Good evening, everybody.

Um, thanks for joining us.

Um, before we get started with the meeting tonight, I'd like to remind people of a couple of things just to make it easier to follow along and make public comment.

Um, you can watch us in real time in several different ways.

You um you can attend in-person in the city commission room, and we do have guests here tonight.

Um you can stream us live on your computer by going to the meeting video page at Bozeman.net and clicking the view live event link.

You can watch the meeting on cable TV on channel 190.

You can also join us via video conference.

You'll find that link to join by clicking on the calendar event for the meeting on the Bozeman's main web page.

Look for urban parks and forestry board agenda, click the link to register, and follow the prompts to enter the meeting.

Lastly, you can call in to listen.

You'll find the phone number for the video conference and access code on the agenda.

Please note this is for listening only, and you will be unable to give verbal public comment using this method of participation.

If you are joining us through video conference and are having connectivity issues, try exiting out of the meeting and coming back in.

If you continue to have issues, please remember you can also listen via the phone information streaming live on the website or on cable on channel 190.

If you would like to offer public comment this evening evening, there are three ways you can do that.

You can make your public comment in person here in the commission room.

If you are joining us through video conference, you can use the raise your hand feature when it is your turn to comment.

Staff will call you by name.

Please remember to go back in and lower your hand when you have finished making your comment.

And you can always provide written public comment before the meeting by sending an email to comments at Bozeman.net or by visiting our public comment web page.

Any public comment received by noon the day of the meeting, which was today, um is today, will have been distributed and read by the board.

We will hear in-person comments first, followed by those joining via video conference to allow time for remote attendees to cue up for comments.

Thank you for that.

Um and we will get started with um the urban parks and forestry board meeting for March.

Let's see here.

I have one small disclosure.

My daughter should be showing up with my glasses here soon.

Please don't embarrass her.

She's 18, so it'll be easy, but thank you.

Um there any changes to the agenda?

Yes, Madam Chair, we'd like to recommend that we change action items F1 and F3 and switch those two around and make F3 the um review and adoption of the community engagement plan for the Urban Forest Management Plan, um, action item one, and then switch uh the review and adopt the 26 and 27 Urban Parks and Forestry Board Work Plan to F3.

Uh we've got um uh consultant participation online and other public participation, and I think this flow will uh better suit that we can save uh really the more internal work for the last um action item.

Okay, um do we need to vote or move or anything for this?

Not as long as is everyone is okay.

Everybody okay?

Mr.

Joe, yep.

Okay.

Um those of you that cannot see um one of our board members, Joe, is via video.

So he's in that corner for me.

So if you see me glancing up, I'm looking at Joe.

Um okay.

So we will make that change to the agenda and just swap those two at one and free.

Um next is um approving the minutes for the February 26th meeting.

Does anybody have any comments or any adjustments or anything?

I move to approve the minutes from our last meeting.

I second.

Yes.

Brant Baruby?

Yes.

Paige Lizowski.

Yes.

Joe Cartwright.

Yes.

Matthew Cortan.

Yes.

And Sally Schrake.

Yes.

Approved.

Thank you.

Awesome.

We're being highly effective so far tonight.

So at this time, it is the time to have public comments on non-agenda agenda items falling within the purview and jurisdiction of this board within the scope of Urban Parks and Forestry 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.

All persons addressing the board shall speak in a civil and courteous manner.

And members of the audience shall be respectful of others.

Please state your name and state whether you are a resident of the city or a property owner within the city in an audible tone of voice for the record.

And limit your comments to three minutes.

Green, yellow, red.

Do we have any public comments on non-agenda items?

Yes, we do.

I'm really tempted to give you my reading glasses back there.

Let me know if you need them.

Marcia Caveney, Bozeman resident, property owner.

So I was really excited when Mitch brought up an agenda change.

I was really hoping we would have a work session on action item F2, of course.

I wrote in about that for the Bozeman Tree Coalition.

I'm speaking tonight on behalf of the Bozeman Tree Coalition and not just for myself.

So we object to that brevity and really would have liked to have seen this and would still like to see it as a work session, like like we normally like we often have, especially throughout the UDC.

You have the concept plan, which we got to look at in December, and then you come up, then you get the first draft, and then everybody gets to look at it and talk about it, and the public gets to see it and make comments.

And I gotta say, I'm pretty comfortable with looking at things on the computer from the city.

And I found that those schematics and the maps and the documents, that was a lot to go through after being away for 10 days, you know, and trying to rush through and get this uh looked at.

So we would like that to have it be a work session and then come back with a final draft.

So I just want to get that on the record.

Um, what feels like is happening, and I think this project, more than any others recently that I've been involved with, and I've been pretty involved for the past four years.

It feels like the train is coming through, and either get on board or get out of the way.

And I got to say, I know that's dramatic, but that is what it feels like in the audience.

All right, thank you.

Are there any other public comments on non-agenda items from people in members in the room?

Are there any online public comments?

No public comment online.

Okay.

Um let's start the um review and adopt the um uh action item F three.

Um review and adopt the community engagement plan for the urban forest management plan.

Good evening, board members.

Thank you for your patience with some virtual IT setup tonight.

We're here to talk about the urban forest management plan.

It's a major item.

I'm Alex Nordquest, Forestry Division Manager.

A couple of new faces for me here on the board.

And this is a major project for the forestry division and part of the goals of the Parks and Rec department this year to work on this master planning document for all things related to the forestry division and our operations and our public outreach and our education and addressing the urban forest at large.

So we do have a consultant working with us on this plan.

We're in the early stages right now to open up feedback and get ideas from board members.

We're also working on our public outreach through a series of in-person and virtual meetings and really a lot of internal discussions with relevant city departments and divisions.

So tonight we're working specifically on the community engagement plan to sort of get this project rolling.

And we're gonna we're gonna get the ball rolling with I'm here in person to get a little bit of this moving.

And we also have our virtual attendees that are gonna talk through some of the material here.

And I wonder if I can get this open or if they can open it.

But I'm wondering if we can uh test the virtual attendance and see if they've got audio.

Yeah, I I'm prepared to share.

Yes.

And we'll see if that works.

Yeah, um go ahead and try sharing and and we'll see if if your screen takes over or if I have to stick to this one, Josh.

Okay, I should be sharing.

I don't know if it will.

I don't think that online, but I don't know if that's transferring in the room.

I yeah, I don't think it's gonna show on the room.

We might be stuck with this.

Okay.

Oh my gosh.

Thank you.

Okay, Josh, I have that up, the PowerPoint.

Okay.

Um then I yeah, I can I can't see yours, but I can see mine, so I think we're we're good to go.

Um yeah, so I'm Josh Elliott.

I work for DJ and A, and I'm based here in our Missoula office.

Um we, as Alex just said, um DJA was hired by the city to help prepare the update to the urban forest management plan.

And so we DJ have teamed with Planet Geo.

So we'll we'll introduce everybody on the call here in a little bit, but just wanted to make it clear that yeah, we are we are partnered, DJ and Planet Geo to work on this project for the city.

Um the part of our scope involves um coordinating with you, the Urban Parks and Forestry Board.

And so this is one of four meetings that is included in our scope.

And while we have, like Alex mentioned, um, the primary purpose of our meeting is to um go over the community engagement plan.

Um because this is our first meeting, we're gonna dive into some some other details as well.

Um go ahead to the next slide.

And so I'm I'm not sure how this is gonna work.

If Mila, it makes sense for you to introduce yourself there in person, or if I should just do it.

Go for it.

Sure, if that's okay.

Um yeah, I'll quickly do a quick introduction.

My name is Mila Kelly.

I am a um, I also work for DJA.

This is a I'm part of this team that's uh working uh to support the city of Bozeman on this process.

I'm a Bozeman resident, have been for Oh man.

It's ticking up now 26 or so years.

Um remember this space as a library with books and babies, if any of you do.

Um so I am um a part of this team.

I went through um uh uh the school forestry and did my master's degree at University of Montana.

So I certainly have some forestry background, um, but uh the experts that we have uh Josh, Hannah, and Matt here to talk about um the just the different details of the community plan and and then what this will be as um Alex and Josh were saying, part one of four of um meetings where we'll get to talk to you and um and get your input throughout the process.

So go ahead, Josh.

All right, thanks, Mila.

And I've already introduced myself, but one thing I will add is that the kind of division of our our work here is that DJ is experienced managing projects and processes like this, and we've we we brought in Planet Geo because they bring a lot of very specific um urban forestry expertise.

Um so with that, Hannah, would you introduce introduce yourself?

Sure.

Thanks.

Hi everybody, I'm Hannah Kuhn.

Um I'm an environmental scientist with EJNA, and I'm gonna be helping with the planning process.

I'm also a certified arborist.

And while that's not necessarily my day-to-day and my current position with DJ, um, you know, I'm gonna kind of be that bridge between our planning development process and that really technical um analysis that Planet Geo is bringing to the table.

And I'll hand it over to Matt to introduce himself.

Thanks, Anna.

Hey everybody, I'm Matt Ernst, Urban Forestry Planner with Planet Geo.

Um I've worked on urban forest management plans throughout the Intermountain West and the Pacific Northwest.

So specialize in true risk assessments and pest management, wildfire mitigation, and uh water efficient landscaping.

So looking forward to bringing that to Missoula.

Or proposemen, so sorry.

Uh thanks, Matt.

Um so we have others on our team as well on both DJA and Planet Geo side helping out.

