Billings — City staff told the Billings City Council on Dec. 1 they will pursue a package of steps to address extreme speeding, street racing and loud vehicle noise — combining continued data collection, targeted enforcement and a proposed amendment to the city’s noise ordinance that would let officers cite plainly audible or otherwise unreasonably loud vehicle noise.

Chief Saint John presented enforcement options including targeted patrols, a portable parking‑lot ordinance the department can apply citywide with a proprietor’s permission, and a proposed amendment to the municipal noise ordinance that would expand officers’ discretion beyond the current requirement for ambient meter readings. “The amendment…will give the officers a unilateral ability to say that’s too loud and write a citation based off of that,” the chief said.

Public works staff member Debbie summarized the city’s speed and noise monitoring: portable road‑tube counts and radar trailers were used at sample locations (King Avenue West, Shiloh, Lehi/Glen Eagles) to identify high‑speed outliers, and a 10‑day noise monitor on Shiloh recorded multiple readings above 90–95 dB and seven instances over 100 dB. Debbie cautioned the sample was limited and recommended a larger, prioritized data‑collection program so enforcement resources can be targeted effectively.

Council members asked whether volunteers or community service officers could collect evidence, whether CSOs can be given broader authority, and if cameras mounted on poles could be tested. Chief Saint John said volunteers could gather data for enforcement to review but officers must conduct formal enforcement actions; CSOs are not sworn officers and have limited authority; and state statute currently prohibits automated camera enforcement for traffic such as red‑light or speed cameras — meaning legislative change would be required to use automated ticketing tools.

Council direction and next steps: Council expressed support for drafting the noise‑ordinance amendment as a locally actionable tool, asked staff to provide a redline version showing proposed changes, requested cost estimates (equipment, staff time) for scaled data collection and monitoring, and recommended continued coordination among public works, police and legal staff. The council also asked the city’s legislative committee to explore statutory changes that would permit limited camera or automated approaches.

What’s next: Staff will continue hot‑spot data collection, provide a redline of the proposed noise ordinance and return with cost estimates and a range of options for enforcement and fines.