HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-21-24 SB Agenda and Packet MaterialsA. Call Special Meeting to Order - 6:00 PM
B. Disclosures
C. Changes to the Agenda
D. Approval of Minutes
D.1 Approve the February 14, 2024 Sustainability Advisory Board Minutes.(Meyer)
E. Public Comments
THE SUSTAINABILITY BOARD OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA
SB AGENDA
Thursday, March 21, 2024
General information about the Sustainability Board can be found in our Laserfiche repository.
If you are interested in commenting in writing on items on the agenda please send an email to
agenda@bozeman.net or by visiting the Public Comment Page prior to 12:00pm on the day of the
meeting.
Public comments will also be accepted in-person and through Video Conference during the appropriate
agenda items.
As always, the meeting will be streamed through the Commission's video page and available in the
City on cable channel 190.
For more information please contact Jon Henderson, jon.henderson@bozeman.net
This meeting will be held both in-person and also using an online videoconferencing system. You
can join this meeting:
Via Video Conference:
Click the Register link, enter the required information, and click submit.
Click Join Now to enter the meeting.
Via Phone: This is for listening only if you cannot watch the stream, channel 190, or attend in-
person
United States Toll
+1 346 248 7799
Access code: 934 9305 9514
Approve the February 14, 2024 Sustainability Advisory Board Minutes.
This is the time to comment on any matter falling within the scope of the Sustainability Board.
There will also be time in conjunction with each agenda item for public comment relating to that
item but you may only speak once per topic. Please note, the Board cannot take action on any
item which does not appear on the agenda. All persons addressing the Board shall speak in a civil
and courteous manner and members of the audience shall be respectful of others. Please state
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F. FYI/Discussion
F.1 2024 - 2025 Work Plan Finalization (Henderson)
F.2 2024 CleanUp Week(Meyer)
F.3 Local Food System Preliminary Mapping Project (Chipouras)
G. Adjournment
your name and place of residence in an audible tone of voice for the record and limit your
comments to three minutes.
General public comments to the Board can be found on their Laserfiche repository page.
This board generally meets on the second Wednesday of the month 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Citizen Advisory Board meetings are open to all members the public. If you have a disability that
requires assistance, please contact our ADA Coordinator, Mike Gray, at 582-3232 (TDD 582-2301).
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Memorandum
REPORT TO:Sustainability Board
FROM:Ali Chipouras, Sustainability Program Specialist
Natalie Meyer, Sustainability Program Manager
Jon Henderson, Strategic Services Director
SUBJECT:Approve the February 14, 2024 Sustainability Advisory Board Minutes.
MEETING DATE:March 21, 2024
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Minutes
RECOMMENDATION:Approve the February 14, 2024 Sustainability Advisory Board Minutes.
STRATEGIC PLAN:1.2 Community Engagement: Broaden and deepen engagement of the
community in city government, innovating methods for inviting input from
the community and stakeholders.
BACKGROUND:In accordance with Commission Resolution 5323 and the City of Bozeman's
Citizen Advisory Board Manual, all Boards must have minutes taken and
approved. Prepared minutes will be provided for approval by the board at
the next scheduled meeting. Staff will make any corrections identified to the
minutes before submitting them to the City Clerk's Office.
UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None.
ALTERNATIVES:As suggested by the Board.
FISCAL EFFECTS:None.
Attachments:
02-14-2024 Sustainability Advisory Board Minutes.pdf
Report compiled on: March 1, 2024
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Bozeman Sustainability Advisory Board Meeting Minutes, 2/14/24
Page 1 of 2
THE SUSTAINABILITY CITIZEN ADVISORY BOARD MEETING OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA
MINUTES
2/14/24
General information about the Sustainability Board can be found in our Laserfiche repository.
A) 00:54:02 Call to Order - 6:00 PM Present: Emma Bode, Kristin Blackler, Nathan Gracey, Brooke Lahneman, Kalani Goodhard
Absent: Isabel Shaida, Rebecca Kurnick, Terry Cunningham
B) 00:56:24 Disclosures
• There were no disclosures.
C) 00:56:29 Changes to the Agenda
• There were not changes to the agenda.