But uh I think our our firepower here for this meeting should be adequate.

Um and we've also been coordinating very closely so far with Alex and Mitch Overton as well as Emily Kiley on the community engagement side of things.

Um yeah, you should the board should have received a draft of our community engagement plan about a week ago.

And again, the the primary purpose of this meeting is to discuss that.

But we're gonna kind of jump in and talk about um the kind of overall update process that we're engaging on and and the schedule as well before we get to that.

Uh next slide.

So ultimately we'll develop an updated urban forest management plan that includes an analysis of all five of these items listed on the right hand side of the screen here.

Uh tree infrastructure, staffing and equipment, planning and development integration, community engagement, and insect disease and disaster preparedness.

Um to get there, we're gonna need input from a lot of individuals.

And so that's where you know our our community engagement plan comes in that we would like your approval on and and input on as well.

Um the way we've kind of conceptualized who all is involved with this and and and going to have input is um kind of at the at the center of everything is our core team.

And that consists of uh the the consultant team that we just introduced and uh as well as Alex Mitch and Emily.

And what we'll bring in others is needed into that core team as well, and we'll have uh series of well, regular meetings throughout this whole process with that core team.

And in addition to that, we will have these work sessions with the board, and as I mentioned before, there are four of those.

And there's kind of two purposes there.

One is just to keep the board informed of where we are in the process, and also to seek feedback at key points during the process.

And so in addition to the core team and the work sessions with the board, um, we will also be engaging the public, obviously, given the nature of this meeting.

And it seems like the norm is to view public engagement as kind of an annoyance or something that needs to be done and kind of gets in the way of quick project progress.

And I just wanted to say that so far I've been very impressed with the people we've been working with at the city because they definitely do not view things that way.

They are very interested in doing everything they can to get the best public engagement and input possible on this.

Um right, next slide.

Okay.

So yeah, we've conceptualized our work into three phases.

And that first phase, um, which began in early February includes kind of foundational planning and uh data gathering, just trying to get our feet under us and and figure out what we're doing before we we we go to the public or or the board with anything.

Um and then phase two will focus on public engagement and development of the draft urban forest management plan.

Um, and phase three, we will incorporate public feedback into the plan, fine-tune our recommendations, and finalize the plan.

And right now we are kind of right transitioning between phase one and phase two, and I think uh finalizing this the public engagement plan will kind of kick start us into phase two.

Um before we move on, and I hand it over to Hannah to talk in more detail about the community engagement plan.

Are there any questions at this point about that kind of higher level process or anything I just discussed?

I am no questions from board members.

All right, thank you.

And then we'll have time for for more questions at the end of this as well.

Uh with that, um, go to the next slide and I'll turn it over to Hannah.

Thanks, Josh.

So I'm gonna be giving a high-level overview of the community engagement plan and kind of the main three components, which will ultimately be synthesized into an engage boson project page where the public can you know be updated about the process and engagement opportunities.

So, like Josh and Alex said, we're gonna have four work sessions, this being the first one with the board.

Um, we'll also have those four project specific meeting opportunities for public engagement, and these will be supported by a public survey period as well as a public comment period.

So we're really trying to cover all of our bases from that engagement standpoint with the community.

Um we will also have two opportunities to engage with the city commission.

Um we envision one being a mid-process update in June to kind of just let them know how things are going.

Um, and then finally, we will present the urban forest management plan for their approval and adoption after we've had all of our work sessions and all of our public engagement opportunities and have finalized that update.

Um, and we are anticipating that to occur in November.

Next slide.

So for these work sessions, Josh has already kind of introduced through the project and the process, and we're reviewing this community engagement plan now.

And so that's the bulk of our discussion for this work session.

Um, and then we are planning to come back next month with an outline for the board to review, um, and that will include additional review of components that we are going to be updating in the plan and talk about you know the different types of data analysis that will be occurring and that sort of thing.

Um there will be a little bit of break between our work sessions, um which will allow for some public engagement during that time, but we'll re-engage with the board in June at our third work session.

Um, and during that time, we will review public survey feedback and kind of present a summary of that initial engagement to the board, um, and we'll also present some preliminary data analysis so everybody can get an idea of where the development process is and the future direction that we're heading.

And then finally, for work session four, that will occur in July.

Um, and this will be the first opportunity for the board to provide feedback on the preliminary draft urban forest management plan.

And this is kind of the first full picture cohesive document that we'll have of the plan at that time.

And then, you know, with the months after that, we will continue to refine the plan and seek additional public engagement.

Next slide, please.

So for those public engagement opportunities, we are planning to have staggered or alternate virtual and in-person public meetings.

And this is just in the hopes to be able to engage as many people as possible with this process.

Our first meeting is scheduled for next month, and we will present more detailed project information and background about the process as well as kind of give that call for engagement and inform everybody about what the additional engagement opportunities will be like throughout the rest of the process.

We'll follow up with our second public meeting in May, and this will be a chance for us to present the urban forest management plan outline to the public once the board has had a chance to review it and give their feedback.

And this is also when we will initiate the public survey, and that survey period is slated to run for three weeks.

And again, kind of like with the work sessions, we're gonna take a little bit of a break.

We kind of have everything staggered, so we have this kind of ongoing engagement process throughout our update process, but we'll reconvene with the public specifically again in August, and this will be to present the draft urban forest management plan.

And this will be one further iteration beyond the preliminary draft.

So this will be after the board has had a chance to review and provide their feedback.

Um and that Monday, August 10th will also be the initiation date for the public comment period, which will last for about four weeks.

Um during which time we will have our final public meeting, and this will be kind of an open house style in-person meeting with the public to review and discuss the draft urban forest management plan.

Then you'll notice that public comment period ends in September.

So there's still a full week after that final in-person meeting for folks to be able to provide um feedback on that draft plan.

Next slide, please.

And then we'll have several opportunities to use this public engagement synthesis within the urban forest management plan, and we'll do that by drafting several reports or two reports specifically.

The first will be our summary report for that public survey period.

Um it will include survey results as well as feedback received from the first two public meetings, um, and we'll discuss these responses and any incorporation into the plan with our core team with the city, um, and we'll also be able to review those survey results with the board during our third work session.

And then we'll also synthesize a public comment summary report um in September, and this will include feedback received during the final two public meetings as well as that full month period for allowed for public comment.

Um, and this will be a good way to check and see um where hopefully we're on the right track with the public, but if there are any wearing issues at that point, we'll be able to discuss with the core team and incorporate as appropriate before we finalize the plan and send it to the city commission for review.

Next slide.

And that is a high-level overview of our community engagement plan.

I'll open it up to any questions or comments.

Thank you.

Alex, maybe the question for you.

What what conflicts do you see being most likely with the public in relation to this in like anything in the sense that we should be prepared for anything?

Any precursors on it.

I don't think I'd open with conflicts.

Maybe just genuine concern, certainly.

Um I'm really looking forward to this whole process to really intake any public concerns, uh, good or bad, really.

Um, I'm I'm gonna be focused uh with my full-time staff to talk about a lot of the nitty-gritty, you know.

We want to talk about our budget, our services that we provide, our equipment.

We want to focus on the details of the tree inventory system and how effective we're managing that.

And it's helpful to me to get that public perspective from just general comments.

So good or bad, we'll take them.

And you know, I know that we've had a theme of construction impacts development and um what can we do with with trees that are publicly maintained by us?

What can we potentially do with private property and and private property trees?

So I'm sure that'll be a theme.

I wonder how you know folks feel about our planting programs.

Um we primarily are planting adjacent to residences.

We're not doing as much of that work in our park spaces.

So volunteer efforts and Arbor Day events like that are ways we can we can start to nudge over to those park spaces, but you know, that's an area that we know um is a little more reactive, you know, and that storm damage in Cooper or Lindley, yeah, we'll go and get that stuff, but we're not as proactive uh in the park spaces is maybe an example.

But really, I I envision this whole process is kind of opening any floodgates and and if it's unexpected topics, that's welcome, you know, and it's helpful for me to digest as well the concept of four uh board meetings that we'll be discussing it, staggered with four public meetings.

Also those have uh public survey periods and public comment periods in the midst of that.

So it might seem like we're trying to do a lot, but to me we're spreading that out as essentially now through September uh to give folks plenty of time to chime in.

On the the Arbor Day note, is there any community engagement that we could do on that day specifically?

Like last year, I feel like the turnout was in the 30s, and that kind of seems like the biggest gathering that we get of people that aren't attending these meetings.

Is there anything that we can do during that period?

Yeah, it's certainly time, I think ideal time to promote the schedule that we're talking about tonight with the engagement plan.

Um we'll have folks excited, hopefully, you know, maybe a little tired after digging, uh hand digging.

That's that's right.

Get excited.

Um, and it's a great time to just remind folks, hey, we we're on engage Bozeman now.

This plan is the plan's up, the schedule's up, um it'll it'll lead right into you know, right around the corner from Arbor Day, we've got that first meeting, and to encourage folks, you know, the the rest of this stuff's coming.

So um consider attending, you know, consider coming to board meetings to provide public comment.

So it's a it's a great idea.

Alex, I have a question.

Uh you mentioned budget.

How does there's going to be some costs associated with implementing this plan, and there'll be some what I would guess unexpected or unanticipated action items.

How do you deal with that vis a vis budgeting?

Yeah, I think with regards to this actual plan and and the effort that will consume a good chunk of this year.

Um we've had I think thorough considerations in the planning phase and and the request for proposals.

