HomeMy WebLinkAboutCitizens Initiative finalCitizens Initiative
Steve Kirchhoff
Elizabeth Darrow
Mara-Gai Katz
Jim Walseth
Kaaren Jacobson
November 5, 2013
Dear Mayor Becker and Members of the Commission:
During the past several months, following your decision not to sell the Mansion under contract to the Friends of the Story Mansion, the Citizens Initiative group we represent has gathered
hundreds of signatures of people who favor public ownership of the Mansion. This letter and the attached petitions (with more than 800 signatures) are presented as support for our
request that you reject all but one of the Story Mansion purchase proposals before you. In lieu of accepting these proposals, the Citizens Initiative group advocates strongly for the
City of Bozeman to retain ownership of the Mansion and at the same time consider the Montana Center for Civic Democratization (MCCD) proposal.
For a variety of reasons, Citizens Initiative believes that only one of the proposals adequately responds to your RFP. We believe none of the others comply with both the general "Residential"
designation in the land use plan and the more specific R-1 residential zoning. In addition, Citizens Initiative believes that each of the other proposals will cause protracted and
controversial public hearings for modifications to Bozeman's Community Plan and Municipal Code with uncertain outcomes.
The Citizens Initiative group suggests that in light of the extraordinary amount of public funding invested in the Mansion to date, it makes no sense to turn over ownership to the private
sector. On the other hand, it makes far more sense for the City to continue ownership, to seek funding to complete renovations of the second and third floors and the carriage house,
and to actively recruit potential partners, such as the MCCD, whose use of the spaces would conform to Bozeman’s master plan and zoning ordinances.
We understand that as of August of this year, rental fees collected by the City for events at the Story in 2013 netted $24,000, for an ‘operations and maintenance’ profit to the City
of more than $7,000. Significantly, the city enjoyed this profit from the Mansion in a year of great uncertainty regarding its future, and without engaging in substantial marketing
efforts. It is apparent that, with questions of future ownership put to rest, and with more aggressive marketing, the City would make a considerable profit operating the Mansion as
a community center. Also, with public ownership assured, the City (or a designated agent) would be in a much sounder position to engage in fundraising and grant writing for capital
improvements to the Mansion.
Thank you for considering our request that you reject three of the four proposals for Mansion ownership currently before you, and instead choose to retain public ownership of the Mansion,
consider an association with MCCD, and continue to operate the first floor as a very successful community center.
Sincerely,
Steve Kirchhoff Jim Walseth Elizabeth Darrow Mara-Gai Katz Kaaren Jacobson
Citizens Initiative Citizens Initiative Citizens Initiative Citizens Initiative Citizens Initiative