Good evening, everyone.

We will call this meeting of the Bozeman City Commission to order.

Um thank you for being here.

Uh this is our meeting for Tuesday, January 27th.

Um before we get started, we're just gonna run through a few items of how to participate this evening, um, and then I'll walk through a little run of show of what to expect for the rest of the evening.

Um if you submitted public comments to us in advance, um those were distributed to us um at any time you submit anything to comments at Bozeman.net at noon before that meeting, we will get those distributed by our court um so that we can read those and be prepared for the meeting.

We you can stream, of course, from uh cable channel one ninety, and at each item throughout our agenda tonight we will have public comment with each of those items.

Um just to uh we're gonna try to continue to to broadcast this at the beginning of meetings, uh just that if anybody has hearing challenges, vision challenges that need to be accommodated in some way to let us know.

We we don't know that, um, but we have the tools to be able to ensure that you can participate.

Clerk over here is the person to to direct those requests to if we could get you situated.

Um without further ado, we will start out with a pledge of allegiance and a moment of silence, I fled with us the fire of the United States of America.

Thank you.

Uh is our changes to our agenda, which we do have one.

Um could one of my colleagues assist us in excusing the absence of Deputy Mayor Douglas Fisher.

I move to accept the absence of Commissioner Fisher.

Second.

It has been moved and seconded.

Mr.

Newby.

Commissioner Madden.

Commissioner Sweeney.

Mayor Morrison.

Aye.

Do we have any FYI from the Commission this evening?

I have one.

Commissioner Bodie.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um I wanna announce the launching of the Streamline bus app.

It's officially downloadable on both Android and iPhone.

Um right now, if you go on to the app, you can see the locations of all of our bus stops.

By looking at the app, I can see that our closest stop to City Hall is the Mendenhall and Bozeman stop.

And not only that, but that blue line will be arriving there in 26 minutes going north, 12 minutes going south, two minutes for brown line, and 40 minutes for the purple line.

So um this is a really exciting tool for us to better understand how long we need to wait for the buses, where they go, if there's any delays, and I just really hope that it will make our transportation service more um approachable and accessible to our residents.

So um go check it out and download the app.

Thank you.

Any other FYI from the commission this evening?

Yeah, Commissioner Sweeney.

One please.

Um last week the historic preservation advisory board um met and got an update on two current projects.

The local landmark program and historic preservation program update and also the NCOD design guidelines update.

And I just have to say I'm really impressed with the members we have on the Historic Preservation Advisory Board.

We have a historical architect.

We have an AICP certified urban planner working for a national consulting firm.

And we have members who live in national register properties and inside the NCOD.

So they have great credentials, and I can't wait to watch this board work through these two projects and involve the community as we go.

February 18th, HPAB Historic Preservation Advisory Board will be meeting the Lakota group, which is the consultant for the NCOD design guidelines rewrite.

And that engagement plan will then come to this commission in sometime in March.

And then because of spring break, the March HPAB meeting will be moved to March 31st.

And we'll be having a discussion of code coming out of the landmark project.

So just an update that those projects are moving forward.

We have a great board ready to tackle this work, and I'm excited.

Thank you.

One is just to give a rough uh update that the commission liaisons are changing to the advisory boards.

Um we'll have a formal item that will codify exactly who is going to who, um, but some of those changes have already been happening.

Um, and so just to give folks a quick run through of who we've got so far.

Um, Commissioner Bodie will be the liaison to sustainability, Deputy Mayor Fisher to the inner neighborhood council, Commissioner Sweeney to Historic Preservation, myself will serve as the liaison to community development, Commissioner Magic to Transportation, Deputy Mayor Fisher to Economic Vitality, and uh Commissioner Sweeney to Urban Parks and Forestry.

Um, our downtown business improvement and URD will be Commissioners Magic and Deputy Mayor Fisher, respectively.

Commissioner Bode and myself will serve uh as liaisons to the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Commissioner Bodie will continue to the Urban Transportation District, and I will be serving as the liaison to a number of intergovernmental uh partner boards with Gautam Behavioral Health Coalition, uh, the Planning Coordination Committee and City County Board of Health.

Um there are others that are not in that list, but those are, I think, roughly the ones that I know members of the public ask about and provide comment on, so just wanted to give an update that those board members are changing, those liaisons are changing.

And then the other was just to give the public an update on the city manager and I's absence at the last meeting.

Um, we were joining a delegation of other mayors and city managers around the state uh in Washington, DC to meet with our federal representatives, uh Senators Danes and Chidi and representative Zinky and Downing to talk about transportation infrastructure funding, um covering a sort of a variety of topics along those uh orchestrated by our great partners of the Montana League of Cities and Towns.

Um from those, they were overwhelmingly positive.

We heard um you know verbal support from virtually every one of our federal representatives of desires to support um those funding mechanisms and those grant opportunities to ensure that we can provide um transportation infrastructure improvements in our communities around the state.

Um, and we're really yeah, grateful to be able to join.

Um further FYI from the commission.

Okay, great.

See none, any FYI from staff.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um I just have one thing that I want to share with the community.

I shared this with the commission um earlier today.

Uh for the past few weeks, the topic of ICE and immigration enforcement has gripped our nation and our residents are understandably concerned.

People have strong feelings about what is happening happening nationally, and we get to feel the way we feel about that.

What we also get to do is choose how we want to be as a community.

How we want to be is Bozeman.

And I think we've chosen well.

We've chosen safety for all our residents and visitors.

We've chosen civil dialogue and peaceful assembly.

We've chosen to treat each other with dignity and respect, and when we stray from that path, we address it and we move on.

And at the same time, we remain committed to our constitutional right to free speech, our constitutional right to bear arms, our constitutional right to assemble, and our constitutional right to due process.

I know the men and women of the Bozeman Police Department.

They are our neighbors and our friends.

They are our coaches and our volunteers, and they keep us safe.

They keep us safe by building relationships within the community with the people who live, work, and visit Bozeman.

When Bozeman Police Department responds, they will be in uniform, unmasked, and their name and badge number clearly visible because that's how we do things in Bozeman.

I want to make it clear to all that the Bozem Police Department does not enforce immigration laws.

It is their role to focus on law enforcement, local law enforcement, not immigration.

I commend the Bozeman community on gathering peacefully and ensuring your voices are heard.

One of the greatest things about Bozeman is that we're a community of neighbors.

We don't always agree with each other, but we have a shared love for this place, and we treat each other with respect.

So thank you, everyone, for staying peaceful and letting your voices be heard.

As your city manager, I'm proud of this community, and I'm proud of our police department.

And if anyone has any questions or wants to discuss this in more detail, please feel free to give me a call.

My numbers are all over the city's internet site.

So thank you, Mayor and Commissioners, and thank you, public, for um who you are and how much you love this place.

Thank you, City Manager.

Um I will also extend that that same courtesy of I I'm not offering a statement tonight on anything related to immigration, but I have fielded many calls over the last couple weeks and many over the course of my tenure on the on the commission, um, both proponents and and and those concerned in both directions.

And so happy to always have those conversations and clarify what what we're thinking about and and where I stand or where any commissioner stands is of course up to them.

Um but just wanting to make that um offer clear um that I think that's best one of the best ways that we can have those conversations is um face-to-face.

Um seeing no more FYI.

Um, do we have any commission disclosures related to anything on our agenda this evening?

Okay, seeing none, um moving on to our consent calendar.

Um City Manager, are there any items on consent that you would like to highlight for us?

I sure would.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'm gonna start with F2, and that is some amazing work that is done, has been done and continues to be done by our staff and planning, our legal department, um, a bunch of other economic and housing department, and this is the final plat for the Hidden Creek Minor Subdivision, and they're going to meet their deadlines.

This is a hundred and eighty-two dwelling units.

The project is 100% permanently rent restricted, including 25% of the units restricted to tenants earning 30% of the area median income.

The overall average of the project is 60% AMI using the federal income average.

And this is a low-income housing tax credit awarded project, and it is the result of everybody working together.

The partnership between Gallatin County, um, the United Housing Partners, HRDC, and the City of Bozeman.

Super excited about this, super proud of our staff for all the work they did with uh Gallatin County and the developer to get this going.

And uh that is item H2 on your agenda tonight.

The other thing I'll point out is item F5, which authorizes me to sign the professional agreement with DJ and A for the 2026 Urban Forest Management Plan.

Super excited about that.

It's been 10 years since we did this in Bozeman.

Um we will be coming back with a public engagement plan for the commission and the community to review and for the commission to adopt, and that is going to address many of the issues that we heard during the UDC process about trees in our community.

So that's that will be going uh if the commission approves that item tonight.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, City Manager.

Is there any uh I understand Commissioner Sweeney would like to offer some thoughts on our consent agenda?

I'm really glad you chose F5 to highlight because um I'm really impressed with the proposal.

Um from the consultant includes um Heritage Tree Program.

So that has found a home in our processes.

And um, they're also gonna help us examine other cities' urban forestry management plans and figure out what is the right balance for us between um policies that incentivize versus require um regulations about trees on private property.

So that conversation is going to be had in this community, and I know that is something we've heard a lot from the public over the last two years of the UDC.

So trees have a home.

Thanks.

And so the actually in this case the deputy mayor weeks ago it said, hey, we should pull this off.

And so we've been going with that with that plan for weeks now.

But just to telegraph that was actually a consent item that we that was pulled.

Seeing no more conversation to come from the commission, we will open it up to public comment on our consent agenda.

This will be true for all of our public comments.

I know Mr.

Cardi is no stranger to our public comment procedures.

But you will have three minutes.

There will be uh changing lights.

Green says you're full steam ahead.

You'll switch to yellow when you've got a minute left, and it'll say red when it says, hey, no more.

Uh your three minutes is up.

Um we'll start with comment in the room, and then we'll move to comment online.

Um all we ask for an introduction is hey, your name, first and last, and what your interest in the city is.

You don't need to tell us your address, but anything that pertains to why your interest in the city exists, whether you live here, you own a business here, you do business in here, et cetera.

Um that's about it.

It's a pretty painless process.

We'll open it up.

Mr.

Cardi, good evening.

Um good evening, Dan Cardi, uh Bozeman resident.

I'm speaking tonight as an individual to comment on consent item F5 to authorize a city manager to sign a PSA with DJA for the 2026 Urban Forest Management Plan update.

Specifically, I like that Bozeman's UFMP will be a forest management plan and not a forestry management plan.

The difference is subtle, but by definition.

A forest management plan is a holistic land stewardship approach that includes all public trees and all private trees, and in which the focus is on ecological function and the non-consumptive ecosystem services and urban forests can provide to the community.

In contrast, a forestry management plan focuses more on the consumptive uses of forest resources.

The staff of the proposed consultants seems well-rounded and experienced in the consultant scope of services, Section D, planning and development integration, subsections D1 and D6 through D6, excuse me, seem reasonable.

And section E, community engagement seems reasonable.

I would suggest that commissioners and city staff read through the consultants urban forest management plan for Wilsonville, Oregon, the executive summary of which gives a pretty good feel for what this consultant can produce.