And then when we chose DGNA and Planet Geo as that team, I think we got a very thorough and itemized approach to how we're gonna consider all the different minutiae throughout this plan.

And you know, we we do have a set price for them that's budgeted, and I think there's room and flexibility built into that budget to change as we go.

And one example that's already happened is we determined it's appropriate to brief the city commissioners at sort of a midterm timeline.

And we didn't have that in the initial discussions.

So that's an example where with the flexibility and everything we need to prioritize and constantly having to shift and adjust the meetings throughout the course of the year, we're able to squeeze that in with no cost adjustments.

And we do have some optional items that as we get closer to the end, we may be able to uh make budgetary adjustments.

And I think Mitch has some items to throw in too.

Yeah, Terry, if I may, I'd like to elaborate for Joe that um the plan itself, right, will come out with uh actions that are going to be that are going to impact our future budgets.

And so in reviewing the and it's going to make recommendations to do it it's hard to say, maybe more staff and maybe investment in uh uh a um program that helps us uh analyze uh canopy coverage and where we are there.

Um these impact our future budgets.

So these are things that we analyze at the time of adopting the plan with the commission and know that these are going to impact our future budgets.

Uh and an example, Joe, of this in our previous plan from 2016 was you're right, we had some of these actions just like that.

We had um an option, for example, of hiring two additional arborist on staff or increasing our contractual budget.

Uh we chose the increasing the contractual budget at the time with the commission.

Um that was so that's sort of how um some of those are um played out, Joe, if if that helps.

And it wasn't all chosen in that way, for example.

We also had uh a manager position in that recommendation.

It was a part of the plan.

We adopted the plan and we implemented the plan over the upcoming years.

Does that help, Joe?

Uh yeah, that's exactly what I was looking for, Mitch.

So you're saying that this is more to do with future budget, and there'll be costs associated with the various recommendations that are as a result of these studies, and the commission will be able to take that into account um for future budget in terms of which of those items can be implemented in the costs associated with them.

Yes, that's that was a good idea.

That's exactly right.

And that's another reason why we try to keep these plans, all of these plans we do very grounded in reality, because we we use them and we implement them, right?

We actually do.

And um and and they they there is a budgetary impact.

Um, but it's all a part of constant improvement and trying to do uh better for the community.

Perfect.

Thank you, Mitch.

I think there's going to be potentially some big ticket items here, but that's for future discussions.

So um thank you very much for um this introduction to the engagement plan.

I do have one question, which I'm trying to figure out how to delicately ask it, so it may not be delicate, but um uh any time there's public comment, it seems like you get polar opposites on potentially um on um the subject.

Has there been any thought at this point to how to deal with the those opposite beliefs and coalesce them towards one common plan?

It's a good question.

I would say largely my approach would be this is a group conversation, and there are several levels that will help us hopefully you know prioritize and and determine what are what are the areas to focus on.

So if concerns come out and public comment is all over the place, um we have the city commission, we have the board members, um, we have I think industry and professional discretion, right?

So there's there's there's some kind of answer in there where we can sort of I think come to a nice agreement place.

And um it's it's part of my job, I suppose, to explain the areas that we you know can't compromise on, like say public safety or industry standards.

Um I don't see that clashing necessarily with public comment that's gonna come in about uh say planting more native trees as an example.

We can't necessarily do that in public boulevards or it's limited, but it's wide open in our park spaces, so that could perhaps be a compromise for a topic, right?

We can address that and articulate that um as part of the management plan, we're gonna establish a goal to increase native tree plantings in park spaces specifically.

Does that help answer your it does, and thank you for doing your best?

I'm trying.

You put me on the spot.

Are there any other comments, questions from the board?

I just had one thing I wanted to point out since this engagement plan was typed up.

Um there has been a new neighborhood association formed and recognized by the Inc.

So it's, I believe, um, but please check this before.

Uh it's Valley West and the Lakes.

So they just became recognized.

And you know, since you are listing each one.

Maybe just make sure we get all.

Thanks.

And of course, we'll have coordination with the hosting and maintenance of this community engagement plan with Takami and her team over at communications.

So I think they'll be able to loop us in with the neighborhood engagement and keep us on a current list for sure.

Is this a votable item?

Yes.

Yes.

Um this time, I believe.

Um, are there any public comments in the room on this subject?

Sorry.

Uh Daniel Cardi, Bozeman resident.

Thank you, Alex.

Thanks to the consultant.

Uh Mitch, Commissioner Sweeney, and board members.

Uh, by way of introduction.

Um, I live on the North Side where logging of the North Side by development has been going on for a number of years.

I hold a humble master's degree from Montana State University in fish and wildlife management.

And with experience of 10 years in Yellowstone Park, three years in Calispell, and 16 years in Bozeman since 1998.

Although I'm long retired.

So I know how forests should work and can work.

So I am also a member of the Bozeman Tree Coalition, and we advocate for Bozeman's urban forest, its ecological function, and the nonconsumptive ecosystem services it provides to the community as a whole.

So I'm glad that this is gonna be called an urban forest management plan and not just an urban forestry management plan.

Because an urban forest management plan focuses on ecology, not just on the practice of forestry.

So with regard to the UFMP public engagement plan, I note that heritage trees are mentioned.

So most of you may have heard of the Heritage Tree Program, which originally started with the Historic Preservation Advisory Board and has been moved over to the Urban Parks and Forestry Board.

The engagement plan mentions heritage trees as follows.

Heritage trees are trees that have historical, cultural, biological, or ecological significance because of age size or condition.

That's a good thing.

What the what the engagement plan does not mention is a heritage tree program by name.

So I would consider this the existing phrase in the engagement plan to be unclear.

In other words, it is not plain language, as is typically required in legislative bills and development code, city code, and I would encourage you to use plain language in the urban forest management plan and in the work plan, which I will talk about when that comes up.

So just mentioning heritage trees in the engagement plan does not guarantee that an actual heritage tree program will become a component of the urban forest management plan.

And since you have since the heritage tree program has come from the historic preservation advisory board to the urban parks and forestry board, I would ask this board to require that heritage tree program be placed explicitly in the urban in the urban forest management plan by name.

Thank you.

Hello, Marsha K.

Speaking for the Bozeman Tree Coalition again.

But I hope that you guys did get mine.

It was, you know, 1158, I think.

So some things that I would add to that, because they might have missed that some of these suggestions would be along with the heritage trees.

Um I think missing from the essential components of the new plan section, uh, well, these are Bozeman Tree Coalition comments.

Sorry, missing from the section is how the plan will guide municipal code development.

The tree coalition has definitely been chomping at the bit for this plan to come into place because all last year we were hoping to make some headway with some tree protection codes and you know, little text amendments, and those were postponed and delayed until this plan can be updated because the plans guide the codes.

And so if that could be included somehow in the an essential component, not necessarily to be done in 2026, but just maybe um addressed in some way that that will be a future um plan.

And then again, there were some date issues.

I thought just looking at the timeline, a little rearranging of the two April dates, they're not in order.

I I look at stuff like that.

But the timelines that concern the tree coalition are again along the lines of spring break.

Just um if you guys could discuss, it would be wonderful.

Those August dates, and that's such a huge portion of the engagement period, and I think um like Milo will know that, and any of the local um folks working with the consultant team that I think staff take vacations in August, mid-August, but to put so much um heavy weighted participation right around August 31st, you've got Labor Day a week later, vacation school starting as a mom of now very grown kids.

I just remember how extremely hectic that time period is, and I think the engagement will be very limited if that's left.

And um, that's all for now.

Thank you.

Um there any other uh public comments in the room.

Do we have any public comments online?

Nothing online.

With that, um, does anybody on the board have any further comments, questions for Alex?

No specific question on it, but could you please go back to the the timeline slide?

Thank you.

We have uh work sessions here and the public meetings with that.

Can I have a motion from somebody on the board?

Are we just making a motion to approve the just to approve the engagement plan going forward into next month?

Yes.

And after the motion, you can have further discussion amongst the board.

Um but yes, it's purely for the engagement plan.

Okay.

I make a motion to approve the engagement plan.

I second that motion.

And so now this is where you guys would discuss if you have recommendations that you would make because the commission will then see this plan, and you can recommend things to us for adding as well.

So input's good.

Thanks.

I guess my only discussion point is I know we're discuss discussing the public engagement portion in this.

What is unclear to me is if there is a targeted date for completion of the entire plan.

Which is just the starting place?

What's the targeted goal?

The end of the year.

So December 31 for completion, and that's to commission.

So outside beyond this board complete in the fall, and then start at the commission in early winter.

And is that um date range based on like calendar year financial planning?

No, no, it was purely based on the timeline that it would take to do the public engagement to create the plan to review the plan here and make recommendations to take it to the commission.

Um, and then with the intent of implementing, beginning to implement the plan the following year.

So basically timing.

Um are there any like layers that are working and TANM at the same time, or is it public engagement first, and then we go into the next segment?

Okay.

Um how long, I guess, for the rest of it, because I'm seeing the August 31st date, so that gives you four months to do the other sections.

I'd like to um bring Josh or um back into the conversation, or maybe Milo to assist us with the timeline to see if we need any if we have how much flexibility we have there.

Yeah.

That's exactly where I was going as where's the wiggle room.

Okay.

Is Joshua still on the line with you?

Yeah, I we we can take that over, and I'm sure Hannah is looking up the our detailed schedule right now.

