HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-29-25 Public Comment - M. Bateson - Bozeman's Urban Forestry - QuestionsFrom:Mary Bateson
To:Bozeman Public Comment; Terry Cunningham; Joey Morrison; Jennifer Madgic; Douglas Fischer; Emma Bode;Chuck Winn; Mitchell Overton; Alex Nordquest
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Bozeman"s Urban Forestry - Questions
Date:Tuesday, July 29, 2025 12:03:18 PM
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To The City Commission, City Manager, and the Forestry Department,
I received the notice that there will be a hearing on August 5 on the
adoption of a Commission Resolution Levying a Special Assessment to
defray the cost of maintaining publicly owned trees. The request for
the increase in the SID is for only 3%. I realize that increasing taxes is
quite an unpopular action, but I believe that the requested 3% increase
may be inadequate if the City of Bozeman is to maintain its urban
forest. I would like the City Commission to explore this idea.
Below are some of my questions concerning the funding and practice of
tree maintenance in Bozeman, which may be useful when considering
this assessment increase. I hope these can be addressed at or before
this hearing.
1. Has the frequency of maintenance (only once every 13 years
per tree for pruning) for city trees been updated since the 2016
Bozeman Urban Forestry Management Plan was written?
2. Will the next Bozeman Urban Forestry Management Plan be
published this year?
3. Can we hire more forestry workers?
4. Does the city contract with local tree services?
5. Is this SID funding the only source for the Forestry
Department?
6. Is the formula for the tax based only on lot size, and does this
also apply to high rise developments? Is this method equitable?
7. Is the budget for the Forestry department publicly available?
Could someone contact me to tell me how to access that
information?
8. Did the City receive a payment for the trees that were
removed on E. Lamme St in front of the Hotel Bozeman site?
9. Who made the assessment of the value of those trees?
10. What was that assessment?
I hope that the City of Bozeman can live up to its designation as a Tree
City USA, and invest in its urban forest. Thank you so much for getting
back to me concerning the many questions I have concerning our city
trees.
Thank you for all the listening that you do!
Sincerely,
Mary Bateson
Bozeman Resident
mbateson5@gmail.com
CC:
comments@bozeman.net
TCunningham@bozeman.net
JMorrison@bozeman.net
JMadgic@bozeman.net
DFischer@bozeman.net
EBode@bozeman.net
CWinn@bozeman.net
Moverton@bozeman.net
Anordquest@bozeman.net