In conclusion, I think that the proposed consultant for the UFMP is capable of doing excellent work, and I trust that the City of Bozeman's overarching goal with its UFMP will be protect will be to protect and enhance the ecological function of and non-consumptive ecoservices, ecosystem services provided by Bozeman's Urban Forest.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening.

Any more public comment in the room this evening?

Good evening.

Good evening.

My name is Jeff Ball.

I'm a Bozeman resident on South Wallace.

And um I'm behind the uh curve on this forestry thing because I've been approaching you guys for the last few months about um tree and street maintenance.

Um I'm not sure how they integrate, and I need to get caught up on that.

So bad on me for my ignorance.

Um I saw item F2, the uh Hidden Creek Minor Subdivision, and I thought, well, is that the stuff running Bozeman Creek running under the city?

Just kidding.

Um but I did want to um say, and I will I will become engaged with the forest and forestry plan because I'm not sure how much that is funded by or integrated with uh tree maintenance and um that type of a thing.

So I am still interested in seeing the um city consider non-boulevard trees along repairing corridors, uh perhaps receiving some of those funds.

Um and maybe we grow staff or maybe we left contracts.

I don't have an answer for that, but just want to reiterate that.

Um then I I'm I didn't realize that an action item was on the Bozeman Creek deal.

And I I have read through very quickly the 180-some page deal that was done last summer, uh, and I have a lot of thoughts, but I'm gonna maybe wait and hear what you all talk about tonight.

So please keep in mind funding for tree and tree maintenance in a non-traditional place being corridors, repairing corridors, and not just Bozeman Creek.

Not just Bozeman Creek.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other public comment in the room this evening on our consent calendar?

Seeing no requests for public comment in the room.

Mr.

Newby, yet we're seeing any online.

No, Mayor Morrison, we are not.

Okay.

Seeing uh we will close public comments on consent.

Um, would somebody be able to help me out with a motion and second?

We skipped skipped our line a little bit, but I can do it.

Um I move to approve consent items F1 through F eight as submitted.

It has been moved and seconded.

Mr.

Newby.

Commissioner Boddy.

Aye.

Commissioner Sweeney.

I.

It was very quiet.

Yes.

Quiet.

Mayor Morrison.

I consent is approved four to zero.

Now we'll move on to general public comment on non-agenda items.

So what we've got left before us, we have a special presentation on uh the city's collaboration with Child Connect.

Um that there will be no public comment associated with that item.

It is just it will just be special presentation.

Then we'll move on to our one action item.

There will be public comment for that item.

Um but any public comment in the room on non-agenda items this evening.

Good evening.

Good evening, Mayor Morrison, commissioners and staff.

Jim Webster, South Third Avenue Bozeman, member of the historic preservation advisory board.

But as always, I come here only representing myself tonight.

And joining me are some of the other members of the preserve historic Bozeman Coalition.

And we're sorry that Deputy Mayor Fisher cannot be here tonight, and we'll take him at his word to revisit the B-390-foot height zoning initiative in a few months after implementation has taken place.

With 309 signatures on our PHBC coalition, including three former Bozeman mayors, we see that the greater Bozeman community is getting engaged about this policy now that the holidays are over and people are fully absorbing the different aspects of the UDC document.

Our group has always stood for being constructive on this issue, and we are honestly here to help provide substance to this topic, which really has three components to it.

Here we'll address some of the more historical related aspects of the debate.

We are s we see that assembling a survey of best practices of a successful historical cities like Charleston, South Carolina, Newport, Rhode Island, Boulder, Colorado, and Burlington, Vermont, to name a few, would be helpful.

While we've heard the argument that more height could bring some more tax dollars in, has anyone really assessed the impact that the historic downtown has had on his hotel tax revenues and related taxes, restaurant and retail traffic?

One group member's research yielded that Bozeman has the highest hotel room rates along with occupancy rates in the state.

Our downtown with its smaller heights, ambiance, and mountain ring viewshed provides a real attraction for visitors.

Similarly, the cities mentioned above go to great lengths to preserve their historic core and areas because those are their golden goose for money making.

Allowing extra height around the downtown Bozeman Corps area could seriously undermine the appeal of its core district with taller buildings, parking and traffic congestion impacts.

Shouldn't our planners and others thus have a survey of best practices employed by other cities with result or with respect to their historic downtown areas in terms of other height and regulations.

Rather than just making noise about this, PHBC will work to collect some of this potentially valuable information.

We have heard from our own city staff.

We are the professionals.

Listen to us.

Well, that may be fine, but we think the question also needs to be asked.

So why are all of these other successful historic areas doing it differently?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other public comment in the room this evening?

And just for the, I guess for the the effect of uh folks standing behind.

There were six others behind Mr.

Webster in seemingly in support of his public comment.

Good evening.

Uh hi, uh Mark Campanelli, uh Bogert Park neighbor.

Um I just wanted to make one comment on, and it does relate, I think, to the special presentation, but there is a term in some of the um documentation that went along with that that um like a stay-at-home parent could be interpreted as a non-working person.

And uh Emily Talago gave great comment, like much more elegant than I will right now.

But um my the mother of my children stayed home with my kids, and we made great sacrifice um to make that happen.

I'm probably a software engineer and not an academic right now because of that one decision.

And I was so calm at work because I knew that my she's not my ex-wife, but she was home taking care of those kids.

So we you know, do I really want somebody driving up to the Yellowstone Club so they can check a box in some economic database that they're working rather than staying home with their kids.

So I also have a guy, a good friend now in my men's group, college educated, but his ex-wife was take no prisoner kind of woman, you know, vice president of some big company.

He stayed home with his three daughters.

They all have gone through college.

He tells me stories about them.

He really did sacrifice and lost, felt like he lost a lot of respect as a man doing that, but is so proud now of his children.

And I know that this is a luxury for many people to have one parent stay home.

Um, but I just don't want to lose that in the economic data.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Any other public comment in the room this evening?

Seeing no one stirring.

Um are we seeing any public comment online, Mr.

Newby?

Mayor Morrison, we are seeing no requests for public comment online.

All right, we will close the public comment on non-agenda items and move on to our first item, which is our special presentation.

City manager.

Thank you.

This is uh a presentation on a really great program that the city partnered with Childcare Connections on and uh other partners, and it is um super exciting to see how uh when we work together, we can solve um really difficult problems for some of our residents.

So I'd like to introduce our um director of economic development, Mr.

Britt Falno.

Thank you, Mr.

City Manager.

Good evening, Commissioner Mayor Morrison.

Good evening.

My name is Britt Fonteno, your director of economic development, and thank you for the opportunity to update you on the state of child care and Bozeman in the surrounding area.

You know, access to and affordability of child care continue to present challenges to working parents in the Gallatin Valley.

So I'm proud to stand with Tori Sprolls, who's the director of the early learning at the Galls at the Greater Gallatin United Way.

And she also serves as the Gallatin Area Early Childhood Community Council coordinator.

And Tori has called Bozeman home since 1999 and is deeply rooted in this community that she proudly serves.

She earned her BS in early childhood education from Montana State University and a master's in early childhood education from Champlain College.

And with more than 15 years of experience in early childhood advocacy, Tori has worked to advance accessible, high-quality child care by identifying challenges and developing innovative and community-driven solutions.

She's passionate about ensuring that children thrive in their earliest years by laying down foundations for lifelong health, happiness, and success.

So I'd like to welcome Tori Sproles to the podium for her special presentation.

Thank you, Tori.

Thank you for that introduction.

Mayor, Commissioners, thanks for having me tonight.

I'm excited to let you all know about an initiative that has been launched here in our community that really should help break down some of the barriers to accessing childcare.

So you do have all of these slides in front of you.

Because of the time limit, I'm just gonna kind of skim through some of them and really focus on some of the highlights that I want to cover tonight.

But Greater Gallatin United Way has been in the valley since 1978, and really we work to just mobilize our community and collaboratively work together to figure out what gaps exist and how to approach those gaps with solutions with our partners.

One of our main focuses is to empower working families to be able to go to work and have the resources that they need if they would like to work.

We have a lot of our initiatives that really focus on helping support our family community and our working families with our youth success and our early learning.

We provide most of the out of school time care in our valley.

And we also have this last year put a lot of effort behind our early learning strategies to really look at not only the school age care with the out-of-school time care, but also that zero to five area.

So those are the things we're gonna focus on today.

Then we also have uh a focus on mental health and basic needs, which I will not go into tonight.

So these next two slides really just talk about a group of people, so a coalition for lack of a better word, that really have come together to look at child care from a different lens.

We want parents to be able to have the choice of putting their children in child care or staying home or having the choice of the different child care programs that are out there.

Um, we want parents to have choice in general.

But what we have found is historically, parents haven't had the choice.

Either they've been forced to leave the workforce or they've been forced to make decisions that maybe they weren't as comfortable with due to just lack of availability of child care and/or lack of affordability.

So this group really has come together to really look at different ways to address the child care issue and figure out solutions for our community so that people who want to access child care who want to work and give back to our economy is able are able to do so.

So, of course, I can't have a child care presentation without some data.

So I'll go over this quickly because we all know the challenges exist.

Um, for families who have their children in childcare, affordability remains a high priority for us to figure out a solution to.

The U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services, as you all have heard before, deem childcare affordable if it's 7% or less of a family's household income.

Right now in Montana, we sit between 13% and 36% based on household size between a married, a married couple and/or a single parent.

Um, Gallatin County typically sits around 23 to 25% pretty regularly.

This is just another depiction of the costs and how it just remains too high for families.

Obviously, with just the rising costs of housing and everything else that we have to do in these communities to thrive, um, child care is right up there with one of the highest expenses.

With that being said, I want to break down a stigma, and uh most of you have heard me speak before at some level, but um, child care providers, even though they have high tuition rates, they really aren't necessarily making ends meet.

A lot of them, the true cost of care to actually provide that high quality care, provide the supplies, the meals, all the other things that they do for their children and families, um, they typically are taking a loss for that because the average cost of care and the true cost of care are a discrepancy.

With that being said, in the valley, we are looking at two things.

I've mentioned affordability.

The other thing is accessibility.

When you actually look at this image right here, which lots of people have seen in lots of different ways, when we look at the number of children who could potentially need child care based on their family makeup, and they are of the age of zero to five, versus and compared to licensed child care slots in Gallatin County specifically, those obviously do not match up.

Um, so it does show that we do not have enough licensed slots for every single child who could potentially use child care.

Now, the thing that I want to mention about accessibility here is that we have learned, especially since COVID, that a lot of families are doing other things with their children.

They're not necessarily enrolling them in licensed child care.

They might have informalized care through nannies, through friends, through family.

They might have a parent that's able to stay home.

X, Y, and Z, the list goes on and on.

But right now, we are actually seeing a lot of child care programs having availability and having open slots.

And what that tells us is we also want to fill those slots to support those small businesses as well.

On that note, you know, looking at the workforce compared to child care, people who want to participate in the workforce or could be participating in the workforce based on their age.

This is a report that came out from the Department of Labor and Industry saying that 64,000 adult Montanans can't fully engage in the workforce due to just household responsibilities and child responsibilities.

This just breaks down kind of what that looks like as far as reducing hours, part-time work, and or just not being in the labor force at all.

Impacts to the workforce.

