RSSLive Blog

Live Coverage: Monday night meetings

Updates from the SD2 board and Billings City Council meetings

Will be tweeting the City Council meeting at 6:30. Will it be interesting? I don't know.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:42:39 AM
It's after 6:30 but everybody is still getting settled. Wait picks up the gavel...

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:42:40 AM
Firefighter union rep Joe Sands steps up to complain that firefighter who applied to serve on EMS commission was rejected.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:42:42 AM
Sands says it appears candidate was rejected because he belonged to the union, whether or not that was intended.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:42:44 AM
City attorney in the midst of complicated legal explainer. I won't attempt a summary.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:42:45 AM
It appears council members are unsure what's going on. I feel their pain.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:42:46 AM
The EMS Commission appointment has been postponed, pending future discussion ... at least I think that's what happened.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:42:47 AM
1st item on regular agenda: update of historic-properties portion of code. I have no idea whether this will draw any comment.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:42:48 AM
Public comment: Mike Mathew, former county commissioner. Concerned that he lives in downtown historic dist. and only heard of this Friday.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:42:51 AM
Mathew said he and his wife received no notice, though their building is in district and will be affected by it.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:42:52 AM
Mike Nelson, involved in Northern Hotel restoration, also has concerns. Would have to meet local standards higher than federal regs.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:42:53 AM
Nelson says getting city's "certificate of appropriateness" could delay work on hotel by up to 90 days.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:42:56 AM
Third commenter: Randy Hafer. He's much in favor of ordinance changes. He says he did get notice and work on process.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:42:57 AM
Planning staff says problem is that property owners outside the two historic districts did not get notice of proposal.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:42:59 AM
Kooistra says National Register is an honor, but it doesn't impose many obligations, so local laws needed.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:43:00 AM
Councilman Astle moves to delay consideration of changes for 30 days.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:43:01 AM
No, not postponed 30 days, but rather to March 26. Passes unanimously.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:43:01 AM
Next up: zone change request for 6 Degrees Gourmet, so it can serve beer and wine. Ask me sometime about Montana's medieval liquor laws.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:43:02 AM
Hearing on zone change: Jim Shires, whose wife, Pam, runs 6 Degrees. Open to questions.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:43:22 AM
For #sd2, that means new textbooks and requiring an additional year of math for high-schoolers, among other things. #sd2

by Rob Rogers via twitter 2/28/2012 2:44:02 AM
It looks like all but 5 states have adopted Common Core Standards. #sd2

by Rob Rogers via twitter 2/28/2012 2:44:03 AM
Yes, Texas is one of those five. #sd2

by Rob Rogers via twitter 2/28/2012 2:44:03 AM
Buying new textbooks is going to be a huge undertaking, staff says. #sd2

by Rob Rogers via twitter 2/28/2012 2:44:04 AM
Staff is holding up chart showing where #sd2 is deficient in comparison to Common Core. It's kind of a lot.

by Rob Rogers via twitter 2/28/2012 2:44:05 AM
The cost of implementing everything Common Core requires? $3.6 million, says #sd2 staff.

by Rob Rogers via twitter 2/28/2012 2:44:06 AM
But, they have until 2014 to do it. #sd2

by Rob Rogers via twitter 2/28/2012 2:44:06 AM
Discussion now turns to whether the district should bring back Fielding Nair reps. These are the guys offering some planning ideas to #sd2.

by Rob Rogers via twitter 2/28/2012 2:44:07 AM
Kathy Aragon suggests getting the old parent, teacher and student groups back together to offer some insight. #sd2

by Rob Rogers via twitter 2/28/2012 2:44:08 AM
That way, #sd2 can better prepare for what Fielding Nair is offering. #sd2

by Rob Rogers via twitter 2/28/2012 2:44:09 AM
Councilwoman McCall moves for approval of zone change. She speaks highly of the restaurant. And the vote: It passes unanimously.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:44:58 AM
#sd2 has already spent $50,000 on Fielding Nair. Trustees are eager to capitalize on that to make sure they're not wasting money. #sd2

by Rob Rogers via twitter 2/28/2012 2:45:03 AM
Next up: annexation request for property near S. 27th and I-90, on which GSA would build federal warehouse.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:46:44 AM
I can see the rumors flying already: Federal warehouse? It's a prison! A holding center for tax dodgers, etc. Nope. Just a warehouse.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:47:38 AM
Trustee Lindy Graves wants to make sure there's some kind of timeline in place if they're gonna start all this facilities planning. #sd2

by Rob Rogers via twitter 2/28/2012 2:48:11 AM
No one comments on annexation, Councilman Ronquillo moves for approval.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:49:36 AM
Councilwoman Bird wants to know if we know what the warehouse would look like.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:50:46 AM
Not tonight, says planning staff. That would come later, as part of building permit process.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:51:09 AM
Trustee Aragon calls for a thorough plan and that its done collaboratively with the city. #sd2

by Rob Rogers via twitter 2/28/2012 2:52:15 AM
"It's gonna cost us," she said. "But it's gonna save us money in the long-run. " No more band-aide fixes that just waste money. #sd2

by Rob Rogers via twitter 2/28/2012 2:53:28 AM
Ronquillo says a warehouse is better than all the "incarceration facilities" on South 27th Street.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 2:57:38 AM
Building money can't be used for general fund expenses. It has to be used for building expenses. There might be $2M in the building fund.

by Rob Rogers via twitter 2/28/2012 2:58:58 AM
Trustees want to use it wisely. #sd2

by Rob Rogers via twitter 2/28/2012 2:59:14 AM
Annexation is approved unanimously. Now -- consideration of development agreement for building the warehouse.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 3:02:47 AM
Vote on agreement: Passes unanimously.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 3:03:25 AM
Last item on regular agenda: South Billings Master Plan.

by Ed Kemmick via twitter 2/28/2012 3:03:48 AM