The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About06-25-25 Study Commission Agenda and Packet MaterialsA. Call to Order with Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence - 4:00 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 Wednesday, June 25, 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 Excuse the absence of Deanna Campbell D.2 Study Commission Claims Review and Approval(Heinen) D.3 Approval of Study Commission Minutes(Heinen) E. Correspondence or Study Commission Update F. New Business F.1 City of Bozeman Budget Process Overview G. Unfinished Business G.1 Approval of Study Plan(Heinen) 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 June 5, 2025. Consider the Motion: I move to approve the Study Plan 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 SUBJECT:Excuse the absence of Deanna Campbell MEETING DATE:June 25, 2025 AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Citizen Advisory Board/Commission RECOMMENDATION:Consider the motion: I move to excuse the absence of Deanna Campbell. 3 Memorandum REPORT TO:Study Commission FROM:Caeleb Heinen, Recording Secretary Mike Maas, Ex Officio SUBJECT:Study Commission Claims Review and Approval MEETING DATE:June 25, 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:TBD Attachments: Budget_Bozeman_City_Study_Commission.xlsx Report compiled on: June 20, 2025 4 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 5 $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 6 Memorandum REPORT TO:Study Commission FROM:Caeleb Heinen, Recording Secretary Mike Maas, Ex Officio SUBJECT:Approval of Study Commission Minutes MEETING DATE:June 25, 2025 AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Citizen Advisory Board/Commission RECOMMENDATION:Consider the Motion: I move to approve the Study Commission meeting minutes from June 5, 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: 06-05-25 Study Commission Meeting Minutes.docx Report compiled on: June 20, 2025 7 Bozeman Study Commission Meeting Minutes, June 5, 2025 Page 1 of 4 THE STUDY COMMMISSION MEETING OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA MINUTES June 5, 2025 A) 00:00:16 Call to Order with Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence - 5:30 PM, Commission Room, City Hall, 121 North Rouse Present: Carson Taylor, Becky Franks, Jan Strout, Mike Maas Absent: None Excused: Barb Cestero, Deanna Campbell B) 00:01:43 Changes to the Agenda 00:01:50 Excuse the absence of barb 00:02:03 Motion to approve I make a motion to excuse Barb Cestero for a work related absence. Becky Franks: Motion Jan Strout: 2nd 00:02:26 Vote on the Motion to approve I make a motion to excuse Barb Cestero for a work related absence. The Motion carried 3 - 0. Approve: Carson Taylor Becky Franks Jan Strout Disapprove: None Present: Carson Taylor, Becky Franks, Deanna Campbell, Jan Strout, Mike Maas Absent: None Excused: Barb Cestero C) 00:02:41 Public Comment on Anything within the Jurisdiction of the Study Commission 00:02:55 John Meyer commented 8 Bozeman Study Commission Meeting Minutes, June 5, 2025 Page 2 of 4 D) 00:04:43 Consent Agenda D.1 Study Commission Claims Review and Approval Budget_Bozeman_City_Study_Commission.xlsx CityofBoze-43-637248-1.pdf CityofBoze-66-622069-1.pdf 00:04:55 No public comment D.2 Approval of Study Commission Minutes 05-21-25 Study Commission Meeting Minutes.docx 00:05:02 Motion to approve I so move to adopt the consent agenda. Jan Strout: Motion Becky Franks: 2nd 00:06:32 Vote on the Motion to approve I so move to adopt the consent agenda. The Motion carried 4 - 0. Approve: Carson Taylor Becky Franks Deanna Campbell Jan Strout Disapprove: None E) 00:06:38 Correspondence or Study Commission Update 00:09:35 Discussion on RFP 00:26:59 Website update Dates for RFP Advertising dates: June 10 and June 21 Submission Deadline: June 30 Tentative Scoring Deadline: July 15 Becky Franks and Deanna Campbell will recommend best course of action http://www.bozemanstudy.com is live(in minutes) F) 00:31:13 Unfinished Business F.1 00:31:16 Approval of Engagement Plan v.2 public engagement Bzn study commission-3.pdf 00:32:18 Summary of Engagement plan 00:35:15 Discussion on engagement plan 9 Bozeman Study Commission Meeting Minutes, June 5, 2025 Page 3 of 4 00:52:01 Motion to approve I move that we adopt the Engagement Plan Jan Strout: Motion Becky Franks: 2nd 00:52:11 Discussion on motion 00:57:22 No public comment 00:58:09 Vote on the Motion to approve I move that we adopt the Engagement Plan The Motion carried 4 - 0. Approve: Carson Taylor Becky Franks Deanna Campbell Jan Strout Disapprove: None F.2 00:58:16 Discussion and Potential Adoption of Study Plan Timeline of Bozeman Study Commission.pdf List_of_Study_Items_Draft.docx Further Questions and Inquiries.docx 01:00:54 Summary of study plan 01:09:18 Discussion of study plan 01:26:35 Discussion on timeline and presentations 01:59:50 No public comment Assigned edits to the Study Plan to Becky Franks and Jan Strout with a deadline of June 18 G) New Business H) 01:55:22 Future Agenda Items H.1 01:55:35 Potential Meeting topics Next Meeting Agenda Items Study plan and Meeting times Budget Process Becky Franks to send email on duties assigned post meeting July 10 - Interneighborhood council joint meeting @ 4:30pm July 23 - RFP contract discussion 10 Bozeman Study Commission Meeting Minutes, June 5, 2025 Page 4 of 4 I) 02:05:25 Public Comment on Anything within the Jurisdiction of the Study Commission J) 02:05:35 Announcements K) 02:05:36 Adjournment 11 Memorandum REPORT TO:Study Commission SUBJECT:City of Bozeman Budget Process Overview MEETING DATE:June 25, 2025 AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Citizen Advisory Board/Commission RECOMMENDATION:Receive a brief presentation on the City of Bozeman's budget process by Melissa Hodnett. 