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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-15-26 Study Commission Agenda and Packet MaterialsA. Call to Order with Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence - 4:00 PM, Commission Room, City Hall, 121 North Rouse B. Changes to the Agenda C. Public Comment on Anything within the Jurisdiction of the Study Commission THE STUDY COMMISSION OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA SC AGENDA Thursday, January 15, 2026 How to Participate: If you are interested in commenting in writing on items on the agenda please send an email to govreview@bozeman.net prior to 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. At the direction of the Study Commission, anonymous public comments are not distributed to the Study Commission. Public comments will also be accepted in-person and through video conference during the appropriate agenda items but you may only comment once per item. As always, the meeting will be recorded and streamed through the Meeting Videos and available in the City on cable channel 190. For more information please contact Ex Officio, Mike Maas, 406.582.2321, or visit bozemanstudy.com. 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 +1 669 900 9128 Access code: 951 6442 0347 This is the time to comment on any matter falling within the scope of the Bozeman Study Commission. 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 Study Commission cannot take action on any item which does not appear on the agenda. All persons addressing the Study Commission 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 1 D. Consent Agenda D.1 Study Commission Claims Review and Approval(Maas) E. Correspondence or Study Commission Update F. Unfinished Business F.1 Determine Who Will Draft the City Study Commission Report G. New Business G.1 Working Ventures: Communication Action Plan(Working Ventures) G.2 Learning Session on the Governing Body: Size, Terms, Duties/Roles/Function; Mayor System. Other elected offices?(Clark) H. Future Agenda Items I. Public Comment on Anything within the Jurisdiction of the Study Commission J. Announcements K. Adjournment comments to three minutes. Written comments can be located in the Public Comment Repository. Consider the Motion: I move to approve payment of claims as presented. Communication action plan with City as a partner, Employee survey update, Commissioner Survey, and Advisory Board Survey – get input from Study Commission and determination of next steps Receive information from the Local Government Center Reference Materials Study Commission Bylaws Study Commission Resources Study Commission meetings are open to all members of the public. If you have a disability that requires assistance, please contact the City of Bozeman's ADA Coordinator, David Arnado, at 406.582.3232. Study Commission meetings are televised live on cable channel 190 and streamed live on our Meeting Videos Page. 2 Memorandum REPORT TO:Study Commission FROM:Caeleb Heinen, Recording Secretary Mike Maas, Ex Officio SUBJECT:Study Commission Claims Review and Approval MEETING DATE:January 15, 2026 AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Finance RECOMMENDATION:Consider the Motion: I move to approve payment of claims as presented. STRATEGIC PLAN:7.5. Funding and Delivery of City Services: Use equitable and sustainable sources of funding for appropriate City services, and deliver them in a lean and efficient manner. BACKGROUND:Study Commission claims for approval prior to payment by Ex Officio from the approved Study Commission Budget. Budget Tracking UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None ALTERNATIVES:The Study Commission could decide not to approve these claims or a portion of the claims presented. This alternative is not recommended as it may result in unbudgeted late fees assessed. FISCAL EFFECTS:$3900 Attachments: BCSC Invoice #4 (December 2025) - Invoice.pdf Report compiled on: January 7, 2026 3 Working Ventures 2215 S 86th Street Omaha, NE, 68124 EIN: 99-1074520 Invoice Submitted on 01.03.2026 Invoice for Payable to Invoice # Bozeman City Study Commission Working Ventures LLC 26-1001 Project Due date Communications Strategist 2/3/2026 Description Qty Unit price Total price Study Commission Communications Strategist - December 2025 1 $3,900.00 $3,900.00 Amount previously invoiced $15,600 $0.00 Amount previously received $11,700 $0.00 Amount yet to be invoiced $27,300 $0.00 Notes: Invoice 1 of 1 Subtotal $3,900.00 Services include: contractual related work for December 2025 Comm Strategist Adjustments $0.00 Note Previous invoice was submitted for Aug-Nov 2025 $3,900.00 Invoices will be submitted monthly in the amount of $3,900 per month or 1/12 the cost of the overall project ($46,800) 4 Memorandum REPORT TO:Study Commission SUBJECT:Determine Who Will Draft the City Study Commission Report MEETING DATE:January 15, 2026 AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Citizen Advisory Board/Commission RECOMMENDATION:Consider the Motion: I move to appoint ____ and ____ to draft the City Study Commission Report. 