Staff recommends Council approve the attached proposed resolution creating a single advisory committee for the three urban renewal districts and repealing the three resolutions that established the three advisory committees.

The 2025 Montana Legislature passed Senate Bill 3 (SB3) which requires "the local government that adopts a tax increment financing provision shall appoint an advisory committee to advise the local government about the administration of the urban renewal area or targeted economic development district." The committees must include representatives from each incorporated city or town, county, or school district with boundaries that overlap with the urban renewal district. On July 21, 2025, Council discussed SB3 and indicated it would like to keep the operations of the districts the same, to the extent possible. Based on this direction, staff has prepared resolutions for Council that created three advisory committees, one for each of the three urban renewal districts. Council approved the resolutions and created the committees on August 25, 2025. The three committees have been operating since they were formed late last year.

On July 13, 2026, Council Member Boyett introduced a Council Initiative to consolidate the three advisory committees into one committee to advise the Council on all three urban renewal districts. The City Council approved the initiative, which directed staff to prepare a new resolution to form a single advisory committee and to rescind the three resolutions that previously created the three committees. Per the initiative, staff has also recommended the make-up of the new advisory committee to continue to meet state law regarding county and school district representation, and provide for two at-large representatives from each of the three districts.

The 2025 Montana Legislature passed Senate Bill 3 (SB3) which requires "the local government that adopts a tax increment financing provision shall appoint an advisory committee to advise the local government about the administration of the urban renewal area or targeted economic development district." The committee must include at least one representative from each incorporated city or town, county, or school district with boundaries that overlap with the urban renewal area or targeted economic development district. City code also provides requirements for the appointment of city boards, commissions and committees. Some of these provisions may be superseded by state law, but generally, city code provisions will apply to this committee. 

On July 21, 2025, Council discussed SB3 and indicated it would like to keep the operations of the districts the same, to the extent possible. Based on this direction, staff has prepared resolutions for Council consideration that created three advisory committees, one for each of the three urban renewal districts. Council approved the resolutions and created the committees on August 25, 2025. The three committees have been operating since they were formed late last year.

On July 13, 2026, Council Member Boyett introduced a Council Initiative to consolidate the three advisory committees into one committee to advise the Council on all three urban renewal districts. The City Council approved the initiative, which directed staff to prepare a new resolution to form a single advisory committee and to rescind the three resolutions that previously created the three committees. Per the initiative, staff also has recommended the make-up of the new advisory committee to continue to meet state law regarding county and school district representation, and provide for two at-large representatives from each of the three districts, "who own, operate, or represent a business, property, or organization in the (District) or who otherwise have a significant vested interest or presence in the (District)." This brings the new advisory committee membership to 11 members. If the resolution is approved by Council at this meeting, the process to seat the new committee will begin with the standard advertising for applications for the seats, and a request to Yellowstone County, Billings School District #2 and Elysian School District #23 for a single representative to serve on the new committee.

A single URD Advisory Committee could save the City and URDs expense by having only one meeting for all functions of the Advisory Committees for the three Districts. The City's newly created Urban Renewal District Administrator will directly facilitate and support the new committee going forward as part of the position's duties. While there is cost associated with the new position, consistency, efficiency and more attention to the districts' activities and Council direction on the districts will be a benefit of the new position. 

There is community-wide benefit to the City having an advisory committee for its three urban renewal districts to support a consistent and public process for how the City manages its districts and supports blight remediation, redevelopment, and infrastructure improvements in these specific areas of Billings.  

City Council may:

• Approve the resolution forming a single advisory committee;
• Amend and approve the resolution forming a single advisory committee or,
• Not Approve the resolution forming a single advisory committee. Not approving the resolution would leave the current resolutions in place that established three advisory committees, one for each of the three Urban Renewal Districts.