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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-05-25 Study Commission Agenda and Packet MaterialsA. Call to Order with Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence - 5:30 PM, Commission Room, City Hall, 121 North Rouse B. Changes to the Agenda C. Public Comment on Anything within the Jurisdiction of the Study Commission THE STUDY COMMISSION OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA SC AGENDA Thursday, June 5, 2025 How to Participate: If you are interested in commenting in writing on items on the agenda please send an email to govreview@bozeman.net prior to 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. At the direction of the Study Commission, anonymous public comments are not distributed to the Study Commission. Public comments will also be accepted in-person and through video conference during the appropriate agenda items but you may only comment once per item. As always, the meeting will be recorded and streamed through the Meeting Videos and available in the City on cable channel 190. For more information please contact Ex Officio, Mike Maas, 406.582.2321. This meeting will be held both in-person and also using an online video conferencing 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 +1 669 900 9128 Access code: 951 6442 0347 This is the time to comment on any matter falling within the scope of the Bozeman Study Commission. 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 Study Commission cannot take action on any item which does not appear on the agenda. All persons addressing the Study Commission shall speak in a civil and courteous manner and members of the audience shall be respectful of others. Please state your name, and state whether you are a resident of the city or a property owner within the city in an audible tone of voice for the record and limit your 1 D. Consent Agenda D.1 Study Commission Claims Review and Approval(Heinen) D.2 Approval of Study Commission Minutes(Heinen) E. Correspondence or Study Commission Update F. Unfinished Business F.1 Approval of Engagement Plan(Heinen) F.2 Discussion and Potential Adoption of Study Plan (Heinen) G. New Business H. Future Agenda Items H.1 Potential Meeting topics(Heinen) I. Public Comment on Anything within the Jurisdiction of the Study Commission J. Announcements K. Adjournment comments to three minutes. Written comments can be located in the Public Comment Repository. Consider the Motion: I move to approve payment of claims as presented. Consider the Motion: I move to approve the Study Commission meeting minutes from March 19, 2025, and April 3, 2025. Consider the Motion: I move to approve the Engagement Plan Consider the Motion: I move to approve the Study Plan as presented. This item is a living list of potential future meeting topics. Reference Materials Study Commission Bylaws Study Commission Resources Study Commission meetings are open to all members of the public. If you have a disability that requires assistance, please contact the City of Bozeman's ADA Coordinator, David Arnado, at 406.582.3232. Study Commission meetings are televised live on cable channel 190 and streamed live on our Meeting Videos Page. 2 Memorandum REPORT TO:Study Commission FROM:Caeleb Heinen, Recording Secretary Mike Maas, Ex Officio SUBJECT:Study Commission Claims Review and Approval MEETING DATE:June 5, 2025 AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Finance RECOMMENDATION:Consider the Motion: I move to approve payment of claims as presented. STRATEGIC PLAN:7.5. Funding and Delivery of City Services: Use equitable and sustainable sources of funding for appropriate City services, and deliver them in a lean and efficient manner. BACKGROUND:Study Commission claims for approval prior to payment by Ex Officio from the approved Study Commission Budget. UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None ALTERNATIVES:The Study Commission could decide not to approve these claims or a portion of the claims presented. This alternative is not recommended as it may result in unbudgeted late fees assessed. FISCAL EFFECTS:$1566.00 Attachments: Budget_Bozeman_City_Study_Commission.xlsx CityofBoze-43-637248-1.pdf CityofBoze-66-622069-1.pdf Report compiled on: May 12, 2025 3 Total Funds Levied or Appropriated 245,207.74$ Election 35,000.00$ Travel/Training 15,000.00$ Outreach and Engagement 90,000.00$ Contracted Services 96,000.00$ Public Hearings 1,000.00$ Other: 8,208.00$ Total Expenses 245,208.00$ Claims Approved on Consent:$4,062.18 Remaining Balance: Local Gov't Center Invoice: 2534 2/6/2025 Chronicle Ad596234 2/6/2025 Chronicle Ad599765 2/6/2025 Chronicle Ad603705 2/19/2025 Chronicle Ad612844 3/19/2025 Chronicle Ad615418 5/1/2025 Chronicle Ad619158 5/1/2025 CDWG Invoice AD5MX8D 5/1/2025 Bozemanstudy.com 5/1/2025 Public Hearing Snacks 5/1/2025 Chronicle Ad637248 6/5/2025 Chronicle Public Hearing Ad622069 6/5/2025 Bozeman Study Commission Budget 2024-2026 4 $241,145.82 $1,925.00 $44.00 $55.00 $55.00 $55.00 $88.00 $60.00 $126.68 $44.53 $42.97 $66.00 $1,500.00 Bozeman Study Commission Budget 2024-2026 5 AD# 637248 Discount: $0.00 Surcharge: $0.00 Credits: $0.00 We Appreciate Your Business! Gross:$66.00 Paid Amount:$0.00 Amount Due:$66.00 Payments: Date Method Card Type Last 4 Digits Check Amount PO Box 11902820 W College, 59718, Bozeman,MT 59771Ph. Fax: (907) 452-5054 ADVERTISING PROOF City