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Home My WebLink About06-17-26 Public Comment - C. Kazakoff - Ordinance 2084 IssueFrom:Admin - Big Sky Tutoring To:Bozeman Public Comment Subject:[EXTERNAL]Ordinance 2084 Issue Date:Wednesday, June 17, 2026 12:55:16 PM Attachments:Roots Family Collaborative_City of Bozeman.pdf ManMade Mentors - Letter for the City of Bozeman.docx.pdf Big Sky Tutoring - Letter for City of Bozeman.pdf 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. Dear Bozeman City Commissioners, Thank you for your time last night when I gave public comment about our business'dispensary issue. I was pleased to hear from Mayor Morrison that the dispensary location issue is already on your radar. Construction is beginning on the space, though I confirmed with city employees that they havenot yet issued a business license. I know you five have a lot on your plates and I don't know the procedure of changing ordinance, but if you could possibly treat this issue with urgency, our entire building wouldgreatly appreciate this. We are looking to stop children's exposure to cannabis before it begins. I have attached digital copies of three letters supporting our case for changing ordinance 2084: one from Big Sky Tutoring, one from Manmade Mentors, and one from Roots FamilyCollaborative. We would greatly appreciate any attention you bring to this matter. Thanks, Callie KazakoffFounder, Big Sky Tutoring 406-595-4996 June 9, 2026 To the Bozeman City Commission: Thank you for your time. My name is Callie Kazakoff and I am the owner of Big Sky Tutoring. We’ve been serving the Bozeman Community for seven years. I recently signed a four year lease in the Beaver Pond Plaza building at 1716 West Main St., right above Element Tattoo. After my grand opening on May 1, I saw a laborer removing the element Tattoo window decal. I asked what was slated to go in there. She said “a dispensary” I can’t recall the name. My alarms rang immediately. A sense of dread washed over me. This could really harm my business, I thought. The proposed cannabis dispensary would share a common entrance with the permanent home of my education business, Big Sky Tutoring. I empathized with my clients, I wouldn’t want to bring my child to the marijuana scented building. There are laws against this type of thing, right? Wrong. Bozeman city ordinance 2084, specifically Section 38.360.18 (a) explicitly states “less specifically exempted, any person or existing or proposed entity intending [to sell marijuana] must not be located within 500 linear feet of the exterior property line of and on the same street as […] All private schools, […] where students are regularly present […] which provide instruction in the class range from kindergarten to 12th grade. c. Any postsecondary school defined by 20-5-402, MCA, where students are regularly. The Montana Code Annotated defines a school as “a place or institution for the teaching of individuals, the curriculum of which is composed of the work of (a) any combination of kindergarten through grade 12.” While we are not a traditional school, we provide structured, ongoing academic instruction to students across a wide age range as a supplemental educational institution. Please help us protect the wellbeing of our hundreds of students by amending City Ordinance 2084 to include tutoring centers as a prohibited neighbor of cannabis dispensaries. This would expose A LOT of kids. Mine is not the only youth-serving organization that would share a common entrance with the proposed dispensary. Manmade mentors, a therapy practice for teens, has been in the building for eight years. Roots Family Collaborative, a nonprofit providing support groups for pregnant mothers and parents of babies and children is another one of the organizations that would share an entrance with the proposed dispensary. Thank you for considering amending ordinance 2084 to protect a wider range of youth serving organizations from proximity to adult use substances. Sincerely, Callie Kazakoff Founder, Big Sky Tutoring 406-312-1558 |admin@bigskytutoring.info May 21, 2026 Dear City of Bozeman Officials, I am writing on behalf of our therapy practice, ManMade Mentors, which has been operating in our current office since 2018. We specialize in mentoring and supporting adolescents in our community. We are concerned about a marijuana dispensary reportedly moving into a neighboring space in our shared commercial building, which has a common entrance. Many of the teens we serve are navigating mental health challenges, substance use risks (including marijuana dependence), and peer pressure. The proximity of a dispensary, especially one sharing our entrance, raises significant concerns about the messages and exposure our young clients will face each time they come for therapy. This environment could undermine the progress they are working to achieve. While we fully respect that marijuana businesses operate legally in Montana, we respectfully ask whether any zoning considerations, regulatory reviews, or other processes might allow for reconsideration of this placement, given the youth-focused mental health services provided in our building. We would appreciate any guidance on options, next steps, or opportunities for community input. Thank you for your time and for supporting the well-being of Bozeman’s residents. Thank you, Shawn Helvey, LCPC Owner, ManMade Mentors 1716 West Main Street, Suite 8C Bozeman, MT 59715 www.manmadementors.com | 406.813.0301 ROOTS FAMILY COLLABORATIVE 1716 W Main St. #8D, Bozeman, MT 59715 406.224.5530 | hello@rootsfamilycollaborative.com May 22, 2026 Dear City of Bozeman Officials, We are writing on behalf of Roots Family Collaborative, a nonprofit organization that has provided services to new and expecting families and their infants at 1716 W. Main St., Suite 8D since June of 2023. Since 2017, Roots has been committed to creating trauma-informed, welcoming, and supportive spaces for families during the perinatal period. We recently learned that a marijuana dispensary may be moving into a space within our shared commercial building, utilizing the same common entrance as our organization. We are writing to express our significant concerns regarding the compatibility of this proposed use within a building that currently serves highly vulnerable populations, including infants, young children, teens, individuals in recovery, and families navigating mental health challenges. The proximity of a dispensary — particularly one sharing a primary entrance and common areas with these services — raises concerns related to: • the potential impact on families seeking mental health and perinatal support; • the exposure of babies and children to cannabis marketing, odors, or retail activity; • the preservation of a welcoming and trauma-informed environment for vulnerable populations We want to be clear that our concern is not rooted in opposition to legalized cannabis itself. Rather, we believe there is an important distinction between supporting legal businesses and ensuring thoughtful placement that considers the nature of neighboring tenants and the populations they serve. Families enter our building daily with newborns, toddlers, children, and teens. We respectfully ask the City of Bozeman to carefully review this proposed dispensary location and consider whether this is an appropriate placement for cannabis retail operations. We appreciate your consideration and your continued commitment to supporting healthy, safe, and thriving community spaces in Bozeman. Sincerely, Suzanne Bendick and Kerry Williams, Co-Executive Directors