// IS ONE OF CAPTAIN PLANET'S PLANETEERS MAKING LITTER WORSE IN BILLINGS?

City Staff will provide City Council a presentation on litter in Billings, prompted by an initiative proposed by Councilmember Kennedy. The litter problem manifests most visibly along South Billings Boulevard between the city and the landfill facility, but is also very apparent along our I-90 interstate corridor. The presentation provided by Public Works offers an outline of litter sources and potential solutions. Because this is a work session meeting, City Council may give direction to staff, but no major policy action will be taken to combat the visible accumulation of debris affecting the city's appearance.

Whose fault is it?

I drive South Billings Boulevard everyday and can recall a handful of occasions tailing a City of Billings trash hauler that loses a large plastic bag or piece of cardboard from its bin, depositing it on the road as litter. Not frequently, but enough that it's memorable.

And while I've never seen anyone lose mattresses, bureaus, or big screens from the bed of personal pickups on their way to the landfill, it's clearly happening as these occasionally litter the roadway as well.

The litter problem is due to a mix of sources and factors including:

• City trash haulers
• Commercial trash haulers
• Individuals with unsecured loads
• Ironically, a major factor contributing to and exacerbating our pollution problem stems from one of the five essential elements required to summon Captain Planet: Wind. (While there's no evidence to suggest she's the culprit, the Planeteer who wields the Wind Ring hails from Soviet Russia, raising my suspicions...)

Options presented to Council include two approaches:

Proactive

• revising Standard Operating Procedures for city trucks, and pickup procedures
• coordinating with private haulers like MacKenzie and Republic Services
• partnering with state agencies to enforce load securement
• Public education on bagging and securing
• Mobilizing grassroots efforts

Reactive

• Litter pickups via contracts, Sheriff's Dept., volunteers

"Don't mess with Texas"

The campaign aimed at reminding Texans not to litter has shown promise for reducing litter according to a 2023 study.

• The 2023 Texas Litter Survey assessed 253 sites across Texas roadways
• Large litter decreased by 63.2% between 2013 and 2023, despite increases in population and vehicle miles traveled
• The survey revealed that motorists accounted for 47% of all litter along TxDOT-maintained roadways
• The significant reduction in litter despite increased traffic suggests that the "Don't mess with Texas" program has been more effective than previously assumed

Down memory lane

Despite the litter frustration related to our landfill, Public Works has done a great job ensuring the effectiveness of our landfill operations.

• We wrote about this in a December 2024 Council Bulletin highlighting Public Works's innovative approaches to waste management, including methane capture systems and composting programs that have saved millions in infrastructure costs while extending landfill capacity.

The bottom line

Litter creates immediate visual impacts that affect community pride and property values throughout Billings. The problem extends beyond aesthetics, creating safety hazards and requiring significant resources for ongoing cleanup efforts. Addressing litter sources proactively would reduce the need for continuous cleanup while improving the city's image for residents and visitors.

// WORK SESSION AGENDA - 5:30 p.m. - BILLINGS CITY HALL

In this section, we will include the meeting agenda for you to view. Clicking on the items will take you to more information. No need to read it all, but if something catches your eye, be sure to check it out.

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Cole 

PUBLIC COMMENT ON ALL ITEMS. Comments are limited to three (3) minutes during each public comment period or as set by the Mayor.

Introduction of Land Use Planning Team. 

1. Allies in Aging.

Allies in Aging Presentation

-Public Comment  

2. Disaster and Emergency Services.

-Public Comment  

3. Litter in Billings.

-Public Comment 

HIGHLIGHT UPCOMING AGENDA ITEMS OF COUNCIL INTEREST: 

COUNCIL DISCUSSION: 

PUBLIC COMMENT on “NON-AGENDA ITEMS”. Comments are limited to 3 minutes or as set by the Mayor.

ADJOURN:

// WATCH THE MEETING ON COMMUNITY 7 TELEVISION

// CITY ADMINISTRATOR WEEKLY REPORT

City Administrator Chris Kukulski began the routine of sending a weekly report every Friday to City Council and department heads with the intent to, "communicate the highlights of the past week and any critical issues coming up." The most recent CA Report includes updates on:

• EPA press release on Billings PCE Superfund site
• Naming the West End Reservoirs...what's your idea?!?!
• And much more...

// GET MORE INVOLVED IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Below are some additional public meetings being held this week, along with information about when and where to attend.

🔸 Tuesday, August 5th

Community Development Board

3:00 - 4:00 pm, Beartooth Rm, 5th Floor, New City Hall, 316 N. 26th St.

City Zoning Commission

4:30 - 5:30 pm, Council Chambers, 5th Floor, New City Hall, 316 N. 26th St.

🔸 Wednesday, August 6th

Human Relations Commission

3:00 - 4:00 pm, Billings Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2032 Central Ave.

