HomeMy WebLinkAboutGood Neighbor Committee Special PresentationGOOD NEIGHBORCOMMITTEE
BOZEMAN + MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
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Good Neighbor Committee MembersName Position RepresentsAllyson BrekkeStanding Co‐ChairCity Neighborhoods ProgramChelsea SchmidtStanding Co‐ChairMSU Community RelationsAubrey WallMember ASMSU Local Government LiaisonKiah AbbeyMember ASMSU RepresentativeChief Robert Putzke or Officer Amy BrookeMember MSU PoliceEllie Staley or Jess EdelenMember Downtown Bozeman AssociationKathy TannerMember MSU Office of Student Activities and EngagementKendra Rehm Member First Security Bank ‐ Local Business RepKevin O'BrienMember Peaks Property ‐ Property Manager RepCaptain Mark Johnson or Officer Charley GappmayerMember City PoliceTammie Brown or Matt CrosbyMember MSU Residence LifeTerra ShewmakerMember MSU Dean of Students (Parents/Family Assoc.)TBDMember Inter‐Neighborhood Council RepresentativeTBDMember Bozeman Community At‐LargeTBDMember Bozeman Community At‐LargeRevised July 9, 2013150
Good Neighbor Committee (GNC): A Town and Gown Collaboration
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Purpose
Montana State University and the City of Bozeman are involved in many joint projects and initiatives.
However, none of these specifically encourage collaboration between the City’s residents and MSU’s
changing student population and none focus on improving neighborly behavior of both populations.
Like all college towns, the Bozeman community has a unique set of problems and opportunities due to
the dynamics of a student and non‐student populations living amongst one another.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of the Good Neighbor Committee (GNC) will be to focus on quality of life issues within our
Bozeman community and to make concentrated efforts to improve quality of life for the entire
population by educating and informing them on good neighborly behavior.
Current Assessment
The City of Bozeman regularly receives complaints from community members about quality of life
issues; these issues are defined as issues that positively or negatively affect the daily well being of
residents. The complaints are received by several different departments/divisions within the City as the
community is unclear to where they should direct their concerns. The City is committed to enhancing
the quality of life for all of its residents. The City is also committed to improving its services to provide
timely responses to the needs of the community.
Montana State University (MSU) recognizes that the majority of its events and activities hosted on
campus are somewhat unknown by the surrounding community. Additionally, MSU recognizes that as
student admissions increase the number of students living in the Bozeman community will increase as
well. Therefore, there is a need for MSU to continue informing the increased student population about
helpful off‐campus living information. MSU is committed to educating all students about off‐campus
living and helping them to be more accountable for their actions and behaviors. MSU is also committed
to encouraging the residents of the City to participate in events and activities occurring on campus.
Members
The Good Neighbor Committee shall include representatives from MSU, the City of Bozeman and the
greater Bozeman community. The committee will meet at least once a month, with the understanding
that additional meetings may be necessary at times. The committee will consist of 15 members.
Members are selected for the committee by a majority vote of the standing committee. The officer
positions will consist of two Standing Co‐Chairs and a rotating Recording Secretary. All members will
have a two year term unless otherwise noted and terms shall start in August. When voting by the
committee occurs, a majority vote of the standing committee shall indicate a passing vote. Member
information can be found below:
City Neighborhood Planner (Standing Co‐Chair)
City Police Representative (Standing Co‐Chair)
MSU Community Relations Director
MSU Office of Activities and Engagement Representative
MSU Dean of Students Representative
MSU Residence Life Representative
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Good Neighbor Committee (GNC): A Town and Gown Collaboration
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MSU Police Representative
ASMSU Student Representative
ASMSU Student Representative
Inter‐Neighborhood Council Representative (one year term)
Downtown Bozeman Partnership Representative
Bozeman Community Business Representative
Bozeman Community Property Management Company Representative
Bozeman Community At‐Large Representative (one year term)
Bozeman Community At‐Large Representative (one year term)
2013 Goals & Objectives
The following goals and objectives were selected by the Good Neighbor Committee members for the
2013 year:
Goals
1. Increase education opportunities about good neighborly behavior for all community residents.
2. Increase education opportunities about off‐campus living for all MSU students.
3. Encourage engagement opportunities that help bring together the student and non‐student
community populations.
