HomeMy WebLinkAboutCompiled INC RecommendationsFrom:Jandt Neighborhood
To:Kath Crumrine; Emily Kiely; Angie Kociolek; BCAN-General; BCNA- General; Beth Boyson; BPNA-General; EmilyMason; Hannah Gullickson; Jandt-General; Kade Woolverton; Kathy Rich; Mark Campanelli; NENA-General; NoahTen Broek; UNA-General; Joey Morrison; Dick Bakker; Bozeman Goverment Study Commission; Douglas Fischer;Salal Huber-McGee
Subject:[EXTERNAL]INC/Study Commission joint meeting recap
Date:Wednesday, July 16, 2025 11:52:38 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Howdy fellow neighborhood reps,
Again, sorry for the delay in this recap. I've cc'd the govreview@bozeman.net address so
these notes will go to the Study Commission and be part of the public record.
Even so, please send your individual comments from the meeting to the Study Commission. Kath had a particularly well prepared set of 5 recommendations. We need to make surethese are in writing and part of the public record.
The meeting recording is excellent and available here:https://bozeman.granicus.com/player/clip/2527?view_id=1&redirect=true
Remember the first half hour is the Study Commission exclusively and the INC reps joinfollowing a brief pause. Commissioner Fischer attended in lieu of INC's regular commission
liaison Deputy Mayor, Joey Morrison. INC's staff liaison was not present. City Clerk MikeMaas was on hand and very helpful in clarifying misinformation or confusion.
Rather than detailing exactly which comment was made by whom at what timestamp, I'm
going to include bullet points of the major feedback from representatives. Many reps agreedwith most points.
Neighborhood associations while challenging to run ARE working, but the entire city is
not covered by recognized associations.Many reps have witnessed or experienced dismissive comments from members of the
City Commission precisely BECAUSE the whole city isn't covered. It's easy to dismissour contributions to policy because we are more concentrated in the core
neighborhoods. Newer parts of town have not yet organized themselves into recognizedassociations.
One rep suggested maybe other areas feel less inclined to go through the process ofbeing recognized because they have HOA's that they can participate in instead.
The functioning of the Inter-Neighborhood Council itself is hamstrung at times becauseeach neighborhood's bylaws are different, so not all reps are able to cast a vote on behalf
of their neighborhood when a resolution is processed through the council. Moreconsistency would allow the council to function better.
There was some discussion of the Commission not listening to the Council, and manyreps expressed frustration that INC's recommendations don't often end up affecting
policy outcomes.Several different responses to Carson Taylor's (chair of govt. study commish) query
about how INC reps think about wards in our city.
1. A neighborhood rep posited that wards and the INC could work together like a house
and senate.2. Another suggested each ward could encompass several neighborhood associations and
this could lead to better accountability because the commissioner in that ward would beresponsible to their neighborhoods.
3. One representative had lived in a city with wards and cautioned against too manybecause too large a body can be unwieldy.
4. Wards should not replace Neighborhoods.
Continuing with general INC feedback or concerns to the Study Commission:
Several representatives expressed frustration in not getting notification from the Cityabout events, roadwork, or other activities impacting their neighborhoods. This is
problematic because reps are looked to as a source of knowledge by their neighbors butoften haven't been given a heads up themselves.
Reps acknowledge the Neighborhoods section of the City Charter, and theNeighborhood Recognition Ordinance (NRO) are great but we as a City are not living
up to the mission. Notification of development applications are not being forwarded toNeighborhood Associations at the appropriate time in order to allow public participation
(sec 2.05.1220.A.1 and sec 2.05.1230.B). And the Staff Liaison has not returned to fulltime Neighborhoods Coordinator position since the completion of the Belonging in
Bozeman plan. The position IS supposed to be full time, but the NeighborhoodsCoordinator is being asked to handle other engagement duties. With the City's
ambitious workload this staff liaison cannot possibly fulfill the responsibilities set out inthe NRO, especially if the City continues to grow and add recognized neighborhood
associations.Several neighborhood representatives agreed some sort of onboarding program for
neighborhood reps to INC would be a great opportunity to help empower reps to betterserve their neighbors. Some reps have more time than others to investigate how the City
works and who runs different departments, but access to this should be moreconsistent and onboarding could ensure a basic level of literacy of city government.
