HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-11-25 - Downtown Business Improvement District - Agendas & Packet Materials (2)A. Call meeting to order - 12:00 p.m.
B. Disclosures
C. Changes to the Agenda
D. Public Comments on Non-agenda Items Falling within the Purview and Jurisdiction of the Board
THE BOZEMAN DOWNTOWN BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT BOARD OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA
BID AGENDA
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
General information about the Downtown Business Improvement District Board is available in our
Laserfiche repository.
If you are interested in commenting in writing on items on the agenda please send an email to
comments@bozeman.net or visit the Public Comment Page prior to 12:00pm on the day of the
meeting. At the direction of the City Commission, anonymous public comments are not distributed to
the Board or staff.
Public comments will also be accepted in-person and through Video Conference during the appropriate
agenda items.
As always, the meeting will be streamed through the Commission's video page and available in the
City on cable channel 190.
For more information please contact Emily Cope, emily@downtownbozeman.org
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
+1 253 205 0468
Access code: 955 3864 1712
This is the time to comment on any non-agenda matter falling within the scope of the Business
Improvement District Board. 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 Board cannot take action on any item which does not appear on the agenda. All
persons addressing the Board 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 comments to three minutes.
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E. Special Presentation
E.1 Water Adequacy for Residential Development (WARD) Ballot Education Presentation (Kohtz,
Fine)
F. FYI/Discussion
F.1 Economic Development Director's Report(Cope)
F.2 Monthly Finance Report (Cope)
G. Adjournment
For more information please contact Emily Cope, Bozeman Downtown Partnership,
emily@downtownbozeman.org
This board generally meets the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 12:00 to 1:30
City Board meetings are open to all members of the public. If you have a disability that requires
assistance, please contact our ADA Coordinator, David Arnado, at 406.582.3232.
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Memorandum
REPORT TO:Bozeman Downtown Business Improvement District Board
FROM:Takami Clark, Communications & Engagement Manager
SUBJECT:Water Adequacy for Residential Development (WARD) Ballot Education
Presentation
MEETING DATE:September 17, 2025
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Citizen Advisory Board/Commission
RECOMMENDATION:Listen to presentation, ask questions
STRATEGIC PLAN:1.1 Outreach: Continue to strengthen and innovate in how we deliver
information to the community and our partners.
BACKGROUND:The City of Bozeman is educating the public on a November 2025 ballot issue
called the Water Adequacy for Residential Development (WARD) initiative.
This initiative was created by a special-interest group and is not a policy of
the City of Bozeman. It could have a significant effect on the City’s ability to
provide water for future residents and businesses and may lead to a lower
overall production of all types of housing. The City's effort to educate voters
on this initiative is not intended to advocate for or against the initiative;
rather, the educational effort is to bring to light how the initiative will affect
city operations, including how the City works to accommodate the
development of new housing in our community and the City’s effort to
provide our community with the water it relies on.
UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None
ALTERNATIVES:N/A
FISCAL EFFECTS:N/A
Attachments:
LivableBozeman Updated.pdf
Report compiled on: September 4, 2025
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The WARD Initiative
A citizen special interest group initiative that received enough signatures to appear on the 2025 November ballot.
It seeks to change the city code to require developers who seek to use cash-in-lieu of water rights for development to provide affordable housing.
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Today, in Bozeman
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●As of 2024, we have 1241
affordable units built, under
construction or in the pipeline
●$22.84M has been spent in
subsidies on those projects
●Vacancy rates have been quoted
at 12%; rent increases have
slowed
Growth has
slowed to 1.4%
after an average of 3.7% from
2013-2023
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Building on existing programs rooted in local engagement, sustainable planning, and housing data/analysis.
Our goal is to ensure that our solutions balance affordabilitywith sustainable growth tactics that support the integrity of our existing neighborhoods.
A livable
Bozeman for all.
Developing flexible, place-based
policies that make the most of
available tools.
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Background: Current Water Adequacy Policy
●Current Policy went into effect in 1984
●Requires that projected water demand of new
development be offset by one or more of these
options:
○Reduce demand with water conservation
systems and techniques
○Pay cash-in-lieu of water rights and City
acquires the water rights
○Bring useable water rights to the City
●99% of development utilizes cash-in-lieu and is
highly efficient due to being able to connect to
existing city infrastructure
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What WARD Means for Future Housing Development
Allows developers to pay
cash-in-lieu of water rights
to the city only if the
development provides 33% or
more affordable housing
units.
If the development
does not include 33%
affordable units, the
developer is responsible
for securing water rights.
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Alternatives if proposed ballot initiative is approved by
voters
1.Access to cash-in-lieu of water rights tool becomes restricted
requiring 33% of housing product be provided as affordable
housing
2.Developers work to secure their own water rights,which can take
anywhere from 5 to 8 years.
3.Developers can implement only on-site water efficiency or
conservation measures to limit impact, with the remaining water
demand coming from #1 or 2.Off-site water conservation
measures option would be removed under WARD.
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Water Facts
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Current Water Supply Snapshot
Hyalite Creek Watershed
40%Bozeman CreekWatershed
40%
Lyman Spring 20%
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Facts about Water Adequacy in Bozeman, Montana
●Bozeman is not at risk of running out of water.When a developer proposes
new housing,the city must ensure there is adequate water.