of Bozeman_Mike Maas PO BOX 1230 BOZEMAN, MT 59771-1230 BILLING DATE: ACCOUNT NO: 05/15/25 27944 AD #DESCRIPTION START STOP TIMES AMOUNT 05/17/25 05/17/25 2 $66.00THE STUDY COMMISSION637248 THE STUDY COMMISSION OF BOZEMAN, MONTANASC AGENDAWednesday, May 21, 2025 How to Participate:If you are interested in com-menting in writing on items on the agenda please send an email to govreview@boze-man.net prior to 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. At the direction of the Study Com-mission, anonymous public comments are not distributed to the Study Commission. Public comments will also be accepted in-person and through video conference during the appropriate agenda items but you may only com-ment once per item. As always, the meeting will be recorded and streamed through the Meeting Videos and available in the City on cable channel 190. For more information please contact Ex Officio, Mike Maas, 406.582.2321. A. Call to Order with Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Si-lence - 4:00 PM, Commission Room, City Hall, 121 North RouseThis meeting will be held both in-person and also using an online video conferencing sys-tem. 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-personUnited States Toll +1 669 900 9128Access code: 951 6442 0347 B. Changes to the Agenda C. Public Comment on Any-thing within the Jurisdiction of the Study CommissionThis is the time to comment on any matter falling within the scope of the Bozeman Study Commission. 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 Study Commission cannot take action on any item which does not appear on the agen-da. All persons addressing the Study Commission shall speak in a civil and courteous manner and members of the audience shall be respectful of others. Please state your name, and state whether you are a resident of the city or a property owner within the city in an audible tone of voice for the record and limit your com-ments to three minutes.Written comments can be lo-cated in the Public Comment Repository. D. Consent AgendaD.1 Approval of Study Com-mission Minutes (Heinen) E. Correspondence or Study Commission Update F. Unfinished BusinessF.1 Approval of Study Com-mission Website DesignF.2 Approval of Communica-tions and Engagement Plan (Heinen) G. New BusinessG.1 Discussion and Potential Adoption of Study Plan (Hein-en) H. Future Agenda ItemsH.1 Potential Meeting top-ics(Heinen) I. Public Comment on Any-thing within the Jurisdiction of the Study Commission J. Announcements K. Adjournment City of Bozeman emails are subject to the Right to Know provisions of Montana’s Con-stitution (Art. II, Sect. 9) and may be considered a “public record” pursuant to Title 2, Chpt. 6, Montana Code An-notated. As such, this email, its sender and receiver, and the contents may be available for public disclosure and will be retained pursuant to the City’s record retention policies. Emails that contain confiden-tial information such as infor-mation related to individual privacy may be protected from disclosure under law.Pub May 17, 2025637248 MNAXLP 6 AD# 637248 THE STUDY COMMISSION OF BOZEMAN, MONTANASC AGENDAWednesday, May 21, 2025How to Participate:If you are interested in com-menting in writing on items on the agenda please send an email to govreview@boze-man.net prior to 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. At the direction of the Study Com-mission, anonymous public comments are not distributed to the Study Commission.Public comments will also be accepted in-person and through video conference during the appropriate agenda items but you may only com-ment once per item.As always, the meeting will be recorded and streamed through the Meeting Videos and available in the City on cable channel 190.For more information please contact Ex Officio, Mike Maas, 406.582.2321.A. Call to Order with Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Si-lence - 4:00 PM, Commission Room, City Hall, 121 North RouseThis meeting will be held both in-person and also using an online video conferencing sys-tem. 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-personUnited States Toll +1 669 900 9128Access code: 951 6442 0347B. Changes to the AgendaC. Public Comment on Any-thing within the Jurisdiction of the Study CommissionThis is the time to comment on any matter falling within the scope of the Bozeman Study Commission. 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 Study Commission cannot take action on any item which does not appear on the agen-da. All persons addressing the Study Commission shall speak in a civil and courteous manner and members of the audience shall be respectful of others. Please state your name, and state whether you are a resident of the city or a property owner within the city in an audible tone of voice for the record and limit your com-ments to three minutes.Written comments can be lo-cated in the Public Comment Repository. D. Consent AgendaD.1 Approval of Study Com-mission Minutes (Heinen) E. Correspondence or Study Commission Update F. Unfinished BusinessF.1 Approval of Study Com-mission Website DesignF.2 Approval of Communica-tions and Engagement Plan (Heinen) G. New BusinessG.1 Discussion and Potential Adoption of Study Plan (Hein-en) H. Future Agenda ItemsH.1 Potential Meeting top-ics(Heinen) I. Public Comment on Any-thing within the Jurisdiction of the Study Commission J. Announcements K. Adjournment City of Bozeman emails