Objectives
1. Create a rotating parent webinar for the parents of MSU students that focuses on off‐campus
living. Held in Spring and Fall semesters. The webinar content would focus on current
information and data that demonstrates the problems the community are currently facing. It
would share information about City code related to quality of life issues and encourage the
parents to inform the students about this information.
Desirable Outcomes
Help parents become aware of the responsibilities they and their students must take
when students decide to move off campus.
Action Tasks
Spring webinar completed on March 25, 2013.
Fall webinar planned for 2013.
2. Design a pilot class/workshop for educating MSU students about successful and healthy off‐
campus living and test/sample the class on small groups of students. The class content would
focus on information pertaining to rental lease agreements, roommate selection, City municipal
code related to quality of life issues and the good neighborly behaviors of a responsible citizen.
At the pilot level, the class will be tested/sampled on small groups of students in the Fall 2014
semester. The goal from the test group is to find out what students want to know about off‐
campus living so we’re able to provide relevant information to them.
Desirable Outcomes
Reduce the number of loud party complaints and general nuisance complaints received
by MSU Police and City Police.
Increase the level of student excitement about being a Bozeman resident.
Increase the non‐student population’s understanding of the benefits of living with a
student population.
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Create a class template that can be repeated in the future.
Create a class template that can be institutionalized as a MSU requirement for all
students choosing to live off‐campus.
Action Tasks
Design pilot class by Spring 2014.
3. Create a rotating schedule for a quarterly distribution of “Good Neighbor Bags.” Bags are
provided to the community free of charge and are filled with a variety of community
information and potential incentives to promote engagement in the community.
Desirable Outcomes
Inform residents on related Bozeman Municipal Code that has implications on behavior.
Inform residents about MSU and City of Bozeman community events that are open to
the public.
Encourage collaboration and communication between student and non‐student
populations living within the community.
Action Tasks
Plan materials for each quarterly bag distribution (scheduled for August and November
2013 and February and April/May 2014).
4. Sponsor a 2013 Good Neighbor Awards ceremony in honor of “National Good Neighbor Day.”
This event would be an opportunity to engage the entire community population to celebrate the
National Good Neighbor Day (September 28th), a day to recognize and honor “good neighbors”
within the community. The City of Bozeman and MSU could alternate years in hosting the
award ceremony (with the Good Neighbor Committee being the primary sponsor).
Desirable Outcomes
Recognize the good neighborly actions of community members (recognizing students
and non‐students, as well as private and non‐profit groups).
Create the foundation for a reoccurring annual event.
Action Tasks
Create criteria for award nominations by end of July 2013.
Release nomination forms to public early August 2013.
Award ceremony to be held the week prior to September 28, 2013.
5. Create a sustainable image for the Good Neighbor Committee. The success of GNC depends on
the community’s familiarity of the committee’s purpose and goals. Therefore, it is vital for the
GNC to create a recognizable and sustainable image within the community.
Desirable Outcomes
Market the Good Neighbor Committee logo on Good Neighbor Bags and other materials
produced by the group.
Make the Good Neighbor Committee purpose be heard by creating “good neighbor”
PSAs to run on local radio stations.
Create a primary location where the community can obtain information about the Good
Neighbor Committee (ideally a website).
Explore other promotion opportunities for the Good Neighbor Committee.
Action Tasks
Logo selected in June 2013.
Final revisions of GNC PSAs to occur by Fall 2013.
GNC to sponsor a table at the 2013 Catapalooza event (August 21, 22, 23).
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