●In a normal water year, Bozeman only uses 43% of its current water
supply, in a significant drought year, it increases to 60%.
●Bozeman proactively manages water usage through our conservation
program.
●Bozeman continues to develop and implement new water conservation
measures and water supplies according to our long-term water supply
plan (Integrated Water Resources Plan)
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Development within Bozeman is Most Water Sustainable
Gallons per Capita Day Water Use
Bozeman = 114 GPCD
Others in Montana = 163 GPCD (average)
Comparable Cities =
Boulder, CO: 133 GPCD
Denver, CO: 140 GPCD
Bend, OR: 157 GPCD
Gallons per Household Day Water Use
Bozeman: 188 GPHD
National average: 254 GPHD
Arid Western states: 314 GPHD
City has the experts to efficiently develop water supply,
water rights, and conservation to stay in front of
development demands
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Housing Facts
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Facts About Affordable Housing in Bozeman
●Area Median Income (AMI) Definitions
●Past afforable housing projects required subsidies. The lower the AMI thresholds, the more subsidies are necessary
●Affordable housing is expensive to build due to rising costs of land, labor, materials, and lending
●A study we have done through the Affordable Housing Ordinance showed that developers could only designate 5% of their units as affordable –anything beyond that does not pencil out.
●The city is working with public, private, and nonprofit partners to make affordable housing a reality
●Policies are based on local data and community input, with the goal of balancing affordability, smart growth, and neighborhood character
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WARD Impact on Housing
The Initiative's requirement that 33% of housing units in new developments must
be affordable housing to have access to the city’s cash-in-lieu of water rights
could limit housing supply because:
○Housing developers rely on a mix of market-rate units and affordable
housing units to cover the cost of building. Requiring a high number
of affordable housing units will make it difficult for projects to
secure financing or cover construction costs.
○If developers are not coming to Bozeman to build additional housing,
the demand for housing will increase, causing prices to increase.
○Developers may look to other areas to build instead, such as the
County, which may increase commuting and negatively impact the
environment
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What We Can
Do Together
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All Hands
A collective solution to a
sustainable future.
A true partnership to address the
various pressure points of
housing in the city means
bringing everyone to the table.
Join us as we work on the
Community Housing Action
Plan and Integrated Water
Resources Plan to plan for our
future water supply and
affordable housing.
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The November 4 election
Considerations
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Remember to Vote by November 4
●Ballots will be mailed by Oct. 17
●Ballots should be returned by mail or dropped off at an official drop-
off location
●Residents can check their registration status by visiting
voterportal.mt.gov
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Remember to Get the Facts on the WARD Initiative
●It is unlikely that this initiative will result in more affordable housing
due to the high costs and 33% requirement.
●At this time, Bozeman is not at risk for running out of water, we
proactively plan our water supply and emphasize water conservation
to ensure current and future resident have access to water.
●There is no “silver bullet”to make housing more affordable.Another
regulatory barrier creates barriers to comprehensive solutions.
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Questions?
For more information, go
to engage.bozeman.net/ward
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Memorandum
REPORT TO:Bozeman Downtown Business Improvement District Board
FROM:Emily Cope, Downtown Bozeman Partnership
SUBJECT:Economic Development Director's Report
MEETING DATE:September 17, 2025
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Plan/Report/Study
RECOMMENDATION:Discuss.
STRATEGIC PLAN:4.4 Vibrant Downtown, Districts & Centers: Promote a healthy, vibrant
Downtown, Midtown, and other commercial districts and neighborhood
centers – including higher densities and intensification of use in these key
areas.
BACKGROUND:Emily will provide an update on downtown projects and maintenance
programs.
UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None.
ALTERNATIVES:None.
FISCAL EFFECTS:None.
Attachments:
BID EDD Report 9-25.pdf
Report compiled on: September 8, 2025
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Economic Development Director’s Report
Business Improvement District Board
September 2025
Downtown BID Updates
• Flower baskets are scheduled to come down on September 22 & 23. Patty will continue working
through mid-October to help water newly planted trees.
• Ellie to run board meetings and will be the DBP’s contact for BID concerns until after the holiday
season.
Below are the maintenance statistics comparing the year-to-date figures from this year (FY26) to the
corresponding stats from last year (FY25).
FY2025 Y-T-D FY2026 Y-T-D
Total Avg/mnth Total Avg/mnth Difference
Trash Emptied 1049 525 1223 612 +174
Recycling Emptied 243 122 301 151 +58
Graffiti Removed 60 30 17 9 -43
Downtown URD Project Updates
• A Resolution to amend the member and composition of the Downtown URD to be in
Accordance with Montana SB3 was approved by City Commission on September 9 . The DURD
will now need to appoint a county and school representative and amend bylaws to be in
accordance with this resolution. More to come…
• The Downtown Design & Streetscape Standard has been finalized and able to view on our
website under “Downtown Plans”. https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/dba-2021/COB-
Downtown-Standards-A-FINAL.pdf
• Downtown Trees – Twelve new trees were planted or replaced this summer between the DBP
and City Forestry. Great effort on all ends to keep up with maintenance on the grates, guards
and limb obstructions. Thanks to city forestry for continuously working with us on this ongoing
issue.