Um yeah, so there's a lot of interacting parts with you know plan development and community engagement, like all of these things are happening simultaneously and they and they overlap and interrelate.

Um, and I wish we could share our screens so that you could see that.

But maybe Hannah, if you have that up in front of you, you can maybe explain answer their questions a little more directly.

Yeah, and if we can go back to slide four, Alex.

Um there's a lot of information under each phase, which is not by any means exhaustive, but you can see that under phase one, that early planning, in addition to the data collection that Josh mentioned, we're also starting on our assessments of kind of internal practices as associated with things like staffing, equipment, budget, as well as policy and code.

Um, and so Matt's working on the tree infrastructure and canopy cover analyses.

You know, we're analyzing a lot of data right now so that we can bring more informed information to you the next time we meet when the focus isn't on the community engagement plan, but on the process itself.

Um, and I think you'll be able to see a lot of that next time too when we talk about our outline for the plan, which was developed and is being developed based on what that 2016 plan looked like, everything that's been accomplished since then, and kind of what the current goals are moving forward for this updated plan.

Um, and you know, within that process getting the community engagement and feedback so we can kind of align everybody's priorities.

Um and then that phase two that is specific with public involvement is going to run concurrent as we are drafting the plan.

Um, so kind of there's going to be this feedback loop of engaging with the public, engaging with the board, and continuing to write and develop the plan and refine those sections as we go along.

And so in addition to the public survey, we're also doing an internal staff survey, um, not just with the forest tree division, but with folks that touch any sort of tree um maintenance or tree-related items within the city.

Um, and then hopefully in that way, that preliminary draft that the board will review is that first cohesive picture of the whole plan, and that's going to be happening as early as July, I believe.

And then when we get into August, have that final um engagement with the public so that we can refine to a final plan in the fall and get back to the commission in a timely manner, but there's little room on that back end.

So I definitely understand the need for like what if we can't compromise on something or we need to collaborate additionally.

Um we have time in the back end of our schedule to account for that.

If we need to kind of stretch that phase two or kind of have a phase two A before we get to that final step that we've identified as phase three.

Does that help?

Yes, thank you.

Um we have this timeline in the last work section work session is late July, and then there's a public comment period from August through early September.

And then the next thing in the timeline is presenting to the city commission in early November.

I'd be interested in seeing what happens from that second public comment period and what edits are made once all of that public comment has been received and how that changes before it goes to the commission.

I think that's a great point.

I'll say just from our specific scoped items, we don't have a work session where us as contractors would be attending, but I'm sure um we can talk with Alex and discuss a good timing for the board to still be able to review um that kind of what we're deeming final uh draft of the plan before it gets sent to the commission.

That's definitely an important item.

I agree.

Yeah, and I think just I want to add to this conversation that there's a lot of complexity to this planning effort.

And we certainly want involvement throughout the process.

And I think if there's a perception that if we're rushing this in any way, I don't think that we are.

I think we're trying to cram a lot of value and conversation into one master planning document that is well timed to be completed at the end of 26.

We'll move into 2027 with this new master plan on a 10-year reset timeline.

So I don't think we're trying to uh cut any corners to get there.

Um my mind, it's it's more of a reflection of the time we've already put into it over the last few months to develop uh all of the different topics that'll be considered.

And then it's great to hear these comments tonight, right?

We're we're starting the community engagement.

We've got a rough timeline here, but it feels a little tight if we're talking about being over in August.

So it's helpful to hear that.

And again, to to previous uh discussions uh tonight.

We've we've got some flexibility baked into the the schedule.

And I think it's just everything going on, it almost seems like it's all going on at once.

Um in addition to the public items, we have several internal meetings and and kind of weekly or bi-weekly updates with DJ.

So I think that allows us to have these check-ins kind of uh incrementally as we go through the whole thing.

Can I add one more thing to maybe address this late late August timing issue?

Is that if that's the primary concern here?

And that's the that particular meeting will be to discuss the the draft that has been publicly available.

Um if people are not able to attend that meeting, they can still submit the the entirety of all the comments they have during that public comment period.

Any more discussion from the board?

Um I have a quick question about the public survey.

So um I guess just briefly I'm trying to get an idea of like what the format of that will be, and also like I'm sure it'll be accessible digitally.

Are there any other options to access?

Or will there be any other options to access it other than digital?

I'll leave that to you, Josh.

Um we are our intent, and I I can't remember how clearly it's articulated in the plan, but the intent is to yeah, just have that digitally available.

We typically use uh uh what is it Microsoft Teams?

Um what they call that, Hannah.

Forms or Google forms, any sort of online publicly available service.

So yeah, that that was the plan.

Okay.

Um without any further discussion, I think it's time for a vote.

Uh Terry Lumston.

So yes, and if I may, we're voting on um adopting the public engagement plan.

Brant Baruby?

Yes.

Um Paige, uh Paige Lizowski.

Can I ask a question first?

I don't know if it means no, but I think we should add a work session in the fall.

Is that like a condition?

I've never said no to anything.

Um that is a condition.

So yeah, I think you would make a motion to recommend to make a recommendation in the middle of the vote.

I see, yeah, I'm not sure what you can do about that.

Right.

Do you just um go back and make it go back and make an amendment to the motion?

Okay.

So um we will cancel that um attempt at well that vote request.

Um so let's go revert back to discussion items on the motion to um adopt the public engagement plan as presented.

Is it one more clarifying question?

So on the on the document is the presentation to the city commission early November.

I I think I see November 3rd as the So the presentation to City Commission will take place later, probably around December.

Okay.

And what we have there is probably one special presentation to the city commission and time for their comments and feedback if it extends into a second city commission meeting date, um, we can accommodate that.

And then that gives us, I think, a few weeks towards the end of our timeline at the end of the year to uh synthesize any of their comments and get a final document uh adopted by city commission.

So would us extending into September when we would meet again after the final public comment period, would that still give you guys the appropriate time for November's presentation to the commission?

I think we have some flexibility in the schedule for that.

Right.

It it might push it back a little bit, but again, as you heard Hannah say, there's a little bit of room built into the back end here on this.

Um then while we're in discussion here, I would clarify here for uh Paige that if we add a work session, great, we can do that, and we'd like to do that and bring that back to the board.

Uh but likely that's gonna be a work session with staff in the document and then another review there.

Um so I can't guarantee at this point we could add into the scope with our consultants another work session with them, but staff certainly can bring that, still make changes in tweaks before we take it to the commission.

Okay.

So any other questions or discussion items.

At our September board meeting.

I second uh Terry Lumsden.

I with the proposed amendment.

Uh Brand Baruby?

Yes to the proposed amendment.

Paige Lizowski, yes to the proposed amendment.

Joe Cartwright.

Yes.

Matthew Cortan?

Yes to the proposed amendment.

And Sally Shrank.

Yes to the proposed amendment.

Approved.

Yeah.

Really, I think you've adopted it within with the amendment here.

Yes.

Okay.

We are going to move on.

Thank you.

And I appreciate the our community members for assisting me.

Learn procedures.

So thank you.

With that, I would like to fire up action item F two.

Good evening, Urban Parks and Forestry Board members.

I'm Addie Jaden, Park Planning and Development Manager, and we have before you the bike fill, community park, park master plan.

So tonight I'll be presenting along with one of our project partners from GVLT.

I'm gonna just take a quick look at where is this park in the city and what are the issues with the surrounding properties that informed our plan, the partnership itself and how we've worked through to get to this point and what will be coming next.

We'll look at the Pratt plan and how this project complies with that.

And then Adam Johnson from GBLT will go into all the public engagement we did and how that's reflected in the design.

Um will go to public comment, and then you'll have your board discussion and questions.

And I do have a slide with recommended motion.

Um and we can talk through some procedure there when we get to that point.

Um but as you're listening to the presentation tonight, I think the findings essentially we're asking you to make um with your motion are um this parkmaster plan aligns with the goals of the project that staff and our partners have laid out.

It aligns with the Pratt plan and all of the public comment that we've been given.

Um it balances that public comment.

Um do you have enough information to make that decision tonight, or is there a gaping hole?

Um, I think that would be one of those issues, right?

That would, you know, cause cause us to not proceed tonight.

But um, and does this master plan set a clear vision for the creation of construction drawings?

So this is this what we show today is more conceptual in layout.

Um we'll move forward with construction drawings and site plan application.

Um and specifically I wanted to point out that after we go and have this master plan adopted, we do have more um public engagement planned.

Uh we'll be posting a storyboard on our engage website.

That's a very visual and interactive way for people to look at the drawings and respond to questions specifically.

So just helping us sharpen our pencil as we move forward toward construction.

So the master plan is really the vision adopting this is a bike park and it has these feature areas.

Um how are the connections and the critical pathways to um to make sure that this park is safe.

It's a good investment of our time and money and staff resources, and super enjoyable and meeting um you know the needs for the community.

So the park context um context, um, of course, it's um city property sandwiched between the existing snowfilled dog park and the solid waste facility.

Um on the east side, story mill road um is one of the project boundaries, and there will not be access from that side of the property.

The access comes off of Maclehattan Road on the west side.

And that the upgrades to that road are a part of the city's portion of this project.

Um, you get to a certain point, it turns to gravel and dirt road.

Uh the safety of that road is getting drastically improved, and um our transportation department is leading that project um with about a 1.5 million dollar upgrade there.

Um, we'll have trail connections to the closest neighborhood to the south, Bridger Creek um subdivision.

And then the site itself, um you've heard over in uh through our presentations before.