And a lot of people are unable to work because they might not have the supports that they need for their children or household responsibilities.

Montana's losing money because of that, and businesses, you know, report that they have difficult recruiting and retaining staff because of lack of child care, as well as you know, inadequate child care really does prevent those businesses from growing.

So now that I've said all the not so great things, I want to talk a little bit about Child Connect.

Um, Greater Gallatin United Way really focuses on collaboration in our community.

We spent a lot of time over the last year really thinking about this, talking to businesses, talking to people about what they need, what they want, what they see the child care solutions looking like.

And thankfully, the city of Bozeman has been an intricate partner in this.

Uh the city of Bozeman has really stepped up, the economic development group, uh, Brett and Jesse specifically have been very much champions of child care and trying to figure out how to get our workforce that wants to work back into the workforce.

Um, with the help from the city of Bozeman, thank you so much, and Family Forward Montana, we were able to launch the first part of Child Connect initiative, which is KinSide, which is an online child care search platform.

This is something that has never existed in our community.

Um, child care referrals have been done pretty manually through our child care resource and referral agency that unfortunately was able unable to track openings in real time and were unable to give very good leads to families on how to find childcare.

So that resulted in families creating their own spreadsheets, making a bunch of phone calls, usually stopping before they even started searching for child care.

So fortunately, this online platform has been a lifesaver for some.

It launched in September and of 2025, so not very old.

It's it's in its infancy.

Um, but this platform is similar to we kind of relate it to like a Zillow of child care, where you can go on, you can see what the options are, you can see what's out there, it creates transparency in a in a career in a profession that has been kind of hidden.

Not very many people know how many childcare programs we had at any given moment in our community, nor did they know what they offered, what they charged, what hours of operation they had.

Um, so this platform provides that transparency and an easy way for families to search for childcare.

So when families go on to this, they can create a profile, they can filter their needs, and those programs will pop up.

The good thing about this as well is we have a partnership with Kinside, who runs this platform that helps us update these openings regularly.

Um, they call providers, they get the updates.

Updates can come from providers themselves, but we have a regular communication with providers and getting those openings on the site.

So 60% of our providers have claimed their profiles on this childcare platform.

When they claim their profiles, their profiles look very full, like the ones you see on the screen.

If you go on to this website, you'll notice that some look a little bit empty and more kind of a template.

That's just the information we pull from the statewide database.

So until providers go on and claim their full profile, you might not see all the ins and outs of what they have to offer.

So we are currently still working on getting all providers to be on this platform itself.

Um as you can see, this data was pulled last week when I was asked to give this presentation so that it can be part of your packet.

Um, this changes daily.

Uh I pulled information again today, and we currently have 47 slots in the four counties, Gallatin Park, Maher, and Madison County open right now.

And we've had 822 page views in total.

Uh, in addition to that, I will I continue to go out and present about this and give information about this, and I have probably talked to now over 210 people about child connect and how it can impact families' ability to search for child care.

So daily changes, which means that people are getting on there, people are accessing slots, people are making the connections with their providers, and the system is working.

So why does this matter?

It matters to businesses, the community providers and families.

Families, obviously, we've already talked about it, makes it easier to search, it makes it more transparent for them to see what's out there.

They can do a filtered search, they can really specify what their needs are.

In addition, providers, they have a platform that they can communicate with families easily.

Historically, parents have called providers.

Providers don't answer because they're with children all day long.

So then they don't get back to them for 24 to 48 hours, sometimes longer.

This platform provides an avenue for that where providers can message families, families can message providers, families can set up tours online.

It's helping with that administrative burden also with providers being able to navigate their inquiries pretty quickly.

Business benefits, um, we have had a really, really good response from our business community about being able to have something to share with incoming workers, new employees, people moving to the community of where to search for child care, because a lot of times that's the first thing they say on the phone or in their interview is I need a house and I need child care.

And so obviously our two biggest issues here in our community.

And so it's been really easy for uh businesses to be able to send them this link, and it has proven even since September that businesses have started to use this, and it's been a really great tool for them.

The community, um, that transparency piece I think is huge for our community.

I think it's nice to know what's out there.

I think it's nice to know where children are going, um, what people are operating, where child care exists in general.

But then I also think it's gonna provide a lot of data for us.

So on the backside of Kinside, we're able to pull search data, we're able to pull information about real-time availability at any given moment.

Um, we're able to pull data that really will influence some of the decisions and some of the conversations that are happening locally, uh, statewide, and even hopefully sometimes talking about availability at the federal level.

But we're really excited to be able to be transparent about this field that has been pretty secretive throughout the years.

So, with that being said, accessibility was one of the biggest things that Kinsite is doing is making it accessible, letting people know that the options are out there.

Now, affordability still looms over our head.

I do a lot of work uh with state legislature.

I spend some time in DC as well talking about um, you know, the childcare development block grants and those types of things to bring some more funding into our state for early childhood.

But we need to do something locally that will help our local citizens be able to access child care.

And so after talking to many businesses, um, business subsidies or tuition assistance through employers seems to be a pretty um low-hanging fruit as opposed to you know some of the other solutions that we've tried to come up with.

Businesses often tell us that tell us at Greater Galaxy United Way and some of our coalition members that they have some money set aside in their budgets to be able to subsidize child care, but they don't know how to do it equitably.

They don't have the administration to do it.

Um, what Greater Gallatine United Way has started doing is talking to businesses about letting us be the intermediary to be able to help with that.

So we would basically take whatever funds that business has, um, it would come to our organization, we would do the applications with their with their employees, and we would pay directly to the providers themselves.

So we would take that administrative burden off of them.

In addition to that, we've had a lot of businesses that have told us that they don't have anybody in their business, um, nor do they see it happening in the future where they have kids or are are of childbearing age.

And so businesses just wanted to be champions of child care and give back, and so we have launched this business sponsorship opportunity where businesses can just help support the cause, and also a percentage of their sponsorship does go into a general pool of um gap scholarship funds for tuition assistance for the general community.

So you may remember if you've been around for a while, um, childcare connections had a child care gap scholarship that was funded by some COVID dollars through the city of Bozin for two years, and it made a huge difference for families just to get them over a hump.

Um, typically it was just to get them back to work or cover that first couple months of tuition while they got on their feet, or um, you know, help them in a crisis, X, Y, and Z, but we're hoping to build that scholarship fund back up to help with that affordability issue.

With that being said, there is a business benefit to doing these subsidies and providing financial support to child care and to their employees.

The 45F tax credit has just been updated, and as of January 2026, um, there is a dollar-for-dollar tax reduction for providing subsidies for employees.

So the cap has increased as far as how much and how um much is eligible for a tax deduction, as well as there's a huge emphasis on small businesses and getting those small businesses to support child care for their employees.

So I'm not an accountant, I'm not going to pretend to be a tax expert.

But from all of the information that we have gotten about 45F, this is going to be a really great support for the subsidy program that Greater Gallatin United Way is launching.

Um because if they use an intermediary, they also get um a little bit of a tax break on the administrative cost that they pay to us to do the that work for them as well.

So there's a lot of great benefits, and I know that Britt gave you these handouts.

So you have the 45F information in front of you.

Um and we're still learning.

This is a new new update.

Um this is something that was put on hold for a little bit during um the government shutdown, and so they're just uh lining out some of the fine print, and we'll get some more information out there.

But this is gonna be a really great benefit to businesses to subsidize their employees.

So we're excited to be able to promote that to local businesses as well.

So that's really all I have.

We're always looking at different ways to engage with the community, engage with the city on this effort.

And I just want to say thank you again for the city's support in all of this, and not only financially, but also just um the support of talking to people and making this issue a community-wide issue and community-wide solutions.

So thanks so much.

I want to apologize to Tori.

I said child care connections that shows how old I am.

Um that's what I thought.

So um, but yeah, she definitely with the United Way, and what a great partner they are.

Thank you.

Yeah, thank you for that presentation.

Um if there are any questions that the commission has, we can send them Tori's way or or Britt's way to redirect.

Um but thank you for for your work.

And yeah, it's an exciting partnership that uh um has been forishing and seeing some the kin side uh piece was really exciting to see go online.

So um thank you, United Way, for that work.

Um we'll move on to our first and only action item of the easy of the evening, Mr.

City Manager.

Thank you, Mayor.

This is to authorize the city manager to sign a professional services agreement with Port Architecture and Urbanism for the Bozeman Creek Vision Plan.

And it's my great pleasure to welcome our assistant city manager John Henderson to the party.

Thank you, City Manager.

Good evening, Mayor and Commissioners.

Uh it's my pleasure to be here tonight.

Uh, as mentioned, my name is John Henderson.

I'm your assistant city manager.

I'm joined tonight by Steve Noble and Jib Madden, uh with leaders with the C.

Bozeman Creek organization.

And we're gonna tag team this presentation.

So you're gonna hear a little bit from me, and then I'm gonna hand it over and hear a lot more about um about what what makes C.

Boseman Creek so uh so good.

Um I want to start by just uh kind of resetting uh uh some of the actions that have already previously been taken as most everyone in here is aware.

Uh this has been a commission priority now for um uh since the adoption of a resolution back in August of 2024.

Uh and then we spent the first half of 2025 uh, you know, trying to work towards uh the development of what we call a community engagement plan.

Uh that was something that this uh group considered in October of last year.

And you'll be pleased to know that uh, thanks to some really good feedback that you were able to provide at the time, uh, we were able to incorporate some changes and and then that community engagement plan was adopted through a resolution uh later in October uh tonight.

Uh we're here for you tonight in front of you to uh provide an opportunity for your consideration of this professional services contract with port.

Uh so what's important to note here is um uh a couple of things.

We uh we were very fortunate to receive a good response to this request for proposals.

Uh we got a total of seven really well uh developed proposals from a variety of both local and national firms.

Uh we had a uh a really solid selection committee uh with represented interests between uh parks and trails and um the downtown uh we had uh water quality and kind of floodplain expert on the panel.

Uh we have representation from C.

Bosman Creek and City Management Office.

And so we had a good uh group, I think that was uh involved in reviewing and scoring all those proposals.

Of course, that was done following our um our public procurement policy and practice.

So uh feeling really good about the consensus that we reached and and uh finding the best qualified firm to move forward with.

And that is the scope that you're considering tonight.

They have an incredible amount of experience all over the country that we're fortunate to be able to leverage and to draw from.

So I'm excited to talk about a little more detail here as we move forward in just the tremendous amount of experience and expertise that they're going to be able to contribute to an already pretty solid team effort here on the ground locally.

So of course, we're not starting from scratch, and that's a good thing.

Talks heavily about just really leaning into what an incredible resource that that creek is that it uh runs through our downtown urban area.

Um then we've got a couple of uh very technical reports uh that have been conducted here recently.

Um, but I want to kind of lift up the sensitive lands protection plan.

That was a very significant effort that the city undertook with a wide range of partners at the time.

I think we have 13 different agencies involved in that effort, and uh and some of that work is going to be able to filter into this uh into this project.

And I just love it when we can see you know our ability to kind of leverage those efforts in the past, not having to go all the way back to the beginning and and learn from that and try to weave that in wherever we can.

So just a reminder of what was presented back in October associated with that engagement plan when we talk about the project goals.