12 Memorandum REPORT TO:Study Commission FROM:Caeleb Heinen, Recording Secretary Mike Maas, Ex Officio SUBJECT:Approval of Study Plan MEETING DATE:June 25, 2025 AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Citizen Advisory Board/Commission RECOMMENDATION:Consider the Motion: I move to approve the Study 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 June 5th meeting, this item is to consider and approve the updated Study Plan drafted by Becky Franks and Jan Strout. UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None identified ALTERNATIVES:As per the Study Commission FISCAL EFFECTS:TBD Attachments: Study Plan Draft 6-25.pdf Report compiled on: June 20, 2025 13 1 City of Bozeman Study Commission Study Plan The Study Plan is one part of the planning process that also includes the Timeline, Communication Plan and the Engagement Plan which are posted on the website Plans & Reports | City Of Bozeman. This plan focuses on two of the five goals of the City of Bozeman Local Gov’t Study commission, and complements the last two goals that are addressed in the Communication Plan and Engagement Plan: • 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. • Distill identified issues and provide information to the community in an accessible and approachable manner, including a draft and final report. • 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. Throughout this process, there are several topics that need to be well understood by the Study Commissioners as well as the public. The https://weblink.bozeman.net/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=55527&dbid=0&repo=BOZEMAN&cr=1C ity of Bozeman Charter is a complex document, and it is essential that we have a solid understanding of how the City of Bozeman operates currently, where there are areas for improvement, how to address solutions in the Charter and what are the legal aspects of the Charter that are important to know. Each Study Commissioner comes with a varied understanding and background, and there are questions that need to be addressed. In addition, the public has presented Public Comments of topics of interest during the Public Hearing held on April 5, 2025 – both those who came in person as well as emails that have been sent and read by the Study Commissioners. Public Hearing Summaries of learning and inquiry was developed by each Study Commissioner, and can be found on the website Plans & Reports | City Of Bozeman 14 2 1. Phase 1 – learn how the City of Bozeman currently operates, what’s working and what could be changed • Hear from current and prior City staff, current and prior Commissioners, City Commission appointed Citizen Advisory Boards, Task Forces and Committee members • Learn about potential operational changes within the current City form and structure that may address some of the concerns • Ask the City Attorney to walk us through the current Charter in detail, share what parts he finds to be a concern or hindrance, ideas for improvement and which arising topics are outside the purview of the Study Commission or are already prescribed in state law • Learn how the City of Bozeman currently engages the public, and ways to address the public comments that the public voices are not being included or addressed. How can the City’s Communication and Engagement systems between Staff, Citizen Advisory Boards, Commissioners and the Public be more effective to advance trust of Elected/appointed Officials and key decisions? Which of these can be addressed in the Charter? • Topics of interest include: o Budget Process and Financial Decisions – 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? If the Mayor and Commissioners were paid a full-time living wage, how might that impact the budget? o Current Charter - strengths, limitations, and how this leads to oversight and freedom o Governance and Leadership Structure – How are we functioning as a Self-governing city? Mayor, City Manager, Commissioners and Department Heads. How does our City’s Infrastructure (ie, Budget, programs, services, implementation of City and State human rights, etc.) impact the effectiveness of the Governing and other Structures as a City? o Volunteer Advisory and Citizen Board Utilization and Management – How do we engage the Citizen Volunteer Leadership? 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? 