A few reps mentioned city department directors or staff being rude and dismissive,others said they just never heard back from a query sent to staff.
One representative suggested that an INC rep be chosen by the council to serve as aCommissioner; an INC seat on the City Commission, another thought that would be
questionable because neighborhood association by-laws are so different, turn-out amongneighborhoods was different, so the method for selection would not be a great example
of verifiable democratic process.Another representative discussed the appointment process for the City when a City
Commissioner resigns or is no longer able to serve. It was acknowledged that MontanaCode Annotated (7-3-4218) regulates the appointment process, but one representative
questioned whether or not it could be added to the City Charter that the appointment beconducted via blind ballot.
There was general agreement that INC is upholding its responsibility to disseminateinformation from the City to the Citizens, but the flow of information in the other
direction has been broken or ineffective for some time, though some tools have beencreated and processes revived for doing so in the last year.
Many agreed that the City feels like an entity separate from citizens.
We did receive public comment as follows:
Ron Brey, former City Manager, suggested studying the Helena and Great Falls
Neighborhoods programs. In these communities the entire city was covered by associationsand the neighborhoods were given a budget. He believed it was Helena where neighborhood
representatives were elected in municipal elections and thought it might even be a requirementto serve on the neighborhood council before running for City Commission. Suggested the
Neighborhoods program in Bozeman was originally created so that information would flowfrom the residents to the City, not just from the City out to the public.
Emily Talago, former INC Chair, Midtown President and INC rep, shared a little of the good
work INC was able to accomplish in the last year including creating neighborhood surveys(whether simple pulse-of-the-neighborhood style rapid response surveys, or more in depth
multiple choice/free response pieces) conducting book-club style meetings where reps are freeto brainstorm, discuss, and question, as well as crafting and adopting resolutions. She
suggested one way to utilize INC public meeting time more efficiently would be for staff tosend powerpoints or presentations in advance so that reps could digest the info and formulate
questions ahead of time. She suggested communication in both directions is good (City toCitizen and vice versa) but to flesh out expectations ahead of time by describing an intended
or desired response or outcome.
Natsuki Nakemura, Bozeman resident, described some amazing aspects of the Anchorageneighborhoods program. All parts of the City are covered by one, and you can participate in
the neighborhood where you live, but also the one where you work so folks have moreopportunities to participate. Neighborhoods in Anchorage have dedicated staff, list serves,
trainings, design standards for development, and notification of land use decisions including anight club application.
Linda Semones, Bozeman resident of Bogert Park neighborhood, and serves on Historic
Preservation Advisory Board (HPAB) suggests that the Study Commission should meet withEVERY advisory board including HPAB. People stop volunteering to serve on boards once
they begin to feel dismissed, underutilized, or ineffective.
Commissioner Douglas Fischer let us know that he was present in lieu of Deputy MayorMorrison and would make sure to get a summary of the meeting to the Mayor, city Manager
and the Deputy Mayor. He suggested it could be a great idea to hold a joint meeting just likethis with the INC and the City Commission.
Assistant City Manager Jon Henderson thanked both bodies for the meeting and
discussion. Noted that administrative staff works really hard every day and are also humbledby the pace of development within the community. We are growing, but we're not so big yet
that we can't make some changes.
Some final comments from the Study Commission Members
Please submit your talking points from this meeting in writing to govreview@bozeman.netThe Study Commission has a website, please visit https://www.bozeman.net/services/local-
government-study/about/what-we-do
That's all for now folks,
Alison SweeneyChair of the Jandt Neighborhood
Inter-Neighborhood Council Secretary
From:Noah ten Broek
To:Jandt Neighborhood
Cc:Kath Crumrine; Emily Kiely; Angie Kociolek; BCAN-General; BCNA- General; Beth Boyson; BPNA-General; Emily
Mason; Hannah Gullickson; Kade Woolverton; Kathy Rich; Mark Campanelli; NENA-General; UNA-General; Joey
Morrison; Dick Bakker; Bozeman Goverment Study Commission; Douglas Fischer; Salal Huber-McGee; Bozeman
Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Re: INC/Study Commission joint meeting recap
Date:Thursday, July 17, 2025 1:58:24 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Subject: Feedback on INC Meeting Format & Engagement
Dear Study Commission,
Thank you for attending our INC meeting—I appreciated learning about your roles andobjectives.
