Billings City Council Work Session - June 1, 2026

The Billings City Council Work Session held on June 1, 2026, focused primarily on procurement and budget-related discussions concerning city services. Key topics included the review and proposed approval of wholesale wastewater rates for FY27, where a new methodology was agreed upon with local refineries to ensure fair charges without overbilling. The council also deliberated on the residential cardboard collection and recycling program, evaluating options to either continue, modify, or discontinue the service due to high costs and low participation. The preferred staff recommendation was to eliminate the cardboard recycling program and instead offer four annual curbside pickups for extra trash, which would save the city approximately $138,000 annually and reduce staffing needs. Additionally, the council discussed initiating a process to evaluate stormwater fee credits for commercial customers who have invested in stormwater management systems, directing staff to reconvene the Stormwater Advisory Committee to develop recommendations. The session concluded with updates on upcoming budget adoption and related assessments for FY27. No contract awards or vendor selections were directly mentioned, but budget impacts and service adjustments were central to the discussions.