Belgrade City Council

CITY OF BELGRADE COUNCIL WORKSHOP MINUTES COUNCIL CHAMBERS May 12th, 2025 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, Erin Bell, and Renae Mattimoe. City staff in attendance were City Manager Neil Cardwell, Assistant City Manager Greg Tryon, City Attorney Kyla Murray, City Clerk Camille Gregory, Executive Assistant Dana Jambor, Executive Finance Director Charity VanKirk, Municipal Court Judge Chris Gregory, Director of Internal Service and Human Resources Becky Wilbert, Director of Community and Economic Development Katharine King, City Engineer Joe Hauck, Public Works Director Camaree Uljua, Director of Operations James Percival, Senior Planner Brad Stein, and Information Technology Manager Justin Clevidence. Others in attendance were Erin Howard and Joey Staszcuk. DISCUSSION AGENDA Discuss Format and Goals of the New Council Workshop Meetings ( City Council) The Council briefly discussed when to hold future workshops and whether they would prefer the workshop to operate formally or informally. The consensus between the Council and staff is to keep the workshops informal and hold them on the second Monday of the month at 6: 00 p.m. City Manager Cardwell mentioned that he will build the agenda for these workshop meetings with input from the Mayor. Those agendas will then be posted publicly on the Friday before each meeting, notifying the public that they are occurring. Cardwell stated he believes he can create a section on the agenda to allow for open thoughts from the Council. Otherwise, the Council can simply use the Public Forum to voice their opinions, since there will be no action taken. Discuss Staff Suggested Changes to Sign Code( Community Development) Senior Planner Stein explained that this would be a continuation of what was brought to the Council during the May 5th, 2025, Council Meeting. This same measure failed in the first reading, but Stein has since gone over the proposed code with his staff and implemented Council input. Page 1 of 3  Council Member Mattimoe asked for clarification on whether the proposed code only allows for one sign per lot, or if someone could place multiple signs on one lot if the lot were big enough. Stein answered that the current code is written in a way that only one sign is allowed per lot, but that was a valid question/ issue that can be addressed and changed. Stein mentioned that the purpose of sign codes is primarily for public safety. Signs are used for wayfinding, but the placement of too many signs in too small an area can be distracting and cause a potential hazard. Additionally, bright digital signs can be distracting to drivers and may also impact property values. Discuss Land Exchange Update( ACM) Assistant City Manager Tryon presented a brief PowerPoint to show the layout of the Heck and Quaw buildings, which the City will be inhabiting after the land exchange with the Belgrade School District is complete. During this presentation, Tryon discussed where specific departments may be re- located in the Heck and Quaw buildings. He also spoke on the due diligence and research the City performed prior to the vote on the land exchange taking place. Tryon then gave an overview of the processes required for the land exchange. This overview included information on the grant( s) obtained to conduct a safety survey of the buildings. He also noted that Community Development is working on another grant which would be used to pay for mitigation of the hazards that were identified in the survey. Tryon then offered that the City will post a Request for Proposals for the electrical, flooring, and parking services on these properties. Discuss Project Update on the Dry Creek/ Cruiser/ N. Jackrabbit Improvements ( Public Works) Public Works Director Uljua advised that her department has held multiple meetings with the Montana Department of Transportation( MDT) to discuss the Dry Creek, Cruiser, N. Jackrabbit Improvements project. She noted that the resulting report identified a three- legged roundabout as the preferred alternative for the intersection at Dry Creek and Cruiser. Uljua also noted that the report recommended improving the Jackrabbit Cruiser intersection at the same time. Joey Staszcuk spoke as a representative of Sanbell Engineering. He provided a walkthrough of the data report, preliminary designs, and some of the nuances associated with this particular design. Page 2 of 3  Executive Director of Financial Services VanKirk advised that the developer contributions for this project were a little over one million dollars. She also noted Impact Fees will fund the rest of the project. Uljua went on to explain the next steps in this project would involve the Council authorizing funding for the construction and public education components. She also offered that Sanbell believes they can present the final design by the fall or winter of 2025. Once that is done, it would be taken to bid in the late winter of 2025 or spring of 2026. Following that timeline, construction would begin in late spring or early summer of 2026. She noted that a project of this size usually lasts approximately 18 months. Erin Howard advised that she is concerned about this design because it would force her to cross a lane of traffic to go north on Dry Creek in the roundabout. Staszcuk confirmed that this is a preliminary design, but that is one of the nuances in the design. City Manager Cardwell pointed out that the data/ research shows this design is the only one that would work in this area. Uljua mentioned that she is a proponent of roundabouts because their geometry slows people down, thereby reducing the rate of accidents. PUBLIC FORUM Mayor Nelson called three times for public comment. There being none, the Public Forum was closed. Council Member Guffey thanked the staff for making this workshop happen. ADJOURN Council Member Simon moved to adjourn. Council Member Mattimoe seconded the Motion. Mayor Nelson called for a vote. All voted aye, Motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7: 44 p. m. Mike Meis, Deputy Mayor Attest: Camille Gregory„ Cit " Cler I Page 3 of 3