are subject to the Right to Know provisions of Montana’s Con-stitution (Art. II, Sect. 9) and may be considered a “public record” pursuant to Title 2, Chpt. 6, Montana Code An-notated. As such, this email, its sender and receiver, and the contents may be available for public disclosure and will be retained pursuant to the City’s record retention policies. Emails that contain confiden-tial information such as infor-mation related to individual privacy may be protected from disclosure under law.Pub May 17, 2025637248 MNAXLP 7 622069 PO Box 11902820 W College, 59718, Bozeman,MT 59771Ph. Fax: (907) 452-5054 ADVERTISING PROOF City of Bozeman_Mike Maas PO BOX 1230 BOZEMAN, MT 59771-1230 BILLING DATE: ACCOUNT NO: 05/28/25 27944 AD #DESCRIPTION START STOP TIMES AMOUNT 03/28/25 04/03/25 3 $1,500.00City Hall Public Hea622069 Discount: $0.00 Surcharge: $0.00 Credits: $0.00 We Appreciate Your Business! Gross:$1,500.00 Paid Amount:$0.00 Amount Due:$1,500.00 Payments: Date Method Card Type Last 4 Digits Check Amount 8 AD# 622069AD# 9 Memorandum REPORT TO:Study Commission FROM:Caeleb Heinen, Recording Secretary Mike Maas, Ex Officio SUBJECT:Approval of Study Commission Minutes MEETING DATE:June 5, 2025 AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Citizen Advisory Board/Commission RECOMMENDATION:Consider the Motion: I move to approve the Study Commission meeting minutes from March 19, 2025, and April 3, 2025. STRATEGIC PLAN:1.1 Outreach: Continue to strengthen and innovate in how we deliver information to the community and our partners. BACKGROUND:Attached are the written minute summaries from the previous meeting. Future meeting minutes ought to be approved at the next schedule Study Commission meeting. All past meeting recordings are available for review on the City's Meeting Videos page. UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None identified ALTERNATIVES:As per the Study Commission FISCAL EFFECTS:None Attachments: 05-21-25 Study Commission Meeting Minutes.docx Report compiled on: May 12, 2025 10 Bozeman Study Commission Meeting Minutes, May 21, 2025 Page 1 of 5 THE STUDY COMMMISSION MEETING OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA MINUTES May 21, 2025 A) 00:01:22 Call to Order with Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence - 4:00 PM, Commission Room, City Hall, 121 North Rouse Present: Carson Taylor, Becky Franks, Barb Cestero, Deanna Campbell, Jan Strout, Mike Maas Absent: None Excused: None 00:01:23 Staff Present at the dais: Ex Officio Mike Maas, Recording Secretary Caeleb Heinen B) 00:02:43 Changes to the Agenda C) 00:02:50 Public Comment on Anything within the Jurisdiction of the Study Commission 00:03:44 Lynn Paul commented. D) 00:08:12 Consent Agenda D.1 00:08:18 Approval of Study Commission Minutes 05-01-25 Study Commission Meeting Minutes.docx 00:09:59 Motion to approve I move to approve the Study Commission Meeting Minutes from May 1, 2025 Becky Franks: Motion Barb Cestero: 2nd 00:10:31 Vote on the Motion to approve I move to approve the Study Commission Meeting Minutes from May 1, 2025 The Motion carried 5 - 0. 11 Bozeman Study Commission Meeting Minutes, May 21, 2025 Page 2 of 5 Approve: Carson Taylor Becky Franks Barb Cestero Deanna Campbell Jan Strout Disapprove: None E) 00:10:42 Correspondence or Study Commission Update 00:13:07 Discussion of Public Summary Report and accessibility of repository online Public Hearing Summaries Document available in Laserfiche Deanna Campbell's authored paper 00:19:52 Changes to repository wording F) 00:20:51 Unfinished Business F.1 00:20:58 Approval of Study Commission Website Design 00:41:33 Discussion on Blogs tab 00:52:19 Commissioners have Head shots and About Us with 200-300 words by June 2nd Mike Maas have edits on website completed by June 3rd Mike Maas email on updated website details on June 3rd 00:56:01 No public comment 00:59:40 Motion to approve I move to approve the website design as presented and discussed. Jan Strout: Motion Deanna Campbell: 2nd 00:59:56 Vote on the Motion to approve I move to approve the website design as presented and discussed. The Motion carried 5 - 0. Approve: Carson Taylor Becky Franks 12 Bozeman Study Commission Meeting Minutes, May 21, 2025 Page 3 of 5 Barb Cestero Deanna Campbell Jan Strout Disapprove: None F.2 01:00:07 Approval of Communications and Engagement Plan Draft Communication Plan Study Commission.pdf Draft public engagement study commission.pdf 01:00:29 Discussion on Communications plan Deanna and Becky delegated as responsible for potential RFP plan by June 1 01:31:05 Motion to approve I move to change the Study Commissions Communication Plan Part 2, Focus Audiences Becky Franks: Motion Jan Strout: 2nd 01:32:10 Discussion on motion 01:39:35 Dede Tayler commented. 