Council schedules hearing on Special Events ordinance, parks permit fee proposed to drop to $25

Shawn Fredrickson, Butte-Silver Bow Parks & Recreation Director, asked the council to schedule a public hearing to amend the Special Events ordinance to permit additional commercial uses in parks — including fitness classes, vendors, and sporting events — and to reduce the permit fee from $100 to $25.

The request was laid out as Communication No. 2026-270 and placed on the docket for a public hearing. Fredrickson said the changes would allow business uses “for fitness, recreational use, and venders, sporting events and races,” and identified a proposed fee reduction intended to lower the barrier for small events.

Ready Frost spoke during public comment in favor of Communication 2026-280 and voiced support for the parks amendment; no opponents were recorded at the hearing notice. The item appears elsewhere on the agenda as Council Bill No. 2026-01 (an ordinance revising Special Events code sections). At the meeting Fredrickson’s request was scheduled for formal hearing to allow public testimony and Judiciary review as applicable.

Why it matters: lowering permit fees and explicitly allowing commercial activity in park spaces could change how parks are used, increase small-event activity, and require staff to update permitting processes. The hearing will provide an opportunity for neighbors, event organizers and staff to address noise, public-safety, and maintenance concerns that typically arise with expanded park programming.

What happens next: The council will take public testimony at the scheduled hearing and any proposed ordinance language will proceed through Judiciary review per the council’s rules. The meeting record shows the hearing was scheduled; no final ordinance was adopted at this session.