Economic Vitality Board of Bozeman Meeting - March 4, 2026
Economic Vitality Board of Bozeman Meeting - March 4, 2026
The Economic Vitality Board (EVB) of Bozeman, Montana, met on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at 6:01 PM. The meeting included an action item to approve the 2026-2027 Belonging in Bozeman Workplan, a discussion on the board's involvement in the adopted economic development and housing workplans, and public comments on the innovation campus and the workplan's framing.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Skylar (MSU alum, Bozeman resident, representing Students Against Genocide) expressed opposition to the MSU Innovation Campus, stating that companies like Reveal Technology and Mitria have provided technology to the Israeli military. She urged the board to stop supporting the campus and called for an enforceable ethics policy.
- Emma Shahabi (attorney, Bozeman resident) echoed concerns, noting that the city has approved $16,409 in planning funds and a planned development zone for the innovation campus. She argued that the board's public-private relationships enable war profiteering and asked the board to advise against ties with these companies.
- Daniel Cardi (Bozeman resident, property owner since 1998) suggested that the economic development component of the EVB workplan be renamed "economic vitality" to align with the board's founding resolution (5329), and that public art and beautification awards be added to the 2026-2027 workplan.
Discussion Items
- E.1 – 2026-2027 Belonging in Bozeman Workplan: Takami Clark (Communications Manager) and Courtney Smith (new Belonging and Bozeman Coordinator) presented the workplan, which builds on the 2024-2025 priorities: implement the Belonging in Bozeman plan, provide training on city contracts, and develop an equity impacts decision-making tool. Progress had been slow due to the lack of a coordinator, but Courtney Smith is now prioritizing these tasks. Board members discussed the equity tool, the disability community liaison position, and vendor training. The board voted unanimously to approve the belonging Bozeman elements of the 2026-2027 EVB workplan.
- F.1 – EVB Involvement in Economic Development and Housing Workplans: Staff presented the two-year workplan for economic development (traded sector business development, workforce development, child care, innovation campus, data gathering) and housing (CDBG, housing needs assessment, affordable housing for-sale provision). Board members expressed interest in: workforce development (especially for people with disabilities), the economic vitality strategy update to revisit traded sector definitions, child care (including providing childcare for city meetings), data gathering, and CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) structure. Brian Geyer (Community Housing Manager) detailed the CDBG program, noting that Bozeman became an entitlement community after the 2020 census, receiving about $350,000 annually. He explained that the first CDBG project is a water line to Family Promise transitional housing, with a deadline of August 1, 2026, to spend $150,000 to comply with timeliness rules. The board will help create a vision and structure for future CDBG allocations.
Key Outcomes
- Motion to approve the Belonging in Bozeman Workplan passed unanimously (8-0).
- Board members volunteered to assist with specific workplan items, including child care, data gathering, and CDBG policy development.
- Commissioner Fisher announced that the City Commission approved its 2026-2027 priorities, including advancing Bozeman as a safe and welcoming place, bridging the affordability gap (with a subpriority on child care), and working with the school board. Additionally, the commission invited ASMSU to nominate a non-voting MSU student to serve on advisory boards, including the EVB.
- The board noted the absence of public art and beautification awards from the current workplan, with several members expressing hope they would be reinstated when staff capacity allows.
- The meeting adjourned after the discussion.
Meeting Transcript
Chair, all the mics are hot, Chair, just so you know. Usually you're on that side. Oh no, it's good once. I never use it. I actually was supposed to be to adjourn. Yeah. Hi. I was just I was just walking through. You're gonna get rolled in. You're you're welcome to say not that you have a lot to do on shirt, but for our time. Five years ago. No. Yeah. Yes. Twenty twenty-one was five years ago. Crazy, right? Good evening. We're gonna go ahead and start our Wednesday, March fourth economic vitality board meeting. We're gonna go ahead and call the meeting to order. It is six oh one. Just a little point of notice. This meeting is held in person. It's also held online via video conferencing. So if you'd like to do that, you can go ahead and click on the register link at Bozeman. If you want to participate by phone, you can do that by calling one two five three two oh five zero four six eight. And you will need the access code that's nine eight four four one four seven six three five zero. Do we have any disclosures before we begin the meeting? So I just wanted to disclose that. Any other disclosures? Okay, changes to the agenda. We have no changes to the agenda tonight, Chair. This is the time to comment on any non-agenda matters falling within the scope of the Economic Vitality Board. There will also be time in conjunction with each agenda item for public comment relating to that item, but you may only speak once per topic. Please note the board cannot take action on any item which does not appear on the agenda. We do ask all persons to address the board in a civil and courteous manner. And we also ask the audience to be respectful of others. We ask that you state your name and state if you're a resident of the city or if you're property owner within the city. Please use a clear and audible tone and please limit your comments to three minutes. Do we have any public comments on non-agenda items only? Speaking for myself tonight. Speaking to comment on an agenda item F1, which includes a discussion of the EVB's interests and involvement in the economic development component of the EVB's 2627 work plan. Specifically, I'm suggesting the economic development component be renamed economic vitality because the EVB's founding resolution, 5329, is more about economic vitality. One second, I'm so sorry. Did you want to discuss F1? Okay. So we do ask that you wait until we actually get into that. So typically, typically boards do not take public comment on FYI discussion items or special presentations. So that is actually an error in the way, and this was true last night at the city commission meeting. Yes, sir. We actually do on our board.
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