Belgrade City Council

CITY OF BELGRADE SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES COUNCIL CHAMBERS February 28, 2024 6: 00 pm This meeting was open to the public and attended in person. Deputy Mayor Mike Meis called the meeting to order. Council Members in attendance were Jason Guffey, Mike Meis, Kristine Menicucci, Jim Doyle, and Mayor Russell Nelson via Zoom. City staff in attendance were City Manager Neil Cardwell via Zoom, Assistant City Manager Greg Tryon via Zoom, City Attorney Rick Ramler Via Zoom, City Clerk Camille Gregory, Executive Assistant Dana Jambor, Executive Finance Director Charity VanKirk, Director of Information Technology Ryan Curtis, and Public Works Director Camaree Uljua. Others in attendance were ACTION: Council Member Menicucci moved to excuse Council Members Simon and Mattimoe. Council Member Guffey seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. DISCUSSION AGENDA Discuss and Consider Authorizing the Mayor to Execute a Grant Application for Belgrade Urban with a Match of Local Dollars Not to Exceed 1 Million Over a Three- Year Fiscal Period. Director of Public Works Uljua explained that the purpose of this special meeting is to get authorization for the Mayor to sign the letter of support and commitment of local dollars so that it can be sent in with the RAISE grant application, due 2/ 28/ 24. This grant, if the City is selected, would potentially give the City up to twenty- five million dollars in federal funding to help build the Belgrade Urban Project, which is the proposed underpass on Jackrabbit Ln. and Main St. that would go under the Burlington Northwestern Santa Fe ( BNSF) Railway. The City has written letters of support from both Senator Tester and Senator Danes, which is unique to have the support from both opposing parties. The City also has a lot of support from the community for this project. What was proposed is Belgrade would pledge to provide local dollars in the amount of one million. She also mentioned that the official award date could be as early as this summer. All the money would have to be obligated to each phase by 2028, and all payments must be made by 2030, or MDT would lose the funding. City Manager Cardwell thanked Uljua for all her hard work on this, as well as the HDR team. He mentioned that MDT agreed to finish the funding gap between the twenty- five million and the City' s one million and any difference so that we could have a fully funded project if the grant application is successful, which is major. Page 1 of 2  Deputy Mayor Meis called for public comment. There was none. ACTION: Council Member Menicucci moved to Authorize the Mayor to Sign the Grant Application as Presented. Council Member Doyle seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. ACTION: Council Member Menicucci Amended her motion and moved to Authorize the Deputy Mayor to Sign the Grant Application as Presented. Council Member Doyle seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. Council Member Menicucci thanked the Public Works team for their efforts in getting the snow and ice off the streets. ADJOURN Council Member moved to adjourn the meeting at 6: 09 pm. 41-41 1--7* 1- 7'' 7" v Russell C. Nelson, Mayor Attest: Cam!' le Gregory, Cit Cle a ea a Page 2 of 2