HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-03-23 Public Comment - D. Carty - City's proposed UDC update meeting w_ small group of Bozeman residentsFrom:Daniel Carty
To:Cyndy Andrus; Terry Cunningham
Cc:Jennifer Madgic; Christopher Coburn; Jeff Mihelich; Agenda; Nora Shelly
Subject:[EXTERNAL]City"s proposed UDC update meeting w/ small group of Bozeman residents
Date:Thursday, November 2, 2023 3:02:06 PM
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Date: Nov 2, 2023; Time: 3:00 PM
Mayor Andrus and Deputy Mayor Cunningham:
It has come to light the City of Bozeman has proposed a UDC-related meeting with a small
number (perhaps five) of Bozeman residents (invitees). The date of this Small Groupmeeting (as it has come to be called) has not been finalized but may occur in mid-Nov,
2023.
Based on an email sent to the Small Group invitees via the City Manager, it appears themeeting will be restricted to a single discussion topic, as the following quote from the City
Manager's email indicates: "Just a quick note of clarification – this meeting is really just to
focus on the supplemental engagement process. That’s it. We will not be able to get into
any specifics of the UDC update elements at all." Moreover, to my knowledge, the Small
Group meeting has not been announced to the wider public; is not open to the wider public,
if only for in-person observation; and will not be video-recorded for the permanent publicrecord.
My concern about the Small Group meeting is not the single-topic agenda but instead is the
exclusion of the wider public, if only as in-person observers, and the fact that the meetingwill not be video-recorded for the permanent public record. It is entirely possible that
excluding the wider public and not video-recording the meeting are legal because only twoCommissioners (Mayor and Deputy Mayor) will be attending, which does not constitute a
Commission quorum. However, if the Small Group meeting is to be held before the end of2023, then the right thing to do—the ethical thing to do—would be to open the meeting to
the wider public for in-person observation only and to video-record the meeting for thepermanent public record.
Please note that the Small Group meeting could be construed by Bozeman residents to be
the first City-proposed and City-sanctioned public meeting since Mayor Andrus announcedthat the proposed UDC update process would actually be paused (i.e., a temporary stop in
action) until Jan, 2024. Therefore, I am asking the City to allow the wider public to attendthis Small Group meeting as observers only and am asking that the meeting be video-
recorded for the permanent public record. Going forward, the City's transparency andaccountability are essential to public buy-in of the proposed UDC update process. Thank
you for considering this request.
Sincerely,
Daniel Carty213 N. Third Ave
Bozeman, MT 59715
dgc12@hotmail.com
406-548-2810
CC's: Jennifer Madgic, City Commissioner; Christopher Coburn, City
Commissioner; Jeff Mihelich, City Manager; Nora Shelly, Bozeman Daily Chronicle; andagenda@bozeman.net