City Council Meeting Summary - January 27, 2026

The Billings City Council convened on January 27, 2026, to approve minutes, conduct public hearings on new park and recreation fees, and review administrative reports. The meeting featured significant discussion regarding the use of geofencing technology for attendance tracking, the implementation of senior discounts, and a higher surcharge for non-residents. The council unanimously approved the consent agenda (with an item separated) and the resolution setting new fee schedules, incorporating two amendments to establish a senior discount and a non-resident fee structure.

Consent Calendar

• The minutes for November 24, 2025, and January 12, 2026, were approved unanimously.
• The consent agenda items (excluding Item 1J) were approved unanimously. Item 1J (Preliminary Major Plat for Copper Farm Subdivision) was separated due to a recusal.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Michael Mayard (Amen Park Development Council Executive Director): Stated the organization is in favor of the fee adjustments and requested council support for their upcoming budget and operational changes.
• Adam Combs (Billings Police Department Union Member): Expressed strong concern regarding officer compensation disparities. Combs argued Billings offers the "second lowest pay" among Montana's seven most populous cities despite having the "highest violent crime rate" (920 incidents vs. Missoula's 455) and "58% more calls for service" than the second-busiest department. He detailed that Billings receives only $250 annually for specialty pay compared to other agencies' rates and lacks on-call compensation, urging the council to act before officers leave the department.
• Paul Clark (Ward 1): Expressed full support for the new park project but raised concerns about maintenance, specifically asking if the county and state will assist. Clark noted community concerns regarding the building's "prison-like" aesthetics and lack of visual "flavor," though he acknowledged landscaping would improve the look over time.
• Leona Price: Spoke in favor of the police department's work. Regarding the fee discussion, she expressed discomfort with the geofencing technology described by the Parks Director, stating, "nobody wants to see me in the shower," and suggested lower age thresholds for senior discounts (e.g., 55 instead of 65).
• Jennifer Strong (Ward 3): Strongly encouraged the council to support a senior discount, citing the benefits of seniors taking grandchildren to the pool and minimizing budget detriment.
• Jeff Kettlson (West End Resident): Expressed deep concern and opposition to the geofencing technology, stating, "Surveillance has gone too far." He questioned the legality of the city retaining personal device data for over a year and asked if facial recognition is being employed.
• Tucker Calvin: Expressed confusion and disappointment regarding the narrow vote to continue the Energy and Conservation Commission, arguing it saves the city money and prevents infrastructure crises. Calvin also commented on the police comp situation following violence in Minneapolis, referencing the government's "monopoly on legitimized violence."
• Paul Clark (Second Comment): Framed comments regarding Minnesota protests, streetlights in the South End, and the potential toxicity of runoff from the South Side sugar factory.
• Guest Commenter: Expressed support for the President's actions regarding civil unrest in Minnesota and opposition to rioting.

Discussion Items

• Item 1J (Copper Farm Subdivision): Councilmember O'Donnell recused himself and voted against the motion (9-1). He clarified that his opposition was not to the specific plat, but indicated "great reservations about the historical process of developments in the West End" and preferred "infill" over "piecemeal" expansion.
• Parks, Recreation, and Public Land Fees:
  • Staff Presentation: Director Gavin presented data showing 2.7 million visits to 57 geo-fenced parks in the last 12 months and 1.3 million visits in the last six months. He explained fee adjustments are necessary to offset costs that have risen since 2020, including a 35% increase in lifeguard wages ($82,000), chlorine costs ($6,000), and caustic soda costs ($5,800). The proposed adjustments aim to recover approximately $105,975.
  • Geofencing Controversy: Public testimony and council discussion focused heavily on the privacy implications of using AI software to track cell phone pings. Councilmember Neese noted the software defaults to city jurisdiction for zip codes shared by the city and county. Staff clarified they do not collect phone numbers or identify individuals; the data is "scrubbed" and autonomous, providing only aggregate counts.
  • Senior Discount Proposal: Councilmember Nees introduced an amendment to add a 10% discount for residents 65 and older on pool rates, rounded down to the nearest whole dollar. Councilmembers Shaw and Boyette voted against this amendment during the first vote, citing a lack of data on how many seniors would utilize the discount and the potential revenue impact. However, upon re-evaluation, the council voted to pass the amendment.
  • Non-Resident Fee Proposal: Councilmember Nees proposed a second amendment to change the non-resident surcharge from a flat $20 to 140% of the resident rate (rounded up), arguing this better ensures non-taxpayers reimburse the city for services. Councilmember Lindley seconded, and the motion passed.

Key Outcomes

• Motion Passed (Unanimous): Approved the minutes for November 24, 2025, and January 12, 2026.
• Motion Passed (10-0 for original, 10-0 for consent): Approved the consent agenda items, excluding Item 1J.
• Motion Passed (9-1): Approved Item 1J, Preliminary Major Plat for Copper Farm Subdivision. Councilmember O'Donnell voted against it due to concerns regarding sprawl development practices.
• Motion Passed (Unanimous): Approved the resolution setting Parks, Recreation, and Public Land fees with two amendments:
  1. Senior Discount: Added a 10% discount on pool rates for residents aged 65 and older (rates rounded down).
  2. Non-Resident Fee: Established the non-resident fee at 140% of the resident fee for all activities (rounded up).
• Work Session Scheduled: Councilmember Aspenlighter successfully moved to send the YWCA agreement (Item 3) to a future work session; the motion passed unanimously (requiring 8 votes, 8+ were present/abstaining as a quorum was met). Dan Clark is scheduled for ethics and board training on February 2nd.
• Next Steps: The Parks Department will implement the new fee schedule in the upcoming activity guide. The council agreed to gather data on the senior discount usage before the next fee cycle. Councilmember Lindley noted the Technology Advisory Commission will be presented soon.