HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-23-24 Public Comment - A. Sweeney - UDC engagementFrom:Alison Sweeney
To:Bozeman Public Comment; Takami Clark
Subject:[EXTERNAL]UDC engagement
Date:Monday, September 23, 2024 9:29:36 AM
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Good morning Commissioners and Engagement Director Clark,
Thank you Director Clark for the work you have done to present an engagement plan to the
Commissioners. As you are preparing a revised engagement plan for the October 1st CityCommission meeting I hope you will elevate the need for the Commissioners to meet inperson in less formal settings with groups in the community. The community needs to feellike they have access to the decision makers (the Commission) and the Commissioners need to
feel accountability to the members of the public. We want opportunities to have a back andforth conversation, to ask and answer questions, and mostly share concerns. This cannot be
gleaned from surveys. And depending on the materials, engagement kits can be used tocontrol the conversation.
I'm getting the strong impression that City Staff, and maybe some Commissioners, are
interested only in minor tweaks to the draft UDC rewrite to fine tune it. What I believe thecommunity is interested in is major concept changes in several fundamental areas of theUDC, and the map needs to be on the table as well. We need to have the ability to adjustthe areas covered by different zoning districts. I know this community wants to talk about
more than just the R-A district!!!
I will just draw your attention to the following in the current draft of the engagement strategy:
"Heading into the next phase of engagement, the goal for this effort is to first collaborate with
the community on determining the areas of greatest concern, and identifying topics on which
this engagement should focus. "
"Second, engagement will center on consulting members of the public regarding the identified
areas, with the intent of determining options for altering draft code language"
"Collaborate with the community" needs to mean in person with Commissioners! Less formalsettings are key. Commissioners need to meet with groups multiple times so that they can tell
they are being heard because they can see the draft UDC change to reflect their input andconcerns. If we get to a place where the community has not been heard, and their concerns
have not been addressed, what you will end up with is a repeat of last fall's CommunityDevelopment Advisory Board hearings where angry crowds show up to speak for hours on
their unaddressed grievances.
Not a good situation for our community, and a waste of everyone's time.
As the chairperson of the Jandt Neighborhood Association, I would like to ask that youschedule at least 2 meetings with Commissioners and the Jandt Neighborhood residents to
discuss our zoning districts and building code changes specifically.
Thank you for your continued efforts Director Clark. Please make sure the Commissionersmeet in person with the public. It's crucial to success.
Have a great day,
Alison B. Sweeney
Jandt Neighborhood Association Chair406-404-5740