Staff recommends City Council approve the contract with Orion Planning + Design for completion of a land use plan and future land use map for Billings in an amount not to exceed $230,000. Final details of the schedule (Proposed Schedule Attached) and benchmarks will be refined when the project kicks off in February in coordination with the Interim Planning Commission, but the current state law-imposed deadline is May 2026.

The Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA) was passed by the Montana Legislature in 2023. The MLUPA requires the City of Billings to complete a new Land Use Plan (formerly called a Growth Policy) and Future Land Use Map by May of 2026. The City embarked on two large neighborhood plans in 2024 - the West Billings Neighborhood Plan and the Billings Heights Neighborhood Plan - that while focused on these large and developing areas of the City also are designed to address some of the requirements of MLUPA for these areas.

The City must complete implementation of the MLUPA and has both planned and budgeted with Council support for this effort. This contract with Orion Planning + Design is the main component of that effort and will complete the Land Use Plan and Future Land Use Map for Billings. It will, among other elements, take into account the work of the West Billings Neighborhood Plan and the Billings Heights Neighborhood Plan; make projections for housing needs based on population growth in the next 20 years in Billings; develop a Future Land Use Map that shows the City's ability to accommodate the housing needs with zoning; analyze the economic development needs of new commercial and industrial growth; utilize existing utility master planning; and utilize the City's 2023 Long Range Transportation Plan and other existing plans to inform infrastructure and service needs. Critically, the effort will meet the MLUPA requirements of ongoing and robust public participation throughout the effort. Orion Planning + Design and its consultant team is well equipped to accomplish this effort with the Billings community and City staff.

All Billings residents, business owners and other community members are stakeholders in this effort to develop and adopt a land use plan and future land use map for Billings. There will be ongoing public participation and involvement throughout the entire process to develop these long-range growth planning tools for the community where stakeholders will engage, provide direction and feedback, and help plot the course for the next 20 years of growth and development.

City Council may:

• Approve the contract with Orion Planning + Design for completion of a land use plan and future land use map for Billings in an amount not to exceed $230,000.; or,
• Not approve the contract with Orion Planning + Design for completion of a land use plan and future land use map for Billings in an amount not to exceed $230,000. If the Council does not approve the contract, it will need to provide direction to staff as how to proceed since this work must be completed by May 2026 and since the RFP and selection process for this contract followed all City Procurement requirements per this type of request for professional services

The Planning Division has budgeted for this expenditure per funds approved by the City Council in FY24 and FY25, as well as a $30,000 Department of Commerce Grant to provide additional funding for the Housing Needs Analysis portion of this effort.