I apologize if my comments came across strongly. As this was my first INC meeting—andafter nearly two years of advocating for our neighborhood against the Guthrie—I spoke from
deep passion for Bozeman and a healthy local governance.
It’s come to my attention that the Study Commission may be unwilling to meet again with the
INC. If that’s the case, it’s even more critical that these meetings are structured to producesubstantive input.
1. Clarify Your Scope
Please make it explicit where you're open to nuance versus predetermined. That clarity wouldhelp INC and other community members provide targeted, relevant feedback.
2. Add Structure with Granular Focus
Break meetings into focused, topic-based segments—like development review or governancemodel evaluation—to foster deeper, more sophisticated dialogue. Broad questions about what
you “like” or “don’t like” are overly abstract and detract from the nuanced conversation ourcommunity deserves.
By swapping vague prompts for structured, topic-driven discussions, you're more likely toengage participants in meaningful exploration, rather than collecting generic impressions.
Concerns & Suggestions
The current broad format risks feeling like a checkbox exercise rather than true
collaboration.
A more focused approach for example might include:
Development Review: Describe the current process—who’s involved, legalframework, decision points—and then explore areas for improvement.
Governance Models: Clearly outline the governance options under consideration—detailing their strengths, weaknesses, and relevance to Bozeman—and then
walk us through each branch so we can explore the nuances. The devil is in thedetails, and that’s precisely where we seem to be falling short.
With limited opportunities to meet again, these sessions must be purposeful and impactful.
Thoughts on Study Commission Meeting Frequency & Commitment
Bozeman is in an urgent situation that demands sustained leadership. To address ourcommunity’s challenges effectively, I believe there should be no limits on meetingfrequency or duration. Complex local issues require the time and consistency to be handledthoroughly.
If the effort and time needed exceed what some current members can commit to, I wouldrespectfully suggest considering whether others—with the necessary stamina and passion—
might be better suited to serve in their place.
Thank you for your dedication to Bozeman. This moment calls for all of us to rise to the task together.Thank you for
considering these suggestions—and for the work you’re doing for Bozeman.
Warm regards,
Noah ten Broek
On Wed, Jul 16, 2025 at 11:52 PM Jandt Neighborhood <jandtneighborhood@gmail.com>wrote:
Howdy fellow neighborhood reps,
Again, sorry for the delay in this recap. I've cc'd the govreview@bozeman.net address sothese notes will go to the Study Commission and be part of the public record.
Even so, please send your individual comments from the meeting to the Study Commission.
Kath had a particularly well prepared set of 5 recommendations. We need to make surethese are in writing and part of the public record.
The meeting recording is excellent and available here:
https://bozeman.granicus.com/player/clip/2527?view_id=1&redirect=trueRemember the first half hour is the Study Commission exclusively and the INC reps join
following a brief pause. Commissioner Fischer attended in lieu of INC's regularcommission liaison Deputy Mayor, Joey Morrison. INC's staff liaison was not present. City
Clerk Mike Maas was on hand and very helpful in clarifying misinformation or confusion.
Rather than detailing exactly which comment was made by whom at what timestamp, I'mgoing to include bullet points of the major feedback from representatives. Many reps agreed
with most points.
Neighborhood associations while challenging to run ARE working, but the entire cityis not covered by recognized associations.
Many reps have witnessed or experienced dismissive comments from members of the
City Commission precisely BECAUSE the whole city isn't covered. It's easy todismiss our contributions to policy because we are more concentrated in the core
neighborhoods. Newer parts of town have not yet organized themselves intorecognized associations.
One rep suggested maybe other areas feel less inclined to go through the process ofbeing recognized because they have HOA's that they can participate in instead.
The functioning of the Inter-Neighborhood Council itself is hamstrung at timesbecause each neighborhood's bylaws are different, so not all reps are able to cast a
vote on behalf of their neighborhood when a resolution is processed through thecouncil. More consistency would allow the council to function better.
