HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-04-21 Minutes - Northeast Urban Renewal Board (NURB)
NURB Meeting –March 4 2021 1
Northeast Urban Renewal Board (NURB)
Regular Meeting Thursday, March 4, 2021 The Northeast Urban Renewal Board met in regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 4,
2021, via Webex.
Present: Absent: Voting Members:
Bobbi Clem Ethan Barlow Natalie Van Dusen Corwin Dormire Jeanne Wesley-Wiese Non-Voting Members:
EJ Daws Robert Pavlic Chris Nixon Commissioner Liaison:
I-Ho Pomeroy Staff: David Fine, Urban Renewal Program Manager Brit Fontenot, Economic Development Director
Robin Sullivan, Recording Secretary Guests: Erik Nelson, ThinkTank
Call to Order – Chair Bobbi Clem called the meeting to order at 6:37 p.m., noting a quorum is not present. Since this is the first meeting for several board members, she asked everyone to
introduce themselves.
Bobbi Clem stated she has been on the Board almost five years; however, she will soon be leaving Bozeman and this Board as she is moving to Seattle.
EJ Daws stated he is a fourth generation Bozemanite and has connections to this district because his grandparents had the Kessler Dairy, the first production dairy in the city. In fact, the Kessler Dairy was in the northeast neighborhood in the 1950s and 1960s. He works for Outlaw Partners, which is based in Big Sky but plans to soon open an office in this
neighborhood. Natalie Van Dusen, owner of Treeline Coffee Roasters, stated she has lived in Bozeman for the past ten years.
NURB Meeting –March 4 2021 2
Chris Nixon stated he has been one of the owners of the Lehrkind Mansion for nearly 25 years. He reported that the property is on the market and, while he would like to stay in Bozeman, there is really nothing available to buy. He is still heavily involved in the wetlands project on the
east side of Bozeman and wishes to remain here, at least on a part-time basis. Erik Nelson stated he is excited to meet the new board members. He suggested that, since no quorum is present, he talk to Natalie Van Dusen and EJ Daws individually to familiarize them
with the Tinworks Project so they are prepared to consider it at the next Board meeting. Responding to Bobbi Clem, Erik Nelson stated they plan to start vertical construction in August; and the off-site improvements for the Tinworks Project are scheduled to begin toward the end of May. He noted that Board action on the proposed resolution for the parking structure could
occur at next month's meeting without negatively impacting the timeline, or he suggested the possibility of a special meeting later this month. David Fine noted that Chris Nixon has a conflict with the first Thursday night of the month; and
he has found that having two urban renewal board meetings on the same night has negatively impacted his workload. As a result, he suggested this Board may wish to move its regular meeting night to either the second or third Thursday of the month. David Fine proposed that the Board consider a special meeting next Thursday night, March 11,
at 6:30 p.m., noting that the meeting requires a 48 hour public notice. The board members present voiced agreement for that proposal; and Erik Nelson indicated he will make a presentation at that time. He then asked that board members talk to him prior to that meeting if they have questions or need additional information about the project.
David Fine asked that board members review the packet material and forward any questions to staff prior to the meeting. He acknowledged that this project has a lot of moving parts, but the basic policy question is "does the Board endorse the idea of public parking as part of The
Brewery project"? He reminded the Board that it had previous been supportive of the underground parking on the Cottonwood and Ida project site; however, that parking option proved to be much too expensive. He noted that once the Board has answered the question of whether public parking would be appropriate as a part of this project, staff will work out the details and ensure that the project works financially.
Responding to Bobbi Clem, David Fine stated the Board will also need to work on its work plan and budget for Fiscal Year 2021-2022. He noted that the documents in the packet have been prepared by staff as a starting point for Board discussion and action.
Adjournment – 7:02 p.m. Since there was no quorum to conduct business at this time, Chair Clem adjourned the meeting. Bobbi Clem, Chair Northeast Urban Renewal Board
City of Bozeman