D) 00:56:31 Approval of Minutes
D.1 Approve the January 10, 2024 Sustainability Advisory Board Minutes.
01-10-24 Sustainability Advisory Board Minutes.pdf
00:57:17 Motion to approve
Kristin Blackler: Motion
Kalani Goodhard: 2nd
00:57:23 Vote on the Motion to approve The Motion carried 5 - 0.
Approve:
Emma Bode
Kristin Blackler
Nathan Gracey
Brooke Lahneman
Kalani Goodhard
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Bozeman Sustainability Advisory Board Meeting Minutes, 2/14/24
Page 2 of 2
Disapprove:
None
E) 00:59:40 Public Comments
F) 01:00:11 Special Presentations
F.1 01:01:26 Engineering Design Standards Update - Compact Development White
Papers
DOWL_Peer_Cities_White_Paper_2-7-24
Engineering Standards White Paper 1_12-14-23
Engineering Standards White Paper 2_2-7-24
• Transportation and Engineering Director Nick Ross and Utilities Director Shawn Kohtz presented
on the compact development White Papers scopes as part of the engineering design standards
update.
G) 00:57:43 FYI/Discussion
• Strategic Services Director Jon Henderson shared that the triannual report for the Climate Plan
was presented to commission on January 23rd and the potential to reschedule to the March
advisory board meeting.
G.1 02:05:51 2024 - 2025 Work Plan Introduction
• Strategic Services Director Jon Henderson led a discussion about the 2024-2025 advisory board
work plan.
H) 03:16:02 Adjournment
This board generally meets on the second Wednesday of the month 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
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Memorandum
REPORT TO:Sustainability Board
FROM:Jon Henderson, Strategic Services Director
SUBJECT:2024 - 2025 Work Plan Finalization
MEETING DATE:March 21, 2024
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Citizen Advisory Board/Commission
RECOMMENDATION:2024 - 2025 Work Plan Finalization
STRATEGIC PLAN:6.3 Climate Action: Reduce community and municipal Greenhouse Gas
(GHG) emissions, increase the supply of clean and renewable energy; foster
related businesses.
BACKGROUND:On February 14, 2024 the Sustainability Citizen Advisory Board began
discussing the development of a Work Plan to help guide progress over the
next two years (2024-2025).
Input received from the Board has been incorporated, in addition to details
further describing each item. The attached materials represent a draft Work
Plan, for the Board's consideration.
City staff will provide a brief presentation, followed by a discussion with the
Board. Feedback received will be incorporated into a final version for the
Sustainability Board's consideration for provisional approval on April 10,
2024.
It’s important to note that City Commission priorities have not been formally
adopted. Following the finalization of City Commission priorities, and any
amendments to the Sustainability Board's Work Plan as a result, the City
Commission will formally adopt the Board's Work Plan.
UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None.
ALTERNATIVES:As suggested by the Sustainability Board.
FISCAL EFFECTS:None.
Attachments:
Sustainability Advisory Board Work Plan 2024-2025
Narrative.pdf
Sustainability Advisory Board Work Plan 2024-2025 Table.pdf
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Report compiled on: February 29, 2024
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Sustainability Advisory Board Work Plan 2024‐2025
Focus Area 1: Climate Planning
The Sustainability Board will provide advisory recommendations to the City Commission, and as requested
by the City Manager, to the City Manager, on policies related to the City of Bozeman’s Climate Plan. The
policies the board advises on must seek to ensure Bozeman is a leader in mitigating the impacts of climate
change.
Work Plan Item 1: Local Food System
a. On November 9, 2022, the Sustainability Board held a Work Session to review the proposed
approach for a community mapping project designed to enhance the City’s understanding of
current challenges and opportunities within the local food system. This was followed by a
Work Session on March 8, 2023, to confirm feedback received from the Board to be
included in a Request for Proposals published on April 29, 2023.
b. The Board will have an opportunity to comment on the process and preliminary findings
during a work session on March 21, 2024.
c. On April 10, 2024, the Board will again have an opportunity to comment on the
recommendations and final report, including any recommendations to staff on subsequent
next steps.
d. To foster and develop the connections made during the Local Food System Preliminary
Mapping Project, staff will work with the Sustainability Board and local food system
constituents to elevate local food and nutrition educational opportunities in the community.
e. The Board will advise staff on opportunities for the City to help bolster a more sustainable,
resilient, and equitable local food system through education, policy, and more.