5 Memorandum REPORT TO:Study Commission FROM:Caeleb Heinen, Recording Secretary Mike Maas, Ex Officio Working Ventures SUBJECT:Working Ventures: Communication Action Plan MEETING DATE:January 15, 2026 AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Citizen Advisory Board/Commission RECOMMENDATION:Communication action plan with City as a partner, Employee survey update, Commissioner Survey, and Advisory Board Survey – get input from Study Commission and determination of next steps STRATEGIC PLAN:1.2 Community Engagement: Broaden and deepen engagement of the community in city government, innovating methods for inviting input from the community and stakeholders. BACKGROUND:a. Employee survey b. Commissioner Survey c. Advisory Survey d. Community Survey results report UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None identified ALTERNATIVES:As per City Study Commission FISCAL EFFECTS:TBD Attachments: Employee Survey Initial Efforts.pdf BCSC - Commissioner Survey.pdf BCSC - Boards and Councils.pdf Community Survey Results.pdf Report compiled on: January 7, 2026 6 | PUBLIC ELECTION OF STUDY COMMISSION BROAD FEEDBACK ON CHARTER TOPICS NARROW FOCUS TO INTEREST AREAS EDUCATION & INPUT ON INTEREST AREAS DRAFT UPDATED CHARTER LANGUAGE PUBLIC VOTE TO APPROVE UPDATED CHARTER Of the 104 responses (as of 1/9), the following data points Employment length: Less than 5 years (37) 5-10 years (27) more than 10 years (32) Work Categories: Infrastructure and Utilities (29.7%) Community and Resident Service (15.4%) Public Safety (14.3%) Internal Administration (16.5%) Planning and Development (15.4%) Other (8.8%) Residency Live within the city limits (55) Live outside the city limits (41) EMPLOYEE SURVEY (INITIAL UPDATES) 1 The Employee Survey has been launched. and sent to all City of Bozemen employees. Items of interest include: : The survey was sent to all City employees on January 5th. 104 responses as of the morning of January 9th. A reminder email will be sent out on January 12th. Working Ventures will present detailed findings in these areas at the January 15 Commission Meeting: th PROCESS UPDATE INITIAL SURVEY DATA OVERVIEW PROCESS OVERVIEW 7 LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION SURVEY WELCOME NOTE The purpose of this survey is to gather feedback from current and former members of the Bozeman City Commission on the processes and structure of the City’s local government during your time in office. This survey includes 28 questions and should take approximately 10 minutes or less to complete. Your feedback will be used to better understand governance experiences from an elected official perspective and to identify what changes may be helpful for the City in the future. When responding, please focus on the roles, responsibilities, and structure of city leadership positions, rather than the individuals currently serving in those roles or specific personalities from your time in office. This Bozeman City Study Commission survey is part of a two-year study to learn what has worked well, what has been challenging, and what ideas could improve the City’s governance going forward. Your responses will be kept confidential and reported only in aggregate to the Study Commission. If you have any questions about the survey, please email govreview@bozeman.net. We appreciate your time and feedback! SURVEY QUESTIONS Welcome to the Bozeman City Study Commission Local Government Survey! 1. What are the top 2 words you would use to describe the current structure of the City of Bozeman’s local government? ________________________ ________________________ 2. I believe the current government structure enables clear roles, responsibilities, and reporting lines for city employees. (select one) ______Strongly Disagree ______Disagree ______Neutral ______Agree ______Strongly Agree 3. I am confident in the current structure of city government in Bozeman. (select one) ______Strongly Disagree ______Disagree ______Neutral ______Agree ______Strongly Agree 4. When you think about how you want the City of Bozeman to function going forward, please rank your top 3 priorities. (select up to 3) _______Transparent leadership _______Accountable leadership _______Democratic representation _______Fiscally-responsible model of government _______Efficient administration _______Responsive administration _______Stable administration _______Visible leaders _______Term-limited leaders _______Other (Write-In) ____________ | 8 | Mayor & City Manager - We would like to know your opinions on a few different city leadership models. The City of Bozeman’s 2025 Biennium budget appropriates $485.1 million over budget period and supports 557.7 full- time equivalent employees. Cities can be run in different ways. Two of the most common leadership models are: Commission–Manager Model (what Bozeman uses now): Voters elect a City Commission. The Commission chooses a City Manager, who is a trained professional. The City Manager runs the daily operations of the city, such as carrying out the budget, hiring department heads, and managing city staff. The