01:42:46 Vote on the Motion to approve I move to change the Study Commissions Communication Plan Part 2, Focus Audiences The Motion carried 4 - 1. Approve: Carson Taylor Becky Franks Barb Cestero Jan Strout Disapprove: Deanna Campbell 01:42:58 Further discussion on communications plan 01:49:00 Edits to communication plan by Becky Franks May 23 01:55:28 Motion to approve I move to approve the Communications Plan as amended 13 Bozeman Study Commission Meeting Minutes, May 21, 2025 Page 4 of 5 Barb Cestero: Motion Jan Strout: 2nd 01:55:39 Vote on the Motion to approve I move to approve the Communications Plan as amended The Motion carried 5 - 0. Approve: Carson Taylor Becky Franks Barb Cestero Deanna Campbell Jan Strout Disapprove: None 01:57:46 Discussion on Engagement Plan 02:04:30 Plan to discuss and approve both Engagement and Study plans on June 5th Jan Strout had to leave for a prior commitment. Present: Carson Taylor, Becky Franks, Barb Cestero, Deanna Campbell, Mike Maas Absent: None Excused: Jan Strout 02:26:14 Barb Cestero edits to Engagement plan by May 28 G) New Business G.1 Discussion and Potential Adoption of Study Plan Timeline of Bozeman Study Commission.pdf List_of_Study_Items_Draft.docx 02:26:48 Putting the last 2 segments of the individual Commissioner Public Summary reports in the Study Plan 02:28:22 Finalizing July 23rd meeting and Meeting Schedule 02:29:13 List of Study Items discussion H) Future Agenda Items H.1 Potential Meeting topics 14 Bozeman Study Commission Meeting Minutes, May 21, 2025 Page 5 of 5 I) 02:32:48 Public Comment on Anything within the Jurisdiction of the Study Commission No public comment J) 02:33:08 Announcements 02:33:50 Email on deadlines by Becky Franks K) 02:34:15 Adjournment 15 Memorandum REPORT TO:Study Commission FROM:Caeleb Heinen, Recording Secretary Mike Maas, Ex Officio SUBJECT:Approval of Engagement Plan MEETING DATE:June 5, 2025 AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Citizen Advisory Board/Commission RECOMMENDATION:Consider the Motion: I move to approve the Engagement Plan STRATEGIC PLAN:1.1 Outreach: Continue to strengthen and innovate in how we deliver information to the community and our partners. BACKGROUND:As per the May 21st meeting, this item is to consider and approve the updated Engagement Plan drafted by Barb Cestero and Deanna Campbell. UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None identified ALTERNATIVES:As per the Study Commission FISCAL EFFECTS:TBD Attachments: v.2 public engagement Bzn study commission-3.pdf Report compiled on: May 22, 2025 16 Public Engagement and Outreach Plan The Engagement and Outreach plan is a strategic document that describes how the public will be involved in the work of the Study Commission. The plan includes a variety of activities designed to reach a broad spectrum of residents in the City of Bozeman. It is a living document, and engagement opportunities will evolve as the study unfolds. Modes of communication for this work can be found in the supportive Communication Plan. This plan focuses on the first three goals of the City of Bozeman Local Gov’t Study commission: ● Educate ourselves and the community to develop a comprehensive understanding of the City of Bozeman’s current structure, Charter form, and the processes of local government. ● Conduct a transparent and inclusive study process that engages the community in evaluating our current structures and identifying any necessary changes. ● Engage the community in the local government study process using a variety of methods to gather information regarding what’s working, what’s not working, and ideas to explore to improve the City’s governance. Purpose of engagement and outreach: ● Inform the Public: Ensure the public is aware of the Study Commission's goals, progress, and key milestones. ● Engage the Public: Actively solicit and collect feedback and suggestions from the public on relevant issues. ● Build Trust: Foster transparency, credibility, and two-way communication with the community. ● Promote Participation: Encourage a broad range of citizens to participate in the process. Spring - Fall, 2025: Shared learning and information gathering (CONSULT & INVOLVE) ● April 3rd public hearing - verbal and written comments ● Community survey: ○ Seek help from Local Government Center to design survey ○ Promote via social media and Engage Bzn etc. ○ Review survey used by 2004-2006 study commission ○ Launch by summer 2025 ● Survey of city staff: 17 ○ Seek help from Local Government Center to design anonymous survey that will be emailed directly to staff; ○ Follow up with focus group style conversation for those willing to discuss feedback. ● Stakeholder conversations: ○ Conversation/joint meeting with existing City Commission to gather their answers to our Q’s and feedback on existing charger ■ Schedule as part of regular Study Commission meeting ○ Conversation with current City Manager & department heads to gather their answers to our Q’s and feedback on existing charter ■ Schedule as part of regular Study Commission meeting ○ Conversation/joint meeting with Gallatin County Study Commission to gather answers to our Q’s and seek feedback on existing form, structure & powers of City commission ■ Attend Gallatin County Study Commission meeting (every Friday morning) ○ Conversation/joint meeting with Gallatin County Commission to gather answers to our Q’s and feedback on areas of overlap (services, jurisdictions, etc). ● Outreach to community groups (going to people, where they already are). Outreach meetings will be conducted by two study commissioners. They will use the presentation we gave at the April 3rd public hearing to frame the conversation, and gather group members answers to our three guiding questions. Summaries of the themes heard during these meetings will be shared in writing with the rest of the Study Commission. We will prioritize outreach to the following community groups:: ○ Neighborhood Associations ■ Joint meeting with Inter-Neighborhood Council (regular mtg = 2nd Thursday of the month) ■ Organize 