HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-01-26 Public Comment - M. Osman - Your letter to the editor From: Michelle Osman
To: Bozeman Public Comment; Douglas Fischer; Emma Bode;Alison Sweeney;Jennifer Madgic;Joey Morrison
Subject: [EXTERNAL]Your letter to the editor
Date: Thursday,April 30,2026 9:28:01 AM
Attachments: Screenshot 2026-04-30at9.01.41AM.Dng
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Dear Douglas,
You lie and lie and lie. At this point the issue is not interim zoning, it is leadership and you
have shown that you hide behind words. You stand on gallant sentences and you talk about
the quality of life of kids in the neighborhood. How about my neighborhood? How about the
neighborhoods that have been greenlighted as the density meant to provide housing for the
service folks who will provide the workforce for the elite such as yourself and all the others
who can live in or bought into the desirable neighborhoods? If the Guthrie gets built it will
break the NCOD. It will not break my neighborhood,but it will vastly change the amount of
traffic. On nights when the Elm is playing there will be no parking anywhere. These seem
like petty concerns. But the crux is that it will provide housing in the most pitiful sense. This
era of Neo liberal bowing to the developers and money will be exposed and you along with it
for telling the working class that 300 square feet is good enough for them. 300 square feet
isn't enough room to do a wheelie. You cast us in the neighborhoods with the old dispersion
of not wanting change,wanting the world cast in amber. You put words in our mouths and
then stand behind your own graceful vision that you lay out for the residents. But the residents
will know how you voted. Just as we know that Carson Taylor changed the zoning for
Holleran. Your actions fall so far short of your words that I'm confused. Are you so naive or
are you a pawn? I grew up in the third world where bribes were everywhere. I can't help but
feel that you have become a pawn of the money. This city doesn't have a freezing-in-place
problem. It has a leadership problem. I said in public comment that my neighborhood has not
objected to over 700 new units in the pipeline and newly built. We objected to the Guthrie
because it is a disgrace. It is the company store, extracting rent from the very folks working in
Holleran's buildings. So don't say that we want to be frozen. We want respectful
living conditions for our neighborhood. We want units that are not a higher price per square
foot than the rest of Bozeman. Or can you not do math?
I was excited when you were appointed. I thought we would get moderation,
communication, and an advocate for the lived experience of the folks in this town who are
asking for growth that is predictable, not growth that sees our neighborhoods as the future
units of the have and have-nots, luxury and diamonds in walking distance for the staff housed
in the Guthrie. I was fooled by your words just like the vast majority of the folks who voted
for you. While I don't agree with a lot of the way Morrisson and Bode vote, I knew their
stance from the start. But you lied. You lied the whole time you ran for Mayor. I have it in
writing on Nextdoor. You lied in your letter to the editor. Developments that are already
approved would not be paused under the interim zoning. If anything a pause would allow us
something predictable. And your statement about letting things play out? Is that how you feel
about leadership? Shall we just let ICE play out? Shall we just let the war with Iran play out?
Shall we just let traffic play out? Oh but that issue doesn't have any money behind it. I see
the difference. No one is whispering about tax revenue in your ears when you discuss traffic
mitigation. All we are is tax revenue that you can then give away to the developers via
LITEC and TIFF, while putting the burden of paying for the schools, police and fire on the
residents in the form of another levy. Shame on you.
Did you ever mean anything you said? If so, what changed your mind? I would truly like to
understand, but at this point I'm not sure there is a word you could say that I would trust,
especially from a father who thinks that helmets aren't needed. Wow. Bad parenting and bad
leadership. Hell hath no fury like a mother scorned.
I cannot be at the May INC meeting but I'll see you in June.
Michelle
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Michelle Osman
419 North 5th Ave
Bozeman Mt. 59715
(406) 579 3992
www.michellcosman.com