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Home My WebLink About05-12-16 INC Minutes THE INTER-NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL (INC) MEETING OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA DRAFT MEETING MINUTES Thursday, May 12, 2016 Attending: Jennifer Rockne (SCAN, moderator), Dave Chambers (NENA), Ginny Cowan (BCNA), Poppy Gard (BCNA alternate), Kathy Powell (UNA), Felix Spinelli (UNA alternate), Kirk Johnson (MarLin), Joe Genovese (NHVN), Lisa Prugh (Cooper Park), Bob Wall (SENA), QUORUM Present Jessica Johnson (City Neighborhood coordinator), Mayor Carson Taylor, Mitch Overton, Parks and Rec Director 4:30 Jennifer convened the meeting Agenda update: Bozeman Ponds – won’t vote on membership tonight, because their rep- resentative was not able to attend tonight. Public comment: None Reviewed Apr. minutes. Ginny moved to accept. Kathy seconded. Motion passed unani- mously. Introduction – Kathy Baird 4:34 Mitch Overton, Parks & Rec and Tree update Parks, recreation, aquatics, forestry, cemetery departments. Also manage open space & trail bond. Forestry update: storm cleanup in progress. About 20,000 “street trees” between street and sidewalk. Also trees in parks. Tree Board has been working on an urban forest action plan and an emerald ash borer action plan. Plans were approved and are being adopted. Trying to be more proactive on pruning – create a plan to get around City in seven year cycle. Currently on a thirteen year cycle. Emerald ash borer course of action: ash borers are hitting Midwest very hard. Major budget implications for cities, loss of shade and stormwater retention. Boulder has identified ash borers. Denver is starting to take preventative measures. Cur- rently best preventative is chemical application. Inject into tree or drench base of tree – good for two years. About 80% of Bozeman’s mature forest (almost 50% of entire forest) is ash trees. City has identified about 6% of population that can be removed now (prob- lems with sight lines, aged trees). Currently, whenever an ash tree needs any work, it is tested. MSU provides testing service. If City removes a tree from the “tree lawn”, it issues a voucher good at local nurseries for replacement. Amount based on size of tree. Also a cost share program that supports plant- ing 175 trees / year – City shares cost with residents. Eight different varieties of trees. $75 per tree ($85 for one larger species). City helps locate the tree, then installs, stakes, and mulches. Return next year to remove stakes, then next year for pruning. Question about disposal of brush. Handling is addressed in action plan. Also question about educating residents. Price of treatment has come down significantly in the last 6 years or so. Four full-time employees in Forestry Division. Removals, stump grinding, inspections. Will examine trees in private yards if owners have questions. Parks Dept. also oversees the open space bond. Have allocated just over $14M so far. Six different projects in progress: acquiring easement for Path to the “M”, Story Mill com- munity park, Front St. connector trail, Bozeman Creek stream enhancement (at Bogert Park), Bozeman Ponds park expansion, Sports Park. Also working on receipt of gift of Boys & Girls Club. Working on some partnerships with Bozeman School District to share some resources at the Sports Park (adjacent to new Meadowlark School). Forming a new park maintenance district – special assessment will be levied on the district, but that will decrease the general fund assessment. Need to transfer maintenance of HOA parks into the Parks Dept. using this assessment. Will also fund maintenance of Trails/Open Space/Parks parks that are constructed from the bond. Cemetery Dept. working on SW MT veteran’s cemetery. Currently closest veteran’s cemeteries in Laurel or Ft. Harrison (Helena). A non-profit, SW MT Veteran’s Cemetery group, has been formed. They are trying to raise $150K to get project started. The area will be in Sunset Hills, adjacent to current veteran’s area. It will not initially have a fed- eral designation, but the City is being careful to conform to VA requirements so that may be an option in the future. VA will cover veteran burial costs, but is not putting in any money to construction or maintenance. Aquatics Dept. supervises Bogert Pool and the Swim Center. Have sealed the leaks in the Bogert Pool. Should be open for this season. Swim Center is in pretty good shape. Question about liability on HOA parks – ultimately City is liable, even though it is not maintaining the park. 5:25 Jessica Johnson, BPD update Reviewed crimemapping.com. Online system that holds all reports that are received by the Bozeman Police Dept. Started uploading to the system in October. About a two day lapse before data is uploaded. BPD is interviewing for new police officers. Started with 90 applicants, now down to about 25. Citizens’ Police Academy is in progress. FYI Working group met last week to work on goal setting. Group was Jennifer, Joe, Kathy, Jessica, and Bob. Will meet again, then present results at a future meeting. NRO revisions were submitted for review by City Legal Dept. Timeline has changed – legal review will be completed before next meeting. Prior to next meeting, Jessica will distribute updates and solicit feedback. Tentatively first reading by City Commission will be June 27. Second reading / consent will be July 11. Discussion of INC representative roles & responsibilities. • Sharing minutes from INC meetings via neighborhood distribution list or NextDoor • Convey information from neighbors to the INC • Convey information from neighborhood coordinator to neighbors via distribution list or NextDoor Roles: • INC rep is a messenger and representative for both the City and neighbors to fa- cilitate communication. Reports to the steering committee and neighbors on City and community activity affecting our neighborhood. Authorized to vote on INC actions as representative of a neighborhood. • Represent your NA interests and concerns at INC meetings and bring back infor- mation to the NA. Reponsibilities: • Attend monthly meetings or arrange for an alternate • Actively participate in meetings • Represent NA members (owners, businesses, renters, etc.) at INC meetings • Exercise due diligence by voting and expressing viewpoints of the NA to help in- form both INC and City decision-making • Share activities of your NA with other NAs via INC meetings or communications. • Follow up on issues discussed at INC meetings • Share information and minutes from INC meetings with your NA officers/steering committee before next INC meeting • Communicate opportunities available to NA members • Support activities of neighborhood coordinator and neighborhoods program • Delegate work to NA officers Reference against the NRO. 5:55 Mayor’s FYI City entering into budgeting process. First budget is available. Big issue will be general fund discussion on June 6. Final budget should be June 20 or June 27. Moved budget process before start of fiscal year, but don’t know carryover or tax base until after start of July. Committed (by ordnance or resolution) to not levy 9 mills because county collects for 911fund. State ordinance caps budget increase at half the inflation rate. Request about maybe an update on Tax Increment Financing districts in the future. May 16 Commission meeting – there will be a VRBO/extended stay application before Commission for review. 6:15 Jessica’s FYI Transportation Master Plan meeting tonight. A third meeting coming up. Valley Unit Park NA having first meeting on May 24 at Hyalite Elementary. NHVN annual meeting May 26 at Lindley Center. SCAN annual meeting May 31 at Story Mansion. Downtown Parking Plan presentation June 8th City Commission room June 16 INC meeting. Crystal Alegria from Extreme History Project Recognize Bozeman Ponds and Valley Unit NAs Approve NRO revisions Accept INC rep roles/responsibilities Plots at City Hall Community Garden available. In discussions with Laurel Glen about forming NA. They have an HOA they would like to dissolve. Kathy discussed extended vacation stay / short term rentals. Proposed units in R1, R2, RS are supposed to require a CUP for any rentals of less than 30 days. Most (almost all) probably don’t have a CUP. Would City be interested in forming a working group to ex- plore possible approaches, and what other cities might be doing? INC working group proposed to focus on this issue. 6:43 No objections – meeting adjourned. Minutes recorded by Bob Wall.