny Cove Zone Change): Motion passed 10 to 0. Councilmember Asplinter did not vote.
- Item 3 (Ward Boundary): Motion passed 10 to 0 (unanimously). Councilmember Asplinter was absent.
- Item 4A & 4B (Barber Farm): The Council voted unanimously to accept the developer's request to withdraw the annexation and zone change applications (Item 4A and 4B). This allows the developer to withdraw the current proposals (avoiding a potential one-year wait period imposed by denial) and resubmit a modified plan at their discretion. Item 4C (Annexation Agreement) was effectively mooted by the withdrawal of the application package.
- Adjournment: The meeting concluded after public comments on non-agenda items regarding bus stops and infrastructure.
Note: A discrepancy was noted between Councilmember Boyette's inquiry and staff clarification regarding Item 5 (Ward Boundary), which was identified as Ward 4, not Ward 5, and corrected in the record.
Meeting Transcript
Proclamation this evening, which is in recognition of 16 days of activism against gender violence. And I believe we probably have some representatives from the Zonta Club with us. If you'd like to comment, please come forward while I read the proclamation. The proclamation reads as follows. Whereas we as citizens of Billings, Montana recognize the worldwide problem of violence against women, it occurs everywhere, even in our community. And whereas gender violence is traumatic to the body, mind, and spirit, and can prevent people from being fully active participants at home and in the world. And whereas the health of uh parents and caregivers is critical to the overall health and well-being of their families and the larger community. And whereas we only have to look to our newspapers or watch a television newscast to see the unfortunate truth, that domestic violence has yet been or uh has not yet been eliminated here or elsewhere around the world. And whereas we, the citizens of Billings support efforts of individuals and joint organizations such as the Zonta Club of Billings to raise awareness, stimulate discussions, and advocate for statewide solutions that will curb gender violence. And whereas the citizens of Billings join thousands of others from around the world to affirm that the right of women and men to be free of violence is a fundamental human right. Now, therefore, I, William Cole, mayor of the city of Billings, do hereby proclaim the 16 days between the International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women on November 25th and International Human Rights Day on December 10th, as 16 days of activism against gender violence during and during those uh days, encourage all Billings residents to support efforts to end gender violence and to eliminate the detrimental consequences that gender violence has on the well-being of our city. And um Debbie, Renee, somebody want to uh uh chime in, you're welcome to do so. Renee. Renee Kopic, uh, Zonta Club of Billings. Thank you for allowing us to speak tonight. I know your agenda is really packed. Um, the Zonta Club of Billings wants to address what is a very pressing issue in our city, as Mayor Cole said, gender-based violence, particularly intimate partner violence. While this isn't a new problem, recent data underscores that it remains a serious and urgent concern, one that demands ongoing attention, resources, and leadership. Unfortunately, gender-based violence in Billings is a stark reality. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 37.2% of Montana women experience intimate partner violence and or stalking in their life lifetimes. 33% experience rape. That's more than one in three women in our state touched by this cycle of violence. For indigenous women in Montana, the rate rises to 47%, a deeply alarming disparity. Since tracking began in 2000, at least 248 Montanans have died as a result of intimate partner homicide. In the reviewed cases, firearms were involved in 58% of gender-based violence related deaths, highlighting how lethal access to guns dramatically raises the stakes the Billings Police Department reports that they respond to more than 600 non-aggravated partner or family member assaults per year. In 2018 to 2023, the BPS averaged 1,059 domestic violence incidents per year compared to about 712 for all other crime types. These aren't just statistics. They represent real people in our community. Mothers, grandmothers, daughters, and friends. People who may be in danger right now. Lives are at stake. It weakens the fabric of community safety. We can all take action. First, we must publicly admit there's a problem, which the proclamation does, and that's uh why we are asking you to sign the proclamation. As a community, we need to support local shelters and advocacy services. As Zontians, we will advocate for better policies and laws around firearm access for known abusers, because every life matters in our city. We all need to encourage bystander intervention and community education to break the silence and the stigma. We all must also consider budget allocations to support shelters, transitional housing, and legal services, such as those found at the Northern Lights Family Justice Center. We are really lucky to have that in Billings. Billings is on the right track. We are improving and facilitating partnerships between law enforcement, legal aid, social services, shelters, and behavioral health providers. But we can't stop here. We can't sweep these dire statistics under the rug because agenda-based violence is not a problem that will solve itself. Yes, in billings, we have the numbers, and they tell us that while we have made some progress, we still have a long way to go. These statistics should drive us to compassion, action, and lasting change. Let us commit today to supporting survivors, holding abusers accountable, and building a safer, much more safe community and just community for everyone. Thank you. Thank you. That's it. Okay, very good.
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