Aviation and Transit Board

4:00 - 5:00 pm, Admin Conf Rm 217, Billings Airport, 1901 Terminal Circle

🔸 Thursday, July 31st

Council Operations Committee

4:00 - 5:30 pm, Rimrock Rm, 5th Floor, New City Hall, 316 N. 26th St.

Interim Planning Commission

4:30 - 6:00 pm, Council Chambers, 5th Floor, New City Hall, 316 N. 26th St.

// THE SQUEAKY WHEEL

// BOARD & COMMISSION OPENINGS

The Mayor's Office is accepting letters of interest to fill the vacancies listed on the city website. For more information on each specific board, visit the city website. City Boards and Commissions are appointed by the Mayor, confirmed by City Council, are advisory only, and members serve without compensation.

Submit applications to: Mayor's Office, PO Box 1178, Billings, MT 59103-1178.

The DEADLINE for applications is September 1, 2025.

BOARD OPENING (SEATS)

Tourism BID (2)

Community Development Board (1)

Housing Authority—Family (1)

REQUIREMENTS

Live in Billings (Hotel Industry)

Live in Billings

Live in Billings (Res Comm)

// IN CASE YOU MISSED IT - AI SUMMARY AND SOURCE LINKS

In this section we re-visit last week's meeting, providing:

• an AI summary (YouTube transcript analyzed by Claude's Sonnet 4) 
• links to the Community 7 video 
• draft minutes produced by city staff (if available). 

We'll revise and edit when necessary for clarity, brevity, and to avoid inaccuracies, which are sure to happen on occasion. And, considering the difficulty Council has had with audio feeds, it's likely that some comments or segments of the meeting will be missed in the video transcript.

Billings City Council Business Meeting - July 28, 2025

Overview

The Billings City Council conducted a streamlined meeting focused primarily on two main agenda items: reauthorizing the Downtown Business Improvement District and approving a significant tax increment financing package for Montana Tire. The session was highlighted by recognition of community heroes who prevented scams and assisted in emergency rescues, while also addressing ongoing concerns about downtown revitalization, railroad-related development challenges, and infrastructure needs on the city's south side.

Actions and Votes Taken

• Unanimously approved July 14, 2025 meeting minutes
• Unanimously approved removal of agenda item 1B (Professional Engineering Services Contract) for future consideration
• Unanimously approved consent agenda items including bid awards for Big Ditch Extension Trail and city overlay projects, equipment purchases, and final plat approval
• Unanimously approved Resolution of Intent to Create Downtown Business Improvement District 1 (BID 0001) after discussion about service equity
• Unanimously approved $634,185 tax increment financing assistance to Montana Tire (MBA Properties, LLC) for new automotive tire shop construction

Key Quotes from Councilmembers

Councilman Ed Gulick during invocation: "Great places do not just happen by themselves. They require the attention, intentions, and love of place and its people to happen."

Councilman Bill Kennedy on BID services: "We keep on hearing about the three police officers. We have not we do not have three police officers doing anything right now because there isn't any police officers able to help that."

Councilman Scott Aspenlieder on TIF spending: "I don't expect to see anybody back here when the other half of that block gets developed. I mean, this is a lot of money to dump into this location in a TIF that's not generating a lot of increment."

Mayor Bill Cole on Bitcoin scams: "I had no idea. You could take a regulatory approach or maybe not a regulatory approach, a request approach to those businesses to see if they might be a stronger partner in helping our seniors in that regard."

Notable Public Comment

Dan Brooks, Billings Chamber: Provided support for BID renewal and TIF request, noting the economic and safety benefits through CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles. He referenced studies showing the deterrent effect of CPTED on would-be criminals and that "in those instances where a building has potted flowers, [criminals] avoid those because they know people are taking care of it, people are looking after it."

Meeting Statistics

• Duration: Approximately 1 hour and 33 minutes (5:30 PM - 7:03 PM)
• Attendance: 10 of 11 councilmembers present (Councilwoman Shaw excused)
• Most Active Speakers: Councilman Kennedy (extensive BID questions), Councilman Aspenlieder (multiple initiatives), Mayor Cole (meeting management and commentary)

Other Relevant and Interesting Aspects

Community Heroes Recognition: Zach Simpson from Circle K has prevented an estimated $100,000+ in Bitcoin scams targeting seniors over recent years, highlighting a challenge with cryptocurrency ATMs at gas stations.

Infrastructure Challenges: Multiple ongoing issues emerged including BNSF railroad complications affecting downtown development projects, drainage problems near the sixth street underpass, and questions about state mental health facility planning.

Regional Coordination: Council discussed potential joint efforts with Yellowstone County commissioners to engage state officials about mental health facility development and various infrastructure projects.

Efficiency Improvements: The meeting demonstrated streamlined operations with most items passing unanimously, though substantive discussion occurred on key issues like BID service equity and TIF district financial sustainability.

// ADDITIONAL BILLINGS CHAMBER RESOURCES

// BUSINESS ADVOCACY SPONSORS