Mayor is a member of the City Commission and serves a 4-year term, with the first 2 years as Deputy Mayor prior to serving 2 years as Mayor. The Mayor has a limited administrative role, leading meetings and representing the city at events, but does not directly run city departments. Mayor–Executive Model: The Mayor is directly in charge of city operations. In this model, the Mayor oversees staff, manages the budget, and directs daily work of the city government. There may or may not be a City Manager in this model. If there is no City Manager, the Mayor is the chief executive in charge of city operations. The Mayor is typically elected for a 2-year or 4-year term by the residents of the community. OPTIONAL MODEL: Mayor-Executive City Commission Voters Mayor Administrative Departments CURRENT MODEL: Commission-Manager Administrative Departments City Commission Voters Mayor City Manager 5. In your opinion, how involved should the Mayor be in daily city operations (such as managing staff, overseeing the budget, and directing departments)? (select one) ______Executive Leader role Mayor is elected separately, and directly manages city operations ______Legislative Leader role Mayor leads commission meetings and represents the city, but does not run departments ______Hybrid Executive role Mayor handles some executive tasks, but a City Manager still manages most daily operations ______Hybrid Legislative role Mayor votes to break any ties in commission meetings, but does not manage day-to-day government operations) ______No preference . 9 | 6. Should the city retain a professional City Manager to run daily operations? (select one) ______Yes, with full executive authority City Manager runs all operations; Mayor is mostly legislatively focused ______Yes, but with reduced powers City Manager handles some operations, while the Mayor takes on more authority ______No, the structure should allow the Mayor to hold all the executive authority ______Unsure 7. Would you support the idea of having additional city officials elected by voters (instead of appointed)? For example, in some cities, positions such as City Clerk, City Treasurer, or City Attorney are elected. (select one) ______Yes, I would support electing more city officials ______No, I would prefer these positions remain appointed ______Not sure / Need more information City Commission - Next, we are interested in your opinions regarding the City Commission structure. Bozeman’s City Commission is elected based on who receives the most total votes through city-wide elections. The Commissioners serve 4 years terms, with staggered elections. Alternatively, some cities elect commissioners using districts or wards to ensure geographic representation from across the city. CURRENT MODEL: City-Wide Election POTENTIAL MODEL: Election by Geographic District Dividing lines for demonstration purposes only. Actual boundaries will vary. 10 8. I believe Bozeman should prioritize geographic district-based representation rather than total city-wide votes for commissioners. (select one) ______ Strongly Disagree ______ Disagree ______ Neutral ______ Agree ______Strongly Agree 9. If the city has district-based commissioners, which rule should apply? (select one) ______Commissioners must live in the district they represent, and only people in that district vote for them ______Commissioners do not need to live in the district, but are elected by voters in that district ______Commissioners must live in the district they represent, but are elected at-large. ______No preference 10. Do you think Bozeman should expand its City Commission beyond 5 members? (select one) ______Yes ______No ______Unsure 11. What do you think is the most appropriate number of City Commissioners to best represent Bozeman and why? (short answer) 12. I believe the City Commission understands the day-to-day work of city employees. (select one) ______Strongly Disagree ______Disagree ______Neutral ______Agree ______Strongly Agree Your Role as a City Commissioner - When answering the following questions, think about your time serving in the capacity of a City Commissioner. 13. Approximately how many hours each week does it take you to do your work for the Commission? (short answer) 14. If you had more time, would it allow the quality of your work to improve? (single select) _____Yes _____No _____Unsure 15. Do you think the Commissioner position should be full-time? (single select) _____Yes _____No _____Unsure 16. Do you hold regular employment in addition to your role on City Commission? (single select) _____Yes, full-time employment _____Yes, part-time employment _____No _____Unsure | 11 17. Is your work on the Commission constrained by your regular employment? (single select) _____Yes _____No _____Unsure or Not Applicable 18. If the position of CIty Commission were full-time, would you have been able to run for office? (single select) _____Yes _____No _____Unsure 19. Do you believe the Commissioners are getting a fair stipend for their work as a Commissioner? _____Yes _____No _____Unsure 20. Based on the role and responsibilities of a City Commissioner, what do you feel a fair annual stipend should be? (short answer) 21. Do you understand the responsibilities of a Commissioner Liaison to Advisory Boards? _____Yes _____No _____Unsure Advisory Boards and Neighborhood Councils - Many cities use groups like City Boards and Neighborhood Councils to give residents a stronger voice in local government. These groups can provide advice to the City Commission, represent neighborhood concerns, or have formal powers in decision-making. The following questions ask about what role you think these boards should play in Bozeman. 