HomeMy WebLinkAboutJanuary 23, 2008 Policy Meeting Minutes1
LINKED MINUTES OF THE POLICY MEETING OF THE CITY COMMISSION
BOZEMAN, MONTANA
January 23, 2008
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The Commission of the City of Bozeman met in the City Commission Room at City Hall, 411
East Main Street, on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 from 12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Present were
Mayor Kaaren Jacobson, Cr. Sean Becker, Cr. Eric Bryson, Cr. Jeff Krauss, Cr. Jeff Rupp, City
Manager Chris Kukulski, Planning Director Andy Epple, Assistant Planning Director Chris
Saunders, City Attorney Paul Luwe, Assistant City Attorney Tim Cooper, and Deputy City Clerk
Cynthia Jordan Delaney.
0:11:48 A. Call to Order - 12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m. - City Commission Meeting Room, City
Hall, 411 East Main Street
Mayor Jacobson called the meeting to order at 12:07 p.m.
0:11:53 B. Pledge of Allegiance and a Moment of Silence
0:12:34 C. Public Comment
Mayor Jacobson opened public comment.
0:13:03 Steven Johnson - Public Comment
Mr. Johnson, of 1103 South Willson, is here as the Executive Director of the Gallatin Valley
Land Trust. He knows that City has a lack of funding for parks and trails. This year GVLT is up
against the wall with capital funds. He has begun a series of conversations with the Bozeman
Area Community Foundation to develop a need statement and opportunities for private funding
for parks and trails. He is eager to work on a memo of understanding with the City.
0:19:14 Public Comment closed.
Mayor Jacobson closed public comment.
0:19:19 D. Round Table Discussion (Identifying potential future agenda items arising
from the prior City Commission Meeting of December 17, 2007, January 7, January 14,
and January 22, 2008)
0:19:49 E. Policy Discussion
0:19:50 1. Historic Preservation Discussion (Epple, Kramer) (Moved from cancelled
meeting on January 10, 2008)
0:19:56 Andy Epple, Planning Director
Mr. Epple said it is an opportune time to discuss basic aspects of the historic preservation
program and its origins and history, as well as have an interactive dialogue about policy.
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Bozeman City Commission Policy Meeting, January 23, 2008
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0:26:26 Mr. Epple
Mr. Epple gave a presentation and wanted the Commission to list strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats of the historic preservation program to get on the same page with the
Commission.
0:58:27 Cr. Krauss
Cr. Krauss isn't sure he's a preservationist; this City will and should change over time since we're
a viable community, and we don't want to freeze this town. We shouldn't insist that all buildings
be historic. He doesn't see our role as a City to be totally preservationist.
1:06:47 Cr. Rupp
Cr. Rupp wants to be a preservationist; it's a question about how you apply it and use judgment
every day. It's not a good thing to use it as an absolute. The question is how to adaptively reuse;
it comes from some sense of scale. It's always going to be subjective; keep your balance and
perspective. He wants to discuss infill and be ahead of the curve instead of reacting to
applications.
1:09:29 Cr. Krauss
Cr. Krauss mentioned scale, mass, size, orientation, and intensity of use as factors to be
considered. Worshipping at the altar of density can be counterproductive.
1:13:38 Mr. Kukulski
Mr. Kukulski thought direction by the policy board needs to be given about how and when to
tear things down.
1:16:31 Courtney Kramer, Historic Preservation Planner
Ms. Kramer stated that the Preservation Board wants to pursue an ordinance preventing
demolition by neglect to protect public health and safety.
1:18:53 Cr. Rupp
Cr. Rupp stated that the quotation, "I can't define it, but I know it when I see it," applies to this
situation.
1:19:16 Tim Cooper, Assistant City Attorney
Mr. Cooper said the best decision to defend is the discretionary decision. It's having articulated
standards and knowing what they are for different situations. If you are uncomfortable or you
think it's subjective, revisit standards and adopt ones you want.
1:22:13 Cr. Bryson
Cr. Bryson is fine exercising his own subjective decision making. What he isn't comfortable with
is when staff goes through the whole process (esp. Rialto) and brings a proposal that clearly the
Commission didn't agree with; he wants to get back to the policy decision about what we do. He
can't get past the issue about compatibility besides distinguishing new from old. He's fine with
the Rialto having a second story and actually being used.
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1:38:59 Cr. Krauss
Cr. Krauss said he thinks we have to come up with tactics and strategies: in the UDO the
requirement for demolition may too stringent in the commercial area. Residential is different,
unless it truly is a tear down. In the residential you can have a strict standard on that block.
1:41:15 Cr. Rupp
Cr. Rupp stated that our process should be more easily understood, whatever the guidelines are
that you come up with on demolition, etc. From the applicant's standpoint, it is confusing. The
outcome should be that there is more clarity for the applicant so they know what we're looking
for and what values staff is representing for the Commission.
1:44:11 Mr. Epple
Mr. Epple stated that the Secretary of Interior standards differentiate between four types of
preservation activities: reconstruction, preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration. You may
want us to fine grain our approach and look more specifically at the criteria for that type of
project. That may make things more predictable and understandable.
1:46:42 Allyson Bristor, Historic Preservation Planner
Ms. Bristor said that a much-needed inventory of 4,000 historic properties will clear up the
process.
1:50:31 Ms. Kramer
Ms. Kramer will get the Commission a series of images of "different but compatible" in a packet.
1:51:50 Mr. Epple
Mr. Epple wants to expand the scheduled policy meeting topic on historic tax abatement process
to also talk about the deviation process.
1:53:25 G. Adjournment
Mayor Jacobson adjourned the meeting.
____________________________________
Kaaren Jacobson, Mayor
ATTEST:
______________________________________
Stacy Ulmen, City Clerk
PREPARED BY:
______________________________________
Cynthia Jordan Delaney, Deputy City Clerk
Approved on ___________________________.
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