Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatalie WilkinsonFrom:webadmin@bozeman.net To:Agenda Subject:Citizen Advisory Board Application Date:Thursday, September 30, 2021 4:15:29 PM A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted. Form Name:Citizen Advisory Board Application Date & Time:09/30/2021 4:15 PM Response #:90 Submitter ID:44238 IP address:71.15.211.113 Time to complete:10 min. , 38 sec. Survey Details Page 1 WELCOME Thank you for your interest in joining a Citizen Advisory Board. The City of Bozeman elected officials and staff believe in the value of public participation and local governance in the decision-making process and encourage all interested members of our community to apply. As set forth in Resolution 5323, the City is committed to building Advisory Boards that advance the City’s goals of increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Because of this goal, the City is actively working to achieve membership that reflects, at the least, the demographics of our community. Women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and other underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. CONTACT INFORMATION The City will need to communicate with all board members via email for a number of annual communications, so a valid email address is required for all applicants. Please notify the City Clerk's Office if your email address changes for any reason. The City will need to communicate with all board members via email for a number of annual communications, so a valid email address is required for all applicants. Please notify the City Clerk's Office if your email address changes for any reason. Please note that your application will become public information. All required fields are marked with a red asterisk *. STANDARDS OF CONDUCT Each official and employee serving on a multimember agency is expected to devote the time and effort necessary to ensure the successful functioning of such agency (Bozeman Municipal Code, Section 2.03.490.C.). Additional standards of conduct and norms are included in Resolution 5323. Applicant Information First Name Natalie Last Name Wilkinson Physical Address 219 East Story PO Box (if different from physical address) Not answered City Bozeman State Montana Zip Code 59715 Primary Phone (406) 570-6693 Additional Phone Not answered Current Occupation Communications Coordinator Employer Alternative Energy Resources Organization Email nataliewilkinson7@gmail.com Which position are you applying for? (○) Transportation Board Do You Live in the City Limits? (Some positions do require you live within Bozeman city limits while others do not.) (○) Yes How long have you lived in the Bozeman Area? (○) 11 years or more Have you ever served on a City or County Board or Commission? (○) No Please describe your professional and personal experiences, interest, and qualifications that make you a good fit for this board. Having been born and raised in Bozeman, it would be deeply meaningful to me to contribute to local decision making around public transportation, especially because so many people like me have been forced to move further out of Bozeman due to housing costs. I feel passionate about helping create a Bozeman that is accessible to everyone, and I understand public transportation to be a crucial fixture of any accessible city. A good bus system can build connections across town, support people without cars, and ensure that young working people like myself can commute efficiently into town. My relationship with public transportation in Bozeman goes quite far back. In 2009, at the age of twelve, I helped steward a youth-led community forum with the Bozeman Youth Intern Program on public transportation in Bozeman. We sparked a lively conversation around community funding for the Streamline Bus System, which gave me a poignant taste of the tensions and limitations of public transportation in a town like Bozeman. I came to value public transportation as not just a practical issue, but a political and cultural issue. After graduating from Bozeman High School, I went to Williams College in northwestern Massachusetts and majored in Comparative Literature, graduating cum laude in 2019. Each summer when I returned from school, I noticed old businesses –ones that I regarded as fixtures in the community– replaced by new ones, and shopping centers built where there were once wheat fields. While I understood that Bozeman, as an extremely desirable place to live, would necessarily have rapid development, I felt concern about how quickly the development was happening, and who was getting left behind. Back at school, I depended on the local bus system to get to the grocery store and medical appointments, and I experienced how crucial public transportation is anywhere. I began wondering about Bozeman's bus system and how, and if, it was supporting people. I returned to Bozeman in the Fall of 2019, and began working as an Evening Lead and Caterer at Fork & Spoon, Bozeman's only pay-what-you-can restaurant, a program of the HRDC. Several nights a week, I would train volunteers, help prepare for evening service, and ensure that the dining room was a safe environment for all patrons, many of whom were unhoused, experiencing mental health or addiction crises, or were having to choose between eating and keeping the heat on. Each night, a large group of customers would gather near the front door, looking outside in wait for the Streamline Bus that came at 6:30pm, to take them to the Warming Center four miles away down North 7th Ave. Often, customers would ask for bus schedules and bus times, moving on a circuit between community resources in town: the Food Bank, the Public Library, Fork & Spoon, the Warming Center, and back again. I heard stories of people losing jobs because they missed the bus, or having to walk for miles in the freezing cold to find a place to stay because the Streamline didn't run that night. Many people relied on the Streamline simply for warmth during the day as they got from one place to another. This experience illuminated for me how critical public transportation is for economic equity, in a town designed for access through cars. The Streamline Bus isn't simply a means of getting someone from one place to another, it's a means of showing care– of prioritizing the needs of the people who are crucial members of our community. Further, as a former student, I understand how vital a well-functioning public transportation system is in supporting a thriving economy. If someone lacks a car for any reason, it is difficult to access economic hubs in the city, and instead, many will simply shop at the nearest big box store. I value public transportation as a means of supporting access and interchange across a growing city, and am committed to reaching transportation solutions that meet everyone's needs. I have served on a number of student committees in college, including Mental Health Committee, in which I served as a liaison between students and mental health staff, and a Faculty Selection Committee for the Spanish Department. These experiences taught me the value of offering my honest perspective while also respecting and making space for a variety of opinions. They gave me a taste of collective decision-making, and the brilliant solutions that can come about when many voices are at the table. Now, at the age of twenty four, I am also questioning whether I can afford to stay in Bozeman. A robust, affordable public transportation system is one vital step in supporting everyone's needs in this town, and it would be an honor to share in the collaborative work of supporting Bozeman in the ongoing development of its transportation system as a member of the Citizen Advisory Board. The City of Bozeman strongly values diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Describe any efforts you have engaged in to expand your understanding of DEI. As a white queer woman in Bozeman, I am passionate about working at the intersections of my identity to support a town that is welcoming to everyone. While on campus at Williams College, I organized alongside other students to push for more support for BIPOC students on campus, working in multi-racial and cross- class spaces. In the winter of 2019 I attended multiple anti-bias workshops through the Montana Racial Equity Project, and I deeply value their perspective and services in a predominantly white town. Lastly, I have volunteered for the last two years with Bozeman United for Racial Justice, helping support and facilitate community conversations around what keeps us safe in Bozeman. References: Please provide name, phone, and email contact information for two references. Reference 1 Jacqui Colt, Catering Chef & Events Coordinator, Fork & Spoon (413) 835-5878 jcolt@thehrdc.org Reference 2 Lindsay Ganong, Grant Programs Manager, AERO (Alternative Energy Resources Organization) (715) 563-7275 lindsay.ganong@montana.edu The Bozeman City Charter, voted in by the citizens of Bozeman in 2008, requires annual ethics training. If appointed, do you understand you will be expected to take online and in person ethics training? (○) Yes How did you hear about this board or vacancy? By suggestion from a friend who is similarly passionate about local decision-making. Is there any other information that you feel we need to know? Not answered If you have a disability that requires assistance or need accommodations, please contact our ADA Coordinator, Mike Gray, at 582-3232 (TDD 582-2301). Please note that for most Citizen Advisory Boards, materials are distributed electronically for each meeting. Your application and all information submitted is considered a public record. All applications are included in the City Commission’s Meeting materials for consideration which are electronically archived and available to the public. Thank you, City Of Bozeman This is an automated message generated by Granicus. Please do not reply directly to this email.