Uh, we're really looking to enhance our flooding flood mitigation efforts, improve water quality, increase access and connectivity to parks and trails, support economic development opportunities, and strengthen that community connection to the vital resource.

Uh I I want to uh take a moment and uh address some some questions that we've received from the public and and and uh and others over the last few weeks.

Uh I we have worked with uh Mayor Cunningham at the time last fall, ahead of that public engagement process to really refine our understanding of what could be achieved with this project as it relates to the original language that was used to set that priority.

And so uh a couple of things came from that.

We we started by really wanting to be uh honest about the the vision for the plan, and and there that is uh part of the reason that we moved away from what used to be called the Bozeman Creek Resiliency Plan towards a more uh I think more holistic uh description of what we're trying to encompass in such a kind of a multifaceted way.

This is really goes beyond resiliency.

Uh and and in the way that we can talk about this, it's really more of a vision.

It's a roadmap that we're gonna be able to use to apply in a variety of different ways, all of which these goals kind of fit uh within that that overall vision.

Um we also uh included this uh this goal for supporting economic development opportunities.

I want to kind of clear the air a little bit here.

Uh the the impetus of this was very much what you see in other communities such as Boise, Idaho, where it's really more economic vitality.

Uh it when you when you look at the value that that these kind of um waterways can provide in a uh highly active downtown space, uh it's no surprise to think that that can result in uh a really uh amazing economic vitality.

Uh so development may not be the best word choice here.

I just want to be uh abundantly clear.

Uh, we are not uh going through this work to identify uh parcels for development.

That is absolutely not the intent of this plan.

It is more towards making sure that we're taking every opportunity that we have and can to support uh leaning in to just the amazing resource that it is and rally around the creek and and our urban downtown is a huge part of that.

Um then as it relates to uh uh some original language that was stated in the in the in the commission resolution regarding uh ecological health.

Uh I want to reassure folks that you know ecological health is is absolutely uh paramount to to the outcome of this effort.

Uh I think you can look no further than water quality and uh some of the other aspects that we're gonna be talking about here over the next year as examples of where we can have an influence over that overall ecological health.

Uh but this is not a watershed study.

This is not intended to look at uh the headwaters all the way to the East Gallatin.

That is frankly way beyond the scope of the resources and funds that we have available to us and and want to make sure that there's clarity up front that again, this is not an all-encompassing overall habitat and ecological study of the watershed that is Bozeman Creek.

Of course, we understand that the significance of Bozeman Creek that it plays in the larger landscape and the importance and connection to that economic ecological health overall.

And so we're doing this work.

This is important work.

The worst thing that we do is not be doing this work and not talking about this.

So I'm very proud of the city for stepping forward and putting some very limited resources into this effort here.

Some of the work that we did last year with that preliminary engineering report, where we looked at updating the floodplain study, identified some of the things that have been known for a long time, and that is those tunnels that are uh underneath Main Street are not adequate in size to convey the entire uh 100-year flood.

And yes, we we're uh acutely aware of that.

We've improved our studies, we have a better model than we've ever had, we have incredible data as a result of that.

But this effort tonight and and for the next year is not intended to solve that issue.

Uh that again is an example of something that's way beyond the scope of this project.

That's going to involve a lot more time and investment, and frankly, additional partners that like MDT and DEQ and other partners that that need to be involved in in those conversations.

So that is a conversation that we're having uh within the city to make sure that we're uh not missing opportunities along the way, which is why we're we're trying to weave that work where in wherever we can, but we are not gonna end up with with a final solution for how to address uh limitations related to those conveyances under Main Street.

Uh I'm just gonna touch briefly on uh uh some of the major categories of of what we call scope of services.

Um of course the proposal that uh Port provided is attached to the packet materials, and we will be uploading it to our engaged boseman site uh later after your consideration of approval of this contract.

Uh it's a really incredible proposal.

I think if you have time to read through that, um it you you'll learn a lot about their experience and other communities and what they're gonna be able to bring forward here to our localities.

So uh really excited to bring them into the into the picture here.

And we're we're kind of packaging this under kind of six broad essentially scope categories uh where a lot of the work is gonna happen up front with that community engagement.

That's really the visioning exercise.

We want to hear loud and clear what what does the community want from the creek and what does the creek want from us?

Um there's also a literature review, it's a pretty typical uh aspect of these kind of plans where uh we ask them to look at case studies, we look at all kinds of other communities that have done this before so that we can learn from their from their challenges and and their solutions, and so that we're not trying to reinvent the wheel.

Also includes a really thorough review of our UDC and other codes that that need to apply so that we're not putting forward recommendations that are frankly impossible.

Um that literature review is super important up front so that we know you know kind of where where our gaps are and and where we can uh really uh focus our energy.

And then project and policy recommendations uh probably goes without saying here we're we're trying to identify some uh discrete areas along this corridor of Creek where we can maybe uh expand parkland or improve access to the creek uh or an art installation or any number of things, flood mitigation, uh those are those are discrete projects.

Um, and then we're gonna certainly be looking at uh a number of policy uh considerations.

Those can be things like uh special zoning districts, additional setbacks, uh there are all kinds of tools that uh that we can consider um to employ in the future.

So those that's just those are just a couple examples of what a policy might look like as it relates to a recommendation coming from this plan.

And then finally, uh funding strategies, really super important.

Uh you know, we we want to make sure that when we're when it's all said and done, we've got a path forward uh that is that is viable.

Um, the fact that the city is leading this in in partnership with C.

Bozeman Creek gives us a lot of uh uh a lot of leverage when we go to look at federal grants and other opportunities that may not exist for other nonprofits.

So that's again part of the design of working with C.

Bozeman Creek from the beginning here so that we can end up uh with a full set of strategies for funding uh those improvements over a longer period of time.

And then, of course, the plan itself.

Um, just to drill in a little bit on that, I'm not gonna go into a lot of detail here.

Again, it's well described in the packet materials, uh, but we are gonna have a lot of opportunities for public input here through uh some intentional surveys along the way.

Uh we've got some events that I'll be talking about here in a couple of slides.

Uh they're gonna actually uh walk the creek with us and and come up with an analysis and assessment from their point of view.

Again, it's really neat to see somebody with that kind of experience come in with a fresh perspective and then be able to leverage the amazing history and talent that we have here locally in a way that's kind of the best of both worlds.

We'll work with the public to develop that vision statement.

Again, the idea is that's the really overarching kind of mission that we can all rally behind.

And one of the one of the key parts of this is you know making sure that we can illustrate the concepts of what we're talking about, because obviously we're not going to be able to go through full design or anything like that.

But we really learned from the UDC and other engagements where you know pictures speak speak a lot of language there.

We can get a lot of mileage out of a rendering or a way to kind of visualize a concept of what you're going for.

It may not exactly be what gets built, but it's a good way to kind of uh exemplify what we're going for here.

Um that's that idea of high-level concept designs.

Um mentioned the policy and and programs and the funding strategies, and then and then finally that that document.

So those are the deliverables that we'll be getting uh out of this contract.

Here's the proposed time frame that we have uh sketched out uh for the next uh three months.

We'll be heavily engaged in um meeting with a variety of constituents.

Uh we we have not scheduled that yet.

We're we're waiting for uh this contract to get approved.

Uh we actually, if we're successful tonight in uh getting your approval, we actually have a kickoff tomorrow scheduled uh with the consultant and uh C Bozin Creek will be there as well.

That's where we start kind of lining it out, and so we start dialing in, you know, all right, where who do we need to get to kind of early on and kind of set up these these workshops and these these um these one-on-one constituent meetings and that literature review also happens in that kind of time frame.

By June or August, we'll be at a point where we're gonna be able to distill all that public input, all the meetings that we've gone through with all these different groups like the Watershed Council and others, and we'll start drafting that plan.

That'll start to start to gel at that point.

Uh that's where we're gonna start to see some of the projects and policy and funding recommendations start to come forward, won't be finalized yet, but it's really helpful to kind of see it, see it being made at that at that stage in the in the game here.

So that'll be roughly between June and August.

Um and then by September, uh, we should have a pretty good grasp on uh what the final plan might look like.

Uh certainly isn't done by then, but that's the draft that will be able to come back to the public and and uh celebrate a lot of good work that's going into it with our external partners, and that's the point where advisory boards will most likely have a lot of input and questions and add and filter and and we'll work that as back and forth as long as we need to so that by November uh we will have you know a come together with um more of a final version.

And then that final version gets sent to a variety of our advisory boards and uh before uh landing uh back here at the commission.

Um just to kind of you know reinforce the the timing here.

Uh we we've set it up this way to just make sure that we have adequate time for um public input.

Uh we don't want to rush this.

Uh if the commission is interested in expanding this time frame, I think it's important to know a couple things.

Uh there would likely be additional costs associated with that.

I've had to negotiate and work hard to make sure that what we can get done with the funding that we do have is reasonable with the consultant.

Um talked to several consultants actually when we were going through the selection process that were frankly unable to accommodate our needs within uh within the funding amounts that we've got.

And so uh I want you to feel good about that.

I think this is the sweet spot.

I think this is um you know, providing adequate time if the commission is interested in pushing that out a little bit, just be aware, yes, that that might result in in some additional funding that that would be required uh to keep that consultant on board, and uh and that's again pretty typical in the consultant space.

I've had to push them a little bit to not get this done sooner.

They actually initially proposed like a six-month uh schedule, and I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, that that is that is too quick.

Uh so this I think is is is uh is a good compromise there.

Uh the last uh slide I've got here before I hand it over to Steve and Jim is just to uh reinforce the variety of opportunities that uh our public will have to engage in this process.

Um I can't stress enough, you know, while the community engagement plan has been defined and the goals have been shaped, uh no decis, no actual decisions have been made yet.

Uh that that's really um uh what we're what we're anxious, we're all eager to get into this and roll up our sleeves and and and get into the work.

Uh so but we're not gonna rush it.

We're not gonna get ahead of ourselves.

Uh we're gonna be very careful and and intentional about uh collecting that that kind of community input through a series of surveys.

We've got all kinds of events here that I'll I'll mention and uh and certainly a couple of touch points with the commission.

Uh I would anticipate at least uh one, if not more, uh work sessions with this group, uh, probably in the summer months right there where we're making all the sausage.

And so the events themselves, we've got five events that are uh tentatively scheduled here.

Again, these aren't on the calendar yet, so uh please uh uh uh give me some grace here as we kind of develop that calendar.

These are roughly the weeks that they would line up and where they would generally occur.

Again, this is part of that negotiation for the scope of work that we've gone through with the consultant.

Um we've got these five, what we call events that we're gonna be uh uh very public about, you know, this first one um, you know, towards the end of March, we'll be uh really taking a lot of those um constituent meetings, you know, like I said, with watershed council and others, you know, kind of coalesce a lot of information, there's a lot of hands on this, um, and try to provide some continuity so that by the time we you know get to uh April and May and we're gelling all this, uh, we can we can really make sense of it.

And then by middle of May, we'll have kind of that initial, all right.

Here's what we heard, what would you like to see, kind of confirm expectations and and where we're at, and then we really set sail into developing those those projects and uh what they call interventions in July and uh August.