22. What should be the main role of City Boards in Bozeman? (select one) ______Provide advice and recommendations to the City Commission, but not make final decisions ______Share community input and help shape policies, with limited decision-making power ______Have formal decision-making power, including the ability to approve or block certain actions ______Unsure 23. How much influence should City Boards have on city decisions? (select one) ______Advisory only (Commission may consider their input but makes all final decisions) ______Shared influence (Boards help set priorities and may have authority in certain areas) ______Strong influence (Boards can veto or block decisions made by the Commission) ______Unsure 24. What should be the main role of Neighborhood Councils in Bozeman? (select one) ______Provide advice and recommendations to the City Commission, but not make final decisions ______Share community input and help shape policies, with limited decision-making power ______Have formal decision-making power, including the ability to approve or block certain actions ______Unsure 25. How much influence should Neighborhood Councils have on city decisions? (select one) ______Advisory only (Commission may consider their input but makes all final decisions) ______Shared influence (Boards help set priorities and may have authority in certain areas) ______Strong influence (Boards can veto or block decisions made by the Commission) ______Unsure | 12 26. What changes in organizational or government structure would you recommend to improve City operations? (short answer) About Your Role and Experience Your responses will be analyzed only in aggregate and will not be used to identify individual City Commissioners 27. How many total years have you held local elected office in Bozeman? (select one) ______less than 5 years ______5 to 10 years ______more than 10 years 28. Prior to becoming a City Commissioner, how many years did you serve in a volunteer capacity with a City Board and/or a Neighborhood Advisory Council in Bozeman? (select one) ______less than 5 years ______5 to 10 years ______more than 10 years Thank you for your participation in the Bozeman City Study Commission Survey. Your feedback will be used to understand current resident needs and to propose future changes to continue to serve the people of Bozeman. We appreciate your time and engagement. For additional information on this survey, future opportunities to participate, and other resources from the Bozeman City Study Commission, please visit https://www.bozemanstudy.com. | 13 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADVISORY BOARD SURVEY WELCOME NOTE The purpose of this survey is to gather feedback from current and former members of the Bozeman City Advisory Boards on the processes and structure of the City’s local government during your time in office. This survey includes 28 questions and should take approximately 10 minutes or less to complete. Your feedback will be used to better understand governance experiences from an elected official perspective and to identify what changes may be helpful for the City in the future. When responding, please focus on the roles, responsibilities, and structure of city leadership positions, rather than the individuals currently serving in those roles or specific personalities from your time in office. This Bozeman City Study Commission survey is part of a two-year study to learn what has worked well, what has been challenging, and what ideas could improve the City’s governance going forward. Your responses will be kept confidential and reported only in aggregate to the Study Commission. If you have any questions about the survey, please email govreview@bozeman.net. We appreciate your time and feedback! SURVEY QUESTIONS Welcome to the Bozeman City Study Commission Local Government Survey! 