2-3 focus group style meetings for Neighborhood Associations ■ Attend/present to regular Neighborhood Association meetings if invited and as capacity allows. ■ Enlist ○ Citizen boards ■ Send informal anonymous survey with our three guiding questions to all members of existing citizen boards. ○ Other Organizations/ Community Groups: We will reach out to these organizations in a variety of ways, including but not limited to: inviting participation in community survey; enlisting help circulating community survey; attending their regular meetings to present/ facilitate listening sessions as capacity allows; host informal coffee/happy hour drop in sessions. ■ Montana State University (Senate Faculty and ASMSU, possibly others) ■ Bozeman School District (School Board and/or Superintendent) ■ Downtown Bozeman Association ■ HRDC 18 ■ Haven ■ Gallatin Valley Republicans ■ Gallatin Valley Democrats ■ Gallatin Valley Sentinel ■ Bozeman chapter of MT Landlords Association ■ Bozeman Tenants United ■ Forward Montana ■ Bridgercare ■ Queer Bozeman ■ Bienvenidos ■ One Valley Community Foundation ● Open house/Town Hall style meetings: Suggest 3 of these meetings. Hold in different quadrants of town (NE, NW, SE, SW) - at least one at the new High School. ○ Purpose: deeper education on existing charter form/structure of city gov’t and facilitate dialogue/feedback. In 3 alternative locations. ○ Can be done at our regular meeting times, with promotion like for April 3rd hearing. Fall 2025 - Winter 2026: Deliberation and evaluation (INVOLVE & COLLABORATE) ● Continue with some of the activities listed above ● Facilitate community workshops for education/evaluation of potential options for changes in form/structure ( 2-3 workshops, with possibly one online) ○ Key Topics for these workshops, including but not limited to: ■ Commission elected via wards/districts or at large; Size of Commission? ■ Executive mayor or City manager structure ■ Elected City Attorney ○ Purpose: deeper education on the various options for changes, discussion of pro’s and con’s of each, sharing lessons learned from other communities, gathering feedback from the public on these options. ○ Workshops should be held in different parts of the city. Could be conducted during our regular meeting times, with promotion to drive turn out and less formal structure. ○ Potentially need to contract with facilitator. Spring 2026: Tentative report and second public hearing (CONSULT & INVOLVE) ● Develop presentation and summary fact sheet of recommendations in tentative report ● Host 1-2 open house style meetings to facilitate dialogue on tentative report; ● Conduct second required public hearing to gather feedback on tentative report Summer 2026: Adopt final report and voter education, if needed (EMPOWER) 19 Memorandum REPORT TO:Study Commission FROM:Caeleb Heinen, Recording Secretary Mike Maas, Ex Officio SUBJECT:Discussion and Potential Adoption of Study Plan MEETING DATE:June 5, 2025 AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Citizen Advisory Board/Commission RECOMMENDATION:Consider the Motion: I move to approve the Study Plan as presented. STRATEGIC PLAN:1.1 Outreach: Continue to strengthen and innovate in how we deliver information to the community and our partners. BACKGROUND:There are several topics that fall within categories that may be within the purview of the Study Commission, though this avenue may not be the best to affect the change they wish to see. To rectify any misunderstandings about processes and to clarify the interplay of statutory requirements, shared powers, current operations, and how the Study Commission can address these topics that may not require any recommended changes to the form, powers, and structure of municipal government, the study plan proposes a Phase 1 to: hear from staff experts on potential operational changes within the current form and structure that may address some of the topics already; hear from the City Attorney about which topics are outside the purview of the Study Commission or are already prescribed in state law; pose the questions of the public, on how they would like to participate, and; identify outside entities and other communities that may provide insights on alternative approaches or best practices. The purpose of Phase 1 is to identify the limitations of the City and potentially identify recommendations to present to voters to address those limitations. Phase 2 of the study plan proposes to investigate the potential changes that can only be accomplished by voter approved recommendations. These include but may not be limited to the bulleted items of “Commission,” “Legislative/Executive/Staff Balance,” and “Election” in the attached draft of 20 study items list. These investigations can be targeted at individual sub-points or take a more wholistic view of the larger category. The study plan should also provide calendar dates, at a minimum, and locations when possible. Once locations, even broadly (e.g. West Side, MSU, etc.), the combined adopted plans of communications, outreach, and calendar/locations would complete the next phase of the Study Commission Timetable. The final portion of Phase 1, in conjunction with this timetable item, would constitute the “discovery plan” as identified in the Timetable. A tentative schedule could be as follows: June 25 - Budget process overview July 10 - Interneighborhood Council July 23 - Recall and Ballot