There was some discussion of the Commission not listening to the Council, and manyreps expressed frustration that INC's recommendations don't often end up affecting
policy outcomes.Several different responses to Carson Taylor's (chair of govt. study commish) query
about how INC reps think about wards in our city.
1. A neighborhood rep posited that wards and the INC could work together like a house
and senate.2. Another suggested each ward could encompass several neighborhood associations and
this could lead to better accountability because the commissioner in that ward wouldbe responsible to their neighborhoods.
3. One representative had lived in a city with wards and cautioned against too manybecause too large a body can be unwieldy.
4. Wards should not replace Neighborhoods.
Continuing with general INC feedback or concerns to the Study Commission:
Several representatives expressed frustration in not getting notification from the Cityabout events, roadwork, or other activities impacting their neighborhoods. This is
problematic because reps are looked to as a source of knowledge by their neighborsbut often haven't been given a heads up themselves.
Reps acknowledge the Neighborhoods section of the City Charter, and theNeighborhood Recognition Ordinance (NRO) are great but we as a City are not living
up to the mission. Notification of development applications are not being forwardedto Neighborhood Associations at the appropriate time in order to allow public
participation (sec 2.05.1220.A.1 and sec 2.05.1230.B). And the Staff Liaison has notreturned to full time Neighborhoods Coordinator position since the completion of the
Belonging in Bozeman plan. The position IS supposed to be full time, but theNeighborhoods Coordinator is being asked to handle other engagement duties. With
the City's ambitious workload this staff liaison cannot possibly fulfill theresponsibilities set out in the NRO, especially if the City continues to grow and add
recognized neighborhood associations.Several neighborhood representatives agreed some sort of onboarding program for
neighborhood reps to INC would be a great opportunity to help empower reps tobetter serve their neighbors. Some reps have more time than others to investigate how
the City works and who runs different departments, but access to this should be moreconsistent and onboarding could ensure a basic level of literacy of city government.
A few reps mentioned city department directors or staff being rude and dismissive,others said they just never heard back from a query sent to staff.
One representative suggested that an INC rep be chosen by the council to serve as aCommissioner; an INC seat on the City Commission, another thought that would be
questionable because neighborhood association by-laws are so different, turn-outamong neighborhoods was different, so the method for selection would not be a great
example of verifiable democratic process.Another representative discussed the appointment process for the City when a City
Commissioner resigns or is no longer able to serve. It was acknowledged thatMontana Code Annotated (7-3-4218) regulates the appointment process, but one
representative questioned whether or not it could be added to the City Charter that theappointment be conducted via blind ballot.
There was general agreement that INC is upholding its responsibility to disseminateinformation from the City to the Citizens, but the flow of information in the other
direction has been broken or ineffective for some time, though some tools have beencreated and processes revived for doing so in the last year.
Many agreed that the City feels like an entity separate from citizens.
We did receive public comment as follows:
Ron Brey, former City Manager, suggested studying the Helena and Great Falls
Neighborhoods programs. In these communities the entire city was covered by associationsand the neighborhoods were given a budget. He believed it was Helena where neighborhood
representatives were elected in municipal elections and thought it might even be arequirement to serve on the neighborhood council before running for City Commission.
Suggested the Neighborhoods program in Bozeman was originally created so thatinformation would flow from the residents to the City, not just from the City out to the
public.
Emily Talago, former INC Chair, Midtown President and INC rep, shared a little of thegood work INC was able to accomplish in the last year including creating neighborhood
surveys (whether simple pulse-of-the-neighborhood style rapid response surveys, or more indepth multiple choice/free response pieces) conducting book-club style meetings where reps
are free to brainstorm, discuss, and question, as well as crafting and adopting resolutions. She suggested one way to utilize INC public meeting time more efficiently would be for
staff to send powerpoints or presentations in advance so that reps could digest the info andformulate questions ahead of time. She suggested communication in both directions is good
(City to Citizen and vice versa) but to flesh out expectations ahead of time by describing anintended or desired response or outcome.
Natsuki Nakemura, Bozeman resident, described some amazing aspects of the Anchorage
neighborhoods program. All parts of the City are covered by one, and you can participate inthe neighborhood where you live, but also the one where you work so folks have more
opportunities to participate. Neighborhoods in Anchorage have dedicated staff, list serves,trainings, design standards for development, and notification of land use decisions including
a night club application.