1. What are the top 2 words you would use to describe the current structure of the City of Bozeman’s local government? ________________________ ________________________ 2. I believe the current government structure enables clear roles, responsibilities, and reporting lines for city employees. (select one) ______Strongly Disagree ______Disagree ______Neutral ______Agree ______Strongly Agree 3. I am confident in the current structure of city government in Bozeman. (select one) ______Strongly Disagree ______Disagree ______Neutral ______Agree ______Strongly Agree 4. When you think about how you want the City of Bozeman to function going forward, please rankyour top 3 priorities. (select up to 3) _______Transparent leadership _______Accountable leadership _______Democratic representation _______Fiscally-responsible model of government _______Efficient administration _______Responsive administration _______Stable administration _______Visible leaders _______Term-limited leaders _______Other (Write-In) ____________ | 14 | Mayor & City Manager - We would like to know your opinions on a few different city leadership models. The City of Bozeman’s 2025 Biennium budget appropriates $485.1 million over budget period and supports 557.7 full- time equivalent employees. Cities can be run in different ways. Two of the most common leadership models are: Commission–Manager Model (what Bozeman uses now): Voters elect a City Commission. The Commission chooses a City Manager, who is a trained professional. The City Manager runs the daily operations of the city, such as carrying out the budget, hiring department heads, and managing city staff. The Mayor is a member of the City Commission and serves a 4-year term, with the first 2 years as Deputy Mayor prior to serving 2 years as Mayor. The Mayor has a limited administrative role, leading meetings and representing the city at events, but does not directly run city departments. Mayor–Executive Model: The Mayor is directly in charge of city operations. In this model, the Mayor oversees staff, manages the budget, and directs daily work of the city government. There may or may not be a City Manager in this model. If there is no City Manager, the Mayor is the chief executive in charge of city operations. The Mayor is typically elected for a 2-year or 4-year term by the residents of the community. OPTIONAL MODEL: Mayor-Executive City Commission Voters Mayor Administrative Departments CURRENT MODEL: Commission-Manager Administrative Departments City Commission Voters Mayor City Manager 5. In your opinion, how involved should the Mayor be in daily city operations (such as managing staff, overseeing the budget, and directing departments)? (select one) ______Executive Leader role Mayor is elected separately, and directly manages city operations ______Legislative Leader role Mayor leads commission meetings and represents the city, but does not run departments ______Hybrid Executive role Mayor handles some executive tasks, but a City Manager still manages most daily operations ______Hybrid Legislative role Mayor votes to break any ties in commission meetings, but does not manage day-to-day government operations) ______No preference . 15 | 6. Should the city retain a professional City Manager to run daily operations? (select one) ______Yes, with full executive authority City Manager runs all operations; Mayor is mostly legislatively focused ______Yes, but with reduced powers City Manager handles some operations, while the Mayor takes on more authority ______No, the structure should allow the Mayor to hold all the executive authority ______Unsure 7. Would you support the idea of having additional city officials elected by voters (instead of appointed)? For example, in some cities, positions such as City Clerk, City Treasurer, or City Attorney are elected. (select one) ______Yes, I would support electing more city officials ______No, I would prefer these positions remain appointed ______Not sure / Need more information City Commission - Next, we are interested in your opinions regarding the City Commission structure. Bozeman’s City Commission is elected based on who receives the most total votes through city-wide elections. The Commissioners serve 4 years terms, with staggered elections. Alternatively, some cities elect commissioners using districts or wards to ensure geographic representation from across the city. CURRENT MODEL: City-Wide Election POTENTIAL MODEL: Election by Geographic District Dividing lines for demonstration purposes only. Actual boundaries will vary. 16 8. I believe Bozeman should prioritize geographic district-based representation rather than total city-wide votes for commissioners. (select one) ______ Strongly Disagree ______ Disagree ______ Neutral ______ Agree ______Strongly Agree 9. If the city has district-based commissioners, which rule should apply? (select one) ______Commissioners must live in the district they represent, and only people in that district vote for them ______Commissioners do not need to live in the district, but are elected by voters in that district ______Commissioners must live in the district they represent, but are elected at-large. ______No preference 10. Do you think Bozeman should expand its City Commission beyond 5 members? (select one) ______Yes ______No ______Unsure Your Role as an Advisory City Board Member - When answering the following questions, think about your time serving in the capacity of an Advisory Board Member. 