Uh by September, we'll have that kind of draft plan.

That's where we go back around to the advisory boards, and then by November uh we'll have that final document in hand.

Again, that's not doesn't mean it's done, but that just means it's done to a point where we feel good about bringing it back for your consideration.

Obviously, we don't have those scheduled on your calendar yet, but I would anticipate them, you know, having to go through all these advisory boards, that's gonna take probably a month in and of itself.

Uh, and then by the time we can get back to the commission, that will be uh probably early December, maybe mid-December at the latest.

I certainly respect concerns about um you know all of the various engagements that the city is going through, and we'll do everything we can to um kind of maximize um our connections here.

So when we're talking about the IWERP, you know, we can integrate the water resource plan, we can be talking about this too, and vice versa.

Um are they interchangeable and and intimately related?

I uh no, but but you know, we're fortunate to have staff that's high performing and works together by nature very well, and I assure you that we're gonna be uh working very well together uh throughout all of these efforts so that by the time we get to uh you know this point uh for your ultimate consideration, we're we're gonna be feeling really good about the plan.

Uh so with that, I'm gonna turn it over to Steve and Jim, and they'll uh help uh describe a little bit more about the the benefits of this really unique relationship that we have with uh the city and this uh grassroots organization partnering uh to really move this idea forward.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm Jim Madden.

I'm one of the co-leaders of C Bozeman Creek.

And um I want to thank you for this opportunity to uh share with you the evolution of C.

Bozeman Creek.

Um we are a citizens group that started about six years ago.

And at that time, the Bozeman Downtown Partnership approached Mountain Time Art to see what public art might be able to do to bring people together and bring some change and make something make something of the creek that the community can be proud of.

Um during that uh six years, we've we uh so we basically see Bozeman Creek started out as uh as mountain time art, uh basically a program of mountain time art.

So during the six years, we've completed four projects that address the creek.

They're all intended to raise awareness, educate, and deepen connections to this place we call home and and its waters.

And this one was completed in 2023, it's right outside the door here.

Um it uh evokes the uh tremendous number of species that depend on the water of the creek.

On the right panel, a painting by Ben Pease, and the left panel is a map of the greater watershed intending to make clear the connection of this neglected body of water with the greater system in in the valley.

Um as a side note on all, and then our next project was just or not our next one, but the last one was just completed this summer.

I want to make a little sidetrack here for a second and really appreciate the staff that has helped permit these projects.

And well, does this need a building permit?

It's you know, it's got some structural elements and needs to be attached to city infrastructure, and after a little bit of head scratching, everyone from the manager manager's office arena to Nick Ross and engineering and the inspectors and you know, they're all tremendously accommodating and made it go smoothly.

Um so this project was just on the screen, it was just completed in August.

It was um intended to focus for the focus to shift as our community is prompted to inquire of itself.

What do we value as being more precious?

How do we care for and value our natural resources?

This is our water that you're looking at.

Is this okay?

Do we care?

Might we do more?

Might we make at least a start?

Or are we just going to continue to neglect and sully the lifeblood of our community?

So this was completed in August, and um along the way, as John mentioned, um revitalizing and taking a look at what we might do to uh make a community asset of the creek and include its ecological help and improve its ecological health.

Um it it as John mentioned became a high priority for the city.

Um so along the way, three three things happened that compelled us to expand our arts focus and become a citizens group.

Um the first thing that happened was the 2022 flooding that occurred in the valleys to the east, east of here, and that brought some real urgency to these issues.

The second thing that happened was what I just said, that the uh creek became one of the city's top priorities.

And what that dude did was release energy and staff time and really allow the city to address this, where there are all these 20 years of plans saying we got to do something about the creek.

Well, it never quite got high enough in a priority to have have something happen.

And the third thing that happened was the third thing that happened to internally to our group was we needed to include a broader array of skill sets, knowledges, and reach into our communities than was contained in the original arts group, arts focus group.

So we now have about 50 members of C.

Bozeman Creek, and we're led by a core group of um 20 members that are representatives of uh some of them are representatives of these uh community groups and organizations.

And lastly, we function under the uh fiscal sponsorship of One Valley Community Foundation.

So that's the introduction to uh to you of where we came from and why we're so excited about this project.

And Steve will carry on from here.

Thank you.

Thanks, Jim.

Thank you all very much.

Steve Noble is my name, uh resident of the neighborhood.

I hope that in this presentation that you'll really hear from us that C.

Bozeman Creek can be an extraordinary local asset, uh full of integrity, that a lot of the people, some of them mentioned in the uh in the logos on the slide, and others were all citizens.

Uh most, not necessarily my own, are all subject matter experts in water science and landscape architecture and engineering and on and on and on for three to five years.

They've been volunteering in this loosely ad hoc group of uh of citizens without an agenda, uh, no conflicts of interest, and I think nothing but the best interests of the community and the creek in particular.

Um this slide shows uh the way we think about the advisory group.

Uh Jim mentioned 50 people or so that are part of uh participating actively in in Sea Bozeman Creek.

This group is um uh uh a subset of that, but they're they're arranged in ways around subject matter.

So we have uh uh the downtown interests, we have water scientists, we have the architects, engineers, communications team, water resource people.

Jim and I are going to continue to be co-leaders if you want to call it that.

Uh two interesting members or three maybe in particular that I'd like to draw your attention to.

One is uh a native person who lives on the creek.

Uh we have we are determined, as Jim mentioned, in addition to listening to experts and listening to the community.

Native advice was listen to the creek.

Listen to what the creek might want to be in the future.

Uh we take that very seriously, and I think we have a great person to help us keep Pet North Star in mind.

Um Terry Cunningham is going to sit with us to kind of help us as we think further down the road about uh not only what are the policy recommendations, but what are policies?

And so therefore we can find our way to navigate some of those uh important uh avenues.

And I think uh if if if you haven't seen us together enough, you you haven't missed it.

We have an extremely competent and positive, constructive, productive partner in John Henderson.

And I think one of the things that's unique about this collaboration is that collaboration built on trust that the three of us have established uh over the years.

And and if I may, uh uh Commissioner Magic, uh just as an example, how do you get on this distinguished group?

We invited Kathy Kostakis to be on the group because she's a natural leader in the community.

And a couple of years ago, she joined us when we were out on a weekend afternoon clearing the creek of all the debris that had been tossed in it.

So it's a do something kind of group.

Uh this illustration was actually provided to us by Port uh to illustrate how they would see the relationship between their staff in terms of project as project lead, uh the planning and the architecture and so forth, as well as the science and watershed management, hydrology and the like, a lot of ecological uh depth on their team.

Um but we positioned with full concurrence with John and his team that the City of Bozeman would see Sea Bozeman Creek at the nexus of this relationship.

So that a lot of the conduit of information back and forth between the city would be able to be leveraged by the subject matter experts that are part of our group.

To be clear, while we are independent of the city, um, we are not decision makers.

We are just conduits of information back and forth.

Um we want to get more out of port so that the community benefits.

And by having subject matter experts actually having port accountable in some ways to us, we think we can push them to to get more out of their work.

And and maybe if if a better way of describing it would be to say, we'd like to bosemanize uh the way this whole project goes, so that this is not some imposition by a Philadelphia uh architectural firm.

Um we also want to make the process and maybe some of the uh interim outcomes really accessible.

Uh, this happens to be a map that they used in one of their projects out in a park to show what the project was going to be, how accessible it was.

You could see what was going on.

Uh again, Commissioner Magic, I'm reminded of an observation you made a while ago at one of these meetings to have some iconography out, some signage, some pathways, some notices.

Uh we've talked about hanging a banner over Main Street, down where the creek goes submerged under Main Street, just to draw attention to this and maybe do an installation like this in public somewhere so people can at least see what's going on.

Um I think as John pointed out, it's a it's a sure it's a year, but we think it it's gonna need that.

It's gonna need the time for it to sink in, let people mull it over, let people come and see the aspects of it so that it's not some big, ooh, a report surprise uh in the fall.

Um and I was actually interested to hear earlier when you were talking about, Mr.

Mayor, about the liaisons, because we want to meet with a lot of the groups that you are liaison with.

Uh so in a way, we'll be meeting with you individually or together uh when we meet with those those groups.

So we'll really want to be sure that you're there when we can schedule that to happen.

Um down to the kind of the nitty-gritty, you know, a lot of us that are familiar with the design world are familiar with as principles of of what they've often referred to as design thinking, which is really a fancy term for why don't you ask the customer what they want out of a product or a policy or a project that you're after.

So design thinking has kind of two, it it acknowledges two, I think, important things.

Uh one is that there are natural tensions between those that just want to have permission to dream, the wishful thinkers.

Oh, I'd like to have a pony in every backyard, you know, sort of thinking.

And then there are those on the other extreme of this illustrated by this distribution curve that no, no, no, no, no.

That's going to be too hard, it's going to be too expensive, we don't want to do that, it'll cause too much pain.

So what do you do?

You listen to both, and then through at the what I love this phrase, at the speed of trust, the little red dots and the little green dots begin to coalesce around what might be plausible, really key word, I think at this stage.

And from plausible, you can begin to find the best options to go into the vision.

So that'll be the general process, the sausage making, if you will, of how we'll get to what we think we'll be, and we'll be pushing the consultants to come up with those most attractive, widely supported, plausible outcomes that'll be part of the vision plan.

Uh lastly, you know, we've we've got this on our website, our vision about uh clean water meandering through downtown so people can engage with it.

That just happens to be C.

Bozeman Creek's kind of vision.

That's not going to necessarily be the vision of this of this plan.

But I gotta tell you, if if if we gain your consent and approval this evening, the hard work begins.

This is when it really starts to get real.

Um again, what I'd hope you'd you'd take into that consideration is to see C.

Bozeman Creek as a as a partner, a genuine partner with the city.

Um as leverage, as an asset.

Um that we can leverage port to give the community more than it expects and should deserve.

Uh lastly, maybe on behalf of Jim and me, I'd like to thank you for our thankful awards.

Uh we've got a little sweat equity into this, so we appreciate a attaboy every once in a while.

Uh we'd be happy to entertain any questions, I'm sure, but I think you have some business to tend to, so we will yield the microphone.

Thank you very much for your attention.

Thank you for that presentation.

Is there any any final clarifications from staff, or will you ready to open it up for questions?

Uh no, I I think uh you you heard a compelling uh case for uh trying something a little new here and and working as a partner uh hand in hand with uh community grassroots organization.

And I do I just want to also linger and say how lucky we are uh to be blessed with just the level of talent uh in this community.

Um I gotta believe this isn't just anywhere USA.

I mean the fact that we live next to Yellowstone at the headwaters of this amazing place.

We are fortunate to have uh experts uh that live here that are invested in this community that have found their way to see Bozeman Creek.

And so uh when we look at water quality and all these other um uh aspects of the project, I'm I'm confident that that we've got local support for really getting into it.

Thank you.

And happy to take questions.

Great.

Uh we will open up for commission questions.

Um we'll start with Commissioner Sweet.

We might have swung all the way back around, so we'll start over here.

Any questions for our presenters?

So um thank you for um this presentation and um the RFP and um the whole packet.

Uh for the the benefit of the public, and maybe also slightly myself.

