// CITY SETTING 2025 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

With the 2025 Legislative Session quickly approaching, City Council's Legislative and Local Affairs Committee drafted a list of the City's priorities for the upcoming legislative session. Those priorities include:

• Public Safety
• Housing
• Economic Development
• Medicaid Expansion Reauthorization
• Infrastructure
• Shift Tax Burden
• League of Cities/Self-Governing Powers

Many of these priorities overlap with the priorities of the Billings Chamber, including the City's top 3, highlighted below.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Support legislation providing enhanced safety, health and security for Billings residents; fight drug abuse, domestic violence, human trafficking and associated crime; reduce vagrancy, homelessness and increase resources for mental health services.

This support includes the following proposed or potential legislation: 

• Generally revise theft laws (Sen. Usher’s SB 95)
• Youth Court Act revisions (Rep. Mercer’s HB 614)
• Revise laws relating to dangerous drugs (Rep. Baum’s HB 301)
• Support, in general, the Yellowstone County Attorney’s and the Montana County Attorneys Association legislative priorities.
• Support legislation to expand the incarceration capacity at the state level.
• Support laws to increase possible charges and/or penalties when partner/family violence is committed in the presence of a minor.
• Support reforms and improvements to Montana’s behavioral health and developmental disabilities service systems, including the priorities set by the Behavioral Health System for Future Generations (BHSFG) Commission.

HOUSING

Support legislation that promotes housing abundance, affordability, and promoting home ownership for citizens. Support, in general, the Governor’s Housing Task Force recommendations, particularly:

• R3—Identify, evaluate, and implement building code reforms to lower housing construction costs and timelines without compromising safety, especially for missing middle housing.
• R14—Substantially increase state funding for the Housing Montana Fund (HMF)-Affordable Housing Revolving Loan Fund (AHRLF).
• R16—Draft and introduce legislation to establish a State Housing Tax Credit program.
• R17—Draft and introduce legislation to authorize an additional $50 million in funding from the Coal Trust Tax Fund for the Coal Trust Multifamily Homes (CTMH) program and provide more flexible terms for loans made under the CTMH program.
• R20—Address the challenges of obtaining affordable property and casualty insurance for homes. (Note: Includes a section on reducing Montana’s higher 10-year statute of repose for construction defect litigation, likely a factor in minimal condo construction)
• R21—Leverage state resources and expertise to decrease the costs of pro-housing reform implementation and draft legislation for an ongoing appropriation for planning grants to local and tribal governments for planning and zoning to increase housing supply.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Support legislation that facilitates private investment in Billings.

• Tax Increment Finance (TIF)—Support preservation of TIF as economic development tool, offering Billings’ TIF resolution as a good governance model. (I.e. requiring uniform reporting from districts, governance/ethics training for boards, a minimum 5:1 ratio of private:public investment, and elected official approval for all allocations, with exceptions for projects under $100,000) 

City Council will be voting on adoption of those policies tonight. We appreciate the work of the City's Legislative and Local Affairs Committee and look forward to working on those policies the City and Chamber agree on.

// BUSINESS MEETING 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.

COUNCIL REPORTS: 

ADMINISTRATOR REPORTS - CHRIS KUKULSKI 

PUBLIC COMMENT on “NON-PUBLIC HEARING” Agenda Items: 1 ONLY. Comments are limited to three (3) minutes or as set by the Mayor.

1. CONSENT AGENDA -- Separations: 

A. Bid Awards: 1. Water Treatment Plant Floating Dredge. (Opened 8/20/24) Recommend SRS Crisafulli.  

B. Purchase of 15 Mobile Data Terminals (MDT) for the Police Department. 

C. Amendment No. 1 to the Purchase and Sale Agreement (PSA) for Current City Hall with Honaker Realty LLC and JWT Capital LLC. 

D. Amendment No. 3, to Professional Services Agreement with DOWL for W.O. 23-11: Downtown 2-Way Street Conversion. 

E. Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Billings, Par-3 Golf Course, and Sunset Memorial Gardens to establish an irrigation supply line maintenance fund. 

F. HOME-ARP Supportive Service Project - Subrecipient Allocations. 

G. Settlement Agreement with Christopher Tucker - 802 Yellowstone Avenue. 

H. Preliminary Minor Plat of Grove Ventures Subdivision. *Quasi-Judicial 

I. Preliminary Minor Plat of Zimmerman Home Place Subdivision, 5th Filing. *Quasi-Judicial 

J. Final Major Plat of Buffalo Crossing Subdivision. *Quasi-Judicial 

K. Final Major Plat of Wild Rose Subdivision, 1st Filing. *Quasi-Judicial 

L. Resolution approving administrative fees for parking violations. 

M. Resolution establishing legislative priorities for the Montana State Legislature's 2025 Session. 

N. Bills for the Weeks of: 

1. August 19, 2024 

2. August 26, 2024  

REGULAR AGENDA: 

2. CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING AND RESOLUTION setting annual levies on General Fund, Transit, Library, Public Safety I, II, III, and General Obligation Debt. Staff recommends approval.

3. CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING AND RESOLUTION creating the City of Billings Planning Commission to comply with the Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA). Staff recommends approval.

4. PUBLIC HEARING to receive input on FY2023-2024 draft Comprehensive Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER). No action is necessary. 

5. PUBLIC HEARING AND FIRST READING ORDINANCE FOR ZONE CHANGE 1055: to remove multiple lots in the Galaxy Subdivision. Zoning Commission recommends approval and adoption of the 10 review criteria. *Quasi-Judicial

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

COUNCIL INITIATIVES: 4 City Buildings - Moss Mansion, The Depot, Babcock Theater and Alberta Bair Theater.

      Sponsored by: Councilmember Kennedy 

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:

• Updates on Mayor's Luncheon for Park Excellence
• How to move forward with Crisis Response Units (CRUs)
• 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, and what's on the agenda (if one is available).

Tuesday, Sept. 24th

Heights Neighborhood Task Force

7:00 - 8:00 pm @ Oasis Water Park, 543 Aronson Ave.

Wednesday, Sept. 25th

Heights Neighborhood Plan Open House

5:00 - 7:00 pm @ Oasis Water Park, 543 Aronson Ave.

// 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: OCTOBER 7, 2024.

BOARD OPENING (SEATS)

Billings Business Improvement Dist. (1)

Community Development Board (1)

Community Development Board (1)

REQUIREMENTS

Must own land in BID district

Must live in Billings (Low-Mod)

Must live in Billings

// IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Check out the BPD's latest Five-O Forum podcast to learn more about how the BPD utilizes it's Facebook page to send out and receive information with the public. Click the image below to listen.

// ADDITIONAL BILLINGS CHAMBER RESOURCES

// BUSINESS ADVOCACY SPONSORS