11. Approximately how many hours each week does it take you to do your work for the board you serve on? (short answer) 12. Do you feel your ideas are being listened to while serving on the board? (single select) _____Yes _____No _____Unsure 13. Are you being properly consulted for your knowledge and expertise while serving on the board? (single select) _____Yes _____No _____Unsure 14. Do you feel constrained in openly sharing ideas while serving on the board? (single select) _____Yes _____No _____Unsure | 17 15. Is the board you serve on specific enough in its scope to adequately utilize your knowledge and interests (single select) _____Yes _____No _____Unsure 16. Is the scope and authority of the board you serve on (single select) _____too narrow _____too broad _____just right _____unsure 17. What recommendations would you provide to adjust the scope and authority of the board you serve on? (short answer) 18. Should City Boards have term limits? _____Yes _____No _____Unsure 19. If term limits were in place for serving on City Boards, how long should they be? (short answer) Advisory Boards and Neighborhood Councils - Many cities use groups like City Boards and Neighborhood Councils to give residents a stronger voice in local government. These groups can provide advice to the City Commission, represent neighborhood concerns, or have formal powers in decision-making. The following questions ask about what role you think these boards should play in Bozeman. 20. What should be the main role of City Boards in Bozeman? (select one) ______Provide advice and recommendations to the City Commission, but not make final decisions ______Share community input and help shape policies, with limited decision-making power ______Have formal decision-making power, including the ability to approve or block certain actions ______Unsure 21. How much influence should City Boards have on city decisions? (select one) ______Advisory only (Commission may consider their input but makes all final decisions) ______Shared influence (Boards help set priorities and may have authority in certain areas) ______Strong influence (Boards can veto or block decisions made by the Commission) ______Unsure 22. What should be the main role of Neighborhood Councils in Bozeman? (select one) ______Provide advice and recommendations to the City Commission, but not make final decisions ______Share community input and help shape policies, with limited decision-making power ______Have formal decision-making power, including the ability to approve or block certain actions ______Unsure 23. How much influence should Neighborhood Councils have on city decisions? (select one) ______Advisory only (Commission may consider their input but makes all final decisions) ______Shared influence (Boards help set priorities and may have authority in certain areas) ______Strong influence (Boards can veto or block decisions made by the Commission) ______Unsure | 18 24. What changes in organizational or government structure would you recommend to improve City operations? (short answer) About Your Role and Experience Your responses will be analyzed only in aggregate and will not be used to identify individual City Commissioners 25. How many total years have you served on City Boards in Bozeman? (select one) ______less than 5 years ______5 to 10 years ______more than 10 years 26. How many total years have you lived in Bozeman? (select one) ______less than 5 years ______5 to 10 years ______more than 10 years ______Unsure or not applicable 27. Have you previously held elected office in the City of Bozeman? (select one) ______Yes ______No ______Unsure 28. Have you previously, or do you currently, work for the City of Bozeman? (select one) ______Yes ______No ______Unsure Thank you for your participation in the Bozeman City Study Commission Survey. Your feedback will be used to understand current resident needs and to propose future changes to continue to serve the people of Bozeman. We appreciate your time and engagement. For additional information on this survey, future opportunities to participate, and other resources from the Bozeman City Study Commission, please visit https://www.bozemanstudy.com. | 19 1 LIFTING ALL VOICES FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT Engaging Bozeman in a transparent, inclusive, compliant study of local government structure Survey Results Review | Dec 4, 2025 City of Bozeman, MT 20 Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree Average 18-64 years 65+ years 1 2 3 4 5 bout local government issues in Bozeman. who leads and makes decisions for our city. t structure of city government in Bozeman. I stay informed about localgovernment issues in Bozeman. I understand who leads andmakes decisions for our city. I am confident in the currentstructure of city government inBozeman. 2 CURRENT STATE PERCEPTIONS RESPONDENTS FEEL INFORMED ABOUT THE CITY, BUT HAVE LOWER CONFIDENCE AND MIXED PERCPETIONS OF STRUCTURE Current State Word Cloud Survey respondents provided the topwords they would use to describe thecurrent structure of local government. Understanding & AttitudesSurvey respondents rated items on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5(strongly agree). Working age (18-64; n=299) respondents generally had morepositive perceptions than did older (65+; n=163) respondents. 