The boundary on the south side is essentially Chern Creek, um, plus a little extra buffer that goes to the road that serves the solid waste facility, and that will have a fence um to keep people out of solid waste.

It's a very industrial site, and it has the compost facility there, which has electrical fence to keep animals out.

And so we don't want conflict there.

And then some of the site has been stripped.

The topsoil was used to cap the landfill.

So not a lot of great vegetation or native plants there, but there is an area just north of Churn Creek on a steep hill that has some great native vegetation that we'll be protecting with this project.

So that's just a little bit of the character of the site itself.

And then, you know, of course, this site is great, and as stated in the MOU.

It's appropriate site for a bike special use recreational area because it allows for late season accessibility, sees early snow melt, and will provide access to bicycle recreation when the surrounding areas are wet and still covered in snow.

So this is a really great use of some actual topography that we have close to town.

Just talking about the partnership.

And GVLT is really leading the way from fundraising to through the construction process.

And then we will be setting up a separate maintenance agreement with Swimba as we get closer to the end of the park to really define and describe what can they do with their volunteer labor.

And our staff is already getting ready to collaborate and take on other aspects.

And the overall project is divided into three main parts creation of the bike park, development of the supportive civil infrastructure, and improvements to McAlhattan Road.

The MOU grants GBLT authority to lead design on all three components and manage that construction.

And then, of course, the city is managing that civil infrastructure of Maclehattan Road.

So I also wanted to say thank you to the design build team.

Their imagery from the master plan is throughout my presentation tonight.

And so you know, I just wanted to say a special thank you to them for pulling off this plan and getting all of our myriad stakeholder input included.

So really quickly, I want to just go over this again.

You've seen it multiple times.

We are incorporating several aspects from the Pratt plan of facilities that were ranked amongst the top 10 desired improvements for us to use our capital capital funding for trails of all kinds.

We are putting those into this park, and we are connecting to the existing neighborhood with a shared use path.

We'll have a few bridge crossings.

The Pratt plan asks for creek access for recreational purposes.

And then the third image is just showing the trail cross-section from the plan.

We talk a lot about sustainable trail building in the Pratt plan and a light touch for nature.

When you cross a creek, you cross perpendicularly.

And so we hope that this plan, you know, represents that.

We'll have some areas for native plants reclamation and protection, and already working with Gallatin Watershed Council to focus some of their efforts from their DEQ grant to do plantings next summer, and pavilions were another one of those elements that we need more shade and we need more places for people to hold gatherings.

And then how this space will be programmed and act programmed and activated afterward is another part of the partnership.

And what will actually make this a success is that we have already NICA and other groups that are coming in with age appropriate programming, with a huge contingency of young female riders that are gonna come and they'll come with their parents because this is a family-friendly facility.

They'll feel comfortable there from a young age and as they move through and become more independent.

And we hope, right, that this sets up them up for a lifetime of cycling.

So I'm really excited about how this has all come forward and that people are ready to use it as soon as it opens.

And so I'm gonna hand it over to Adam to go more into the design and the public engagement.

Awesome.

I'm Adam Johnson of Galat Valley Lanchest and the Trails Project Manager.

Um I've been spending a lot of time on this project.

Um but in presenting this draft master plan, we'd like to thank the community members for coming out in droves to provide input to the into this project and help us understand their desires.

We're grateful to everyone who participated in the wide array of public engagement events opportunities, um, which included uh public comments to this board, focus groups, um, in-person open house events, online virtual open house, and an online server survey that garnered over a thousand responses.

Additionally, we'd like to recognize that the over 800 individual community members who generously donated to support this project.

This plan began as a dream all the way back in 2014 or 2012, and we're thrilled to be here now, 14 years later, um, presenting this draft master plan to the board here.

Um this plan has been highly influenced by the entire public engagement process and aims to strike a balance between recreational trail infrastructure and the natural resources on the property.

The public comments overwhelmingly informed us that the community desires a system, a system that provides a safe, progressive, skill building focus that is inclusive of all of all ability levels and ages, a place where friends and families can come together to learn.

And so up on the screen there's just kind of a little rundown of some of the numbers that went into this engagement summary that um that we did.

Um we had yeah, it was kind of an incredible response.

We're very happy with all of those numbers.

Um moving into what this feedback gave us.

Um, with this feedback in mind, we prioritize the placement of the beginner area, which on the screen is kind of on the bottom left side, all the green trails in there.

Um we prioritize that placement of the beginner area locating in close proximity to the main hub area and it's in its own specific zone.

The perimeter cross-country trails and the main stem trail go around this area to facilitate intermediate and advanced riders while purposely bypassing the beginner area with minimal interaction.

We did this to try and create a nice safe learn safe learning environment for all the beginner riders that will be using this area.

More intermediate advanced trails are located further into the park where the topography is greater.

These areas are anchored to the rider hub, a distinct and dedicated gathered gathering area.

Um the map is kind of right in the center.

Uh it's kind of hard to see me see it from this far away.

Um it's right in the kind of the center area of the park, kind of right in the heart there.

Um, cross-country trail connections emanating from this riders' hub allow access to the perimeter loop system of cross-country trails for more advanced riders without having to descend into and interact with the beginner zone.

This also creates loop systems that our uh youth cycling organizations can use up in the upper area.

Um, and that does not bring that large contingent back down to the beginners area.

Priority was also given to the community's desire for one-way and directional trails.

The layout supports multiple loop systems that allow creative and unique routes desired by our youth cycling organizations while maintaining the directionality of trails.

The highly requested Danhill-oriented flow trails will be located in the center line of the park with a clear separation from uphill-oriented climbing and cross-country trails.

Throughout the planning process, consideration of the natural resources has been a primary consideration.

A majority of the site has been heavily impacted by previous use that Addy reviewed earlier.

We have worked with our environmental partners through site visits and ongoing conversations on potential restoration plans across the project to assist in improving the already impacted landscapes and ensure protection of native vegetation and water quality.

Trails were focused in areas dominated by smooth brome with areas of sensitive native with areas of sensitive native riparian and wetland vegetation protected.

Trails are located in compliance with the Bozeman UDC code for setbacks, with a majority being over 50 feet from the waterways.

Bridges and crossings have been cited in locations of the lowest impact through the delineated wetlands and streams, crossing perpendicularly in the shortest possible route.

The hill slope on the northern edge of Churn Creek retains a robust native vegetation cover that supports wildlife bees and pollinators.

We recognize the value of this hill slope and its direct connectivity to the riparian and wetland corridor of Chern Creek and have thus set aside over five acres to create a 200 foot plus setback from the northern bank of Churn Creek.

Conservation concerns centered around leaving space for animals to move through the park, particularly around Chern Creek.

We have worked to facilitate that wildlife migrates through the park by ensuring that all fencing within the park is wildlife friendly.

We will also be removing an eight-foot chain link fence along the western boundary to further open that corridor through the property, allowing wildlife to access the Gallatin River.

We do acknowledge that there will be a six-foot chain link fence that is required by solid waste licensing requirements in the southern boundary of the park that helps keep the wildlife out of the uh the compost area.

Um then within uh with the winter with the winter that we've just had.

Um, we hate to say that no snow is good.

We have been able to spend a lot of time on the site and do a lot of on-site work, um, which has been in our planning a little bit of a blessing in disguise.

We've been able to spend a lot of time out there looking around.

Um so having spent all that time that really allowed us to inform this plan um with actually seeing the ground.

Beyond the cycling infrastructure within the park, the bike fell project will include a gravel pathway connecting snowfill and bike fill to the adjacent Bridger Creek neighborhood, parkland and trails, and providing a trail connection for neighbors to access both recreational facilities.

While a connection does not directly connect to additional existing city pathway trail infrastructure, GVOT and the city will continue to work with landowners in Gallows County on future direct trail interactions.

Um we'd like to thank all of you and the Bozeman community for the engagement in this process.

It's been amazing and it's been a really um fruitful process.

Thank you.

Um we'll open up for public comment.

You also did receive um some written comment that was distributed by our city clerk today.

Um so I wanted to acknowledge that and I'll turn it over to Anhad Um to run the public comment, period.

All right.

Um so we'll start with the people in the room.

Hello everyone.

Uh my name is Doug McSpadden.

I'm a Bozeman resident.

Um I'm a GVLT supporter, I'm a swim build supporter, and I'm also the vice president of Saccoia Audubon.

Um I am not speaking for the board uh at this meeting, but I am trying to blend all those interests into uh I think what's going to be a great project, and I do believe it aligns with the city's mission.

Um that said, I've got three areas of concern.

I may be a little bit early on the design process of this, but there are some things that um one of which hasn't been at least introduced yet.

Um with birds, there's two tools that we're gonna be able to use, either distance or cover or screening, basically.

And with a project that is as dense as this, um sometimes the distance may be um difficult to find.

So one suggestion that I would like to introduce into this process for the designers who may be listening is to consider some uh screening fencing options.

Um the areas of concern would be the wetlands portion, the cattails um down on the kind of southern central portion of the uh the plot.

Um, and then the two areas where well the area that Chern Creek comes in and then the northern drainage.

Um both of those have really good uh riparian foliage, uh pretty dense.

Um particularly with the cyclocross uh trails, maybe we should consider some screening on the south side of those trails.

Um I would also like to suggest uh bridge elimination in that area.

Um I think talking with the cyclocross guys, we could actually probably provide more mileage for them with the elimination of that bridge.

Um, but basically, I've got limited time left.

