At the May 10, 2010 regular city council meeting, council approved W.O. 09-10; The Heights Water Booster Station, providing for the purchase of a packaged water booster station that will serve city residences along and on streets accessed by Constitution Avenue, west of Governors Boulevard.  Yellowstone County owns Lot 1, Block 27 of Kimberly Heights Subdivision, located near the intersection of Constitution Ave. and Governors Blvd.  The Board of County Commissioners approved the transfer of this land to the City at their May 18, 2010 business meeting with the condition that an easement is granted to the county for Stratton Road south of the city landfill. The City owns property on both sides of the Stratton Road for nearly one-half mile and would grant an easement for the entire width of the road. In addition, the city owns property on the north side of Stratton Road for approximately another one-half mile and would grant an easement for half of the road in this section. Yellowstone County is currently realigning the intersection of Stratton Road and Hillcrest Road to intersect at a 90-degree angle. Currently these roads intersect at approximately 30-degrees. Yellowstone County will submit an easement document for the city to sign later this summer when these road improvements are complete. Stratton Road has existed and been in use since the late 1950’s or early 1960’s according to Yellowstone County. The City purchased one of the parcels containing this road in 1969, another in 1993 and a third in the early 1990’s after Stratton Road was constructed and in use.

City Council may:
• Approve the exchange of the land for the easement; or
• Not approve the land for the easement.

The property will be acquired from Yellowstone County in exchange for an easement for Stratton Road granted to Yellowstone County. There are no direct financial impacts associated with the recommended action to the City Of Billings.

Staff recommends that the City Council accept the property from Yellowstone County that is legally described as Lot 1, Block 27 of Kimberly Heights in exchange for a forthcoming easement to Yellowstone County for Stratton Road.