Measures August 7 - Land Use and Housing Policy August 20 - Ethics September 4 - Mayor/Deputy Mayor Dynamic and Commission/Staff Communication September 17 - MSU institutional input and student views October 2 - City Manager operations and Citizen Boards October 15 November 6 Each topic explored should have a summary document completed at the conclusion of each item of what was learned but, without recommendation(s). At the time to draft a tentative report, these summaries can be presented for decision of recommendations forming the “chapters” or “sections” of the tentative report, building the report in an iterative process. Additionally, the Study Plan should consider inclusion of a public survey to gather additional data. UNRESOLVED ISSUES:Some of the concerns regard what are identified below: Trust/Transparency Mutual Respect Lobbying “Culture” Accountability and Ethics Executive Invested in Community Staff/Public Divide Social Policies (housing/policing/environment) Taxes + Fees MCA Nonprofits Growth vs. Quality of Life These may not have direct actions that are able to address them. Some of 21 them may be vague and difficult to pin down an approach or may be an end result that will need an upstream solution to help address. ALTERNATIVES:As per the Study Commission FISCAL EFFECTS:TBD Attachments: Timeline of Bozeman Study Commission.pdf List_of_Study_Items_Draft.docx Further Questions and Inquiries.docx Report compiled on: May 15, 2025 22 Study Commission of City of Bozeman Timetable For Study Commission Deliberations and Actions This timetable for the deliberations and actions of the Bozeman Study Commission is established as required by 7-3-186, MCA for the purpose of assuring full public information concerning the Local Government Review process in City of Bozeman and enabling informed citizen participation. All meetings of the Study Commission are open to the public and public comment is encouraged. MCA 7-3-172. Purpose of study commission. The purpose of a study commission is to study the existing form and powers of a local government and procedures for delivery of local government services and compare them with other forms available under the laws of the state. Goals: (with guidance from MCA 7-3-141 ) • Educate ourselves and the community to develop a comprehensive understanding of the City of Bozeman’s current structure, Charter form, and the processes of local government. • Conduct a transparent and inclusive study process that engages the community in evaluating our current structures and identifying any necessary changes. • Engage the community in the local government study process using a variety of methods to gather information regarding what’s working, what’s not working, and ideas to explore to improve the City’s governance. • Distill identified issues and provide information to the community in an accessible and approachable manner, including a draft and final report. • Identify ways to educate all City voters on the Study Commission’s Final Report to encourage their participation in the November 2026 General Election. Date Action December 9, 2024 First Study Commission organizational meeting December 12, 2024 Montana State University Local Government Center regional Study Commission Trainings January 8, 2025 Bylaws established and approved by Study Commission. January 22, 2025 Establish dates and cadence for regular Study Commission meeting, Bozeman City Hall. Budget established and approved by the Study Commission. February 19, 2025 Determine and schedule education and other needs for the Study Commission to set us up for success in developing the proposed recommendations. March 6, 2025 Timetable established and published within 90 days of organizational meeting April 3, 2025 First Public Hearing—to gather citizen input on the form, functions, powers, and problems of city government and the adequacy of city services Consider scheduling all public hearings and community engagement workshops on Tuesday or Thursday evenings. Middle of the week times tend to be easier for folks to attend than beginning or end of the week times. 23 Develop a summary of issues from First Public Hearing Develop and adopt a communications and public outreach plan with calendar dates and locations Develop and adopt a discovery plan for best practices to be learned from other communities. Following deliberation and public input, decide the Power structure desired for the City of Bozeman Following deliberation and public input, decide the Form of government for the City of Bozeman Following deliberation and public input, decide the Plan sub-options that will be under consideration Following deliberation and public input, decide the Recommendations that will be under consideration Draft a Tentative Report and submit for legal review Second Public Hearing—to gather citizen response to Tentative Report Adopt the Final Report from Second Public Hearing June 2026 Provide the County Clerk and Recorder a ballot certificate if a proposal is to be placed on the November 3, 2026, ballot July 2026 If the final report proposes an alteration of local government, prepare public education materials to help citizens understand the proposal and compare the proposal with existing governmental form, structures, and powers August 2026 Approve public education materials and conduct public forums. November 2026 Election on proposed alternative or amendment in conjunction