Cut Bank council adopts budget amendments, awards routine contracts and OKs street closure for community event

The Cut Bank City Council on Aug. 25 approved a set of routine measures including a budget amendment, a street‑closure permit for a community event, an independent contractor cleaning contract and an engineering retainer.

Budget amendments (Resolution 2025‑11) were presented to add a required local match for an HP 355 planning grant tied to a city‑court renovation project. City staff said the local match had not been budgeted the previous year and must be recorded now because the match has been spent. The resolution also recorded additional receipts that increased the firefighter disability fund and corrected a $582 misallocation in the building‑inspector fund.

Council approved Resolution 2025‑12 to close a portion of First Street Southeast between Second and Third Avenues on Sept. 7, 2025, from 8 a.m. to noon for an annual Canvas launch/block‑party event; staff described it as an established annual event that is cleaned up before noon. The council also approved Resolution 2025‑13 authorizing the mayor to execute an independent contractor agreement with Ken and Jones Cleaning (one year) and Resolution 2025‑14 retaining Great West Engineering on a project‑by‑project basis for water‑main work.

During department reports, the building inspector indicated no additional items beyond a written report, and Police Chief Schultz highlighted an especially busy month — "over a 100 and some tickets" including about 60 criminal citations — prompting council members to commend staff. City staff reported a recent town hall on the growth policy with robust public participation and announced a second town hall for Sept. 18 to gather more community input.

Votes at a glance: • Resolution 2025‑11 (budget amendments): approved by council to amend the 2024–25 budget and record the HP 355 local match and other adjustments. • Resolution 2025‑12 (street closure – Canvas launch party, 09/07/2025, 8 a.m.–noon): approved. • Resolution 2025‑13 (independent contractor: Ken and Jones Cleaning, one year): approved; discussion noted the contract attachment specifies building coverage. • Resolution 2025‑14 (professional services: Great West Engineering retainer): approved.

The meeting also included committee reports from the Port Authority about bylaw updates and possible quarterly competitive grant cycles and closed with brief public comment in which resident Mike Schultz thanked city crews for responsive work this summer.

Next steps: staff will finalize contract documents and schedule the announced town‑hall follow-up on Sept. 18; any further contract specifics or building allocations will be finalized in contract attachments or subsequent council agenda items.