21 3 LEADERSHIP PRIORITIES TOP PRIORITIES INCLUDE ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, RESPONSIVENESS, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY & DEMOCRACY Leadership PrioritiesSurvey respondents voted on theirtop 3 priorities for how they wantthe City of Bozeman leadership tofunction going forward. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 Accountable Leadership Transparent Leadership Responsive Administration Fiscally-Responsible Model of Government Democratic Representation Efficient Administration Stable Administration Term-Limited Leaders Visible Leaders Other 22 MAYOR INVOLVEMENTSurvey respondents selected howinvolved the mayor should be in dailycity operations. 4 CITY MANAGER ROLE Survey respondents selected whetherthe city should retain a professionalcity manager. MAYOR & CITY MANAGER FEEDBACK PUBLIC WANTS GREATER OVERSIGHT AND BALANCE OF POWERS, GENERALLY SUPPORTING A HYBRID EXECUTIVE MODEL OPEN-ENDED THEMES Professional Management. Broadly, respondents support keeping the expertise of a professional City Manager, but with stronger oversight, transparency, and accountability. Hybrid Mayoral Power. Comments on mayoral role were very mixed. A hybrid model where the Mayor sets vision and has limited executive authority and the City Manager runs operations would strike a balance. Public Trust & Transparency. Comments regularly mention difficulty contacting leaders, non-transparent decision-making, confusion, outside influences (e.g., developers), and feeling unheard. Hybrid Executive 33.8% Legislative Leader 31.3% Executive Leader 18.5% Hybrid Legislative 13.7% Yes, Reduced powers 50.5% Yes, Full Executive Authority 34.6% No, Mayor Executive Authority 11.7% Hybrid Executive: Mayor handles some executive tasks, but City Manager still manages most daily operations Legislative Leader: Mayor leads commission meetings and represents city, but does not run departments (current form) Executive Leader: Mayor elected separately, directly manages city operations Hybrid Legislative: Mayor breaks ties in commission meetings, but does not manage day-to-day government Yes, Reduced Powers: City manager handles some operations, while the Mayor takes on more authority Yes, Full Executive Authority: City Manager runs all operations; Mayor is mostly legislatively focused (current form) No, Mayor Executive Authority: The structure should allow the Mayor to hold all the executive authority 23 5 ELECT ADDITIONAL OFFICIALS RESPONDENTS SHOW SOME INTEREST IN IDEA OF ELECTING ADDITIONAL OFFICIALS, BUT MORE INFORMATION IS REQUIRED CITY MANAGER ROLE Survey respondents selected whether they would support the idea of having additional city officials elected by voters. For example,in some cities, positions such as City Clerk, City Treasurer, or City Attorney are elected. Yes, I would support electing more city officials 40.3% No, I would prefer these positions remain appointed 34.4% Not sure / Need more information 25.3% 24 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 Commissioners live in district, Voters only from district Commissioners live in district, Voters from across the city Commissioners live across city, Voters only from district No preference Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree Overall Quadrant OutsideOverallQuadrantOutside 1 2 3 4 5 Overall (n=523) NW (n=168) Outside City Limits (n=12) NE (n=119) SW (n=36) SE (n=182) 3.4 3.6 3.6 3.3 3.3 3.2 No 41.7% Yes 33.7% Unsure 24.6% 6 GEOGRAPHIC VS. CITY-WIDE COMMISSIONERSSurvey respondents rated their preference on a scalefrom 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). CITY COMMISSION FEEDBACK RESPONDENTS SHOW SOME PREFERENCE FOR GEOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION BUT MIXED OPINIONS ON EXPANSION POTENTIAL GEOGRAPHIC RULESSurvey respondents also considered IF geographic-basedcommissioners were used, which rules would make the most sense. I believe Bozeman should prioritize geographic district- based representation rather than total city-wide votes for commissioners. COMMISSION EXPANSIONSurvey respondents also selected whetherthey thought Bozeman should expand itsCity Commission beyond 5 members. Public stakeholder meetings generated the idea of a hybrid model with both ward-based and at- large commissioner elections 25 7 ADVISORY BOARDS & NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS FEEDBACK OVERALL, RESPONDENTS SUPPORTED THESE GROUPS SERVING ADVISORY ROLES WITH SOME SHARED INFLUENCE ADVISORY BOARDS & NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILSSurvey respondents selected what they thought should bethe “main role” of City Boards and Neighborhood Councils. BOARD/COUNCIL INFLUENCESurvey respondents selected how much influence theythought these entities should have on city decisions. 