The Billings City Council on Monday rejected starting the process to dispose of Ramada Park, an undeveloped city park in the Pineview Subdivision, at a meeting KTVQ reported drew neighbors who want to keep it, and approved the sale of up to $15,045,000 in tax increment bonds for the South Park pool. On Thursday a Billings Public Schools budget committee set aside a proposal to raise Superintendent Erwin Garcia's base salary to $270,000. In Miles City, the City Council voted down two resolutions that would have put proceeds from fire department sales into the fire capital fund, and Carbon County Public Health confirmed two measles cases.
Billings and Yellowstone County
Billings City Council
Nine council members and Mayor Mike Nelson attended the council's regular meeting Monday, Nov. 9; Council member Andrew Lindley was excused, according to the city's Council Action Summary.
Ramada Park. After a public hearing, the council voted 10-0 on an amended motion to reject a resolution of intent to dispose of the park, which runs between Morledge Street and Ramada Drive (staff report). Neighbors filled City Hall to speak for keeping the land as a park, KTVQ reported Nov. 10. A resident who lives next to the park told KTVQ he hopes to buy part of it and proposes moving the boundary to the ditch that runs through it, enlarging his and a neighbor's lots, with the money going to sprinklers and upkeep. Council member Scott Aspenlieder told KTVQ the work would take about six months toward creating a special improvement district to pay for park improvements.
Other actions on the regular agenda:
- Fiscal 2027 budget amendments, approved as amended 8-2 after a public hearing, with Council members Kendra Shaw and Amy Aguirre opposed. As proposed, they included $95,000 from a Prohousing grant for downloadable pre-approved housing plans and $184,000 for HVAC repairs at City Hall (staff report). The action summary does not describe the amendment.
- A resolution of intent to dispose of the Minnesota Avenue parking lot, approved 10-0. Staff reports describe a resolution of intent as the first of two steps; a sale would need another notice, hearing and vote.
On the consent agenda, all by 10-0 votes, the council:
- authorized the sale of up to $15,045,000 in tax increment bonds from the South Billings Boulevard Urban Renewal District for the South Park pool project (staff report);
- authorized the sale of $9,815,000 in Series 2026 storm sewer revenue and refunding bonds, which staff estimated would save about $144,387 in present-value terms by refunding 2013 bonds (staff report);
- accepted an $80,000 state Disaster and Emergency Services grant and a $46,340.80 opioid abatement grant for the fire department.
The council also voted 10-0 to remove two items from the agenda: the sole-source contract with Vector Airport Systems for airport landing fee billing, and the amendment to the water carriage agreement with the Billings Bench Water Association for the Canyon Creek Flume replacement.
Billings Public Schools
The trustees' Budget Committee met Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Lincoln Center on two superintendent employment agreements, one for this school year and one for 2027-28 through 2029-30 (agenda). The proposal would have raised Garcia's base pay from about $217,000 to $270,000 plus $20,000 a year, and extended his contract through June 2030. The two stations describe the action differently, and neither reported a vote count. KULR-8 reported Nov. 12 that the budget committee declined to recommend the proposal, which went back to negotiations, and that the full board must approve any contract change. KTVQ reported Nov. 13 that the board approved a motion to decline the $270,000 salary and return with a revised request.
Yellowstone County
Yellowstone County commissioners met Tuesday, Nov. 10. Their agenda listed a $99,876 KLJ Engineering contract to update the infrastructure master plan for the Lockwood Targeted Economic Development District and a Sletten Construction "judge summary scope" for courtroom work in the courthouse renovation, which a cost summary roughly estimates at $121,297.86. Outcomes had not been reported by Friday.
RiverStone Health asked anyone who used the main lobby elevators at St. Vincent Regional Hospital from 9:45 to 10:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, to call 406-247-3305 after a person who does not live in the county tested positive for measles, KULR-8 reported Nov. 11.
Laurel City Council
The council was scheduled to take up Resolution R26-110 on Tuesday, Nov. 10, declaring an emergency over the failure of two 30-inch raw-water transmission lines and allowing limited emergency contracting without advertised bids, along with a budget amendment hearing (city portal). Outcomes had not been reported by Friday.
Coming up: The Billings Board of Trustees will consider the superintendent's contract, the canvass of the Nov. 3 election and resolutions calling elementary and high school elections at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16, in the Lincoln Center boardroom, 415 N. 30th St. (agenda). The Billings City Council holds a work session the same evening at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, fifth floor of City Hall, 316 N. 26th St., on the 2028 long-range transportation plan and a police records system upgrade (agenda).