I had to look it up.

Um do you want to describe to us what a geomorphologist is?

Go ahead, pal.

Well, I have to preface it, but I really don't know.

But Karen Boyd, who has worked on all of Mountain Time Arts uh water projects for 10 years, uh, is a geomorphologist.

And she uh she has the ability to take really complicated systems and explain them to people like me.

So I like, oh man, I totally get it.

So that's one characteristic of a geomorphologist.

But I think they uh I think a geo, I really don't know.

I maybe I should shout out.

Does anybody else know?

There's one if I may.

I am geomorphologist.

Uh on the C Boseman Creek.

Sorry, point of order.

Yeah, do you want to and then please introduce yourself?

Um thanks for being willing to step in for a question.

Hi, I'm Peter Skidmore, um neighborhood resident and part of the C.

Bozeman Creek committee, and uh I am a geomorphologist, so I can answer your question.

I'll I'll make it brief.

Geomorphology is a study of earth forms.

Rivers are earth forms, geomorphologists um bring the knowledge of how rivers and streams function and watershed science to bear on water quality and uh river health.

So thank you.

Thank you, beautiful.

Thank you very much.

We almost always have a geomorphologist in the room.

Um we make it as a point of order for normal the normal business of the city.

That's gonna be my that's gonna be my big question.

Okay.

Commissioner Magic.

Yeah, great.

So cool to see the evolution of this project, and I really give credit to the three of you, the presenters, uh, and um our former mayor Cunningham, uh four people who just you've got a crazy idea and you follow it through.

So I'm really really excited to see where this is going.

Um my one question, I'm looking back at the audience who I know wants to participate.

Is um assistant city manager at Henderson, you talked about stakeholders in the community being engaged.

Um there'll be open meetings, but the specific meetings with stakeholders, how are you gonna identify those people?

And how can people, if they wish to be identified, participate.

Great, and and thank you for the question.

Uh so within the adopted community engagement plan, we have a list of what we call external partners.

Um and that's it's exhaustive.

Uh you have examples like GVLT, um Watershed Council, the um local water quality district, uh the uh conservation district, uh, and and so what uh what what we're gonna be doing here over the next few days uh with the help of the consultant is trying to um kind of put some focus on uh which groups do we need to get to first, maybe in which order, uh and and that's not to say there's any one that's more important than another.

It's just uh I think the conservation district's a good example uh from from what I understand.

Um nothing can happen uh along the creek without approval with from the conservation district.

So it would seem to me that that's a likely uh uh candidate for somebody who's gonna be engaged early and often um with intention.

And so there are others on that list.

Uh but but we're not gonna be able to get to everybody in the first few days, and so we're gonna have to kind of prioritize this in a way that we can step through this in a uh in and and and get make sure that everyone's voice is heard.

Um as far as um uh members of the community that might have relationships with those groups that are listed, or even if they're not listed, um there are a variety of ways to plug in.

Um I I I failed to mention we've got uh this uh uh project site that we use called engagement uh sorry, engage boseman.net um and you can subscribe for updates, you can add your name to it.

I believe C Bozem Creek also has a subscription uh that you can um sign up for, and and that would be a good channel to to tune in for those opportunities that come around.

Uh there are uh countless opportunities for public comment.

Um you can call us direct, we can uh we'll we'll pick up the phone.

Um and and I'm just proud to work in a community that still has that kind of touch and uh and and we'll we'll make time.

We'll we'll make sure that if we want to hear uh those kind of questions and and suggestions and and concerns along the way.

Great.

Thanks for that answer.

That's all I have.

Commissioner Bowdy.

Yeah, thank you.

Um really important question.

Can we get a hot wheels scaled map as well through the process of our engagement?

Love it.

Um, I mean I'm sure that our uh consultants here will design whatever type of engagement is best.

But I thought that was very cool and would enjoy a Hot Wheels scaled model of our city.

Um I think elementary schoolers would also enjoy that.

Um should be more serious then now.

We received some public comments about um the lack of an ecologist on the team of people that will be working on this process.

Um it seems like we have a number of people engaged that have a background in the environment and ecology in some way, shape, or form, but not specifically that expertise.

Could you um speak to whether that was a conscious choice and just like what that same need may be met with kind of the current proposal or what shifts would be needed to make to kind of address that.

Yeah, I appreciate that, and thank you.

So you know, we're in the review of of the seven proposals that we received, uh yeah, you you saw a good mix.

Um some had, some hadn't.

Um there was no, you know, certainly no intention to isolate or or leave anyone out of it.

At the end of the day, you know, Poard, you know, provided the quality of experience and expertise that we're looking for that we feel like we'll we're gonna benefit from.

And they have a subconsultant called Rio ASEASE, and that whole company um is centered around the sciences uh behind um uh what I believe to be the term ecology.

Um and I am not a geomorphologist, but um but but I I I would suspect that um you know an ecologist would be able to kind of um interweave uh these disciplines in maybe a more holistic comprehensive way.

Um and so certainly uh want to lean on uh our local experts and and I I can't speak to whether or not we have a an actual specific ecologist uh that's uh trained and certified professional that's a part of C.

Bosan Creek, but I think you saw the uh the visualization that represented a great cross section of the disciplines that would otherwise be included in that sphere.

Great, thank you.

Um we also received some public comment about um the different goals in the RFP um process, and one of them increase ecological health.

Um some commenters uh noted was was missing.

Can you just speak to um you know if or how that goal got dropped through this process and if that's kind of one of our objectives?

Sure.

And and and honestly, that was a product of conversations that occurred following the adoption of a resolution for those commission priorities with the mayor.

And so uh as you know better than anyone here, uh, you know, when those commission parties are are envisioned or or created, um, there isn't always uh time at that point in the process to fully develop exactly what you're going for here.

And and I apologize for being a little um you know uh uh direct here, but uh but there is an there is a meaningful way to uh come together to make sure that we have clarity on what those expectations were based on the initial resolution.

And so in talking with Mayor Cunningham at the time, um, you know, we we we we were working through that in a way that we resulted in the goals that are listed.

I I can assure you that there was no um you know intentional act to like strike language.

No, no, there was nothing like that.

Uh there was conversation about the fact that this was not intended to be a um you know completely comprehensive, holistic watershed site.

No, that that is a that's for another time, another day, uh for frankly a much larger uh dollar figure.

Uh so this really needed some focus, and that's that's what really drew us towards you know, really making sure that we can leverage the flood mitigation work that we did last year, uh, lean into water quality.

We've made huge progress with stormwater improvements here downtown in particular over the last decade, um, and uh and those other goals that are listed.

That's really how the the it took shape.

And then that was presented in October uh through the community community engagement plan.

Uh so this this uh group has seen and the public has seen uh these goals since last October and you know open to to ways that we can uh we can make sure that that people's needs are being met here along the way.

John?

Yes, sir.

Please just on that point.

And I think as we get going and the consultants begin to draw their team together closer with ours, if we see any missing link, the beauty and the leverage that I think C Bozeman Creek has, just as the example of Peter rising back here, we'll find them because they're probably here.

So I don't think any stone will be left unturned if we need it along the way.

That's really helpful.

And um I also imagine that you know I I think what I saw on the scope was that um the you know technical engineering plans were kind of for a later, a later step after this visioning process is done.

And so um is it correct to assume that if we were in the stage of actually reconfiguring the creek um in accordance with the plan, at that point we can bring on somebody with you know uh ecologist background or expertise in exactly what types of plants ought to be planted on the shoreline and what kind of um species we should be considering impacting as we as we move land, et cetera.

Yeah, and and and thank you.

What you're describing is absolutely uh the the practice that we go through uh at site design.

And so when we're actually implementing a project, oh for sure.

We have landscape architects, all kinds of people engaged at that level in the granular way, so then make sure that that we're covering our basis there.

Um I I would offer also that you know, if if the commission is interested in um, you know, uh uh adding ecological health to one of the goals, like let's say water quality.

So improve water quality and ecological health.

Um I I we would be happy to consider that.

I I think what's important to acknowledge though is that that wouldn't necessarily change the scope of the work, right?

That wouldn't change the the work that we're gonna be doing.

And and that's my way of of trying to reinforce um and uh the the fact that if if we're successful in doing what we're set out to do, then ecological health will be an outcome.

Um it it are are we doing it through the lens of you know animal movements?

Well, that's where we get sensitive lands in our pocket.

Are we doing it through you know fish studies?

Um, that's where we need to rely on our partners, uh Fishal Elephant Parks.

Um so I struggle with like the definition of ecological health.

Um at the same time, I want to make sure that at your at your direction, um, if if it's important to be upfront and use those words, um I think we can absolutely you know plug that into the list of goals.

And then that what that can do is you know, you know, that can that can follow us with the entire you know conversation that we're about to start uh within the community.

Happy to do so, but it won't actually change the scope, won't change the plan in in its entirety.

Great.

So just to put a final clarification, we could add those words and it wouldn't require us to go back to port and say, hey, is this extra work uh added extra cost, et cetera.

I I don't believe so.

As long as the way I'm describing it is correctly interpreted and well received by this commission.

The fact that the proposal that we've been provided and the scope of work that you're considering tonight remains.

The language we use, that that can be that there's some flexibility there for sure.

Okay, thank you.

I'll pass it on.

Uh my questions were already asked.

Um other questions from the commission?

Okay, we will open it up for public comment.

Thank you for that presentation.

Thank you.

So we will be the same public comment procedures as before.

You got three minutes, tell us what your business is within the city, uh, and then you'll have three minutes to make your comments, and you'll see a cascade of lights, three minutes with green, got a minute left when it goes yellow, and that's that's about it.

Good evening.

Good evening, uh Pete Gettys.

I live on Limestone Creek, a tributary of Bozeman Creek, runs right through my backyard.

I'm here to cheerlead and congratulate you and thank you for taking interest in this.

Twenty-five years ago, I thought about quitting my day job and doing what these guys are doing, and my wife pointed out to me.

We have three kids, we've got to go through college.

You might not want to do that.

So that was good thing we reconsidered that.

But it's just very exciting to see this.

I read about it in the paper.

So as a stakeholder, that's how I found out about it.

And I think uh commissioner, your concerns about ecology, it's just inconceivable to me that in this process with these people and the consultants that that's not going to be top of mind for everybody.

So thanks again for supporting it.

I think it's really important.

Bozeman's a great intentional community because people care and get together and do remarkable things.

This will just be another one of those.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other public comment in the room this evening.

Good evening.

Good evening.

Just a quick disclosure before I start my comment.

I am the Northeast Neighborhood representative for the Interneighborhood Council, but I'm speaking for myself this evening.

My name is Angie Kachowick, and I'm a Bozeman resident and business owner.

So I'm heartened that Port LLC and its partner, Rio ASE seem like a good match for this vision plan from their proposal.

Quote, Bozeman Creek offers a unique opportunity to restore a dynamic urban waterway and strengthen ecological function throughout its corridor.

End quote.

This tells me they understand that any future vision must first be grounded in the commitment to improve ecological function as part of a watershed and for all living things along and downstream from it.

They echoed the city's RFP, stating the 2024 Commission priority to increase ecological health and so on.