If we please can consider um good buffers around those zones and think about how we can screen because there's gonna be a lot of people on these trails, and uh bikes zipping around are just gonna flush birds and nothing's gonna stay there.

So let's try to use that habitat um as productively as we can, and that may mean some additional fencing.

So thank you.

Hello, my name is Ken Sinai.

I am a resident.

Um my comments are my own.

I just happened to resign from the Sacagaway Audubon board, but I have been functioning as a representative for them at some of the meetings and analyzing some of the field trips with GBLT and such.

Thank you all for doing what you're doing.

Thank you to all the participants, including GBLT.

I agree with many of Doug's comments.

I'm going to try to be a little more specific.

Um again, I want to emphasize that my comments are my own.

I'm I apologize.

I submitted some written comments.

I put them out so fast.

I wasn't two minutes ahead of noon.

I might have been like a minute or two afternoon.

And uh there's some typos and such in there, but I tried to get them out.

And that relates to my next comment.

I'm somewhat disappointed in the short period of time that we had to comment on this draft plan as scheduled.

Um I realize there's been a tremendous amount of public survey opportunities as Adam and Addie pointed out.

Uh, but now is not the time to skimp.

With 10 days, it's just not much.

I was hoping to compile some recommendations for the Board of Audubon so that we could make an organizational uh comment on this draft work plan.

Uh and unfortunately there just wasn't time for that.

Uh I'd also like to mention that uh in relation to the work plan itself, though, excuse me.

Um I'm grateful definitely for some of the natural considerations that have gone into into the consideration of this plan as well as the design, it really is pretty impressive.

So I'm gonna try to be a little specific, and it relates to some of the comments that Doug just made as well.

The upper half of Chern Creek, which is uh perennial stream, is really the best piece of habitat.

And if we look at the draft work plan, we see that there's a sensitive area outlined on that plan that implies that there'll be more observation of it in the future in the field to determine where the trails actually go.

I want to consider that.

Uh considering that if we were to um, you know, with a 50-foot buffer, which I understand is legitimate, uh widening that up to 100 feet, and this relates to some of what Doug said, doing that for 200 feet on both sides, 50 feet on an additional 50 feet on each side of Turn Creek for 100 for 200 feet would amount to half an acre of linear space.

If we were to do that for 400 feet, okay, we're talking about an acre.

It's not much if we can squeeze that in there and squeeze those trails a little bit more south and or a little bit north, that might mean the elimination of portions of trails.

But considering once you put the trail in, you're not gonna eliminate it.

It's might be best to give that space to the natural habitat, and then theoretically in the future you could claim it, I suppose.

But there's quite a bit of trail in that southeastern corner of the planned design that I think, you know, trying to fit something in.

You know, it's um wildlife and plants will will fill all functional habitat.

Um, but it to maintain more of that functional habitat does require some sacrifice, not simply a concession, but a sacrifice of bike trail.

Um that it in other words, doing this for just as many hundred feet as we can get, you know, at most an acre, I suspect, would would um is not asking for much of a concession.

Based on public surveys, everybody loves the natural resources, and everybody wants them to be considered.

Uh but I think most people, though they appreciate it, they're not necessarily aware of what's necessary to truly protect functional natural habitats.

So just putting in a little bit more might might cut it.

Um that inserted inferred survey data area is the region I'm discussing here.

I'm really hoping we can make that a little bit uh be a little more sensitive to that.

Some additional thoughts.

I'm not exactly sure.

I hit my end, didn't I?

We have so many ends.

Well, I had I did have some questions about the fencing as well.

I think right now on the east property east side of the property, it's a chain link.

And so making that wildlife friendly is as has been discussed.

I think all the fences should be wildlife friendly.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Okay, I'm gonna quiz you on my name here soon.

Marcia Kavany, Bozman resident speaking um for the Bozeman or yeah, the Bozeman Tree Coalition.

Um we would totally support what Doug and Ken just talked about.

I really appreciate um bird or myself, their expertise in how they're looking at and mentioning the screening and the buffering.

And uh Bozeman Tree Coalition also brought that up, that we do really appreciate the efforts that have been made so far.

And our understanding generally is that input nowadays with the changes in the land use planning and stuff has to come early in the process.

So I understand there will be more opportunities for public input, but with site plans, I'm not actually really sure how much public input we'll have.

Um I know with developments we don't get that anymore as the public.

So I'm not sure when it's a city park, but hopefully we will have that with site plans.

Um but in short, we would really uh neither Doug or Ken mention this, but BTC would really like to see a bird survey done.

I know um SAS has offered to do that, and now is any time in the next few weeks would be really good for that, especially if people are out, you know, on the grounds doing planning.

Um BTC has not been invited to any of the ground um surveys and and studies.

We would welcome that option to be able to do that too and be a more active um public partner.

But I also wanted to do a reminder from the BTC that the state law does prohibit um doing construction in a nesting habitat area.

Um it's prohibited.

It you need a permit if you're gonna take down any trees or plow through a grasslands area to make a trail, and I know GVLT is sensitive to that and aware of that.

Um just as a re friendly reminder that starts in May, May, middle of May to the middle of July.

But in short, the buffers, the screens, more please on all of that, and a bird survey as well.

Thank you.

Do we have any in?

Hi, my name is Rick Chin.

I'm a Bozeman resident.

And just speaking for myself, I'm a really avid cyclist, my favorite thing.

I mostly do road biking, but that's getting increasingly scary with the extra traffic.

So I'm looking forward to something like this, and I appreciate the work that everyone's been doing on it.

And also I'm a tree hugger, so I can understand the uh concerns about the environment and the nature aspects, but it seems to me we've got a lot of uh really capable people working on this, and I'm just looking forward to the end result.

Thank you.

Do we have any further comments in the room?

Hi, my name is Hal Stanley, I'm a resident and property owner and an avid cyclist for many years.

I've been involved with GPLT.

I've been involved with um Swimba.

I've also coached NICA and Bozeman use cycling.

And for years, I'd wanted something like this because we have a dearest of places to do this with an expanding population that wants to be outside and get recreation.

I thought this was really, really well done by the city and GVLT as far as a plan.

I would hope that as opposed to getting too specific that if you and the people that are going to do the work, like GBLT in the city have the general sense of what the public wants, which is not only some well-done bike trails, but also environmental considerations that I would personally at least feel like some judgment from those people would end up in, these trails being really good.

As it's done over time, it may have to be changed.

We might find out some things don't work so well.

And I think Mitch and his crew on with GVLT and Swimba can adopt to that.

So I just want to say I'm super supportive of this project.

I think it's it's a really good collaboration of nonprofits in the city, and I'm really looking forward, even though I'm getting a little old to write it, um, for it to happen for the future.

Thank you.

All right.

Do we have any public comments online?

Yes, we have one online.

Um Angie.

Go ahead, Angie.

Hi, my name is Angie Kitchwek, and I'm a Bozman resident.

And I used to sit in one of your seats up there on the Urban Parks and Forestry Board several years back.

So thank you for your service.

And I am calling to echo some of the sentiments that I heard previous public comments say.

I guess let me just disclose I am a co-founder of the Bozeman Tree Coalition.

I'm the former conservation chair of the Pacagua Audubon, and that's going back a couple of moons ago.

And I'm also I'm more of a runner, but I enjoy riding my bike too.

And I love using the trails that we have available to us.

In terms of the this particular plan, honestly, I haven't had a chance.

There are so many city uh related uh engagement items happening concurrently that I must admit I personally have not really had a chance to study this preliminary uh design.

Um I agree there's just not quite enough uh time to digest it to formulate my own um praise or suggestions on it.

So I would ask that maybe we add a little bit of extra time for those of us who also live in the NCOD, for example, and want to be part of that.

I'm also involved in other neighborhood-oriented things, and so I'm trying to be engaged and trying to juggle all the balls, and I just um haven't been able to do that because there's so much going on.

So I've given the importance of this site, not only to provide biking opportunities, but to also protect the natural resources on site.

I request that we have more time to give feedback so it's like the best plan it could be.

And I thought I would also just mention um the value of being able to see to survey what's on site before any final decisions are made on uh trail placement is very wise.

Um so you know, for example, years before the Indra Lynn Audubon Wetland Preserve became what it is today.

There are many years of coordinated bird surveys to determine what birds are actually using that area.

And so I think knowledge is power, it helps us make better decisions.

Um then we can really feel proud of a project that is being as environmentally and wildlife conscious as possible while still affording recreational opportunities.

Thank you.

Good evening.

Excuse me.

My name is Dan Draper.

I happen to be a neighbor uh to the new uh bike park.

And uh myself, somebody that's more of a hiker and walker than biker.

Uh there are some trails there, but I'm gonna speak very positively about the cooperation that this the trail staff at GVLT has made to get uh input from myself and others uh arranging an opportunity to do a walkthrough.

Um so I would encourage people that feel that they need more time.

Uh, use some of the staff, and I think you'll find that it's that they're very open to some good suggestions.

Thank you.

Okay, at this time um board members, do you have any questions or discussion?

I have a comment.

Um the need to the bikers and um the need to preserve the ecosystem and what is um effectively in the past been used as a borrow pit for um topsoil to cover the landfill.

Um I think that there was very good input from the public in the um sessions that I attended, and I think it's the highest and best use of a piece of land that the city owned that uh will benefit a lot of people that don't have access to it now.

So I support the concept plan as it's been prepared.

Thank you.