• I-Ho Peace Park – Public bid is closed and bids have been received and opened. Working group
to move forward with contractor selection and contractual steps in coming weeks. Construction
to start late fall or early spring.
• Downtown Parking Group Update
o A Parking Vision document with focus on short- and long-term solutions is currently
moving forward with a projected winter 2025/26 release to boards and commission. A
contract to work on the core elements of this plan with a reputable marketing firm is
slated to begin in the coming weeks.
o An RFP for a Private-Public Partnership for Downtown Parking Infrastructure is in
progress utilizing the $5 million in DURD funding for parking infrastructure has been
approved for FY26. A local legal team has compiled a preliminary draft that has been
shared with two URD board members for review before bringing back to the DURD
board for final review and approval before public announcement though the city RFP
process.
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Upcoming Public Meetings Calendar: https://www.bozeman.net/departments/city-
commission/advisory-boards/calendar
Six month Planning Calendar: https://www.bozeman.net/home/showpublisheddocument/15354
• City Commission Meeting: October 7th at 6pm- Bozeman Creek Resiliency Plan, Public
Engagement Plan
Upcoming Events:
• September 26: MSU Homecoming Pep Rally, 6-7pm
• October: PNKBZN
• October 31: Downtown Trick-or-Treating, 4-6pm
• November 20: Ladies’ Night, 5-8pm
• November 29: Small Business Saturday
• December 6: 45th Annual Christmas Stroll, 4:30-7:30pm
• December 12: Winter Art Walk, 6-8pm
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Memorandum
REPORT TO:Bozeman Downtown Business Improvement District Board
FROM:Emily Cope, Downtown Bozeman Partnership
SUBJECT:Monthly Finance Report
MEETING DATE:September 17, 2025
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Finance
RECOMMENDATION:Discuss.
STRATEGIC PLAN:4.4 Vibrant Downtown, Districts & Centers: Promote a healthy, vibrant
Downtown, Midtown, and other commercial districts and neighborhood
centers – including higher densities and intensification of use in these key
areas.
BACKGROUND:Staff will present monthly finance report.
UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None.
ALTERNATIVES:None.
FISCAL EFFECTS:None.
Attachments:
BID Finance Report 9-25.pdf
Report compiled on: September 10, 2025
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Downtown BID September 2025 Finance Report
APPROVED Y-T-D
FY2026 FY2026
Income
BID Assessment 280,000.00$ 280,000.00$ 100%
Contract Income 26,000.00$ 13,000.00$ 100%
Interest Income 100.00$ 2.03$ 21%
Mobile Vending Fees 1,500.00$ 2,750.00$ 0%
Flower Sponsorships 9,500.00$ 1,900.00$ 67%
Christmas Light Sponsorships 3,000.00$ 56%
Streetlamp Banners 14,000.00$ 5,475.00$ 137%
Old Truck Sale -$ 2,900.00$
Total Income 334,100.00$ 306,027.03$ 99%
Expenses
Management Fee 82,500.00$ 41,250.00$ 100%
Total Expenses 82,500.00$ 41,250.00$ 100%
Payroll Expenses
Maintenance Staff 80,000.00$ 17,562.00$ 55%
Taxes 5,500.00$ 1,440.09$ 84%
Work Comp 3,500.00$ 29%
Maintenance Staff--Garage 25,000.00$ 75%
Taxes 950.00$ 0%
Work Comp 950.00$ 0%
Total Payroll Expenses 115,900.00$ 19,002.09$ 59%
Programs
Downtown Safety Program 15,000.00$ 0%
wntown Bozeman Association (DBA) Sup 28,000.00$ 28,000.00$ 100%
Holiday Lights 2,500.00$ 64%
Holiday Light Spider Repair 2,000.00$ 42%
Holiday Lights Storage 1,675.00$ 94%
Holiday Lights- Reserve Fund 15,000.00$ 78%
New Banners 3,000.00$ 78%
Flower Expenses 34,500.00$ 33,724.00$ 99%
Flower Water 400.00$ 51.57$ 99%
Marketing 3,000.00$ 3,000.00$ 100%
Maintenance Supplies 4,750.00$ 739.01$ 70%
Garbage Bags 3,250.00$ 806.52$ 63%
Graffiti Supplies 900.00$ 20%
Graffiti Contracted Removal 7,000.00$ 486.00$ 35%
Mule Service & Fuel 1,950.00$ 386.09$ 39%
Truck Service & Fuel 2,700.00$ 856.18$ 69%
Truck-Mule Insurance 7,500.00$ 122%
Program Contingency 2,000.00$ 33.05$ 6%
Total Program Expenses 135,125.00$ 68,082.42$ 80%
Total BID Expenses 333,525.00$ 128,334.51$ 77%
NET ASSESSMENT INCOME 575$ 177,693$
Checking Account Balance 346,666.46$
Certificate of Deposit Balance 33,735.76$
Total Cash On Hand Total 380,402.22$
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