HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-11-24 Public Comment - P. McGown - July 9 meetingFrom:Patty McGown
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]July 9 meeting
Date:Thursday, July 11, 2024 5:57:23 PM
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Greetings City Commissioners:
Thank you for your service to the residents of Bozeman.
My name is Patty McGown and I live at 222 S 13th Ave.
First, I think the city commission is elected by the voting residents of Bozeman and therefore reports to the residents
of Bozeman.
Second, the Guthrie was inherently flawed as are the deep incentives of the AHO. The Guthrie gets to go back to the
drawing board. How about Home Base Giving Back to Bozeman. Home base has been taking from the character of
Bozeman for close to 15 years. How about giving back. How about 25-30 smaller homes that match the
neighborhood that is next to the proposed Guthrie site. These smaller homes could be a collaboration between Home
Base and the city of Bozeman and built as affordable housing. This is just an idea and I believe that creativity and
collaboration with the city, and the developers, and the residents must be mandatory, moving forward.
And take the deep incentives and the AHO and please rewrite to serve the residents of Bozeman.
It’s too late to stop sprawl. Sprawl has already happened. Sprawl is already to the mountains to the south in Gallatin
Valley, and all the way east, and sprawl is all the way north, and sprawl is all the way to the west. It’s too late to
stop sprawl.
What’s critical, crucial and incredibly important is preservation of the remaining character that is the essence of the
city of Bozeman as we move forward.
Third, thank you to Joey Morrison, Jennifer Madgic and Doug Fisher for voting to deny the Guthrie. And I am not
surprised, but so disappointed with Cunningham and Bode for voting for the Guthrie. I would challenge
Cunningham and Bode to live in the 300-400 square foot spaces at $1700 per month for 2-3 years and report back
about their experiences. Respect and civility work both ways.
Anyway, word on the street is that Home Base was going to use the Guthrie for their employees, so the building
may not have provided any new housing, let alone any new affordable housing. Denying the Guthrie was the correct
decision.
Lastly, Mark Egge was videoed defacing a sign outside the meeting that disagreed with his stand on the issue. The
video was recorded by Jeff Kraus. While I am aware that Terry Cunningham endorsed Egge’s run for the
commission in 2019, his behavior cannot be tolerated. That behavior would not be tolerated from anyone else.
Pray tell how commissioners cannot tolerate disparaging comments during the meeting, and then when Egge leaves
the meeting he is videoed defacing a sign that was against the Guthrie.
His was a disbaraging action. There needs to be some consequences for his choices.
And Egge blatantly defacing this sign, like a spoiled child having a temper tantrum, and after saying that 2 people
working at Chic Filet for $17 and some change per hour could live in one of the studio apartments, which was very
insulting. He has some nerve and no shame.
And Mark Egge is a consultant for the city? And he is paid like $230 an hour and he owns at least three houses
while espousing that a studio is adequate for 2 people working at a fast food restaurant? What gives?
As a tax paying and voting resident I implore you to remove Mark Egge from every committee that he sits on.
Currently, he’s on the community development board, the transportation advisory board, and maybe one other one.He’s on record as saying “build, build, build.” He is insulting, disparaging, and does not represent me.
In addition to defacing the sign, he shows poor taste and bad judgment. Egge’s comments on social mediaplatforms are very derogatory towards homeowners who care about their neighborhoods. Basically, anyone whodisagrees with him. And this from someone speaking like he does and wanting to be taken seriously!! I experiencethis as disparaging.
Please, immediately remove Mark Egge from all committees and any consulting activity he may be doing for thecity of Bozeman.
That’s all for now.Thank youPatty McGown