HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-10-22 Public Comment - G. Stober - forced annexationsFrom:Gil Stober
To:Agenda
Subject:forced annexations
Date:Tuesday, May 10, 2022 4:08:29 PM
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To the Bozeman City Commission,
I received notice that you'll be re-starting the discussion of forced annexations ("a rose by any
other name") of the city-surrounded county properties, and I'd like to make a few comments.
First, I've seen in your notices and in the Chronicle that the idea of "fairness" is regularlybeing pushed at the public, with the idea that we county residents are "unfairly" using city
services without paying for them, as if we're all schemers aiming to take advantage of thecity. I'd like to counter that idea, and say that it's unfair (to me) for the city to shove these
services at us, without any choice on our part. This is somewhat like if I'd driven my pickupslowly by Costco and they threw a big-screen TV that I hadn't asked for in the back, and then
insisted I pay for it.
I live on Valley Drive, and while I didn't love the old gravel road, I was more than willing todeal with it, which I had since 1985. Now, as a result of the un-checked growth in the city, I
have a paved road in front of my house. Yes, it's nice, but I didn't ask for it and had absolutelyzero say in having it here. If I had an alternative road to access my house, I'd use that, but I
don't. I'm forced to use the paved road. Does the city really think that I built my house herein 1985 and then patiently bided my time until I could take advantage of the city? I'll admit
that I can be patient, but for 37 years?
It's true that many of us surrounded residents expected to have to deal with annexation sooneror later, but it seems to me that you have the power to control how that happens.
I'm sure someone will bring up that real estate prices have gone through the roof here, we all
know that. And that same someone will probably mention that annexation will bring anotherincrease in our house values. But that increase is only on paper (and the tax rolls, another
issue) until we sell. My point is that all of us have "affordable housing" right now, and someare in the position of being on a fixed income and may be forced out of their homes because
they can't afford the cost to join the city. Where will they move?
There are ways you can control the process to make it less painful for those of us affected. Iwould suggest that, unless someone's well/septic system fails, in which case annexation would
take place, the properties affected could be annexed as they were sold, inherited, or otherwisetransferred. Yes, this would take some time, but cities have a long life-span, compared to us
humans, and this would be a humane way to deal with this problem. The city would have tobe patient, but it would have the knowledge that the annexations would eventually all happen,
and it wouldn't force anyone out of their homes. Or the city could annex all these properties,but defer all the costs associated with the annexation until the properties are transferred. You
probably have better information than I do, but I'd guess that a great many of the surroundedproperties are owned by retirees, so you wouldn't have long to wait.
As a bonus, it wouldn't immediately add many households to Bozeman's already over-burdened water and sewer systems.
Thanks for considering my input.
-Gil Stober
Valley Drive