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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-22-21 Public Comment - R. Zimmer - Board ConsolidationFrom:Ralph Zimmer To:Cyndy Andrus; Terry Cunningham; I-Ho Pomeroy; Jennifer Madgic; Christopher Coburn Cc:Jeff Mihelich; Greg Sullivan; Melody Mileur; Scott Shirley; Taylor Lonsdale; John Vandelinder; Mike Maas; Jesse DiTommaso; Marilee Brown Subject:The Original Plan is Better Than the Current Plan Date:Tuesday, June 22, 2021 7:59:40 AM Importance:High CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Tuesday, June 22, 2021 Mayor Andrus Deputy Mayor Cunningham Commissioner Pomeroy Commissioner Madgic Commissioner Coburn I am writing on behalf of the Bozeman (Area) Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee (PTS or PTSC). As you may recall, PTS is a "joint" citizens advisory board. It was createdmy an interlocal agreement between the City Commission, the County Commission, and the Bozeman School Board. Each of those three bodies appoints two voting members to PTS. The City's original plan for consolidation of its citizen advisory boards called forleaving PTS intact and unaffected. In his February 23 comments to the Commission, City Manager Mihelic said joint boards would not be affected by consolidation. In a March email,City Clerk Maas specifically wrote that PTS would not be affected. It was a full two months later before we got the first faint clue something had changed. It wasn't until May 27 that we learned the City is proposing to eliminate PTS as an organization(but supposedly roll its work into the Transportation Super Board). Unlike the Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) where the member organizations simply report on what they individually are doing, PTS prides itself onaddressing safety concerns and problems that individual citizens are encountering. On more than one occasion, we have brought the citizens, the Bozeman Police Chief, the Sheriff, , theBozeman Transportation Engineer, and the County Engineer into the same room, searched for the optimum solution, and used our influence to help implement that solution. To mention just a few examples of our efforts, we were the catalyst that resolved a safetyproblem with a private driveway on South Church Street and an intersection problem on Durston Road. Both of those involved bringing the City and the County together. We've alsoprovided input to the County on its Transportation Design and Construction Standards, assisted in getting safety improvements on South Church by Bogert Park, advocated for anappropriate speed limit on Monforton School Road, commented on the Triangle Trails Plan, recommended safety improvements at various intersections and roads within the citylimits,etc. We have advocated at the State legislature and before the State Transportation Commission for safety regulations and safety improvements. We have been involved in safetyeducation and in implementing the Bozeman Community Safety Plan. That's just a sampling of what we do. It doesn't even mention the role we play inincreasing the funding for non-motorized travel and in helping select the projects to be built with the limited funds. We are proud of our work. We take pride that the word "safety" appears in our name andit is a guiding light for us. We take great joy in being a forum where citizens can bring their safety concerns, voice their concerns in front of officials that could help them, and actually getmany of those concerns "fixed". If PTS disappears as an organization in Bozeman's bureaucracy, we are dubious that the Transportation Super Board will have the time and interest to absorb all of our activities. The"losers" will be the citizens of Bozeman. What will happen to the safety problems outside the city limits. Will the Bozeman Transportation Super Board expend time and energy on issues lying outside the city limits? Iam dubious it would. The City suggests that its partners in PTS, the County and the School District, are willing to dissolve the organization of PTS. Yes, City staff did talk to senior administrators in theCounty and the School District, but there has been no such discussion with the governing boards. One of our fears is if the City withdraws from PTS, the end result is neither theCounty or the School District will have a transportation safety citizens advisory board. If this is the case, then the City dropping PTS as an organization will deprive not only the citizens ofBozeman but also the citizens of the county of safety "problem solvers". Citizens would lose. The City suggests that PTS as a Bozeman organization should be dissolved this fall, theTransportation Super Board assume (all?) of the committee's activities and services, and then PTS might be reformulated wen (and if) the MPO is implemented. First off, why go through atwo-step process? Why not keep PTS intact as an organization until the MPO gets implemented and then determine what changes, if any, to make? (As an aside, even if PTSgets reformulated as an MPO organization, the geographic area covered by the MPO would not fully encompass the geographic area PTS presently covers.( I feel compelled to make an observation. One of the stated reasons for doing boardconsolidation is to give the citizen advisory boards better access to the Commission. I think each of you will attest that PTS as an organization, me at its chairperson, and Marilee Brownas its vice chairperson have not faced any limitations or difficulties in communicating with the Commission and with individual Commissioners. CONCLUSION: We are convinced it would be a disservice to the citizens ofBozeman (and also to County residents living outside the city limits) if the City drops theorganization of PTS. The wisest step forward would be to go back to the City's originalplan for leaving PTS intact and unaffected by board consolidation. Ralph W. Zimmer, Chairperson Bozeman (Area) Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee cc: Jeff Mihelic Gregg Sullivan Melody Mileur Scott Shirley Taylor Lonsdale John Van Delinder Mike Maas Jesse DiTommaso Marilee Brown