Stillwater County
Board of County Commissioners
Commissioners were scheduled to open bids for a new law enforcement building at 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12 (agenda). The bids had not been reported by Friday.
Coming up: Commissioners hold a working session on the law enforcement building at 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16, and at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, will consider Resolution 2026-32, calling for the annexation of adjacent lands into Stillwater County Fire and Rescue District No. 1, and appointing viewers and setting a public hearing on a petition to abandon part of C.W. Thompson Road, County Road 126, in the West Annex Boardroom, 431 Quarry Road, Columbus (agenda).
Carbon County
Public health
Carbon County Public Health announced Nov. 10 that two measles cases had been confirmed in the county and that it was investigating with the state health department (press release). In a Nov. 12 update, it said all known exposed people had been notified and no public exposure locations had been identified, while cautioning that the investigation continues.
Board of County Commissioners
On Tuesday, Nov. 10, commissioners approved by voice votes the county's participation in the national opioid settlement with Albertsons, a WIC nutrition agreement with RiverStone Health and a facility use agreement with Red Lodge schools for a senior wellness event (meeting recording).
Red Lodge City Council
The council was scheduled to hold a public hearing and first reading Tuesday, Nov. 10, on Ordinance 966, the amended airport boundary ordinance (agenda). The outcome had not been reported by Friday.
Coming up: Commissioners will canvass the general election at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, open bids for a heavy-duty high-lift wheel loader at 9:30 a.m. and take up a sewer and septic conditional use permit at 1 p.m. (agenda). The agenda does not list a location.
Custer County
Miles City City Council
Seven council members were present Tuesday, Nov. 10, with Council member Kevin Thomason absent, according to unapproved minutes in the Nov. 17 agenda packet. The council:
- rejected 0-7 Resolution 4736, which would have put proceeds from selling the fire department's living quarters pods into the fire capital improvements fund; members decided the money should return to the general fund, which paid for the pods;
- rejected 2-5 Resolution 4737, which would have put proceeds from the sale of Fire Engine No. 8 into the same fund, with Council members Ed Pulecio and Rick Huber in favor;
- voted 6-1 to waive all permit fees for a youth baseball group's donated Connors Stadium improvements, with Council member Brooke Bartholomew opposed; the building inspector said the first phase, lighting, would cost about $530,000 with about $3,370 in building permit fees;
- approved 7-0 three tax increment district business assistance grants totaling $74,153.88, for Recreation Lanes sidewalks, Otium Brewing HVAC and Vintage and Rustics roofing and HVAC;
- canceled its Nov. 24 and Dec. 22 meetings, 7-0.
Council members were told the general fund stood at negative $1,258,056.78, and, in a discussion of fire calls raised by Mayor Chris Grenz, the minutes record more than $87,000 in overtime over three months.
Coming up: The council will consider second readings of ordinances adopting the 2021 International Mechanical Code and Fuel Gas Code and changing its meeting schedule, a five-year engineering services agreement with Brosz Engineering and first reading of a zoning ordinance requiring conditional use permits for some lot coverage on residential lots without a primary building, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, at City Hall, 17 S. Eighth St., and on Zoom, ID 4062343462, passcode 59301 (agenda).
Dawson County
Board of Commissioners
Commissioners were scheduled to hold public hearings Tuesday, Nov. 10, on amendments to the county development regulations, including a proposed 250-foot maximum structure height outside Glendive, Richey and two zoning districts, and to the subdivision regulations shared with Glendive and Richey (agenda page). The outcomes had not been reported by Friday.
Coming up: The Glendive City Council's next regular meeting is at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, at City Hall, 300 S. Merrill Ave.; its agenda had not been posted online by Friday (agendas page).
Rosebud County
Board of Commissioners
Commissioners took public comment Tuesday, Nov. 10, at sessions at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on a tax abatement request from NextEra Energy for a solar and battery storage project east of Forsyth (notice). No decision was made, KTVQ reported. Commissioner Robert Lee told KTVQ, in a report Nov. 11, that the project is on private land and the county decides only how it is taxed. He said NextEra is asking for a 50% abatement for five years, rising in steps to full taxes by year 10, and that he expects the county to collect more with the abatement than without it.
Coming up: Lee told KTVQ the county has 120 days to approve or deny the abatement. The week's agenda also listed notice of a Dec. 1 public hearing on a C-PACE program; whether the notice was approved had not been reported by Friday.
Who sits on each board, when it meets and how to comment: Eastern Montana local government.
