Belgrade City Council

CITY OF BELGRADE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES COUNCIL CHAMBERS May 20, 2024 7: 00 pm This meeting was open to the public and attended in person. Mayor Russell C. Nelson called the meeting to order. Council Members in attendance were Jason Guffey, Mike Meis, Jim Simon, Kristine Menicucci, Jim Doyle, and Renae Mattimoe. City staff in attendance were City Manager Neil Cardwell, Assistant City Manager Greg Tryon, City Attorney Rick Ramler, City Clerk Camille Gregory, Executive Assistant Dana Jambor, Executive Finance Director Charity VanKirk, Chief of Police Dustin Lensing, Director of Information Technology Ryan Curtis, Municipal Court Judge Chris Gregory, Senior Planner Brad Stein, Director of Human Resources Becky Wilbert, Director of Parks and Recreation Steve Klotz, Public Works Director Camaree Uljua, Chief Building Official Lucas Sobeck and Library Director Gale Bacon. Others in attendance were Vivian Crouse, Judy Doyle, and Bjorn Boyer. ACTION: Council Member Menicucci moved to excuse Council Member Mattimoe. Council Member Guffey seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. PUBLIC FORUM Mayor Nelson called three times for public comment. There being none, the public forum was closed. DISCUSSION AGENDA Discuss and Consider Resolution No. 2024- 8 Updating the Community Development Department Fee Schedule. Senior Planner Stein explained that this resolution will update the City' s Planning and Zoning Application Fees Table. The purpose of this is to bring the fees up to date and reflect what Gallatin County approved in February of this year. The County' s new fees came into effect in March of this year. Stein noted the City of Belgrade is permitted to change its fees per Montana Code Annotated 10. 6. 09. This fee table would reflect an 8- 10% increase. 7- 6- 4013 and Belgrade City Code new If approved, Resolution 2024- 8 will replace the Fee Schedule adopted in Resolution 2021- 36. Stein also mentioned that they will bring an updated fee schedule later, as the City is comprehensively reviewing other municipalities' fees. Page 1 of 5  Mayor Nelson called three times for public comment. There was none. ACTION: Council Member Meis moved to adopt Resolution No. 2024- 04 to replace Resolution No. 2021- 36 to update the Planning Fee Table used to determine fees for the City of Belgrade Zoning application requests, Zoning and Growth Policy changes, Board of Adjustment hearings, Conditional Use Permits, Subdivision review, Fire Protection review, Special Subdivision review cost recovery, Sign review, any other planning review and administrative fees for applications and processing by the City, as set forth on the Fee Schedule. Council Member Doyle seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. Discuss and Consider Appointing Sandy Lee as the Belgrade City-County Planning Board Representative to the Planning Coordination Committee ( PCC). Council Member Meis stated that the PCC consists of representatives from the City of Bozeman, the City of Belgrade, Gallatin County, one City of Belgrade staff member, a community at large member, and a Belgrade Council Member or Commissioner. Meis has been on the PCC Board for three years and the chair for two. Council Member Meis then explained that Elizabeth Marum asked to step down from the PCC due to health reasons. As a result, the Board would like to appoint Sandy Lee to take Marum' s place. He noted that Lee was on the hiring committee to hire Jason Karp. Mayor Nelson called for public comment. Judy Doyle, residing at 1706 Drummond, spoke in favor of Sandy Lee' s appointment. Doyle noted that Lee has been a member of the Belgrade Planning Board for the last six years. Doyle said she believes Lee would be a great replacement on the PCC. Mayor Nelson called two more times for public comment. There was none. ACTION: Council Member Menicucci moved to appoint Sandy Lee as the Belgrade City- County Planning Board Representative to the Planning Coordination Committee to replace Elizabeth Marum. Council Member Simon seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. Discuss and Consider Belgrade- Urban Improvements Letter of Support for CRISI Grant Program. Director of Public Works Uljua explained that this is a letter of support for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements ( CRISI) Grant, which would go towards construction of the Jackrabbit underpass if awarded to Belgrade. The CRISI Grant is a different program than the RAISE Grant that was previously discussed with Council. Uljua noted the Mayor signed a letter of support for RAISE back in February. Page 2 of 5  Director Uljua stated the CRISI Grant could help the City unlock another 40 million dollars in funding to help with the Jackrabbit underpass. She believes the awarding of the CRISI Grant would happen later in the summer. She