The City of Billings has submitted a petition to annex land to the City of Billings under Section 7-2-4400, MCA. The subject property is a parcel totaling about 69 acres. It is located on the west side of Shiloh Road at the northwest corner of the intersection of Shiloh Crossing Boulevard and South Shiloh Road, just north of the Knife River gravel mining operation. The property is being developed for a stormwater detention and treatment facility that also will serve as public open space with a trail corridor through it. The property owner is requesting annexation in order to have the property inside the City Limits for easier management under City Codes. An application for a zone change from Agricultural Open Space to Public zoning will follow the annexation process and come to the City Council in late September.

The property is located within the five-year annexation area of the City's Limits of Annexation Map and appears to meet many of the City's criteria in its Annexation Policy. Since this is City-owned property that is being developed for stormwater management, it is an usual annexation in that development for residential or commercial purposes is not contemplated and the impacts from the property on City services will be very limited. A detailed review and analysis of the Annexation Policy criteria will be provided in the Council's public hearing memo. The City Council’s will consider this annexation at two separate Council meetings. At the first meeting, the Council must pass a resolution of intent to annex this City-owned property and set a public hearing date. At the second meeting, the Council will conduct the hearing and decide if it will annex the property. To allow for a 20-day comment period required by law, the annexation hearing will occur at the City Council meeting on September 8, 2014.

Section 7-2-4400, MCA, allows municipalities to annex property owned by the municipality. The only alternative that is consistent with past City Council practice is to acknowledge receipt of the annexation request by the City Administrator, act on a resolution of intent to annex the City-owned property, and set a public hearing date for September 8, 2014 to consider the annexation.

Since the property is owned by the City and will be developed for stormwater management, there will be some maintenance costs associated with the facility and no revenue generated by it.

Staff recommends that the City Council acknowledge the request to annex City-owned property, approve a resolution of intent to annex the property, and schedule a public hearing for September 8, 2014 to consider annexing this property.