HomeMy WebLinkAboutDanegeld Study Commission HomeworkBozeman Study Commission ‘Homework’
6.18.2026
1. Reach out to your professional and volunteer networks to schedule a time to speak.
Specifically groups you are a member of or regular participant with. Danegeld can do
outreach to groups the commission has no personal connections to, but there’s no
substitute for already knowing your audience. Each member should aim to schedule 3-5
of these discussions to take place after the draft is finalized. There may be an argument
to discuss with these groups in between the public hearing and your next meeting - you
know your audience. Additionally, share with us your general availability and willingness
to speak to outside groups in the coming months.
2. Show the draft report and specifically the sample ballot language to your personal
network (friends and family). Solicit feedback on the form of the sample ballot; is it clear?
Does the report answer their questions? Is there enough information in the report? Does
the ballot language (especially all votes being FOR a given option) read well to the
voters you know? The goal of discussing the document with your personal network is to
ensure you receive honest feedback from a trusted source while the document is still a
draft. We will create a feedback form to help codify this information and present these
questions to your network.
3. Reread your bylaws, meeting agreements, and resources, as well as the City’s Norms of
Behavior and Code of Ethics. With the criticism from the mayor and apparent lack of
procedural consistency in recent meetings, the entire commission should remind itself
about the way you conduct business and meet with one another. Decorum and
procedure during public meetings are a vital part of building public trust.
4. Connect with us (Danegeld) directly. We’re excited to get to know each of you better
and here to support all outreach from the commission. We are available to practice and
refine your speeches, provide materials in line with the broader outreach tailored to your
presentation, and for the general creation of documents. If you want your speech outline
tailored to you or a slide deck, we’ve got your back.
5. Start conversation with other electeds on the recommendations from the study
commission that fall outside the scope of this group’s work (Exhibit F of the draft report).
It is important to share these findings with the public, but even better to be able to
express the work already happening on them. While these items are, as you point out,
not for the charter, they are problems identified by this commission; you should feel
empowered to schedule meetings to bring these concerns to the appropriate staff or
electeds to start their work on the process.
6. [For the Draft Charter] Skim for typos. There is at least one on 8.04 subsection 3, end of
paragraph. This seems to stem from compiling redline and we advise double checking
the edited sections of the charter for simple typos, leftover words, and other minor
clerical errors.