noted the City is still waiting to hear about the RAISE Grant, but hopes to hear an update on that sometime in June. Uljua also stated she hopes construction on the Jackrabbit underpass will begin in 2026. Should the City be awarded either the RAISE or CRISI grant, she confirmed the City will be obligated to match one million dollars in funding. She noted that if the City were to be awarded both grants, the City would only have to match one million dollars once. Meaning that the City would have to post one million dollars in matching funds if awarded just one of the grants, but that if both were awarded it would not have to post one million twice. She stated that it is not yet decided which budget that one million dollars would come out of, however. Mayor Nelson called three times for public comment. There was none. ACTION: Council Member Meis moved to approve the Mayor to sign the letter of support for the Urban Improvements CRISI Grant. Council Member Simon seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. Mayor Nelson called for a five- minute recess at 7: 20 p. m. Mayor Nelson called the meeting back into order at 7: 25 p. m. Discuss and Consider Mayor Appointments to Various Advisory Boards. Mayor Nelson reappointed the following applicants to the following boards: Karen Tucker to the Senior Center and Parking Appeals Board Elizabeth Marum - City Representative - City/ County Planning Board Sandy Lee - City Representative - City/ County Planning Board Judy Doyle - City Representative - City/ County Planning Board The following were the county recommendations for consideration: Nolan Morgan - County Representative - City/ County Planning Board Peregrine Smith - County Representative - City/ County Planning Board Will Bockstiegel - County Representative - City/County Planning Board 2151 The County Commission will announce their board appointment( s) on Tuesday, May 2024, at 9 a. m. Mayor Nelson called three times for public comment. There was none. Page 3 of 5  ACTION: Council Member Guffey moved to adopt the Mayor' s appointments and recommendations to the various advisory boards as detailed in this Item Summary. Council Member Doyle seconded the motion. All voted aye, motion carried unanimously. REPORTS Mayor Nelson reported that he, Council Member Menicucci, and City Manager Cardwell met today with the City's lobbyist S. K. Rossi. The meeting was to discuss the items that came out in the Governor' s property tax task force. City Attorney Ramler had nothing to report. City Manager Cardwell announced the Belgrade Splash Pad' s opening has been delayed to June 7th. The delay is to accommodate the construction of the Library Parking lot, which is slightly behind schedule. He apologized for the delay. Cardwell also mentioned that he, Police Chief Lensing, and Council Member Guffy will travel to Kalispell to speak with City of Kalispell staff and council members regarding their successful public safety levy. Cardwell then spoke briefly on the rate study. He noted that several cities are doing rate studies and are instituting rate changes. Cardwell then asked the Council to schedule a workshop to review the public safety information Guffey and Chief Lensing bring back from Kalispell. The Council set the Workshop for 5: 30 p.m. on June 17, before their regular meeting. Cardwell then turned over the floor to Public Works Director Uljua, who announced that this week is the National Public Works Week. She asked that people please show recognition to the staff of Public Works. Cardwell then recognized the Council for their hard work, noting that May 19th was National Elected Officials Day. FOR YOUR INFORMATION Council Member Doyle had nothing to report. Council Member Menicucci recognized that the staff of Public Works has been doing a great job maintaining city streets and property. She also mentioned that constituents have asked her about dog parks and sidewalks. Council Member Simon attended the Fire Board meeting, where they finalized a contract with the local union. Simon then announced that the new Fire Chief, Jay Whittwer, is scheduled to start June 1 st. He noted the rest of the Fire Board meeting was dedicated to budget presentations. He Page 4 of 5  also mentioned that Justin Farly had stepped down from the Fire Board and was replaced by Rob Holt. Council Member Meis attended the PCC meeting, where they reviewed the Urban Land Institute (ULI) report. He noted many ofthe report' s recommendations were in the process ofbeing implemented. along Heand Jackrabbit alsothenoted gas the PCC wanted City staff to talk to the Town Pump about mowing station. Council Member Guffey had nothing to report. Mayor Nelson had nothing to report. ADJOURN Council Member Simon moved to adjourn the meeti s - 7: 46 pm. 1497// ir/€ Russell C. Nelson, Mayor Attest: C Camille Cire' kpry, City erk t. r e Page 5 of 5