HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-20-21 Minutes - Northeast Urban Renewal Board (NURB)
NURB Meeting – May 20, 2021 1
Northeast Urban Renewal Board (NURB)
Regular Meeting Thursday, May 20, 2021 The Northeast Urban Renewal Board met in regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 20,
2021, via Webex.
Present: Absent: Voting Members:
Bobbi Clem Ethan Barlow Corwin Dormire Natalie Van Dusen Jeanne Wesley-Wiese Non-Voting Members:
EJ Daws (arrived at 6:43 pm) Robert Pavlic Chris Nixon Commissioner Liaison:
I-Ho Pomeroy Staff: David Fine, Urban Renewal Program Manager Robin Sullivan, Recording Secretary
Guests: Call to Order – Chair Corwin Dormire called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m.
Changes to the Agenda. No changes were made to the agenda.
Public Comment – No public was in attendance at this meeting. Approval of Minutes – April 15, 2021. Jeanne Wesley-Wiese stated the last sentence in the
fifth paragraph on Page 2 reads “She then noted that she is the only voting member who lives in the district and is impacted by the Board’s failure to prioritize residents over project that promote economic development.” She does not feel that the residents should be prioritized; rather, the
mixed use character of the area should be acknowledged and they should be on equal footing with the commercial and industrial uses. As a result, she asked that the sentence be revised. It was moved by Jeanne Wesley-Wiese, seconded by Bobbi Clem, that the minutes of the regular meeting of April 15, 2021 be approved as amended. The motion carried on a 3-0 vote.
NURB Meeting – May 20, 2021 2
Discussion/Action Items – Discuss procedure for Board meetings. David Fine noted that only three voting members and one non-voting member are in attendance. He can either proceed with the
presentation or delay it until next month’s meeting. He stated that new board members will also be appointed in June or July; and there will be at least two new members since Bobbi Clem will be stepping off as a voting member and Chris Nixon announced just prior to this meeting that he will be moving out of the district and out of Bozeman prior to next month’s meeting, leaving that
non-voting position open. The board members agreed that this discussion should be delayed to next month’s meeting, with the hope that more board members will be present.
Review of the urban renewal plan and state statutes pertaining to urban renewal districts. Corwin Dormire asked that this item also be delayed until next month’s meeting; the board members agreed.
Set agenda for June 17, 2021 meeting or cancel meeting. It was moved by Corwin Dormire, seconded by Jeanne Wesley-Wiese, that the June 17 meeting be held and that the agenda include the two items listed above. The motion carried on a 3-0 vote.
Staff updates on items of interest to the Board, including recommendations for future advisory board consolidation. David Fine reported that the full engineering design for
the pedestrian bridge has been submitted by KLJ Engineering, and it is currently in City review. He stated that the design for the Front Street improvements adjacent to the depot has also been completed and is in engineering review. He cautioned that staffing issues in the Engineering Department, including loss of the Director of Public Works and City Engineer, has resulted in
increased workloads for the remaining staff, so those reviews will take longer than usual. He indicated that the developer of the Tinworks Project anticipates infrastructure improvements beginning in August or September, so this portion of roadway can be attached to that project. David Fine announced that next Tuesday’s Commission agenda includes tasking the City
Manager with looking at potentially consolidating and streamlining the City’s 40+ advisory boards. He stated the individual boards take an extraordinary amount of staff time and Commissioner liaison time; and it appears there may be some benefit to combining some of the boards. This process will likely take until the end of the year; and any changes to the boards for
urban renewal districts will take additional time since the urban renewal plans will need to be revised in addition to adoption of new ordinances. He will keep the Board informed as this task moves through the process. Responding to questions from Chris Nixon, David Fine suggested that board members may
submit their comments at this time, e-mail comments to the Commission, or attend the virtual Commission meeting and provide their input. Chris Nixon noted that he was involved in the creation of both the Northeast Urban Renewal
Board and the NorthEast Neighborhood Association and is very supportive of both. He acknowledged that this Board does not always function smoothly but is primarily comprised of those who live or work within the district.
NURB Meeting – May 20, 2021 3
Corwin Dormire stated he will attend the Commission meeting and share his thoughts at that time.
FYI/Discussion. Chris Nixon reported that two buildings were torn down at the north terminus of North Church Avenue, between his property and Jeanne Wesley-Wiese’s property. The garage contained two dwelling units and the house contained one living unit, all of which were
affordable housing. He expressed concern that the house was one of the original cabins in
Bozeman. The property is owned by the corporation that purchased Lattice Materials, and they sought a permit for demolition only. Since the application did not include a proposal for development, there was no notice and no public process prior to issuance of the permit. He noted that, in addition to the loss of affordable housing, there is a loss to the tax base that will
impact the revenues for this district. Jeanne Wesley-Wiese stated that the Code Enforcement Officer has been unable to successfully address the right-of-way encroachments adjacent to Bob Arnold’s property.
David Fine responded that he will pursue the issue. He then noted that the Front Street improvements run adjacent to his property and may impact some of those encroachments. Adjournment – 6:58 p.m. There being no further business to come before the Board at this time, it was moved by Corwin Dormire, seconded by Bobbi Clem, that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried on a 3-0 vote. Corwin Dormire, Chair
Northeast Urban Renewal Board City of Bozeman