0 50 100 150 200 250 e policies, limited decision-making power to Commission, not make final decisions power, approve or block certain actions Unsure Share input and shape policies, limited decision-making power Provide advice to Commission, not make final decisions (current form) Formal decision-making power, approve or block certain actions Unsure 0 50 100 150 200 250 Shared influence Advisory only Strong influence Unsure Shared Influence (Boards help set priorities and may have authority in certain areas) Advisory Only (Commission may consider input, but makes all decisions- current form) Strong Influence (Boards can veto or block decisions made by Commission) Unsure 26 THEME THEME DESCRIPTION RESPONDENT QUOTE Desire for Greater Transparency Calls for clearer information, better outreach and engagement, and greater explanation of decisions. “Increase transparency: decisions should be made openly, with clear communication to residents beforehand." Groups Remain Advisory Only Belief that advisory boards and neighborhood councils should advise but not decide. Final decisions must stay with elected officials. “Neighborhood councils and boards are not elected by the people. They should not have decision making or final authority. " Avoid Pro-Development Bias Perception that city government caters to developers or special interests over residents. “Listening to residents and not bending to out of state developers… Who is the city representing?” Recognize Frustration & Input Expressions of frustration, cynicism, or hostility toward city government and feeling that input is ignored "I feel neighborhood councils have been largely ignored and decisions have been made that defy their wishes. This is a very disagreeable situation." Prioritize Quality of Life Concerns about quality of life issues such as affordable housing, sprawl, traffic, infrastructure, water, and the environment. “We need more green space... more trails... and more actual affordable homes." 8 OTHER FEEDBACK ON REPRESENTATION RESPONDENTS ALSO CALLED OUT THE FIVE THEMES BELOW AS THINGS THAT WOULD HELP TO FEEL BETTER REPRESENTED 27 ZIP CODERespondents were primarily from 59715. 9 LOCATIONMost respondents lived within city limits. DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE (1 OF 2) RESPONDENTS WERE PRIMARILY FULL-TIME CITY RESIDENTS ACROSS QUADRANTS, WITH FEW STUDENTS REPRESENTED QUADRANTThe SE and NW quadrants were moststrongly represented in this data. RESIDENCY STATUSMost respondents were full-time residents(more than 6 months per year). STUDENT STATUSMost respondents were not students. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 59715 59718 59717 0100200300400500Within Bozeman city limits Outside city limits in Gallatin Valley 0 50 100 150 200 SE NW NE SW Outside City Limits 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 Full-time resident Other Part-time resident 0 100 200 300 400 500 Not a Student Student at MSU Student at Gallatin College 28 Census Survey Working Age (16-64)Older Individuals (65+)0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%Census Survey Female/WomanMale/ManNon-binaryPrefer not to respondPrefer to self-describe0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Census Survey WhiteHispanic/LatinoAsianAmerican Indian/Alaskan NativeBlack/African AmericanNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% AGE CATEGORIES Survey respondents (average = 55 yrs)skewed older than census populationestimates (average = 35 yrs). 10 GENDERSurvey respondents included a slightoverrepresentation of women (54%)compared to census populationestimates (47%). DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE (2 OF 2) THE AVERAGE RESPONDENT IDENTIFIED AS A WORKING AGE WHITE WOMAN RACE/ETHNICITYSurvey respondents mirrored theracial/ethnic profile in censuspopulation estimates. Note. Additional exploratory analyses by age did not meaningfully change results or conclusions. 29 11 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY KEY TAKEAWAYS Summarizing the broad feedback gathered from the community survey and stakeholder engagement sessions, the four topics below emerged as top interest areas for future change through charter updates. Hybrid Geographic District/At-Large Representation in City Commission Clarified Relationships among City Commission, City Boards, and Neighborhoods Distributed Powers Between Mayor and City Manager Altered Deputy Mayor Policy THESE AREAS SHOULD BE THE FOCUS OF DEEPER EDUCATION AND INPUT OVER THE NEXT MONTHS LEADING TO POTENTIAL DRAFTED CHARTER LANGUAGE. 30 Memorandum REPORT TO:Study Commission FROM:Dan Clark, Director of the Local Government Center, Montana State University Extension SUBJECT:Learning Session on the Governing Body: Size, Terms, Duties/Roles/Function; Mayor System. Other elected offices? MEETING DATE:January 15, 2026 AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Citizen Advisory Board/Commission RECOMMENDATION:Receive information from the Local Government Center STRATEGIC PLAN:1.1 Outreach: Continue to strengthen and innovate in how we deliver information to the community and our partners. BACKGROUND: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 City of Bozeman Charter, Article II - City Commission Sec. 2.03 - Mayor, City of Bozeman Charter UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None identified ALTERNATIVES:As per City Study Commission FISCAL EFFECTS:None Report compiled on: January 7, 2026 31