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In this section we re-visit last week's meeting, providing:
- an AI summary (YouTube transcript analyzed by Claude's Sonnet 4.5)
- links to the Community 7 video
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 WORK SESSION MEETING - DECEMBER 1, 2025
Overview
The Billings City Council held a work session to discuss two primary items: redevelopment of the city-owned property at 802 Yellowstone Avenue and an initial discussion on the aggressive traffic and excessive noise Council initiative. The Council also received an update on the Mary Street and Bitterroot intersection safety improvements. After extensive discussion about the 802 Yellowstone property—which the city acquired in 2024 after years of code enforcement issues—Council voted 7-4 to direct staff to put the property up for sale to the highest bidder. The second half of the meeting focused on strategies to combat aggressive driving and excessive noise, particularly from motorcycles and racing vehicles. Staff presented traffic and noise data from various locations throughout the city, and Council provided direction to move forward with a revised noise ordinance, continued data collection, and exploration of enforcement tools and fines.
ACTIONS AND VOTES:
Redevelopment Opportunities for 802 Yellowstone Avenue
Discussion begins at: 15:47, Vote at: 1:05:39
Vote: PASSED 7-4
Council Member Boyett moved to "direct staff to put the property up for sale" to the highest bidder, with the understanding that if it doesn't sell within a reasonable time frame, staff would return with alternative options.
Votes in favor: Council Members Boyett, Kennedy, Neese, Owen, Aspenlieder, Tidswell, and Rogers
Votes against: Mayor Cole, Council Member Shaw, Council Member Rupsis, Council Member Gulick
Discussion on Aggressive Traffic and Excessive Noise Initiative
Discussion begins at: 1:06:00
No formal vote taken.
- Council provided comments to staff including:
- Move forward with proposed noise ordinance amendments
- Continue data collection on traffic speeds and noise levels throughout the city
- Review fine structure for reckless driving and speeding violations
- Explore technology solutions for enforcement
- Consider engineering solutions in road design
COUNCIL NOTABLE QUOTABLES:
Council Member Shaw (32:47): "I feel like we are constantly saying we don't have money to maintain our parks. When I saw that parks was supportive of this, I was like, what is going on?"
Council Member Rogers (45:53): "I've had a lot of experience with community gardens. They are not low maintenance. They are messy, they're a hassle, there are a lot of issues that come up with that."
Council Member Rupsis (48:29): "I think it should be housing. I mean, just point blank."
Council Member Rogers (1:40:52): "Please encourage your officers not to give warnings. These kids need tickets...It could save their lives."
Council Member Aspenlieder (2:06:35): "let's look at [excessive speeding fines] because I think those are also instant changes that we can make to make these things hurt."
Council Member Rupsis (2:13:14): "Personally, I'd like to see quiet ride zones in on our all our arterials that are going through residential neighborhoods."
THE PUBLIC INTEREST:
Paul Clark (14:12): "Rumble stripes work people. I was a truck driver for 40 years...Is it a nuisance? Of course it is. But guess what it does? Saves lives."
Tony O'Donnell, council member-elect (2:25:25): "I just wanted to emphasize that I will be continuing this quest for some type of noise abatement on Shiloh."
MEETING STATISTICS:
Duration: 2 hours, 39 minutes
Attendance: Mayor Cole, Council Members Shaw, Gulick, Neese, Owen, Rogers, Kennedy, Aspenlieder, Rupsis, Boyett, and Tidswell participating virtually
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