*Bozeman Climate Plan Reference: 6.N.1‐4
Work Plan Item 2: Composting Services & Collection
a. On August 9, 2023, the Sustainability Board held a Work Session on the City’s Solid Waste
Rate Study and Compost Feasibility Study to receive input on future implementation and
outreach of the bundled plan as directed by the City Commission on July 18, 2023.
b. As a result of feedback received from the Sustainability Board, the City is in the process of
conducting a customer survey in early 2024 to inform a plan for successful implementation.
c. The Sustainability Board will be invited to provide additional input on community education
and outreach planning in 2024.
d. Management of human‐wildlife conflicts will be a facet of the discussion with the Board.
*Bozeman Climate Plan Reference: 5.M.2
Work Plan Item 3: Electric Mobility
a. The City of Bozeman will initiate an Electric Mobility Roadmap planning process starting in
the summer of 2024 to strategically plan for all forms of transportation electrification,
including electric vehicles, e‐bikes, EV rideshare, and electric transit.
b. The Sustainability Board will be asked to provide feedback on the project scope of work and
the constituent engagement strategy in the fall of 2024.
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c. The draft Electric Mobility Roadmap will be shared with the Board in the winter of 2024, and
the Board will be provided with the opportunity to review the final draft and make a
recommendation to the City Commission.
*Bozeman Climate Plan Reference: 4.K.1‐3
Work Plan Item 4: Green Power Program
a. The Green Power Program partnership with the City and County of Missoula is a key
strategy to reach the City of Bozeman’s 100% net clean electricity goal.
b. The Sustainability Board held a 100% Net Clean Electricity Strategies Work Session on June
14, 2023.
c. On November 8, 2023, the draft Green Power Program Term Sheet was presented to the
Sustainability Board as the overarching program framework. The Board unanimously
recommended approval of the Green Power Program Term Sheet and requested staff to
forward their recommendation to the City Commission.
d. Following Commission adoption of the Term Sheet on November 28, 2023, the next step in
the process is the adoption of a lead community agreement with NorthWestern Energy to
further define the obligations of the parties. The Sustainability Board will be asked to make
a recommendation to the City Commission in the spring of 2024.
e. As the program advances through the approval process, the Board will be consulted on
messaging, education, and outreach to businesses, residents, and other constituents.
*Bozeman Climate Plan Reference: 2.E.1
Work Plan Item 5: Extreme Heat & Wildfire Smoke
a. On October 12, 2022, the Sustainability Board held a Work Session with a focus on
neighborhood resiliency programming related to wildfire smoke and heat outreach.
b. City staff incorporated feedback from the Board into outreach materials that were shared
with the public in the winter and summer of 2023.
c. On April 12, 2023, the Sustainability Board held another Work Session to receive feedback
on how the City might reach more residents, including any additional resources that would
be beneficial to the community.
d. As education and outreach continue, the Board will be asked to further consider ways the
City can deepen climate resilience communication and engagement, especially to aid
vulnerable community members disproportionately impacted by climate change and
extreme weather.
*Bozeman Climate Plan Reference: 3.I.1
Work Plan Item 6: Energy Efficiency and Electrification
a. On April 13, 2022, the Sustainability Board held a Work Session to provide input on a
building electrification campaign. After incorporating feedback received from the Board,
City staff presented a program outline during a Work Session on September 14, 2022.
b. Based on this input, City Staff hosted contractor training and developed residential
resources featuring case studies and incentives.
c. As these efforts develop and evolve, the Board will be asked to advise staff on:
i. Collaborations with local and statewide organizations,
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ii. Workforce development, and
iii. Development of outreach strategies designed to increase awareness of building
electrification and energy efficiency best practices, as well as emerging incentives
available through the Inflation Reduction Act and the utility.