Linda Semones, Bozeman resident of Bogert Park neighborhood, and serves on HistoricPreservation Advisory Board (HPAB) suggests that the Study Commission should meet with
EVERY advisory board including HPAB. People stop volunteering to serve on boards oncethey begin to feel dismissed, underutilized, or ineffective.
Commissioner Douglas Fischer let us know that he was present in lieu of Deputy Mayor
Morrison and would make sure to get a summary of the meeting to the Mayor, city Manager
and the Deputy Mayor. He suggested it could be a great idea to hold a joint meeting justlike this with the INC and the City Commission.
Assistant City Manager Jon Henderson thanked both bodies for the meeting and
discussion. Noted that administrative staff works really hard every day and are alsohumbled by the pace of development within the community. We are growing, but we're not
so big yet that we can't make some changes.
Some final comments from the Study Commission Members
Please submit your talking points from this meeting in writing to govreview@bozeman.netThe Study Commission has a website, please visit https://www.bozeman.net/services/local-
government-study/about/what-we-do
That's all for now folks,
Alison SweeneyChair of the Jandt Neighborhood
Inter-Neighborhood Council Secretary
-- Noah ten Broek
From:Kath Crumrine
To:Bozeman Goverment Study Commission
Subject:[EXTERNAL]MarLinN Lindley recommendations for the Study Commission as Discussed at INC
Date:Thursday, July 17, 2025 8:37:35 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you
recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
Hi Mike,
Please find the comments I made at the INC/Study Commission meeting last week. If youhave any questions please let me know.
What difficulties are there? MarLinN Lindley's story.
Our neighborhood greatly values the community's use of Lindley Park, the Lindley Center, the cemetery, the cross-country ski area, and
the softball fields. We appreciate the vibrancy these activities bring, even when they draw visitors from outside our immediate area.
However, when the City plans projects or books large events at any of these locations, effective communication with our neighborhood
is essential. Increased traffic, parking issues, and other impacts can affect residents' ability to access their homes and, critically,
compromise child safety.
Recent experiences, such as the unannounced upgrades to our playground and pavilion, and the unexpected closure of the Lindley Center,
suggest a lack of consideration for our neighborhood's needs. This leads us to believe that the City's decision-making process isn't
adequately factoring in the impact on residents.
To address this, we request that City department heads, including the Parks and Recreation department when booking large group events,
communicate directly with our elected neighborhood leadership early in the planning process. This would allow us to voice any
concerns proactively.
We understand City departments coordinate internally to avoid conflicts. We recommend that the City Liaison be included in these
internal planning meetings, or that a formal process be established to ensure this vital information reaches the City Liaison, who can then
inform our neighborhood association.
Finally, prior to our Annual meeting in April, multiple attempts via email occurred between our chair and the City Liaison to get essential
information for residents. Some of those inquiries remain unresolved, highlighting current communication channels are neither consistent
nor dependable. This directly impacts our ability to keep neighbors informed and address their concerns effectively.
Improvement Recommendations
Recommend effective communication notification with our neighborhood regarding projects impacting the Lindley Center,
Lindley Park, the cemetery, cross country ski areas and potentially the softball fields.
Recommend that city department heads including Parks & Rec communicate directly with our elected neighborhood leadership
early in the planning process allowing leadership to voice any concerns proactively.
Recommend that the City Liaison be included in internal planning meetings, or that a formal process be established to ensure
vital info reaches the Liaison who can then inform our neighborhood leadership.
Recommend there be a clear process and oversight that outlines the responsibilities of communication & follow through from
the City Liaison to requests and inquiries from organized leadership in neighborhood associations.
Finally, to streamline communication and foster more organized engagement, we recommend that Neighborhood Associations
coordinate efforts and direct initial contact to the City Liaison. The liaison can then connect resident leaders with the
appropriate department heads, ensuring a more efficient and effective process than individual, random outreach to city
departments.
Be well. - Kath
Wholeheartedness CoachingSEP & ISP Trauma Resolution
Shine brighter here