with regularly scheduled election. If the voters approve a proposed alteration of the government, the study commission term is extended for 90 days after the vote date. The Study Commission prepares for a transition plan. Study Commission term of office ends. Deposit all minutes and other Study Commission documents with the county clerk and recorder Submit a copy of the final report to the MSU Local Government Center Finalize the end budget and financial plan 24 List of Study Items Currently Within Power and Form o City Commission Procedures/Opera?ons Work Sessions Formality Round Tables Town Halls Mee?ng Time and Length Itera?ve Review of Government Developments Using Public Resources o Comments/Feeling Heard/Par?cipa?on Commenter Time Public/Commission Communica?on Reports on comments Communica?on with Developers Engagement MSU voices Galla?n County Study Commission Dialog Provide Informa?on Early enough involvement o Boards Term Limits Boards Not Equal Power of CDB Working Groups/Ad Hoc Formality o Recall o Ballot for “Issues” Neighborhoods o Mandatory Associa?on Membership o HoAs o Strengthen current neighborhoods o Neighborhoods Staffing o Elected Ci?zen Council Commission o Pay – PT/FT 25 o Number o Term Limits o “Understudy” Appointment Designee o Emeritus o Powers o Execu?ve Mayor Deputy Mayor status (replacement and removing the role) o Training requirements Legisla?ve/Execu?ve/Staff Balance o Powers o Restric?ons/Limita?ons/Oversight o Role and Qualifica?ons o Communica?on/Access Elec?ons o Wards/District/At-large Concerns of both compe??veness and representa?on o Mayor as individual office/leading vote ge?er Deputy Mayor o Growth Policy City limits and ci?zens outside of city limits o Recall o Controversial issues on ballots o Elected Ci?zen Council (as in Helena/Great Falls) 26 Further Questions and Inquiries (draft) Carson Taylor QUESTIONS Are we getting the broad spectrum of people’s comments that we want? A good start, but anecdotally, I am hearing from people and ideas from people, that are not included in Public comment—such as City not following through on adopted policies—equal pay, closer relationship between City and other entities, like County. Is there a structural change that would make these things happen? Are we ready to start the discussion, generally, then more specifically, and can we posit that once that happens we will get more public input? Will the Communications and Education Plan bring in more thoughts? WHAT ELSE WOULD I LIKE TO KNOW AND HOW TO GET IT Find similar cities and see what they do. Get copies of their documents, example, Ron Brey sent us part of Missoula Charter. What do national organizations suggest, and what are best practices? A hard question I think is, How is x working in cities that have adopted x? Who can we hear from, City officials, staff, their public? All of above, I think. As we start to eat the elephant, one bite at a time, I see us further defining each topic, getting info. on what is working in other cities like ours, find out how well it is working, present to our public, take in their input, then write up a final recommendation. Let’s agree that until we have a comprehensive plan, we can change things---meaning we could agree on X, but then when we discuss Y, we realize that the two won’t work together, so we could change X to make it work better with Y. In other words, we have no recommendation until we have the whole recommendation. 27 Becky Franks Given what we heard, what questions do you now have? How do the advisory boards work? Are there mandatory boards we must have via MCA? What are common and effective practices across the country for how these operate and how much binding power they have? How do the current Neighborhood Associations operate? Do they represent all neighborhoods? How is the Chair chosen? What power do they have and what decisions do they make? Does a Commissioner sit on each one? What do you need to learn more about? What presentations would you like to hear and from whom? How is growth and building determined? How is it restricted through the current Charter and Advisory Board structure? How could there be more balance between growth and quality of life, assuring enough services and water support and affordable housing? How does or could the Charter change this? How do other cities gather public input in a meaningful way? Who is doing this really well and what does it look like? How does open communication with the public fit within the confines of the open meeting rules and laws? Specifically, which parts of the MCA do we need to know about before suggesting any changes to the Charter? How are financial decisions made? What role does the current Charter play in this decision-making process? What would be the best guidelines to put in the Charter in terms of financial decisions? 