The Belgrade City Council this week approved hiring professional consultants to manage two personnel matters â one to prepare a compensation and classification study for city employees and another to manage the search for a new city manager to replace Ted Barkley, who is retiring this year.
The council voted unanimously to contract with Communication and Management Services, LLC, of Helena, to review the cityâs compensation plan and develop recommendations for an updated or new compensation matrix. The new pay recommendations will be based on regional salary data, market competitiveness, the local cost of living and other relevant indicators. CMS also will recommend appropriate adjustments for the city to attain market competitiveness and respond to increases in the cost of living.
The citizens of Belgrade will decide whether to legalize backyard chickens following a City Council vote Monday to put the question on the general election ballot next November.
The councilâs unanimous decision came after the fairly brief testimony of a handful of citizens and a few minutes of discussion among council members and city staff. Mondayâs meeting was held entirely over Zoom due to COVID transmission concerns.
The relatively limited discourse Monday was just the latest in a years-long effort by chicken proponents to convince city councils past and present to legalize the keeping of domestic chickens. The proposal has been voted down four times since 2009, most recently in 2018.