HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026 Study PlanStudy Plan 2026 - Adopted December 18, 2026
Timeline:
● May 15th submit complete tentative report for legal review
● May 28th public hearing on tentative report
● June 15 public comment closes on tentative report
● July 8 adopt the final report
● August 10 provide County Clerk & Recorder a ballot certificate
Key Tasks to assign in early January:
Who is going to develop the draft report?
The priority issues to focus on:
Legislative/Governance Administration/Organization Community Representation Charter tweaks & other
report components
Commission (Article II)
Topics:
● How big? Do we add
commissioners?
● Full or part time?
● duties/ expectations -
what’s in the charter,
what’s happening in
practice
● Filling vacancies
Executive leader of the City
● City manager structure
(Article III)
● Executive mayor
● Hybrid
Election of Commissioners:
(Article VI)
Topics
● By wards? By districts
like the County? Do
candidates have to be
residents of the
district/ward?How do
we draw and change
boundaries?
● Hybrid?
● Continued at large?
● How can election
process ensure
decisionmakers
represent Bozeman
demographics beyond
geography?
May 7: work session to
ensure draft report and
charter make all the tweaks
Charter tweaks:
● Municipal court (4.05)
● Financial
management dates
(Article V)
● No policy included
● Preamble
● Other tweaks
identified?
Mayor: (Section 2.03)
Topics:
● role/duties
● 4 year term?
● What to do with current
deputy mayor system
● Full time or part time
Topics
● Benefits & challenges
of each form
● What do other MT
cities do?
● What are cities outside
of MT doing?
● What are best
practices
Neighborhood program
(Section 4.06)
Topics
● How do we get more
neighborhoods
included? 28%
● What is their role and
what is the relationship
with the commission?
● Should there be full
time staff person?
● How to ensure
neighborhood
associations include
representation of
Bozeman’s
demographics?
Other elected offices? (Article
IV)
Advisory Boards (Section 4.07)
● What is their role and
what is the relationship
with the commission?
● How do they add a
city-wide view to public
input that’s different
from Neighborhoods?
● How to ensure
appointments to
advisory boards include
representation of
Bozeman’s
demographics?
January focus:
Jan 15th: learning session on
the governing body: size, terms,
duties/roles/function; mayor
system. Other elected offices?
January 28: make preliminary
decisions about potential
changes to governing body.
Use chart that we’ll have to
develop for tentative report to
discuss existing characteristics
and proposed changes
Feb-March focus:
Feb 5: Learning session on
benefits & challenges; what
other MT cities are doing.
Feb 18: Learning session best
practices from other cities and
beginning of discussion.
March 5: make preliminary
decisions about potential
changes to executive
leadership of the city
Use chart that we’ll have to
develop for tentative report to
discuss existing
characteristics and proposed
changes
March - May focus
March 25: Learning session
about options regarding
elections by wards & districts.
April 2: Learning session on
Neighborhood councils. Invite
Inc to join.
April 15: Continued learning,
questions and
discussion/preliminary
decision??
ADD APRIL 23rd MTG? Day
not available - different day?
April 30: make preliminary
decisions about potential
changes to how we elect
commissioners and/or
neighborhood program
May - July focus
May 7: Review of draft
tentative report and submit
for legal review
May 13 Final approval of
draft and release for public
comment
May 20: maybe we don’t
meet? Or yes?
May 28 public hearing on
tentative report
June 4: could do public
hearing here (Barb gone)
June 17: review public
comment, make final edits
July 2: adopt final report
July 8: file final report
Speakers:
MSU Local Gov’t Center -
benefits and challenges to
various issues identified above
(size, terms, mayor/deputy
mayor)
Required materials for
reading:
Commissioner survey results
Montana Charters reviewed by
study commission
Charter commentary in previous
study commission report
Speakers:
MSU Local Gov’t Center
Required materials for
reading:
Montana Charters reviewed
by study commission
Model charter from National
Civic league
Charter commentary in
previous study commission
report
Speakers:
MSU Local Gov’ center
Great Falls Neighborhood
program staff
Required materials for
reading
Survey results
Montana Charters reviewed by
study commission
Gallatin County Commission
districts
Inc. suggestions
Decisions to be made:
● Charter modifications
● Suboption changes:
binary choices to be
voted on
● Recommendations
Decisions to be made:
● Recommendations
● Charter modifications
● Suboption changes:
binary choices to be
voted on
Decisions to be made:
● Recommendations
● Charter modifications
● Suboption changes:
binary choices to be
voted on