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Council accepts planning-board recommendation, adds local housing strategy and budgets for full review in FY27
Summary
The West Yellowstone Town Council voted to accept the planning board's recommendation to leave the growth policy largely unchanged while adding a residential local housing strategy as an addendum and budgeting for a full review in fiscal year 2027; one councilor abstained.
Daniel, a town staff member who summarized the planning-board review, told the council that state rules require a growth-policy review every five years and that the planning board met in April and July to consider options. "The consensus of the planning board is that there are things in the growth policy that have been accomplished," Daniel said, but the board recommended adding a local housing strategy as an addendum and budgeting for a full overhaul in FY2027.
Daniel said the planning board held a public hearing before the council meeting and that staff received no public comment either at the planning-board hearing or at Town Hall. He described several options the board considered, from taking no action to conducting a complete overhaul, and said the board's recommendation was to defer major revisions now while planning a comprehensive review after next year's budget cycle.
A council member moved to accept the planning-board recommendation with no immediate changes, to include the October 24 residential local housing strategy as an addendum to the current growth policy, and to budget for a full review in fiscal year 2027. The motion carried on a voice vote; Councilor Lisa recorded an abstention.
Why it matters: The council's decision preserves the town's current growth-policy framework while formally adding a housing-focused document and reserving funding to do a full, townwide review in 2027. Staff said the review would be scoped and an RFP issued for professional planning services when the town budgets for it.
Next steps: Staff will scope the full review and prepare budget language and an RFP for planning services in time for the FY2027 budget cycle; NeighborWorks is scheduled to present a proposed housing project and recommendations at the Oct. 7 council meeting.
