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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-23-26 Public Comment - M. McHugh - For Public Comment (Agenda item L) Bozeman Commission meeting 3-24-26 with Staff ResponseFrom:Mary McHugh To:Bozeman Public Comment Cc:Bozeman City Clerks Department Subject:Re: [EXTERNAL]For Public Comment (Agenda item L) Bozeman Commission meeting 3-24-26 Date:Monday, March 23, 2026 12:03:53 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Thank you, Mike. I appreciate your taking the time to review this. I have noted that the Mayor does invite comment prior to the Consent Agenda. I question the effectiveness of that without a written advisory on the agenda prior to the Consent Agenda. An advisory would address an inadvertent omission of an oral invite for public comment. The Consent Agenda should be open for public comment even at the outset of the meeting to respond to public interest and not have an artificial cut off time. I like being able to given written comment, but not everybody who has an interest in making a comment can do that. Just my two-cents. Thanks. Mary Frances McHugh From: Bozeman Public Comment <comments@bozemanmt.gov> Sent: Monday, March 23, 2026 10:55 AM To: Mary McHugh <m.f.mchugh@hotmail.com>; Bozeman Public Comment <comments@bozemanmt.gov> Cc: Bozeman City Clerks Department <BozemanClerksDepartment@bozemanmt.gov> Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL]For Public Comment (Agenda item L) Bozeman Commission meeting 3-24-26 Good morning, I wanted to clarify and hopefully correct a misunderstanding of our processes at City Commission meetings. The Mayor will call for public comment on the Consent Agenda separately from the general public comment period; the general public comment period is for items that are NOT on an agenda. City Commissioners are able to remove a Consent Item for additional discussion but that is not necessary for the public to comment on those items. Written public comment, either on agenda or non-agenda items, is always accepted and if received before noon on the meeting day will be distributed to the City Commission for review. I hope this clears up any confusion and if you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to me directly. Thank you, Mike Maas, MPA City of Bozeman | 121 N. Rouse Ave. | Bozeman, MT 59715 406.582.2321 Pronouns: he/him/his Have Questions? Ask BZN From: Mary McHugh <m.f.mchugh@hotmail.com> Sent: Monday, March 23, 2026 10:59 AM To: Bozeman Public Comment <comments@bozemanmt.gov> Cc: Mary McHugh <m.f.mchugh@hotmail.com> Subject: [EXTERNAL]For Public Comment (Agenda item L) Bozeman Commission meeting 3-24-26 CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Date: March 22, 2026 To: The Commissioners, City of Bozeman Re: Agenda item “L. Public Comment on Non-agenda Items Falling Within the Purview and Jurisdiction of the Commission (‘Public Comment’)” Suggestion that the Commission Consider Re-Ordering Future Agendas to Have Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items Falling Within the Purview and Jurisdiction of the Commission be had before all other matters except items A (Call to Order) and B (Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence) From: Mary Frances McHugh, Owner in Harvest Creek Subdivision, Bozeman, MT The current order of the agenda for the Commission places Public Comment after the Consent Agenda. This position on the agenda creates a barrier to the public who wish to comment on matters which are on the Consent Agenda. Matters on the Consent Agenda are decided before Public Comment can occur. No public comment occurs at all on Consent Agenda items unless an item is removed from the Consent Agenda by a Commissioner. A member of the public has no opportunity during a meeting to make a request that a matter be removed from the Consent Agenda. Not every person interested in making a public comment on a Consent Agenda item is able to timely contact the Commission Clerk with a written request for removal of an item from the Consent Agenda so that a Public Comment can be made. The process itself is unduly cumbersome. It is suggested that the Commission adopt the practice of its sister body, The City of Bozeman Study Commission, which regularly places Public Comment before all other items on its agendas, including its Consent Agenda. Such a change will not interfere with the efficiencies a Consent Agenda allows. It is also suggested that the Consent Agenda bear a caption which alerts the public on its right of participation, such as: All matters listed under the consent agenda are considered routine and will be enacted by one motion unless any member of the Commission wishes to remove an item for discussion or a member of the audience wishes to comment on an item. An oral recital of this is simply inadequate notice to the public of their right of participation. Please consider these suggestions as they are intended: for improvement of communication between the Commission and the public. Thank you.