28 Jan Strout Given what we heard, what questions do you now have? How does the City’s Housing/Community Development Policy reflect the 21st Century challenges and opportunities of growth, climate change, equity and fairness with human and environmental resources? How can the City’s Communication and Engagement systems between Staff, CAB’s, Commissioners and the Public be more effective to advance trust of Elected/appointed Officials and key decisions? What kinds of City Representation Structures encourage democratic participation in decision-making (Mayor, Commissioners At-Large and/or Wards, City Manager, Advisory Boards, Neighborhood Assns., etc) and ensure demographic/geographic diversity of our City? And strengthen our Democracy? How can we better invest in our Neighborhoods as places where we live and for our community participation? What are best practices? What do you need to learn more about? What presentations would you like to hear and from whom? What are examples of Best Practices/future directions in our City’s Housing/Community Development Policy process to reflect growth, climate change and fair/equitable use of resources? what are costs and lessons learned? – relevant Elected City Leaders and Staff, other comparable Cities in MT and Region Research on Cities with effective Wards, Districts and/or At-Large Representation structures that encourage democratic participation in decision-making and governance? What are the costs and other impacts to move toward Full-time paid Mayors and City Commissioners? -- In MT and comparable Cities What are impactful City-level Advisory Structures to benefit City Strategic Goals? - what is working and needs to change for these to be more effective? CAB’s, Commissioners, Staff liaisons, Other MT and comparable Cities experiences Care and feeding of creating and maintaining strong City Neighborhoods: what do they need? Bozeman’s Inter-Neighborhood Assn - meet together with Study Commission? Other Cities in Montana that have this investment? Other Cities In Region? City of Seattle has strong commitment Seattle Department of Neighborhoods - Neighborhoods | seattle.gov. Eugene, OR How does our City’s Infrastructure (ie, Budget, programs, services, implementation of City and State human rights, etc.) impact the effectiveness of our Governing and other Structures as a City? What role does the Federal Funding cuts have on our City Budget and its commitments to non-profits that are part of the City Infrastructure? Invite Bridget Wilkerson, ED, One Valley Foundation, author, Federal Funding Report — One Valley Community Foundation 29 Barb Cestero Given what we heard, what questions do you now have? Can we elect City Commission like the County Commission – commissioners have to live in a specific district but vote is still at large? (Comment about gerrymandering – this could avoid that problem while ensuring greater representation?) Filling vacancies on Commission – what are state law requirements? Need greater transparency about this. Lots of questions about the role of mayor and balance of responsibilities/decision making between mayor; deputy mayor; commission as a whole and city manager/staff. More discussion about what’s on paper in the charter and what that looks like in practice. What do you need to learn more about? What presentations would you like to hear and from whom? I would like to hear from the City Manager, City Staff and current commission with their answers to our 3 guiding questions. Structure and relationship of advisory boards and city commission. Talk to both the advisory boards and current commission. Wards/ districts vs. at large commission elections - what are the pro’s and con’s; the unintended consequences? What can we learn from other Cities on this front? Hear from Local Gov’t center and cities (Missoula, Billings) who elect their commissions by ward/district. Strong mayor – what other cities have a mayor as the executive administrator Mike Maas Questions Given what I heard, I have questions for the City Attorney about which topics are outside the purview of the Study Commission or are already prescribed in state law. I have questions from staff experts on potential operational changes that may address some of the topics already within the current form and structure. I have additional questions of the public, on how they would like to participate in each of these topics and on what they would like to see as work product from the Study Commission. Deanna Campbell No specific questions identified 30 Memorandum REPORT TO:Study Commission FROM:Caeleb Heinen, Recording Secretary Mike Maas, Ex Officio SUBJECT:Potential Meeting topics MEETING DATE:June 5, 2025 AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Citizen Advisory Board/Commission RECOMMENDATION:This item is a living list of potential future meeting topics. STRATEGIC PLAN:1.1 Outreach: Continue to strengthen and innovate in how we deliver information to the community and our partners. BACKGROUND:Joint Meeting with Gallatin County Study Commission Study Commission Purview and Charge Charter Crises and City Attorney notes of issues in current Charter Staff identified "pinch points" Develop and adopt a discovery plan for best practices to be learned from other communities. Following deliberation and public input, decide the Power structure desired for the City of Bozeman Following deliberation and public input, decide the Form of government for the City of Bozeman Following deliberation and public input, decide the Plan sub-options that will be under consideration Following deliberation and public input, decide the Recommendations that will be under consideration Draft a Tentative Report and submit for legal review Second Public Hearing—to gather citizen response to Tentative Report Adopt the Final Report from Second Public Hearing UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None identified. ALTERNATIVES:As per the Study Commission. FISCAL EFFECTS:TBD Report compiled on: May 12, 2025 31