*Bozeman Climate Plan Reference: 1.C.1‐3, 1.A.3, 1.A.6
Work Plan Item 7: Urban Tree Equity
a. The Gallatin Watershed Council is partnering with the City of Bozeman and other
organizations to expand the urban forest throughout the community under the Branch Out
Bozeman initiative.
b. The goals of Branch Out Bozeman are to improve water quality, reduce the heat island
effect, and increase the equitable distribution of tree canopy.
c. One role of the City will be to lead the analysis to help inform ideal planting locations in the
community.
d. The Board will be asked to provide staff‐level recommendations on this analysis.
*Bozeman Climate Plan Reference: 6.P.2
Work Plan Item 8: Engineering Design Standards
a. On February 14, 2024 the Sustainability Board received a Special Presentation from the
Transportation and Engineering Department on Engineering Design Standards focused on an
evaluation of compact development engineering standards.
b. Over the course of this work plan, the Sustainability Board will be provided with
opportunities to learn and comment on a range of topics, such as the Wetland Code Review
and the Stormwater Facility Plan engagement process.
*Bozeman Climate Plan Reference: 3.G.2
Focus Area 3: Beautification
Resolution 5327 establishes the Sustainability Board and assigns a focus area for beautification. The
Sustainability Board will assist the City in implementing the City’s annual Cleanup Week.
Work Plan Item 9: Cleanup Week
a. The Sustainability Board provided input to staff on outreach activities related to Cleanup
Week and Gallatin Valley Earth Day Festival events during a Work Session in 2022.
b. Through the partnership with the Gallatin Valley Earth Day Festival, participation in Cleanup
Week has increased.
c. The Sustainability Board will be invited to provide input on the City’s approach to
messaging, marketing, and promotion of the event.
d. Board members may choose to participate in Cleanup Week and the Gallatin Valley Earth
Day Festival.
*Bozeman Climate Plan Reference: 5.M.1, 6.P.4
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Work Plan Item
Description:
Strategic Priorities
Connection:
Board Time
Commitment:
Staff Time
Commitment:Schedule: Budget
Impact:
1. Local Food System Bozeman Climate Plan
Action Items 6.N.1‐4 2+ Meetings High Q1‐Q2 2024 $ 32,000
2. Composting Services &
Collection
Bozeman Climate Plan
Action Item 5.M.2 1‐2 Meetings Low 2024 $ ‐
3. Electric Mobility Bozeman Climate Plan
Action Items 4.K.1‐3 3+ Meetings High 2024‐2025 $ 30,000
4. Green Power Program Bozeman Climate Plan
Action Item 2.E.1 2+ Meetings High 2024‐2025 $ 38,000
5. Extreme Heat & Wildfire
Smoke
Bozeman Climate Plan
Action Item 3.I.1 1‐2 Meetings Medium 2024‐2025 $ 4,000
6. Energy Efficiency and
Electrification
Bozeman Climate Plan
Action Items 1.C.1‐3, 1.A.3,
1.A.6
1‐2 Meetings Medium 2024‐2025 $ 7,000
7. Urban Tree Equity
Bozeman Climate Plan
Action Item 6.P.2 1‐2 Meetings Medium 2024 $ ‐
8. Engineering Design
Standards
Bozeman Climate Plan
Action Item 3.G.2 2+ Meetings Low 2024‐2025 $ ‐
Work Plan Item
Description:
Strategic Priorities
Connection:
Board Time
Commitment:
Staff Time
Commitment:Schedule: Budget
Impact:
9. Cleanup Week
Sustainability Board Focus
Area 3 (Resoution 5327) &
Bozeman Climate Plan
Action Items 5.M.1, 6.P.4
1 Meeting (per
year)Medium April '24/'25 $ 4,500
SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARD WORK PLAN 2024‐2025
Focus Area 1: Climate Planning
Focus Area 2: Beautification
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Memorandum
REPORT TO:Sustainability Board
FROM:Natalie Meyer, Sustainability Program Manager
SUBJECT:2024 CleanUp Week
MEETING DATE:March 21, 2024
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Citizen Advisory Board/Commission
RECOMMENDATION:2024 CleanUp Week
STRATEGIC PLAN:6.3 Climate Action: Reduce community and municipal Greenhouse Gas
(GHG) emissions, increase the supply of clean and renewable energy; foster
related businesses.
