HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-04-23 Public Comment - D. Carty - Historic Preservation Advisory Board Appointment Comment, Dec 4, 2023From:Daniel Carty
To:Agenda
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Historic Preservation Advisory Board Appointment Comment, Dec 4, 2023
Date:Monday, December 4, 2023 9:25:09 AM
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Monday, Dec 4, 2023, 9:25 AM
To: Citizen Advisory Boards Appointment Comments folder and Historic PreservationAdvisory Board folder
Subject: City's Nov 30, 2023, decision to deny Alison Sweeney a seat on the Historic
Preservation Advisory Board
Please place the attached public comment email in the (1) Citizen Advisory Boards Appointment
Comments folder and (2) Historic Preservation Advisory Board folder. Thank you.
Daniel Carty
213 N. Third Ave
Bozeman, MT 59715
dgc12@hotmail.com
406-548-2810
From: Daniel Carty <dgc12@hotmail.com>
Sent: Friday, December 1, 2023 10:03 PM
To: Jeff Mihelich <jmihelich@bozeman.net>; Greg Sullivan <gsullivan@BOZEMAN.NET>;
srosenberg@bozeman.net <srosenberg@bozeman.net>; Christopher Coburn
<Ccoburn@bozeman.net>
Cc: Terry Cunningham <Tcunningham@bozeman.net>
Subject: Decision to deny Alison Sweeney a seat on the Historic Preservation Advisory Board
Friday, Dec 1, 2023; 3:05 PM
To: Jeff Mihelich, City Manager; Greg Sullivan, City Attorney; Christopher Coburn, City
Commissioner and Liaison to the Historic Preservation Advisory Board; and Sarah
Rosenberg, Historic Preservation Officer and Associate Planner
Subject: Nov 30, 2023, decision by the City to deny Alison Sweeney a seat on the Historic
Preservation Advisory Board
I am writing to ask the City to reverse its decision to deny Ms. Alison Sweeney a seat on
the Bozeman Historic Preservation Advisory Board (BHPAB). I am asking for this reversal
because I think the City's rationale for denying Ms. Sweeney a seat is without merit (as
follows):
Background
On Nov 30, 2023, Alison Sweeney received the following email from the City of Bozeman
denying her a seat on the BHPAB. The email, sent under Ms. Sarah Rosenberg's name,
reads as follows (quoted material in italics):
Dear Alison,
Thank you for taking the time yesterday to interview for the Historic Preservation Advisory
Board. We thank you for your interest and appreciate the time and effort you invested.
Regrettably, we cannot offer you the board position. After discussion, our primary concern
in making this decision is due to your leadership role in the Better Bozeman Coalition. As a
City advisory board, we want to ensure that it operates with the utmost transparency and
free from any potential conflicts of interest. Please understand that this decision is not a
reflection of your capabilities or commitment. We genuinely value your ongoing support to
historic preservation as well as your contributions to Better Bozeman Coalition. We hope to
find opportunities for collaboration in the future that align with both parties’ objectives.
Thank you once again for your interest and understanding. If you have any questions or
would like further clarification, please feel free to reach out.
Cheers,
Sarah Rosenberg
Problems with the City's rationale that render it without merit
(1) The first problem with the City's rationale is that there is no indication in the email thatMs. Sweeny is not qualified to hold the seat. In fact, the email states, ...this decision is not a
reflection of your capabilities or commitment. As such, I infer from this statement that Ms.
Sweeney is qualified to hold the seat and that she is committed to doing the work required of her
as a member of the BHPAB.
(2) The second, more serious problem with the City's rationale is the statement, After discussion,
our primary concern in making this decision is due to your leadership role in the Better Bozeman
Coalition. As a City advisory board, we want to ensure that it operates with the utmost
transparency and free from any potential conflicts of interest.
(a) This statement from the email is problematic because it reflects the City's assumption that Ms.
Sweeney's very presence on the board would create potential conflicts of interest—an assumption
that cannot be proved before the fact. Like all citizen advisory board members, Ms. Sweeney
would have to abide by any and all ethics regulations required of her by the City.
(b) Also, this statement from the email is problematic because it seems that it is being applied
selectively to Ms. Sweeney when, in fact, it also could be applied to at least two other citizen
advisory board members—one who sits on the Community Development Board (Mr. Jason
Delmue) and one who sits on the Sustainability Board (Ms. Emma Bode). Mr. Delmue is a for-
profit developer who is actively building within City limits, and Ms. Bode volunteers with the
Gallatin Valley Sunrise Movement, a nonprofit that advocates for sustainability and "a livable
future" within the Gallatin Valley. I emphasize that I am not advocating for the removal of Mr.
Delmue or Ms. Bode; instead, I am asking the City to treat Ms. Sweeney equally by granting her a
seat on the BHPAB and relying on her to recuse herself in any and all situations in which a conflict
of interest may arise. In their respective ways, Mr. Delmue, Ms. Bode, and Ms. Sweeney are all
working to make Bozeman better.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I reiterate my request that the City reverse its decision to deny Ms. Alison Sweeney
a seat on the BHPAB because I think the City's rationale for denying her a seat is without merit.
Sincerely,
Daniel Carty
213 N. Third AveBozeman, MT 59715
dgc12@hotmail.com
406-548-2810
CC: Terry Cunningham, Deputy Mayor