15 3 o Neighborhood Association Engagement - How do the current Neighborhood Associations operate? Do they represent all neighborhoods? How does the Inter- Neighborhood Council operate and function? How are the Chair and association members chosen? What power do they have and what decisions do they make? Does a City Commissioner sit on each one? o Growth, Sustainability and Quality of Life – How are these decisions made and under what strategy? How are the values of the City of Bozeman integrated into this plan? Walk us through the strategic planning process. o Land Use, Zoning, Housing and Quality of Life - 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? o One Bozeman - How do City Government decision-making elected members and City Staff interact with other stakeholders: what are the roles and relationships with Bozeman School Board, MSU-Bozeman, Gallatin Co. Commission and City-County programs/services? 2. Phase 2: Phase 2 of the study plan is to understand information that the Goals & Timeline | City Of Bozeman of the Study Commission. The work of the Study Commission is outlined in the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) and includes the Power Structure, then Form of Government and finish with Plan Sub-options. For each of these items, identify potential issues that need further understanding. Identify outside entities and other communities that may provide insights into alternative approaches, and well as research on best practices. There have already been several items identified and understood: • Power Structure: This is how the City of Bozeman can exercise power and authority explicitly granted by the Montana legislature. Examples include: General vs Self- governance. The City of Bozeman currently has a Self-governance structure. • Form of Government: There are a number of forms of government that can be adopted by the City of Bozeman that are outlined in the MCA, Title 7, Chapter 3. This relates to granting decision-making, veto power and essentially the “Executive Branch” of the City of Bozeman. These are listed clearly in the MCA. 16 4 • Points of study involved in this level of decision-making include the following: o Role, scope and strength of Mayor o Mayor's role and Executive/City Manager functions - how to allocate and to balance roles and responsibility o City Manager – hired or elected – and supervised by whom o The role of mayor and balance of responsibilities/decision making between the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Commissioners as a whole and city manager/staff. o Filling vacancies on the City Commission – what are state law requirements? Need greater clarity and transparency about this process • Plan with Sub-options: There are several areas of consideration that can be customized to meet the local needs of a community under the plan of Self-government. The plan allows choice of sub-options depending on the form of government. Some topics have already been identified and need to be understood: o Representation of Commissioners ▪ Overlapping or concurrent terms ▪ Number of Commissioners to serve, part-time or full-time members, pay structure for Commissioners and Mayor ▪ By Wards and/or at At Large ▪ Power structure of the Executive/Mayor – veto power o Representation of Mayor ▪ Election of Mayor directly, and length of term ▪ Role and length of time as Deputy Mayor o Ways the Charter controls and directs the inclusion of the Public in decision-making o Staff positions that are currently hired or elected o Employee supervision, levels of oversight by the Commission, ability of Commissioners to engage with leadership staff outside of the City Manager 17 5 3. Study Plan Sources As the Study Commission works through this plan, it will be important to include the following: • Current people engaged in each category of study – including hired, volunteer and elected people • Examples from other cities as well as presentations as to how these examples are working or not working in the selected cities. • Best Practice options from governance professionals and Commissioners • Professionals who have special training in each topic of understanding 4. Study Schedule – this may be adapted depending on emerging needs and schedules ** Ethics Training & Safety of Elected Officials – This may be a few hours so it might be scheduled as a separate meeting? 2025 Study Commission Meetings • June 25 – City of Bozeman Budget process overview • July 10 – Inter-Neighborhood Association Engagement • July 23 – Communication Strategist Report and Action Plan • August 7 – Governance & Leadership Structure • August 20 – Engagement or Outreach event • September 4 - Land Use, Zoning, and Housing Policy • September 17 - Growth, Sustainability and Quality of Life • October 2 - Advisory and Citizen Board Utilization and Management • October 15 – Engagement or Outreach event • November 6 - Current Charter Strengths and Limitations • December 4 - One Bozeman 5. Conclusion According to the Montana Code Annotated, the purpose of the Study Commission is to study the existing form and powers of local government and procedures for delivery of local government services and compare them with other forms available under the laws of the state. This study, combined with the Engagement Plan and Communication Plan will allow the Study Commission to operate in a comprehensive manner. 18 Memorandum REPORT TO:Study Commission FROM:Caeleb Heinen, Recording Secretary Mike Maas, Ex Officio SUBJECT:Potential Meeting topics MEETING DATE:June 25, 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: June 20, 2025 19