I I just wanted to uh follow up with what Joe said, also being on the tour with him.

Um it was helpful to see how close this piece of land is to the Bozeman Solid Waste facility um and why there is a need for a fence.

Um I I think I I've been on the snowfill site looking south, but to be on the bike fill site looking north was a very different perspective.

Um it's it's hard to believe that that little slip of land is so large between the two.

Um I also was appreciative of the stream crossings on Churn Creek.

Um using uh already existing road and areas where there are breaks in the trees for those crossings made sense to me.

Um and also we had a chance to walk through the native vegetation site, um, which I believe is the only part of it that is not um been severely modified.

Um and so I I agree with Joe that this is a good use of space.

Um I'm not sure all those squiggly lines on the on the model will make all the trails.

That's kind of hard to believe.

I think they're just there to show us what's what's available, but it was really helpful to see the site.

So I thank the staff for taking us out there.

Um, and um it it really helped me understand what it will look like.

I'd like to echo both of those comments on after visiting the site.

It's both both stream crossings on Turn Creek have already been damaged previous to this.

One already has a road going across it, and then the other one, correct if I'm wrong, Adam, but it was a police shooting, it was a target range.

It is right adjacent to it.

And so it's and when you're standing there, you can you can very easily see that those are the easiest paths across the water.

Um, and I think that it's it's the most responsible action to be to be taken.

Um also what was cool is the amount of dirt that's going to remain in that general vicinity, the the widening of Maclehattan Road, the dirt is being reused on site.

So I think that there's a lot of responsible usage of our resources there.

I also went to the site visit.

It was incredibly informative.

Um I also shared concerns about trail proximity to Churn Creek and Creek Crossings and going and seeing the site and how close Churn Creek is to the gravel road that heavy equipment drives on day in and day out, made it a lot easier for me to see that the 50 50 foot, 50 meter, 50 foot setback is appropriate because 75 feet and you've already crossed the road.

Um so I think that the space that they've given the creek is pretty adequate.

It feels very reasonable.

And same thing Brant was saying, the creek crossings make so much sense why they've chosen where they are.

Something that I wasn't connecting before seeing this site was there's a big trail crossing across the like wetlands and the native vegetation area, and that actually is going between a wetlands area and a native grasslands area.

So it's kind of the boundary between the native vegetation and the wetland.

It's not crossing wetland and it's not crossing the native vegetation.

It's kind of the book end of both of those.

So seeing that was really helpful too.

So I already thought this was a great idea.

Seeing the site and seeing the changes that they've made from public input has made me incredibly supportive of it.

Any further questions, comments?

Yeah, I have a comment about the bird surveys.

I think that's a really good idea.

And I did admittedly have very limited time to read the 200, 300 page document.

But I'm not sure if there was any like explicit language in there about conducting bird surveys like prior to construction or ongoing bird surveys, but I think adding something like that would be a really good idea.

Um especially if there's like people volunteering to do it.

I would go do it.

Sounds fun.

Um we also got a written public comment about like a hairi nest that was near the site.

Um which is like I'm wondering, you know, where exactly is it, or is it still there?

Like, you know, I don't I don't know the details of it.

So that's like a question that a bird survey could answer.

And additionally, um, I did see in the master plan um kind of vague language about if there's a rodent problem that comes up, how would it be managed?

So like Harriers in the area, if those are there, and if we're aware of that, that could be one way to like help manage the rodents is having a presence of raptors.

So one reason of many why I think ongoing bird surveys would be a really, really good idea.

Okay, Abby, I have questions.

Yeah.

That's what I'm here for.

Okay.

Um can we talk fences first?

So I understand.

I mean, I understand, which for the people in the room, I was unable to go on the tour last week.

Um I have um walked out there like last fall.

So um by myself.

Um the fence line on the south side along the landfill area.

I understand there is a requirement there to have a pretty solid fence for the landfill.

Um so my questions are more targeted towards the east, west and north fences.

Okay.

So west fence.

Is there going to be a fence on the west side?

So there's currently an eight-foot chain link fence that goes across the entire west side from kind of the entrance road, the service entrance road into the solid waste all the way up to snowfill.

That fence will be removed.

Um, there will be low fencing as we are not gonna have dogs in the park.

So there will be some fencing to prevent dogs from coming into the bike park from the parking lot area because we do have an entrance that does serve snowfill from this.

So there will be low fencing to prevent the dogs from ducking under uh you know low rail and into the bike park.

And so that will be uh low wildlife friendly fencing.

Um the north side of the park um actually already has a smooth uh four-wire ranch fence up there that we were planning to leave as is.

Um it's not barbed wire, it's a smooth wire, it was replaced not too long ago.

It's in really good shape.

Um that actually extends around the east side all the way down to where Chern Creek comes under Story Mill Road.

All of that is a uh about a four-foot uh four-wire smooth wire fence right now, and that will remain.

We're not gonna put any chain link um in those sections.

Okay, so my next question is about that kind of that east side along story mill road.

Um, so I am a native Montanan and I have pulled off the sides of the roads a lot when I wanted to go for a hike.

Um, so is there some sort of a plan for that contingency along Story Mill Road?

Because full disclosure, I could see myself doing it like the parking lot on the west side is full.

So we had in our early planning discussions with transportation, we we we talked about this at large.

Um Story Mill provides uh a unique challenge in that sense because of the rolling terrain that's there.

Um where that road becomes kind of equal in gradient with the bike park.

There's a lot of sight lines that can't be seen for people coming up and over because there's there's the crest of the hill in there.

Um and there's just not the vision for for the road users to see people on the side of the road or vehicles stopped.

Um and that's why we were uh you know, very early in this, we were um decided that Maclehattan is gonna be the much more appropriate way of of uh getting into this facility simply because we can um you know with the improvement of MacAlhattan, we're gonna approve site lines for coming out of the parking lot, so we'll have a really good visibility of cars coming from either direction.

And that was just something that without massive redoing of Story Mill Road, we wouldn't be able to attain in that area.

Um additionally, having the parking lot at the lowest area of the bike park so that as people move in, ride, do their uphill, come down has shown through you know, looking at other bike parks and and whatnot, having that parking lot at the bottom of the hill is a lot more conducive than having that at the top of the hill as well.

And so the MacAlhattan made a lot of sense to have it off of to have the parking lot located off of MacAllain.

May I make a recommendation for those wily animals that ignore fences and all through them?

For sure.

Maybe adding some signage, recommending that they don't.

We we are planning on signage.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Um so then the um Annie mentioned that there's a shared use path from the neighborhood.

Um correct.

Um so we have there's an existing stretch of parkland in the Bridget Creek neighborhood that does have a trail in it and kind of runs the southern boundary of the solid waste facility.

Um that trail is kind of where we're gonna start our multi-use trail that will actually it won't be directly adjacent to Maclehattan, it will stay up on the hillside, so it'll be a full user-separated trail that crosses up and over the hillside that uh solid waste sits on, is descends down into bike fill and then continues on into snowfill.

So it will be a multi-use pathway to access both parks.

Is that plan to be a um all ability pathway?

So it is all ability.

Um it will be gravel.

All abilities have uh very specific distances of grades that you're able to go on.

Um so we've designed that so we can hit all of those um all abilities um benchmarks in there.

Thank you.

Yep.

I'm looking at my notes just one sec.

All right.

Does anybody have any other questions while I look at my notes?

Yeah, one of the conflicts I could see is more bikes in snowfill.

And I wonder if there's been consideration on how to address that issue because I believe, and this is a little out of the scope of the project, I'm sure, but I believe bikes are currently allowed in snowfill.

I mean, I think it might be something we watch and see what happens.

Um, but we kind of we did kind of discuss the idea that you know we're being strict about bike fill being for bikes and no dogs, that once we open this up, maybe we restrict bikes on the other side to prevent conflict.

All right, so I have refreshed my look at my notes, and I actually don't have any other questions.

Um I'm looking up at Joe just to see if he has any questions or comments.

Uh no more comment.

Thank you.

Can I get a refresher on the water situation there with the well for irrigation?

Yeah, so on the entire lot, there's already two wells, one at um snowfill where you can give your dog a drink.

And then the solid waste facility is um uses a well also, but they don't drink from it.

Uh they have their water trucked in.

Um so in order to irrigate the trees as is required for city code, um, trees around the parking lot, um, we're going to have to have a water source.

So if we can't drill a new well, we'd have to pay for some pretty expensive connection to another existing well on site.

So we are looking at all the volume of use that the other wells are using.

Um DEQ I always get it wrong, um, which agency is reviews the well applications.

But you know, looking at our total use across the site, we're not we're only using this hand pump well um for a dog wash.

We're not using the full capacity of that.

And so that's kind of how we balance out our request when we go to ask for it.

So I I uh just going back to the bird survey piece.

Um, would bird surveys be required as part of the permitting process that I understand is happening in the future?

Um would that need to be recorded in a motion today?

So we are we we did hear from Audubon officially that with an official offer to do that, and they've done they do this on other properties um as well, other parks.

And so we're working on scheduling that um honing in on some some specific days in May and June for them to come and do bird counts.

And we would love if they continue to do that over the years.

And um so we don't think we need to put it in the master plan.

It's more procedural and more policy um than necessarily related to the design document.

Okay, I do have questions again.

Um of the questions that you asked Addy, um well, statements that you made, right, when you started, was um our thoughts on AF this presentation.

Um if the master plan set the vision.

Um you expound on why you made that request.

