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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-26-26 Public Comment - M. Bateson - Public comment of Draft CharterFrom:Mary Bateson To:Bozeman Goverment Study Commission; Jan Strout; Barb Cestero; Becky Franks;Deanne.Campbell@bozemanmt.gov; Carson Taylor; mike.mass@bozemanmt.gov Subject:[EXTERNAL]Public comment of Draft Charter Date:Friday, April 24, 2026 4:30:55 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. April 24, 2026 Dear Study Commissioners, Thank you for your service. I spoke today concerning some of the proposals in the draft Charter, and would like to expand on some of my oral comments, and provide for you a copy of the text I was using. Concerning Section 7.03 (b) The requirement/standard to include… (9) “capacity to develop” is a pretty loose way to phrase a requirement. What does it mean? For example, the NA is thinking about and has talked about doing this… does that constitute having the “capacity to develop input”? How about the NA is made up of humans... does that constitute having the "capacity to develop input"? I do not mean to sound snarky, but want to illustrate the problem. Solid, clear, boring language is better than interesting words that can be misinterpreted. You could use definitions if necessary. The requirement that Neighborhood Associations (NA) develop “consensus-based advisory input” was discussed at the meeting, and it does seem that your commission may see the reasons not to include this. From what others testified, it may conflict with the By-laws for individual NA. While making decisions based on principles of consensus is laudable, it requires a higher level of commitment to a process or concepts that not all NA may be willing to make. Commitment to a democratic process would be a more reasonable requirement. In general, if you want to, you could add wording in the “Recommendations (Green)” section, making suggestions about providing education to NA and Advisory Boards on consensus-based decision making, democratic process, polite discussion and ethical behavior. The City may already be providing education to Board and Council members on some of those topics. Thank you for considering my remarks, I hope to continue to provide feedback as you continue this process. Sincerely, Mary Bozeman Study Commission – Oral Comments by Mary Bateson- April 24 Concerning G.3 Review draft Charter language for articles IV and VII. (Franks/Cestero) Under Section 7.03 Neighborhood Associations, (b) The City Commission will establish by ordinance minimum recognition requirements for neighborhood associations… These standards shall include, …: Use the same word, not two different words with possibly different interpretations. Keep language simple, not eloquent. 9) capacity to develop and transmit reasoned, consensus-based advisory input on neighborhood and citywide issues. Consensus-based decision making is much more complex and nuanced than standard democratic processes that citizens are more familiar with. I say this as a huge supporter of the consensus process, but also with eyes wide open to the difficulty of the process, and the importance that those involved consent to engaging in the process. People must agree that if the decision goes against their own, they accept the groups’ decision if they feel that their point of view has been heard and understood. To impose this on Neighborhood Associations is not appropriate. Please remove the words “consensus-based” from the text. (c) Composition and Responsibilities. My understanding was that this study commission favored a more organic process, not what is described in sections 2 and 3 of the draft: 2) The entire city shall be divided into no more than 20 neighborhoods, and Neighborhood Associations shall be formed to represent the residents of each neighborhood. 3) The City of Bozeman Neighborhood Liaison staff member shall work with the Inter- Neighborhood Council to develop boundaries to include all Bozeman residents in a Neighborhood Association without any neighborhood having more of a voice than any other. Under (d) Inter-Neighborhood Council. (6) The City Commission and/or designated city staff shall provide timely responses to formal recommendations submitted by the Inter-Neighborhood Council, including an explanation of how such input was considered or the reasons for any divergence. Yes! (Isupport this)