But as John acknowledged, ecological health is is not currently listed as a project goal.

Despite Mayor Cunningham's recent mayoral proclamation that included to work toward with releasing Bozeman Creek to make a naturally functioning waterway.

So it's not too late.

I believe if we are truly listening to the creek, um, that we can delay or make conditional tonight's vote so that an explicit and reasonable ecological goal is fleshed out.

Architecture, engineering, hydrology, geomorphology, joksters are well represented, but um as yet ecology is not.

I think it's time we get a little more clear on who's guiding the Bozeman Creek Vision Plan, the relationships at play, and the what the goals are before other engagement begins.

And with all due respect, I believe a clear expectation should be set with C Bozeman Creek moving forward.

To their credit, according to the website, they seek a naturally functioning and connected creek corridor with healthy riparian areas.

We saw the graph, but um it's still unclear how they function as a group or a partnership.

Case in point, a public comment this past spring on C.

Bozeman Creek Letterhead was in support of an application to encroach into the Bozeman Creek Watercourse setback for a future hotel.

The applicant for the deviation is a listed C.

Bozeman Creek partner.

Now tonight referred to as member.

Conversely, other listed partners representing their respective organizations opposed granting the deviation.

And or gave testimony to rightly uphold the value of water course setbacks.

So while the code allows for water course deviation applications, I would hope you all agree that any officially recognized city partner on this project shall at the very least uphold minimum water course setbacks in the future.

Please.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other public comment in the room this evening?

Good evening.

Hi again.

Uh Mark Campanelli Boger Park Neighbor.

I am the Inc.

Inc.

rep for Bogar Park Neighborhood Association and the president.

Um, uh there's a famous quote.

It's uh Margaret Reed, I guess, if you believe AI.

Uh never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world.

Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

So I just want to extend that grace to you guys because that's how I've been viewing, you know, how we've been operating, and I really do appreciate giving us a little bit more insight into your operational mode.

Um I think it's Warren Buffett said uh when the tide goes out is when you figure out who's been swimming naked.

Um so I live in the wedge between Mill Creek and Bozeman Creek.

Uh well, where Mill Creek breaks off.

And if you look at the new flood analysis, um it's different than the FEMA map.

So the hundred-year flood completely covers my whole block.

Next to me, I have college kids in a basement.

Two, three doors down from me of more college kids in a place with a basement across the street.

I got three places, I think, with college kids in a basement.

If all of those flood, like none of them have, none of them probably have renters and actually my neighbor next to me, I talked to her, she just got renter's insurance, but that's not flood insurance, right?

So that can make for a horrible finals week in May when we have a rain over snow event, right?

That causes a massive flood.

Um not to mention my only asset is my house.

And with the flood insurance I can get from FEMA, I would double my insurance cost to another $1,200 a year, and it would just cover my remaining mortgage, right?

So like these are real economic issues, and it is an affordability issue.

It's it's one that sits on a tail of a distribution.

It's not an everyday worry.

But if something like that happens, like it's life-changing for a whole bunch of people.

And actually, someone on the neighborhood board from Boulder went through the flooding that happened there.

That was just oh, that one was scary.

Um luckily most of our models don't show it being so scary, just very wet.

So, anyways.

Um another favorite saying of mine is you know, all models are wrong, but some are useful.

Uh, and so in making these economic analyses, which sounds like maybe that's not so much the point of the plan, um, even though they came out first with the preliminary engineering review.

Um, you have to um you have to judge, you know, you have to make these risk assessments.

Is it worth getting flood insurance?

How much stuff do I have, you know, when I'm only a college student versus say me.

And I I really think that needs to be discussed more.

Um, and I could say more, but the only other thing I say is just anybody who's watched how this place is developing would give us neighbors a bit of grace about being worried about developers.

So thank you.

Any other public comment in the room?

Uh Daniel Cardi, Bozeman resident.

I think us, I think all of us share um the opinion that we'd like good things to happen to Bozeman Creek.

We might just differ on how to get there.

So I'm speaking tonight to ask the commission to delay approving action item I point one until such time as the following two conditions are met.

First, reinstate the term increase ecological health as a goal of the Bozeman Creek Vision Plan, because this term is clearly stated as a goal in resolution 5626.

To quote page four of the RFP, the City Commission approved resolution 5626 on August 6, 2024, adopting the Bozeman Creek Vision Plan as a crime commission priority to increase ecological health.

However, in the detail memo provided for action item I point one tonight, the term ecological increase ecological health has been omitted as a project goal.

Instead, the only goals listed in the detail memo are enhance flood mitigation efforts, improve water quality, increase access and connectivity to parks and trails, support economic development opportunities, and strengthen community connection to a vital resource.

The second condition that needs to be met is that the proposed consultants, port architecture, and urbanism LLC and its partner, Rio ASC, need to add a riverine aquatic ecologist with a master's or PhD and at least five years experience to their Vision Creek project team.

In conclusion, it's to go without saying that co-developing the Bozeman Creek Vision Plan with the integrated water resources plan, which may recommend land management actions in Upper Sourdough Creek, specifically the potential for uh Beaver Dam analogs that could serve as a buffer to flood to flooding and integrating the BC VP with a Gallup Valley sensitive lands protection plan and focusing the BCVP on ecological health, aka watershed function of the entire sourdough Bozeman Creek watershed is the best way to minimize the need for alternative actions.

And that alternative is to spend millions of dollars engineering flood controls within Bozeman's downtown core.

Thank you.

Any other public comment in the room this evening?

Good evening.

Good evening.

My name is Zara Osman, Bozeman resident, and I am a INC alternate rep for Valley Unit Neighborhood Association, but I'm speaking on my for myself.

As you know, I am here again taking the opportunity to exercise my right to uh engage and give you public comment.

Um and I usually do this when any undertaking has a potential to impact what is most vulnerable to impacts, including our vulnerable residents, our vulnerable natural environment, and our vulnerable historic resources.

So success should be measured by our ability to grow Bozeman without adversely affecting and impacting these vulnerable assets of our community that matter to all of us.

So with that in mind.

So if you include in the project goal to strengthen ecological function and health, um and throughout this river's corridor or this creeks corridor, it is um makes it more than water quality.

It's a way to measure impacts and success.

And also please ensure that an appropriate ecologist will be on the team.

Again, that will ensure that our goals are achieved and um and that we have that correct function and health of our creek.

And finally, please consider including um adjacent residents uh adjacent to the creek as either one of the 50 members of the C Bozeman Creek um group or as stakeholders, because as you know, um I'm very interested in grassroots citizen initiated engagements, such as what we did with Friends of Fowler.

Um, but the C Bozeman Creek is more, it's a partner with the city.

So consider someone from maybe the neighborhood association as a conduit.

Um I like that word, the way you guys used it, um, as a conduit to the inner neighborhood council and adjacent residents.

Thank you.

Any other public comment in the room this evening?

One more request for public comment in the room.

Mr.

Newby, are we seeing any public comment online?

No, Mayor Morrison, we are not seeing any requests for spoke too soon.

Just a second.

Who do we got?

Uh we've got Marsha McKinnon.

Good evening.

Are you are you here with us?

You've got three minutes.

I I am.

I almost missed that opportunity because it went so quickly, but I I am here.

Thank you for catching that.

Um, Mr.

Newby.

And thank you, Commission, for making this an action item.

Oh, I should introduce myself, sorry.

Marcia, it's actually Marsha Caveney, so I'll have to clear that up with how my name is coming through.

Um Bozeman resident.

So, first of all, thank you for making this an action item.

I really appreciate that.

And thank you, John Henderson and Jim Madden and Steve Noble for the great presentation.

So, first and foremost, I'm a lifelong naturalist, former natural science teacher, and I live within a few blocks of Bozeman Creek for about 25 years.

So I'm a big fan of this project.

As a co-founder of the Bozeman Tree Coalition, and I can relate to the hard work that they've all been doing.

Uh tonight, my comments are my own.

Um a note on the ecological health discussion.

It was one of the first things that I heard co-leader Jim Madden mention in his presentation.

And I believe that ecological health does not have to mean the entire length of Bozeman Creek, but rather the creek segments within the city limits that are open to the air.

So I still think that listing water quality alone does not make it clear that the overall health of the stream will also be considered.

Um the two do go hand in hand.

I like John's idea of adding the wording and ecological health to the line on water quality.

And if I learned anything during the UDC process last year, it is that words matter, so it's helpful to spell things out where there is concern by the public.

Another note I had on wording was if economic development opportunities, um, which is a really hot topic in the community.

It's a bit triggering.

If that's not accurate, then I would really urge you to please change these words to economic vitality, which John said is actually what is meant.

So let's just say what we mean.

The goals to me are like a mission statement, something that the partners and public will refer back to time and again.

So I think again, it's essential to get the wording correct up front.

Finally, I have two comments about engagement.

The first is that I believe the community is also a main stakeholder, so I would like to see the public somehow be included beyond the survey and podium speaking.

And I will go out on a limb here, pun intended, but I am sure the Bozeman Tree Coalition would like to be more involved as an external partner if possible.

And that's it.

So they will uh I would imagine on further discussion with the BTC steering committee.

I expect that they'll be in touch with the group, but they would be an excellent partner.

Um thanks.

That is it.

Thank you, Mr.

Newby.

Are we seeing any more requests for public comment online?

No, Mayor Morrison, we are not.

I saw you triple check that time.

Um okay, seeing no further requests for public comment, we'll bring it up here for a motion discussion and vote.

Um, Commissioner Sweden.

I move to authorize the city manager to sign a professional services agreement with Port Architecture and Urbanism LLC for the Bozeman Creek Vision Plan.

Second.

It's been moved and seconded.

Can I take one moment just to ask staff if there's any clarification?

Um is there any clarification from staff?

And I guess also is there any guidance?

This is not a resolution or ordinance.

This is a professional services agreement that has you know has some parameters, has some guardrails.

Do you have any recommendations for us should we wish to uh you know change economic development to vitality, add ecological health, et cetera.

Um, how we should proceed, should that be a desire of the commission.

Thanks, um Mayor.

I'd like to take that.

So um it is um we listen to the public comment, we listen to the um the comments of the commission and direction that we receive.

Um it is uh um you can make this decision for yourselves and and we support that.

Um we you can pick apart any public service agreement we have and and tweak it and make it better.

What I hope that you have in staff is a trust that we heard what was said tonight.

We share those same values, and we want to get to work on this.

So my recommendation would be obviously that that you approve it tonight and you allow us to do the work that we say we're gonna do, um, use our partners in the community, use our consultant in a way that um I believe is going to result in a really great project.

So that would be my recommendation tonight.

Thank you, City Manager.

Okay, sorry about that.

Commissioner Sweet.

No, that was really helpful.

Thank you for that.

Um I have to thank uh Commissioner Bodie for articulating those questions so early because I as I was reading the entire packet and the proposal and the RFP itself, I came up with half a page of notes that articulated exactly the same concern.

Um I would definitely support asking to add ecological health or ecological function, either of those to the water quality um goal and the reason for that.

I just want to explain.

Um section three, item three of the RFP states that specific project recommendations shall be developed in support of the goals listed.

So we want to make sure that recommendations are indeed actually focusing on ecological health.

