Sustainability Advisory Board Meeting Summary - January 14, 2026

The Sustainability Advisory Board held its regular meeting on January 14, 2026. The meeting featured new member introductions, a detailed presentation on the City's Integrated Water Resource Plan (IWERP) update, the annual ethics training, and a comprehensive discussion on the board's future work plan.

Consent Calendar

• The board approved the minutes from the November 12, 2025 meeting. The motion carried with votes from members Nick, Kendra, Brooke, and Erin. The roll call inadvertently skipped Isabel and Jesse before being corrected.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items: None.
• Public Comment on Work Plan: Catherine Barry from the Gallatin Watershed Council addressed the board. She highlighted the shared priorities between the Council and the board regarding water stewardship.
  • She recommended the board adopt a water-focused work plan item, such as watershed resiliency.
  • She identified specific opportunities for board capacity and expertise, including providing input on the IWERP update, the creation of an on-site mitigation manual for stream impacts, the development of a wetland inventory and tracking system, and updating wetland and watercourse setbacks to reflect the best available science.
  • She noted these items have current momentum and some are not yet formally led by city staff, presenting an opportunity for the board to push them forward.
• Online Public Comment: None.

Discussion Items

1. Special Presentation: Integrated Water Resource Plan (IWERP) Update

• Board member Brooke presented an update on the IWERP, for which she is the board's liaison to the Water Advisory Committee (WAC).
• Project Description: The IWERP update replaces the 2013 plan and focuses on securing enough water volume for Bozeman's future population under projected growth and climate change scenarios. It is a 10-year plan addressing 30-to-50-year needs.
• Process: The WAC consists of a Technical Advisory Subcommittee (TAC) and a Public Advisory Subcommittee (PAC). The PAC met four times in Fall 2025 to develop screening criteria and begin evaluating roughly 80 alternatives.
• Alternative Examples: Included acquiring more water rights, dredging Hyalite Reservoir, raising dam heights, building new storage, water reuse systems ("purple pipe"), and cloud seeding. Brooke emphasized conservation measures are the "top priority" while supply expansion provides long-term redundancy.
• Board Requests & Positions:
  • Isabel Friedman requested data on the city's largest water users, fastest-growing sectors, and coordination with Gallatin County. Brooke replied that residential irrigation is the largest use and confirmed active county coordination.
  • Jesse Wees requested specifics on the climate and development assumptions used.
  • A discussion on enforcement of mandatory no-watering days followed. Natalie Meyer clarified the city has metering technology but enforcement relies primarily on citizen reports and warnings.
• Next Steps: Brooke will return with the requested data and present another update in the spring.

2. Annual Ethics Training

• Staff liaison Natalie Meyer led the annual mandatory ethics training, emphasizing that board members are public officials who must avoid using their positions for private benefit.
• Scenarios Exercised:
  1. Conflict of Interest: A member disclosed a conflict on a form but did not recuse from a vote. Conclusion: Must disclose at the meeting and abstain if a conflict exists.
  2. Speaking as a Board Member: A member wrote to the commission and media as a board representative against the majority. Conclusion: Must clarify they speak as an individual, not the board.
  3. Gatekeeping Power: A chair withheld a competitor's application from the agenda. Conclusion: This is misuse of position.
  4. Impartiality & Employment: A member only supported projects benefiting their employer's programs. Conclusion: Decisions must rely on published board criteria.
  5. Nepotism: A member disclosed a family relationship to the chair privately but not publicly, and voted. Conclusion: Disclosure must be made publicly at the meeting, and recusal is advised.
• Members were reminded they can consult the city attorney, Greg Sullivan, on ethical questions.

3. 2024-2025 Work Plan Review and Future Priorities

• Natalie Meyer reviewed progress on the existing two-year work plan:
  • Local Food System: Sustainable events guide completed but not yet implemented due to staffing capacity.
  • Composting Services: Pilot program rolled out successfully; approximately 1,700 participants have signed up.
  • EV Charging: Project pivoted to installing city fleet infrastructure (Public Safety Center, shops complex) to capture expiring federal incentives; a community-wide plan remains a future goal.
  • Green Power Program: Negotiations with Northwestern Energy for a renewable rate option are ongoing. The board will likely re-engage on this in 2026.
  • Extreme Heat/Wildfire Smoke: Outreach materials developed.
  • Energy Efficiency & Electrification: Solar projects at the library and water reclamation facility progressing; contractor training for heat pumps identified as a key need.
  • Urban Tree Canopy: Baseline land cover dataset completed.
  • Engineering/Water Standards: Stormwater plan adopted; wetland code updated.
• Board Discussion on Future Work Plan:
  • Members expressed a desire for a more action-oriented role in implementing work items, potentially through dedicated work sessions.
  • Isabel Friedman suggested prioritizing housing and energy affordability as a climate resilience topic, noting its intersection with previous board discussions.
  • Jesse Wees raised the topics of growing noise and air pollution (airport, train traffic) and increased litter, asking if the board could take on an educational or advocacy role.
  • Brooke recommended a standalone water resilience work plan item given the IWERP momentum.
  • Members supported including multimodal transportation and bike infrastructure safety as a topic.
  • Erin suggested revitalizing a sustainability recognition/awards program.
  • Members broadly agreed on the need to enhance outreach and marketing for existing programs (e.g., composting, Engage Bozeman website).
• Natalie noted the City Commission is currently setting its goals, from which the board's work plan will be derived. She will bring a proposed structure for the new work plan to the next meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Meeting Opened: The January 14, 2026 meeting was called to order.
• Minutes Approved: The November 12, 2025 meeting minutes were approved.
• Ethics Training Completed: The board fulfilled its 2025 annual ethics training requirement.
• IWERP Follow-up Directed: Board member Brooke will provide requested data and a further update in the spring.
• Future Work Plan Direction: The board provided extensive guidance for its next two-year work plan. Staff will draft a proposal incorporating the new priorities for discussion at the next monthly meeting.