Butte-Silver Bow council approves multiple budget amendments and grant appropriations, schedules special-events hearing

The Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners on June 3 approved multiple budget amendments and grant appropriations, advanced two Department of Justice-funded projects, scheduled a public hearing on changes to the Special Events ordinance and referred a citizen complaint about nuisance animal noise to Animal Services.

Council members voted unanimously, 9-0, to place several items on final reading and pass them, including Resolution 2026-22 continuing a one-mill levy for economic development and Resolution 2026-25, which appropriates unanticipated revenue from state wildland fire deployments to pay wages, benefits and equipment for the Fire Department. The Council also advanced and passed Resolution 2026-29 and Resolution 2026-30—both funded through the Montana Department of Justice Natural Resource Damage Program—to rehabilitate Basin Creek Park and to fund the water meter program, respectively.

Shawn Fredrickson, Parks & Recreation Director, asked the Council to amend the Special Events ordinance to explicitly allow business uses in parks (fitness/recreational classes, vendors, sporting events and races) and to reduce the special-event fee from $100 to $25; a public hearing on that proposal was scheduled as part of the meeting record. Public commenters raised concerns about related personnel-policy changes and about nuisance dog barking: Deputy County Attorney Mike Clague flagged the proposed courtesy-time amendment in the personnel-policy package for further scrutiny, and Thea McCurdy asked the Council to strengthen the animal-noise ordinance to address chronic dog barking; the Council referred the nuisance-noise request to Animal Services and held the matter in Committee of the Whole.

Other routine items handled under the consent agenda included a no-cost extension for a public-education contract with Ripple (PitWatch), concurrence on a $46,000 annual agreement with the Butte Local Development Corporation, a collective bargaining agreement with Butte Teamsters Local No. 2 (redline provided), and several Public Works items including a change order for the road mill/fill project and an easement for a Town Pump effluent reuse waterline. A bid opening was recorded for the Moulton Water Treatment Plant roof replacement, listing three bidders.

The Council published calendars for upcoming board and committee meetings and received committee reports, including a Finance & Budget committee report that approved expenditures for the week of May 27, 2026. The meeting adjourned after routine calendar items.