And I I think between you know flood mitigation and water quality, we kind of get there, but let's words do absolutely matter, and if there's anything I don't like, it's vague language.

So can we please just add that in there and make it an actual goal?

Um another reason for that would be also section of three item five states that the the consultant selected will provide a comprehensive set of funding strategies to achieve the goals listed.

If the goal of ecological health isn't specifically listed as a goal, the consultant may not investigate funding sources available for that specific objective, and I think that's really important.

And I think that's really important.

Yes, there's FEMA money for flood.

Yes, there's you know water quality projects, but um there might be specific funding related to ecological projects that we could tap into.

And I definitely the the public commenters articulated so perfectly well.

This community is very nervous about development interests, about you know, over-aminetizing something.

Um the comparison to Boise makes me a little bit nervous.

You know, if we're talking about what we really mean is economic vitality and what is that for Bozeman, um, you know, maybe maybe part of the enjoyment for Bozemanites is that they have a place to go fishing after work and catch healthy fish in a accessible yet wild area, right?

So, you know, when I hear words like economic development, I think of we are going to create a platform for someone to rent kayaks to consumers in order to enjoy this amenity floating down our town, right?

So I share the public sentiment in having a great nervousness around potential extraction and um over development and amenitizing of something that we should connect deeply on an environmental level with.

Um I've always said we are not the only land users and we are not the only water users, and so a full ecological picture of you know spaces of Bozeman Creek that are intentionally left wild.

Um and obviously the downtown core.

I asked this body before I even sat up here to support the setback setback encroachment into Bozeman Creek.

Um that's as urban as it gets.

You know, that's really in the the core of our you know two main street blocks.

And there's something that is appropriate in that section that I worry about, you know.

I think we we might want something different for the rest of the creek and public engagement will obviously dictate what the community wants.

Um but yeah, I I share concerns about ecological function.

Would you like to make a motion in regards to that?

That's wondering.

Oh.

Sorry, uh, a amendment.

Would you like to propose an amendment in the case?

I I think my understanding from what the city manager and an assistant city manager walked through.

An amendment is not needed.

There's a there will be much that's incorporated into the record of this agreement that we're signing.

Um if if that feels insufficient, I don't know if there's an amendment procedure for for this given that's sort of where I wanted to start the questions was this isn't a resolution where we're making item edits.

This is a a larger, you know, the the agreement includes the RFP, it includes their proposal all throughout to clarify ecological health litters throughout all of those documents.

It's basically just absent from the memo, um, which is just one part of what we would be approving tonight.

I saw some conferring over here.

Thank you.

Um we can always amend the professional services agreement, talk with the consultant about any impacts I would have to the cost of it, and we could bring that back for the commission on consent before we sign it.

That is an option.

Were we planning to bring this back on consent since it's an action item tonight or no?

It would just be approve and go.

I would like the city attorney to weigh in on that.

That sounds great to me.

So the approval of a contract is an administrative task.

Um I have absolutely no concern that if John and Chuck uh incorporate the suggestions that you guys are asking for into the scope of services after talking to the consultant.

Um they can just sign.

It would be reflective of the approval that you give tonight.

So it wouldn't have to come back.

And then you can hold me accountable if the language that we use and the amendment to the contract doesn't meet the commission's desire.

But we're listening very closely.

I think Commissioner Sweeney was clear on what she wanted it to add, and if that's uh uh if that's agreed to by um the commission, then we can go that path.

Great.

So are we feeling comfortable going forward with that direction?

Yeah, or just to be clear, are we adding the words ecological health to that bullet point on water health or on water quality?

Yeah, I think we'll we'll be able to telegraph majority support as we as we go through our our findings on the main motion.

Okay.

Um I did just want to compliment um also in closing the um the proposal put together.

I like particularly the circling back with what we heard.

Um that is a valuable step in the process.

So thanks.

Thank you.

Uh Commissioner Magic.

Yeah.

Thanks, Mayor.

Um, thanks, Commissioner Sweeney.

Um I definitely agree with changing that verbiage.

Uh so increasing ecological health, uh, and um appreciated the last uh commenter on the economic vitality.

So both of those um I appreciate all the public comment tonight, including the little joke on Hidden Creek.

I I got a little chuckle, private chuckle over that.

Um just want to say and kind of remind people that you know, this is the start of a visioning process, the start of a planning process.

And this is not going to be our plan.

It's not the city commission's plan.

It's not C Bozeman Creek's plan, it's not the city of Bozeman's plan, it's the community's plan.

And that's what we're setting off to do here launching into a community planning process that's gonna lay out what our community vision is for Bozeman Creek.

And based on the comments that we've heard tonight, based on kind of the history of comments that we've heard and care and love of our creek, I think we're off to a really good start.

We've had our shepherds, you know.

I see Jim and Steve as the award-winning shepherds who have brought this to us.

But once again, this is not going to be your plan.

You're gonna kind of have to let go of it, you get to participate in the process, but your voice is going to be one of many.

And I think included in that many voice of Bozeman are going to be experts.

And there are going to be opportunities as our assistant city manager said, you know, the final product is going to be policy and project recommendations.

And so this is the start of the work, but it's gonna lay out a roadmap of more work.

And those recommendations are going to be a reflection of all the community input.

And I see a lot of expert opinion going into those recommendations.

So one recommendation could be hey, we want to hire the GMO geomorphologists to do this study, and that's gonna be a separate project.

So just I think we've got a long ways to go.

This is a great, great start, and I'm really excited.

I want to authorize the city manager to sign the agreement.

Thank you.

Commissioner Bowie.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, yeah, I'll join my my colleagues here in expressing a lot of gratitude to C Bozeman Creek and our staff members who have worked really diligently on this to bring bring it as far as as we are tonight.

And I, in reviewing the um proposal from this firm, it's just really clear that Port is a very experienced firm.

They're really creative.

I love seeing some of the ways that they um made opportunities for people to interact with the idea and imagine themselves actually there on the ground rather than um a more kind of stiff survey engagement process.

Um and it seems like this has laid out the framework for a really collaborative process.

So one of the quotes I just want to pull out from the proposal that um really stuck out to me says we don't hold community meetings.

Sorry, we don't hold community meetings to present finished plans.

We create public moments where residents shape what comes next.

Those opportunities to actually be part of the process, not get delivered a final product and have to nitpick it apart.

I support the suggestion to add ecological health to that line on water quality in our goal section and change the word development to vitality.

I think that will make our language clear.

Just a small point for the folks working on the plan.

I noticed a presentation date was tentatively proposed for the week of November 2nd.

That is the week of the election.

And I don't think we have a commission meeting on the Tuesday of an election.

So I might just flag that that timeline would have to be bumped back a week or move forward a week.

And yeah, with all that said, I'm really excited to approve signing this agreement.

And with this, we can finally get the work on the Bozeman Creek Vision Plan flowing.

Nice.

Thank you to my colleagues.

I don't have too much to add.

Some pieces just to sort of walk through as to what this item is.

So this was 150,000.

It was carved out or two budget cycles to get us here.

It came from multiple different funds to get to that amount of 150,000.

And then it goes through a fairly rigorous RFP procurement process where maybe some of the RF, some of the proposals had an ecologist on staff and some didn't.

Some may have had uh different levels of experience of a variety of the expertise that will be relied on.

And this one just so happens to not have an ecologist on staff.

And I believe these types of pro what I've watched in the in this community of a community of really sharp people is when there is a gap, it's often filled with the grassroots knowledge that I think is is abundantly clear, exists for this conversation.

And I I'm trusting that the purpose of these plans is comes with a recognition that if the health of Bozeman Creek is inextricably linked to the health of Bozeman as a community.

The treating the creek simply as an economic engine for amenitization would mean the death of our community, would mean the end of Bozeman.

The day that we determine that Bozeman Creek is no longer safe to utilize and it's and its health is so violated that it can no longer be considered a healthy stream means that our community is in is in very dire position.

I think that's clear throughout this conversation, it's been clear throughout the Bozeman Creek plans for over a decade now.

And this one will be no different.

If it comes the through realizations of our of our floods, flood concerns, and the need to improve health of the creek, that it actually means restricting development, then we need to have that conversation.

Starting with the creek's health and vitality first, meaning knowing that that's inextricably linked to the health and vitality of us as a city and as it and as a community.

The pieces to add to that are that it's not just how closely do something build up to it.

It's also gonna have to be a conversation about uh county and holdings that are using septic systems that are adjacent to the creek.

There's there's more to it than just how do we recreate, how do we experience, how do we hear and see the creek.

Um it's it's what leaches into it, what's adjacent to it, and where does it go?

Um there's gonna be parts of that that are gonna be out of our jurisdiction, but just wanting to clarify what the end product of this is will be a mandate for the city and the community to make good on what is made in the plan.

The plan would be without merit if if come this this fall, this winter, uh there's not an uh an actionable path forward to realize the visions and aspirations and ambitions of of this plan.

Um I'm I'm really thrilled that we have what we have in front of us, this this extraordinary partnership um with local grassroots leaders in our community, uh a solid consultant that has done this before and a commission that that really cares deeply about getting this thing done the right way.

Um I'm really excited to go forward, and I'm I'm really appreciative of the grace and the comments from community members saying, hey, uh this is this is close.

Um here's what we can do to get it to be slammed up.

And I and I think we have um that direction and I'll look to our city manager to make sure that clarification that direction is clear.

I appreciate that mayor.

As the project manager, I'd like to see if John Henderson has any clarifications as he needs to write this language.

And again, thank you for letting me just kind of slide in here.

I just want to provide a point of clarification and and based on what I'm hearing, broad support for uh adding some language to those goals and maybe revising.

Um we can absolutely commit to that without uh coming back with an amendment to the contract.

Uh because we will not that will not result as the way I'm understanding it in any changes to the scope of work.

The way that it's been uh procured uh doesn't violate that process whatsoever.

I think what we're doing here tonight is demonstrating an ability to be responsive in real time and very much want to make sure that from the onset we're using the right words because as uh Commissioner Smeezy said, words do matter.

So I can commit to that tonight uh without having to come back and and revise that that work as long as we're not um uh you know revising the scope of work.

And then those words will become we'll travel along with us with us, and they will persist throughout the course of the project so that we can hold ourselves accountable to making sure that we're inclusive in those conversations.

Okay.

Thank you.

Okay, any further discussion for the commissioner?

Are we ready to vote?

All right, Mr.

Newby.

Commissioner Sweeney.

Aye.

Commissioner Magic.

Aye, Commissioner Bodhi.

Aye.

Mayor Morrison.

Aye.

Motion passes four to zero.

So that wraps up our only action item for the evening.

Do we have any FYI from the Commission?

Nothing happened in the last couple hours.

What are we all about?

Commissioner Sweeney.

Um thank you, Mayor.

Um I did just want to acknowledge the residents who showed up um to talk about the B390 feet uh and getting that on maybe the six-month calendar to have that conversation in the future.

So thank you guys for continuing to show up.

How many people are on the position now?

That was I think the number I heard blew my mind.

Anyway.

Any other FYI from the commission?

Any FYI from staff.

Okay, well, seeing no for the business to come before this city commission, this meeting is adjourned.

Goodbye.