BACKGROUND:From April 20-27, the City of Bozeman will welcome individuals and groups
to help pick up litter around Bozeman. As the snow melts, we tend to see
more trash around our community and neighborhoods. Not only do cleanups
improve habitat for humans and animals within city limits, but they also
benefit our downstream neighbors by helping to keep our streams and rivers
clean.
CleanUp Week will be kicked off at the Gallatin Valley Earth Day Festival
(www.gallatinvalleyearthday.org) on April 20 in collaboration with partners
across the city.
The City of Bozeman has coordinated the CleanUp Week event for over 35
years and successfully mobilizes hundreds of volunteers of all ages from
community organizations, local businesses, and government agencies each
year. Volunteers are encouraged to sign up online at
www.bozeman.net/cleanup.
CleanUp kits will be provided and include gloves, vests, yellow bags, and
instructions. Interested community members may opt for delivery of
cleanup kits to your group or organization ahead of CleanUp Week, or they
can pick up kits at the Gallatin Valley Earth Day Festival at the Gallatin
County Fairgrounds on Saturday, April 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Along with the CleanUp Kits, participants of CleanUp Week will also be given
a choice to pick a location or provided ideas for a cleanup location.
Participants are welcome to clean up any time from April 22-30 and the City
of Bozeman Solid Waste Division will take care of the yellow bags left behind
in the boulevard.
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Natalie Meyer, the City's Sustainability Program Manager, will provide a
brief introduction to CleanUp Week, followed by a discussion with the
Sustainability Board about how members might be able to contribute
directly to the effort.
UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None.
ALTERNATIVES:As suggested by the Sustainability Board.
FISCAL EFFECTS:None.
Attachments:
2024 Gallatin Valley Earth Day Poster.pdf
Report compiled on: February 29, 2024
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Memorandum
REPORT TO:Sustainability Board
FROM:Ali Chipouras, Sustainability Program Specialist
SUBJECT:Local Food System Preliminary Mapping Project
MEETING DATE:March 21, 2024
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Citizen Advisory Board/Commission
RECOMMENDATION:Local Food System Preliminary Mapping Project
STRATEGIC PLAN:6.3 Climate Action: Reduce community and municipal Greenhouse Gas
(GHG) emissions, increase the supply of clean and renewable energy; foster
related businesses.
BACKGROUND:Solution N. of the Bozeman Climate Plan highlights the critical importance of
a robust local food system to reduce emissions while supporting a more
equitable and resilient community. On November 9, 2022, the Sustainability
Citizen Advisory Board discussed strategies to more fully understand the
local food landscape and effectively implement Solution N. The Sustainability
Citizen Advisory Board and city staff identified the Local Food System
Preliminary Mapping Project as the first step. City staff developed a scope of
work for the project and identified three guiding goals:
Learn About the Local Food Landscape: Deepen the City of Bozeman’s
understanding of the current food system landscape and how City
activities intersect. Identify gaps, opportunities, and potential barriers
to food production, processing, distribution, access, and waste
recovery.
Cultivate Partnerships: Build relationships and identify potential
partnerships or collaborations with diverse constituents across the
local food system.
Identify Opportunities: Distill practitioner insights into
recommendations for potential next steps that the City could pursue,
establishing a basis for future projects and actions.
In July 2023, the City hired consultants Kate Burnaby Wright and Maclaren
Latta to lead the Local Food System Preliminary Mapping Project. An
external Steering Committee was established to guide this initiative. This
committee represents multiple facets of our local food system including
larger scale conventional farmers, small organic farmers, ranchers, meat
processors, business development support, food system specialists,
nutritionists, and more.
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The core of the Local Food System Preliminary Mapping Project is a series of
interviews with constituents representing many different facets of our local
food system. In September 2023, a collaborative project kick-off workshop
involving the project team, external Steering Committee members, and city
staff from various departments was held to identify focus areas for the
interviews. Six core topics were identified:
Food Access
Resilience in the Face of Disruption
Community Wellness, Education, and Culture
Production
Food Pathways
Ecological Sustainability
Through this process and additional input from Steering Committee
members, the project team established an initial list of people to interview
in group sessions and one-on-one formats. The list of potential interviewees
evolved as practitioners identified additional individuals in the community
with experience and knowledge valuable to understanding the core topics
and key questions.
