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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-10-16 INC MinutesTHE INTERNEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL (INC) MEETING OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA MEETING MINUTES Thursday, March 10, 2016 Attending: Jennifer Rockne (SCAN, moderator), Kathy Powell (UNA), Felix Spinelli (UNA), Joe Genovese (NHVN), Gail MacMillan (BPNA), Chris Nixon (NENA), Lisa Thompson (Loyal Gardens), Lisa Prugh (Cooper Park), Ginny Cowan (BCNA) QUORUM present Jessica Johnson (City Neighborhood Coordinator) Carson Taylor (Bozeman Mayor, INC Liaison) Chris Saunders (City Community Development and Planning Department) Bill Klundt, (City Police Department) Chris Kukulski (City Manager) Trisha Wolford, (City Fire Department) 4:35 Jennifer convened the meeting. No public comment. Reviewed February minutes. One change offered by Gail; her name is spelled MacMillan and her group is BPNA. Joe moved to accept minutes with these changes. Motion passed unanimously. 4:38 Chris Saunders – Many comments have been received on the NCOD since the presentation in December. This will be an action item on the City Commission agenda on Monday March 28. General land use code revisions will be on the agendas for meetings on March 22 and April 5. MSU Architecture students will be doing a fieldwork service project to update historic inventories. Preservation Boards new meeting time is second Tuesday at 6pm in the Commission Room. Kathy expressed concerns about phasing out the NCOD, feeling it would be better to look at alternatives which tweak the existing NCOD rather than replacing it. She encouraged all INC members to attend the March 28 City Commission meeting. Lisa asked if the public comment period was over. Carson indicated that emails could still be sent to the Commission if someone could not attend the March 28 meeting. 4:43 Bill Klundt – Police Academy 10-week program will run from March 23-sometime in May. Carson recommended this program highly. Bill reported on the recent homicide in town yesterday. Bill asked that everyone pay attention to locking their cars. There have been 40 trespassed vehicles in the last months and 23 reported thefts including two pistols. Bill reported that Mark Carpenter answered many snow shoveling complaints this winter, totaling $40,000 in fines, three times normal and mostly in December during MSU’s break. Lisa P. asked how that fine/billing works. Bill said that the fine is attached to the property owner but placed on the tenant, then noticed, a bid is put out for a contractor to do the work and then billed. Kathy asked if it starts with a complaint; maybe next year make it more complaint driven? Bill asked people to call about abandoned vehicles; it’s a seven day process before towing. Lisa T. mentioned an RV parked by the playground in Loyal Gardens. Jessica reminded us of Mark Carpenter’s phone number (582-2222) for all code compliance questions. Kathy passed along a compliment to Mark regarding his action on an abandoned vehicle with a snowmobile in her neighborhood. 4:55 Trisha Wolford – Jessica introduced new Deputy Fire Marshall for Inspections Trisha Wolford. Trisha has been in Bozeman one month and hails from Annapolis MD. She is responsible for the Fire Department’s Public Education, Inspection and Investigation programs, including safety inspections and smoke detector inspections and replacement. Fire Investigation helps provide answers for families and businesses after a fire. Please call your fire station for information on the smoke detector program. Trisha said the department would like to place 300 detectors which have a 10-year life; fire department staff will bring a new unit, check existing units. Safety inspections can be scheduled by calling Camille at 582-2369. Kathy asked about fees for the safety and detector visits and Trisha indicated these are free of charge. Joe asked if it’s recommended to put detectors in garages and Trisha said no; outside each bedroom is recommended for sure and maybe more depending on the house’s size. Voluntary rental safety inspections can also be arranged and include extinguisher type and placement, detectors, CO monitors, electric panel and gas main. Also call Camille to arrange this. Inspection times are flexible and the truck will arrive without lights and sirens. 5:05 Chris Kukulski –Chris reported on the National Citizen Survey and Bozeman’s responses. The survey is based on three pillars of community: Community Character, Governance, and Participation. It compares Bozeman with 483 “progressive college towns” with population of 25,000-75,000. Six different reports are located on the Bozeman.net website. 1400 people participated in the survey; return was just under 30%. Areas where Bozeman has work to do include parking, traffic flow, affordable housing, and cost of living. Five specific questions unique to Bozeman were on the survey: (1) Law and Justice Center property tax increase (58% support, 52% oppose) (2) Local resort tax; (3) Gas tax -- $80 million in road projects, 5 cents of federal gas tax dollar to the city, 10 cents to fund transportation infrastructure (4) What three things do you value most about living in Bozeman (quality of life/small feel, natural environment, recreational opportunities) (5) Future of Bozeman (keep it welcoming, economic issues, environment/outdoors). Trends over time (for years 2005, 2007, and now 2015) were also analyzed. 5:25 Jessica – Neighborhood Recognition Ordinance Work Group. Bob Wahl has suggested a work group to research, red-line, share and then talk about proposed changes at a future INC meeting. Our goal is to get this to the Commission by May or June. Bob and Kirk have volunteered to do the first review. Jennifer appointed /assigned Bob and Kirk to this committee and this task. 5:30 Jessica – Cooper Park Neighborhood Association held an organizational meeting Thursday March 3 with over 50 people attending. They established boundaries and appointed a steering committee. About 650 households are included within their designated boundaries. By comparison, NENA has 900 households. 5:35 Jessica -- Goal Setting. INC will use SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) goals to help define our future, to make recommendations to the City Commission, and in outreach. She asked "Why does INC exist?" Chris said to foster better communications within the neighborhoods. Jennifer said to give a voice to neighbors and to facilitate a more cohesive neighborhood, foster programs, and convey information. Others, please email goals to Jessica. Regarding goals themselves: Ginny mentioned the NextDoor rollout and Good Neighbor Committee with MSU. Jessica explained that NextDoor is a free private social network for Bozeman neighbors. Kirk and MarLin have used this for 1-1/2 years instead of a Google or Yahoo group. Felix mentioned bike education and student/community relations. Discussion followed on issuing lights to MSU students, repainting sharrows, tying bike education into the Transportation Master Plan. Perhaps a MSU-sponsored party at the football stadium to enhance community/student relations? We could also invite the Dean of Students to an INC meeting. Kathy brought up support of Clean Up Bozeman as a possible goal. Carson raised a goal to decimate information about the Law and Justice Center; Jennifer said it might be important to trickle information about the need gradually to community members and keep it at the top of everyone's mind. The city is presently working out specifics with the county; look for a Chronicle op-ed piece by Joe Skinner and Carson Taylor soon; try to attend the March 22 public meeting. 6:10 FYI: For the April INC meeting -- Cooper Park and Bozeman Ponds Neighborhood Associations will be discussed. Annual meetings are planned this spring: Midtown on 4/7, UNA on 4/12, BCNA on 5/3, NENA on 5/5. Jessica will send more "homework" by email to INC members for the next meeting. Other Updates -- Kathy asked INC members to weigh in on the NCOD, attend the 3/28 meeting, get involved as this policy will be set for the next 20 years. Clean Up Bozeman is Saturday April 23; pick up kits and enjoy food at the Library starting at 8am. Bags can be left on the curb or in the alley; sign up at Bozeman.net/CleanUpDay. Next INC meeting is April 14. Agenda includes Mitch Overton on the ash borer and city forestry, boundaries of all neighborhoods, and INC representatives role and responsibilities. Jessica is working on the Neighborhoods web page so we each need to plan our own sections, including purpose, boundaries/map, bylaws, officers and contact information, minutes for annual meetings, link(s) to Next Door, etc. 6:25 Meeting adjourned -- no objections. Minutes recorded by Ginny Cowan.