First, the short version: your water and sewer rates did not change. Nothing about what you pay went up (or down) because of this ordinance. If your bill looks different next month, that’s not from this—please call Town Hall and we’ll sort it out.
So what did the Council actually do on July 7? Let us explain, because it’s a good change for the Town.
The problem we were fixing
For years, all the specific dollar amounts for our water and sewer utilities—reconnection fees, late fees, deposits, hook-up charges, and so on—were written directly into the text of the Town Code itself. That sounds fine until you need to change one of them. Under Montana law, changing a single number that’s baked into an ordinance means starting the whole two-reading adoption process over again, which takes a minimum of 12 days and two separate Council meetings. Every time. Even for a small adjustment.
That made it slow and awkward for the Town to keep fees in line with what things actually cost us to do.
What changed
Ordinance No. 2026-06-03 takes those specific dollar figures out of the Code text and instead lets the Council set and adjust them by resolution, all gathered in one place called the Schedule of Utility Rates, Fees, and Penalties. Think of it as moving the price list out of the rulebook and onto a schedule that’s easier to keep current.
To be clear about what this does and doesn’t mean:
- It does not raise any rate or fee. It only changes the process for how rates get set going forward.
- Any future rate or fee change still requires public notice and a public hearing under Montana law (MCA § 69-7-111), so you’ll always have a chance to speak up before anything actually changes.
- Every rate resolution already on the books (Resolution Nos. 336, 338, and 343) stays fully in effect until the Council decides to change it.
The ordinance also moves the disconnection notice schedule—the timing of late notices, disconnect notices, and 24-hour notices before water is shut off for nonpayment—onto a schedule the Council can keep updated. As always, no one’s service gets disconnected without proper notice and in line with Montana law.
Where to find the numbers
The current rate schedule and the notice schedule will be kept on file with the Town Clerk-Treasurer, posted at Town Hall, and available to anyone who asks. If you ever want to know exactly what a fee is, just stop by or call.
What happens next
Under Montana law (MCA § 7-5-105), the ordinance takes effect 30 days after this final adoption. Over the next 30 days we’ll finalize the official ordinance and post the updated versions of each affected Code section here as soon as they take effect.
Questions about the ordinance or your utility account? Give the Town Clerk-Treasurer a call or stop by Town Hall—we’re happy to help.