Since December 2023, the project team has been engaging in productive and
insightful conversations through a series of both group and individual
interviews. To capture diverse perspectives, more than 65 participants from
various sectors of the local food system have participated thus far.
Ali Chipouras, City of Bozeman Sustainability Specialist, will provide an
overview of the project approach, a brief update on the preliminary findings
from the interviews, and the next steps toward completing the project. The
Sustainability Citizen Advisory Board will provide input to staff on the next
steps for the Local Food System Preliminary Mapping Project including
recommendations for consideration in the final report and methods for
sharing the findings and recommendations with key players and the
community.
UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None.
ALTERNATIVES:As suggested by the Sustainability Board.
FISCAL EFFECTS:None.
Attachments:
Local Food Systems Project Overview.pdf
Report compiled on: February 29, 2024
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Updated: 2/5/24
Local Food System Preliminary Mapping Project
Project Background
Within the Bozeman Climate Plan, Solution N. Cultivate a Robust Local Food System highlights the critical
importance of a robust local food system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build community resiliency.
To better understand the role of local government and identify strategies to bolster the local food system, prior
to undertaking the 4 action items identified in Solution N, the City of Bozeman has undertaken a preliminary
mapping project to more fully understand the local food landscape in the region.
A Robust Local Food System
How do we define a robust local food system? A robust local food system, as envisioned in the Bozeman Climate
Plan, is a system that embodies resiliency, sustainability, and equity. It is a system that can adapt and thrive in
the face of challenges, such as climate variations, disruptions to the food system, and economic shifts, all while
ensuring long-term environmental and community health. It prioritizes equity in access, benefits, and
opportunities for all participants, from food producers to consumers. For the purpose of this project, the local
food system is defined as activities within the Gallatin Valley.
Project Approach
The Local Food System Preliminary Mapping Project involves several key steps by the project team, including:
Steering Committee: Form a small, external Steering Committee to provide guidance.
Document Review: Review existing City plans and policies, identify intersections with food systems.
Constituent Interviews: Conduct a series of interviews with experienced practitioners from various facets of the
food system in Gallatin Valley.
•Learn About the Local Food Landscape: Deepen the City of Bozeman’s understanding of the current food system landscape and how City activities intersect. Identify gaps, opportunities, and potential barriers to food production, processing, distribution, access, and waste recovery.
•Cultivate Partnerships: Build relationships and identify potential partnerships or collaborations with diverse constituents across the local food system.
•Identify Opportunities: Distill practitioner insights into recommendations for potential next steps that the City could pursue, establishing a basis for future projects and actions.
Project Goals
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Updated: 2/5/24
Final Report and Presentations: Distill constituent interviews and document review into a final report and
presentation, to include preliminary map of existing assets and key entities (private, nonprofit and public
sector), key insights, and recommendations for the City of Bozeman.
Process Overview
An external Steering Committee, composed of diverse local food system experts, was established to guide this
Preliminary Mapping Project. This committee represents multiple facets of our local food system including larger
scale conventional farmers, small organic farmers, ranchers, meat processors, business development support,
food system specialists, nutritionists, and more.
The project team, external Steering Committee members, and city staff from various departments participated
in a collaborative workshop to kick off the project and identify focus areas to guide the interviews. Six core
topics and five key questions for interviews were identified. Through this process and additional input from
Steering Committee members, the project team established an initial list of people to interview in group
sessions and one-on-one formats. The list of potential interviewees evolved as practitioners identified additional
individuals in the community with experience and knowledge valuable to understanding the core topics and key
questions.
Core Topics
1. Food Access
Consistent physical and economic access to nutritious foods is critical for people to live healthy, active lives.
A sustainably and equitably nourished community contributes to reaching goals outlined in City of Bozeman
guiding plans such as the Strategic Plan, Climate Plan, and Belonging in Bozeman Plan.
