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Colstrip council adopts 2025–26 budget, approves street and utility measures and grant-eligible designs
Summary
The Colstrip City Council adopted the 2025–26 fiscal-year budget and approved a package of resolutions including mill levies, wage and salary setting, assessments, event permits, and design task orders for street projects totaling approximately $516,660 in professional design work.
The Colstrip City Council adopted the fiscal year 2025–26 budget (Resolution 2025R09) and approved a series of related resolutions and project task orders at its meeting.
Council approved the budget by voice vote after a motion to adopt Resolution 2025R09. The council then approved several other resolutions on the consent of the body: Resolution 2025R10 to set the mill levy for real and personal property; Resolution 2025R11 establishing wages and salaries for city officers and employees; Resolution 2025R12 adopting mill levy assessments for the streetlight maintenance district for FY2026; Resolution 2025R13 establishing a monthly funding contribution for the Schoolhouse History and Art Center; Resolution 2025R14 (intent to levy assessments to defray solid-waste collection costs); Resolution 2025R15 to lien delinquent water and sewer service charges (staff explained the high balances on some accounts are driven by larger base rates on certain services); and Resolution 2025R16 to assess the cost of removal of nuisance weeds and grass. Each of these resolutions was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote as recorded.
On projects, the council approved Task Order #45 with KLJ Engineering for design of the Chisholm and Primrose improvements (design estimate $405,700; construction estimated about $2.2 million to be split between street and water enterprise funds) and Task Order #46 with KLJ for design of 2026 pavement improvements ($110,960). Staff said bundling design phases can produce economies of scale and advised the council about DOT planning grant windows that could fund design work.
The council also approved a special-event permit for the Schoolhouse History and Art Center's Brewfest at Wright Park Pavilion on Sept. 27.
Votes at a glance (as recorded in the meeting): - Resolution 2025R09 (2025-26 budget): motion moved and seconded; voice vote recorded by councilroll responses (ayes recorded). - Resolution 2025R10 (mill levy): approved by voice vote. - Resolution 2025R11 (wages and salaries): approved by voice vote. - Resolution 2025R12 (streetlight mill levy assessment): approved by voice vote. - Resolution 2025R13 (Schoolhouse funding): approved by voice vote. - Resolution 2025R14 (solid-waste assessment intent): approved by voice vote. - Resolution 2025R15 (delinquent water/sewer liens): approved by voice vote; staff explained accumulation driven by larger base rates on certain services. - Resolution 2025R16 (nuisance removal assessments): approved by voice vote. - Task Order #45 (Chisholm & Primrose design, KLJ): approved; motion recorded. - Task Order #46 (2026 pavement designs, KLJ): approved; motion recorded.
What it means: Adopting the budget sets the city's spending plan for the coming fiscal year and enables staff to proceed with design work on key street projects and to implement assessment notices required by state law. Several items referenced grant opportunities and state coordination that could offset design and construction costs.
Next steps: Staff will proceed with grant applications where appropriate, finalize designer task orders and prepare required assessment notices and lien documentation as part of project implementation or collections processes.