And here's how come I'm I'm asking it in that manner.

Um to me, a master plan is kind of the dream.

It doesn't mean that everything in that dream happens.

So could you clarify if if that's just my version, my language for master plan, or if that's um yours?

No, I would agree, but I I do think that GBLT has been aiming not to put something in here that they don't think we can pull off and pull it off soon.

So it's both a dream and a pretty um you know a solid reality, what we have going.

Um the scale of things might adjust.

Um the other reason I wanted to emphasize that is um so like in the planning department, if we're building like a vertical construction project or any of our civil, of course.

There's really clear guidelines of what uh development master plan process is doing.

And and then you go to site plan.

The park master plan is really kind of a gray, a sliding scale, I you could say.

Uh we could have presented a bubble diagram that just showed these are the uses that are gonna occur, but we are moving towards construction, so you've seen a lot more detail than you might otherwise see.

Sometimes our master plan documents are just a narrative and a very basic map of the site.

So um, you know, we do want you to respond to everything that you've seen, and the public comment is going to that level of detail.

Um but I was trying to kind of draw that line or or reframe like what is a master plan, but then we will move forward to the actual construction drawings that are hard-lined and um and you know the direction that the design team will go.

Um just one moment.

We are one minute to eight o'clock.

Um does everybody here have the ability to stay for another 10 minutes?

Okay, we'll extend the meeting 10 minutes.

I I um in your question, it it reminded me of all the public comment that went into it and and in viewing the site plan.

Um it does feel in align with the I don't know, 200 pages I read of the public comment.

So I that was one of your questions at the beginning, and I I did read most of that and looked at all the dots, and um it it did seem to represent clearly to me that that it was the community's involvement that was used to design the plan.

Okay, do we have any further questions or comments from the board?

Do you have funding contingencies if you ran into a big problem like the well can't be drilled, and we have to make an expensive connection elsewhere?

Because the budget looks kind of tight, which makes sense.

Why wouldn't you use the funds you have?

Right.

Um I would say yes, you know, there's elements on here.

Um there was a page in the master plan that kind of laid out construction priority, and that is generally our funding priorities as well.

Is that fair to say?

Yeah, in the budget, we do have a the uh construction construction contingency.

So yeah, digging through the MOU there, we do have our construction budget in there.

We are reserving that contingency for something as what you're saying.

We know that roadblocks or hiccups are gonna come up.

Um so we do have that planned contingency to to help us through that.

All right, to move forward, we need um a motion from a board member.

I'd like to make a motion to approve the bike fill community park master plan as submitted.

I second Terry Limston.

Yes.

Grant Baruby?

Yes.

Paige Lizowski?

Yes.

Joe Cartwright.

Yes.

Matthew Quartan?

Yes.

Sally Shrink, yes.

Approved.

Okay.

Um Mitch, what do you want to do about F2?

Um we can give it a quick try and see what you think.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay, thank you.

Uh for the record, Mitch Overton, director of the Bozeman Parks and Recreation Department.

And every other year we set out and we create um a work plan.

And then we review that mid-year or mid-two-year cycle.

And it's time for us to update that again.

Um last meeting we went over our 2425 work plan and where we uh uh had done well and where we hadn't done so well.

Uh mostly we had done quite well.

Um and so I've updated that plan for us to review.

Um as we go through this, you might realize some of these um maybe fairly high level and give us a little wiggle room to do multiple projects within the topic.

And the way that we've arranged this is within focus areas.

The focus areas are what are specifically called out in our resolution that creates this board.

So we have five different focus areas, and then within those focus areas, we call out work plan items so that we make sure that our items always align with those areas that uh the resolution states that are the areas that we're supposed to be working in.

Um so with that being said, I'm gonna go right through the focus areas, and again, those are called out, and I have a slide that shows this if we need to review it, those exact areas of the focus areas.

Um this one is pretty cut and dry, organizing the annual Arbor Day program.

And I do put into the work plan for us uh a little bit more detail.

Uh so where you see on the far left, you see work that is work plan item description.

Um a little bit of description of what that is is you know, adding capacity and contributing to the program.

We also put in here uh for the board and for the commission, because this document does go to the city commission as well, how these uh work plan items align with the city strategic plan.

Um so this aligns into the sustainable environment area, um an estimated board time commitment.

So we estimate roughly about three meetings per year and one volunteer day per year.

Um so moderate amount of staff time.

Uh the schedule generally, as you those of you have been on the board have seen now, we generally are working on that December through April.

Um, and that's appropriate.

And then we budget for these um within the forestry division budget.

Focus area.

And so that kind of lays it out and may be able to go a little quicker through some of these, but that's sort of how this works.

And if we've had an opportunity to review it, um hopefully that makes sense.

Um work area two, uh, focus area two about reviewing reports pertaining to the urban forest.

And so that's pretty high level.

And so each time when we do these, we sort of make it pertinent to what we're working on in the department and what we can work on with the board.

Um currently it is updating the urban forest management plan.

Um this aligns in that strategic priority area.

Um the board time commitment.

I put the four meetings per year there because that's what's called for in the um uh community engagement plan uh was four work sessions here with the board.

But that's and I can change this on this after we're done if we want to adopt it that way, frankly, and I'll make a note.

But we're not nailed down to some of these.

Focus area three is about assessing parks and trails, looking at underserved areas and neighborhoods, and identifying those areas of disparity.

So again, pretty broad, and then we take that and say, hey, what are we working on?

And that we will work on together.

These come directly out of the Pratt, so anchor routes, and what we'll be working on this year is the Catel Creek Corridor, and that master plan and that adoption, and then the beginning of the creation of that.

That's a very significant project that we've been working on with the board here for a few years.

It's a three and a half mile multi-use path that stretches from Cattail Lake all the way down to Bozeman Ponds and connecting everything in between and with legs coming out east and west from there.

Very significant project, and it'll take all of us a fair amount of time to work through that.

So that's year one and two.

We put a lot of work into that.

I'd love to us to keep that uh going and continue working on that program.

It is budget contingent, so I'm as long as I can continue to get some budget fundings for that.

I think it was really well received.

We're still in the since we did the programming here with the board, and we're we're still executing some of it and you know, figuring out some of those details with the grant the grantees, um, but very impactful um in an excellent program.

Area four, um evaluating the you can tell this was written a while ago because this is evaluate the parks, recreation, open space and trails plan.

That was the old plan before we with the board created the Pratt.

Um so we utilize that as now um further implementation of the Pratt.

And that next uh really significant project for us to do with implementation of the Pratt is take what was recommended in the Pratt for code amendments and review the go through those with the board and create a package uh to update the the the city municipal code.

So some of that is in the prime the majority of it will be in the development code, but there's also some in the primary park code um and some other areas there.

So and this is really focused on the park portion of it.

We'll have another portion of this coming out of the forestry plan that will focus more on on tree code um components.

Um does everybody have five more minutes?

Okay, I'm almost done here.

Okay.

Um we do hope to get through this one this year, um, and so it's gonna take us a little focus here to get going on that.

And then lastly is our biannual or is um we also have I'm sorry, that one is on the bottom here.

Focus area is about providing recommendations um regarding the Sunset Hills cemetery.

And what we like to do here, and this is always a good reminder for me as well, because we need to set this up with the board, and I hope that this is enjoyable for the board.

These are biannual staff updates about Sunset Hill Cemetery and provide recommendations there as needed.

Um so we like to do that.

I like to bring in um a representative from the cemetery.

It's an excellent division, it's very important.

Um it goes uh somewhat unseen, which is the way that it it should.

You want it to be that way.

There's you know, you want uh just good things going on over there at the cemetery.

It's a uh I think it's the greatest cemetery in the state.

It's a virtual arboretum it's just the uh a pretty special place, and that and it's the valley's history is is there.

Um so it's super important.

So um that is and then I also kind of wrote out um uh a narrative about it, but essentially it's all within the not essentially it is, it's just a little bit uh more elaborated on uh in the text, but it all matches there.

So that's it.

So um what is your ask tonight from us to adopt the work plan for the board?

And then we would utilize this work plan as our guiding plan for the next couple of years and say, hey, these are the things that we're working on, such as um you saw tonight.

Do you have a um deadline where you need to have our answer?

No.

And are we butting up against it right now?

Because I'm just thinking I have questions and we've got three minutes.

No, not particularly.

We don't have a deadline.

It's just in this general area of of um the timeline of uh of the year.

Uh we try to do it early in the year.

Um no, not at all.

Um so I guess my preference um on the surface, I have absolutely zero concerns.

Um, but I just feel a little rushed at this moment.

Understood.

Um so um can we bring this up at next month's meeting?

Yes.

Okay.

Yes.

Um would you be willing to like compile and provide any additional information you want us to review before that meeting so we can be a little more directed?

You bet.

It sounds good.

Okay.

With that, I think I would like to table um this vote until next meeting.

And we have a public comment.

So Daniel Cardi, Bozeman resident.

Um I'd like to speak to uh work plan focus area two C, year one.

Currently currently reads contribute to historic preservation policy development for trees.

Again, this is unclear language.

And um what really needs to be done in this uh work plan area two C, year one is it needs to state uh categorically that um this board's work plan will be to develop a heritage tree program.

So that is my ask for this board to make an amendment before you take your vote next time around.

So thank you.

Green.

Do we need to vote with my tabling?

Oh no, I don't think so.

Okay, I am going to declare that we do not need to vote on a tabling um and adjourn our meeting.

Thank you.