2. Resilience in the Face of Disruption
The City wants our community to have adequate food in the face of disaster. As the COVID-19 pandemic
demonstrated, local food systems play a pivotal role in responding to disruption. To increase our resilience,
the City needs to understand the current capacity to supply food through disruption.
3. Community Wellness, Education, and Culture
Food systems do not exist in a vacuum. Social and cultural factors influence local food systems, and local
food systems influence norms, behavior, and social cohesion. Understanding the connections between local
food systems and wellness, education, community norms, different lived experience and diverse cultural
perspectives will help increase resiliency, sustainability, and equity.
4. Production
Farmers, ranchers, and growers are the foundation of local food systems, and have an intimate
understanding of the challenges related to food production. The City of Bozeman seeks to be informed by
their experience responding to shifts in demand for local food, navigating housing and workforce challenges,
addressing distribution and processing barriers, pursuing funding opportunities, barriers to land access,
adapting to climate change, and collaborating with private, public, and nonprofit partners.
5. Food Pathways
Processors, distributors, institutions, restaurants/chefs, grocers, financers, and other food system experts
hold essential knowledge and experience with the ecological, social, and economic factors that influence
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Updated: 2/5/24
food systems — and visa-versa. Interviewing a broad range of practitioners actively working in our
community will result in grounded findings and practical recommendations.
6. Ecological Sustainability
It is widely understood that agriculture influences soil health, carbon cycles, and other ecological systems.
The City of Bozeman seeks to understand how local food systems in the Gallatin Valley can contribute to
reaching Bozeman’s climate goals and supporting environmental health in the region.
Key Questions
A. Assets. What exists? What are important assets in our community?
B. Challenges & Opportunities. What are the gaps, barriers, vulnerabilities, and opportunities related to the
key topics identified?
C. Role of the City of Bozeman. Which gaps, barriers, vulnerabilities, and opportunities connect to City
activities?
D. Next Steps. What next steps can the City of Bozeman take to address the gaps, barriers, vulnerabilities and
opportunities related to the key topics identified? How can the City support ongoing progress and success of
private, nonprofit, and public partners? How will the City determine and prioritize the opportunities that will
have the most impact?
E. Metrics. What key performance indicators would be the most valuable to better understand the current
local food system, help inform City priorities, and track ongoing progress?
Project Team
• Ali Chipouras, City of Bozeman Sustainability Specialist
• Natalie Meyer, City of Bozeman Program Manager
• Kate Burnaby Wright, Consultant
• Maclaren Latta, Consultant
Steering Committee
• Christina Angell – Root Cellar Foods, Owner
• Jake Feddes – Feddes Family Meats/Amsterdam Meat Shop, Owner
• Laurie Little Dog – Lived Expert; Bozeman Health Family Birth Center; MSU Student
• Mary Stein – MSU Sustainable Food Systems and Bioenergy Systems, Program Leader (retired); Buffalo
Nations Food System Initiative, Program Manager
• Matt Rothschiller – Gallatin Valley Botanical/Rocky Creek Farm, Owner/farmer
• Mattie Griswold – Food and Nutrition Security Independent Consultant
• Melissa and Travis Stuber – Gallatin Grown, Owner/Farmer
• Rachelle Sartori – MSU Extension, Nutrition Education Director
• Sam Blomquist – Prospera Business Network, Food & Agriculture Program Director
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Updated: 2/5/24
Project Timeline
2023 July
• Initiate project.
• Start review of existing plans and policies.
• Refine project approach.
August • Establish project Steering Committee.
• Prepare for the September workshop
September
• Host workshop with City of Bozeman staff, Gallatin County staff, and project Steering
Committee.
• Collaborate with Steering Committee on the interview plan
October
November
• Develop interview plan, initial prioritization of interviewees.
• Continue document review.
December • Finalize interview plan, interviewee list.
2024 January
February • Conduct Interviews.
March
• Start developing recommendations and compiling the final report.
• Develop final report draft.
• Steering Committees review final report draft.
April
• Presentations (ex. Interview participants, Sustainability Citizen Advisory Board, local food
system community.)
• Finalize report
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