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Council refers proposed golf-cart and backyard-chicken ordinances to Judiciary Committee and schedules related hearings
Summary
The council referred a proposed golf-cart ordinance (MCA 61-8-391) and a backyard-chicken tiered ordinance to the Judiciary Committee and set hearings on related items; public commenters had already raised questions about these items at the meeting.
Butte-Silver Bow commissioners on May 6 referred multiple proposed local ordinances and scheduling items to committee for further review.
Malany Watts introduced Communication 2026-207 asking the council to adopt an ordinance under MCA 61-8-391 to allow operation of golf carts on designated streets (speed limits of 25 mph or less) with required safety equipment; Commissioner Trudy Healy asked Watts to explain, and the measure was referred to the Judiciary Committee.
Savannah Johnston introduced Communication 2026-236 requesting an amendment to the chicken ordinance to create a tiered system that would allow residents on smaller urban lots to keep up to four hens while protecting rights of large-lot owners; the council referred that proposal to Judiciary as well. Several members of the public had mentioned these items during the public comment period earlier in the meeting.
A separate procurement request (Communication 2026-247) scheduled a bid opening for May 20 for a heavy-duty trailer for the Roads Department and was held pending bid opening. The council also handled several second- and final-reading items on the agenda, including a special-events ordinance that was placed on second reading and a property-sale resolution that passed final reading.
Action taken: both the golf-cart and the backyard-chicken proposals were referred to Judiciary for detailed review; formal ordinances were not adopted on May 6.
