City of Townsend Council Meeting

September 2, 2025

Call to Order:  Mayor Rauser called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.  Council members in attendance are Angie Wintrow, JB Howick, Vivian Boaz, and Doug Sitton.  Nate Brown call in absent.  Others attending are Mike Evans, Chase Ragen, Nichole Simon, Eric Crusch, and Kari Williams. 

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all.

Public Comment (Any matter not on the agenda but under the City’s jurisdiction):  none

Minutes from August 19, 2025:  JB made a correction to the minutes stating that he asked Mayor Rauser to follow up with our city attorney regarding a quorum at committee meetings  based on the number of council seats held.   Angie made a motion to approve the minutes with the correction.  Doug seconded the motion.  All in favor, motion carried. 

Chase Ragen:   Chase Ragen submitted a letter to the council requesting that the city ordinance be updated to reflect a 90-day grace period for changes in historical billing.  Mayor Rauser read the letter out loud.  Chase also asked that $414.89 to be removed from his current bill at the Laundromat.  He stated that the request reflects a situation where given a 90-day notice before any changes were made to billing, he would have been able to get a contractor/plumber to make the changes prior to the billing schedule being modified.  Mayor Rauser addressed the misconceptions in the letter.  The water money received from the billing does not go into the general fund; it goes into the water fund and is then allocated to pay expenses incurred by providing water service to our consumers.  Also, the budget being set has nothing to do with billing.  The budget is a spending plan, and the funding comes in during the course of the year.  Mayor Rauser also read the resolution of the intent to increase the water rates that was properly noticed and published with letters mailed to the consumers and a public hearing held to inform the residents.  Mayor Rauser reminded the Council it had previously waived four months of utility charges to the bill for the apartment above the Betsy because Chase stated that he had already entered into a lease with the renters and would not be able to adjust the rent to reflect the higher utility bill.  Mayor Rauser read from the bond indenture the City of Townsend holds to pay for the upgraded water system.  Mayor Rauser read a provision that states  consumers must pay their bill within 90 days of billing, and if the consumer fails to comply, water may be turned off and not resumed until payment has been made in full.  JB asked if he could address the issue of the ordinance versus the issue of the back payment.  He stated that government moves slowly, and the process of changing the law takes a lot of time.  The council is working on an ordinance review, and the water rate ordinance will be reviewed in due course.  Chase stated that some cities have policies where someone is “grandfathered” in or to look at the water usage over time and allow for these kinds of situations.  He said he’s not asking for a favor, he’s asking the council to be fair to everyone that’s in the same situation.  Mayor Rauser said that within government, fairness comes from the establishment of the ordinances and applying the rate structure as it’s been adopted.  Chase again asked for a 90-day break on his bill since it took that long to get a contractor to complete the work to make the size of his water line smaller.  He stated he’s paying more for his water than residents who are watering lawns.  JB stated that he agrees with him that the billing isn’t fair, but council has given a credit to Chase for the Betsy apartment once already.  Chase argued that this is a separate business.  JB stated that those businesses are owned by the same person, Chase Ragen, and that the council has to answer to the public. Doug Sitton stated that the City needs to be more supportive of the business community, He said he doesn’t care if someone comes in tomorrow and asks for the same thing, it’s only 400 dollars.  He stated further that the City needs to show some compassion; he doesn’t care what State Law, or the City Ordinance says. Mayor Rauser told him to be careful what he says as a council member.    Mike Evans spoke.  He stated that if we’re going to do this for one person, everyone will be coming in and asking for the same thing.  Are we going to give landlords and other residents a break as well?   Kari Williams stated that since she’s started working at the City, she sees residents who struggle to pay their utility bills each month, however they still pay.  She said we have to treat everyone fairly but that everyone still needs to pay their bills.  Mayor Rauser stated that the request before the council is a $414.89 forgiveness of amounts owing on water.  JB moved to forgive the $414.89 amount requested by Chase Ragen.  Doug seconded the motion.  Mayor called for a vote via roll call.  Angie:  No.  JB: No. Vivian:  No.  Doug:  Yes.  3 to 1,  motion failed.  Chase closed with stating that the fact is that he’s on a meter and he should pay for what he uses, and it doesn’t matter the size of the line.    

Fall Fest/Solicitor License:  Mayor Rauser stated that this is similar to  what the council approved last year and read the Resolution of the City Council of Townsend, Montana to temporarily suspend Solicitor Licenses during the Fall Fest from October 3-5^th.  There will be a temporary suspension of solicitor licenses from September 1-October 6^th for solicitors not approved to participate in Fall Fest, and another temporary suspension of issuing four-day solicitor licenses from September 29-October 6^th.  There will also be temporary location restrictions for the five Solicitors that have licenses with the City.  They may not be set up inside or around the following area:  the corner of Front St and E St, north to the corner of Front St and Third St; thence east to the corner of Third St and Oak St; thence south to the corner of Oak St and E St; thence west to corner of beginning, as shown on the attached map.  JB stated that if the car show on Sunday, October 5^th pushes further East than Oak Street that he’d like to propose that no one set up a temporary business site within a half block of Broadway North and South from Oak St to Cherry St, as shown on the attached map.  Angie made a motion to approve the Resolution with the additional “temporary location restriction” for October 5^th.  JB seconded the motion.  All in favor, motion carried. 

Pending Business:  Ordinance Review Committee will meet at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday; Events Committee will meet at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. 

Round Table: 

Mayor Rauser stated there was a progress report on the Water System this morning.  She stated the contractors are working on the wells.  We are making progress with getting in touch with the companies who have equipment on the tower to make plans for temporary relocation.  We received a compliment about one of our employees who was driving the garbage truck, and that employee picked up some garbage by hand and picked the garbage can up after it had tipped over.  The position for a Maintenance Worker will remain open until it is filled, however there is an application deadline of September 12^th. 

Vivian asked about the medical helicopters landing on the football field.  She stated she was concerned after hearing about the helicopter crash in Lincoln last week.  Mayor Rauser stated that there is agreement between Billings Clinic and Townsend Schools.

Public Comment:  (none)

Adjournment:  JB made a motion to adjourn the meeting.  Angie seconded the motion.  All in favor, motion carried. 

Next meeting:  Tuesday, September 16^th at 6:30 p.m.