Cut Bank council approves routine resolutions, debates sidewalk special fund, rooster restriction and social-media policy

The Cut Bank City Council met in a July work session and approved several routine resolutions while spending substantial time clarifying how the city’s special sidewalk fund operates, considering an explicit prohibition on roosters in the domestic-fowl ordinance, and discussing a formal social-media policy for city accounts and staff.

Whitney, speaking in the work session, summarized the sidewalk rules and the purpose of the special fund: “Just wanted to update every we've gotten a lot of questions about this special sidewalk fund, and there was some confusion about the ordinances that we were operating under.” She told the council there are two separate ordinances: 8-1-4, which addresses repair of dangerous or impassable sidewalks and assigns responsibility to property owners, and 8-2-1, which establishes a special sidewalk fund that applies only when the council orders new sidewalk construction. Under the latter, property owners may be assessed costs when the council orders work.

The discussion focused on who the fund serves and how it would be administered. Council members and staff debated whether the fund should be structured to provide…