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Stevensville council tables vote on Friday town-hall hours after public concern and state-code questions
Summary
The Stevensville Town Council voted to table Resolution 568, which would set town-hall Friday business hours at 8 a.m. to noon, after multiple residents raised access and staffing concerns and a speaker cited Montana code provisions; the council said it will revisit the measure when the full council can attend.
The Stevensville Town Council on June 24 tabled consideration of Resolution 568, a proposal to set town-hall business hours on Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon, after extended public comment and a motion to defer action until the full council is present.
The measure would formally adopt the shorter Friday hours for the town. Council member Carter moved to approve the resolution; the council later voted to table the item until a future meeting when all elected members can attend.
The change prompted many residents to speak at the public hearing. Jean Kingman, a Town Street resident, said the town should remain fully open: "I really feel that this is a special... privilege for the town to even be able to have what we have now. I think that we need to keep this building open for the amount that has been allotted to us." Other residents raised concerns about how reduced hours would affect people who must pay fines, need water emergency help, or require in-person access for court and utility business.
Speakers and council members discussed staff scheduling, comp time and whether employees would have accrued their full 40-hour workweeks before leaving early on Fridays. Several commenters suggested staggered shifts so phone coverage and emergency response would remain available; town staff said public-works has an on-call phone and that calls and voicemails are returned.
A speaker at the meeting also cited Montana law on municipal office hours and classification, referencing Montana Code Annotated provisions and advising that the governing body adopt hours by resolution and, as a courtesy, inform the county commissioner and county treasurer if office hours change.
After public comment, a council member moved to table the resolution until the entire council could attend a meeting where the public could again be heard; another council member seconded. The motion to table carried by voice vote. The council instructed staff to re-notice the item for a future public hearing so the full council and affected residents can participate.
The item was not adopted; the council recorded a formal tabling and indicated the resolution will return to a future agenda for additional public comment and final action.
