HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-22-26 Public Comment - C. Anders - Comments for Bozeman CharterFrom:Chase Anders
To:Bozeman Goverment Study Commission
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Comments for Bozeman Charter
Date:Wednesday, April 22, 2026 7:34:28 AM
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Good MOrning, im writing in as a resident at 1543 Ryun SUn way in Bozeman, MT. Please
see my comments below to ensure a voice for Residents of Bozeman.
1. Codifying organic neighborhood creation and autonomy: We have stripped the
City Commission of the power to create, dictate boundaries for, or dissolve
Neighborhood Associations. Residents will define their own neighborhood
boundaries and determine their own leadership. In contrast, the Study Commission
is trying to wipe out the 15 neighborhoods that are currently formally recognized by
the city and give power to the City Commission to develop new boundaries that will
include all Bozeman residents in a Neighborhood Association. This will allow the
City Commission to install through appointment their preferred neighborhood
leaders, just as they do with the current advisory board system. This is not a
solution, and there has been no public engagement that supports this idea. The
only way to avoid the multitude of both intended and unintended consequences the
Study Commission’s proposed language will create is to establish ward-based
representation.
2. Creation of a “Neighborhood Impact Statement” Process: One of the biggest
complaints from Bozeman residents and the Inter-Neighborhood Council is that
they volunteer their time to give genuine input to the City Commission, and the City
Commission will not even consider their ideas. (See the YouTube video shared
above for a recent example.) We have created a new process called the
Neighborhood Impact Statement (NIS), which is a formal method for recognized
Neighborhood Associations and the Inter-Neighborhood Council to publicly express
support or opposition to any pending city policy. Unlike the Study Commission’s
vague “dialogue,” the NIS requires a formal response from the City Commission if
they choose to vote against a neighborhood’s recommendation. Our language also
grants recognized Neighborhood Associations and the Inter-Neighborhood Council
a dedicated 10-minute presentation at public hearings to present their findings in
the Neighborhood Impact Statement. This ensures that the neighborhood’s
collective expertise is heard as an equal finding to city staff and project applicants,
rather than being buried in the general shuffle of the public comment period.
3. Financial Independence Standards: The City’s current view of conflicts of
interests is weak, so much so that employees of organizations and companies the
City contracts with and gives grant money to sit on and steer what are supposed to
be citizen advisory boards. We have established clear eligibility requirements for
serving on an advisory board, where if an individual or their employer is under
contract with the City or receives grant money from the City, they are disqualified
from serving on the advisory boards.
4. More Autonomy for Advisory Boards: We have provided an explicit right for
advisory boards to add items to their own agendas and initiate their own work
plans. This overturns the current model, whereby the City Commission, via City
staff, sets the priorities and uses the advisory boards that are stacked with the
people they hand-pick to agree with them and to support their decisions.
Best Regards,
Chase Anders