OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Bozeman Sustainability Advisory Board Meeting – April 8, 2026

City Commission — Wednesday, April 8, 2026
BodyBozeman, Montana
SessionCity Commission
DateWednesday, April 8, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:53:33

Transcript — Verbatim
0:24

All right, good evening, and welcome to the April 8th meeting of the Sustainability Advisory Board.

0:29

Before we begin, I'd like to explain the various ways to participate in tonight's meeting.

0:34

First, you can join us here in person in the commission room, or you can join us on Zoom.

0:38

Unfortunately, the sustainability board meeting video stream is unavailable on the commission's video page due to technical issues.

0:45

The meeting will be recorded via Zoom and updated at a later date.

0:48

So we're sorry for this inconvenience.

0:51

If you're joining us via Zoom, you can provide public comment on an agenda item by using the raise your hand feature.

0:57

We take public comment in the room first and then move online.

1:01

Lastly, this board has decided to refer to one another on a first name basis for ease of communication.

1:06

And with that, I call the April 8th meeting of the Sustainability Advisory Board to order.

1:12

Natalie, are there any changes to the agenda?

1:15

There are no changes to the agenda.

1:17

Okay.

1:18

Are there any disclosures board members would like to make on tonight's agenda?

1:26

Okay.

1:27

Would anyone like to approve the minutes from the March 11th meeting?

1:31

Please move it to a vote.

1:36

I move to approve the minutes.

1:38

Okay.

1:41

A second.

1:42

Okay, thank you.

1:42

Kessley, can you please facilitate the vote?

1:48

Jessica Boy?

1:51

Jesse.

1:52

Aye, sorry.

1:54

Isabel.

1:55

Brooke.

1:56

Aye.

1:56

Erin.

1:57

Hi.

1:58

Kendra.

1:58

Aye.

1:59

Kristen.

2:00

Aye.

2:00

Motion pass.

2:02

Okay, thank you.

2:04

Are there any FYIs anyone on the board would like to share?

2:11

I've got a commission FII, if I can hop in here.

2:14

Um I neglected to let you know last month that previous to last month, the commission voted on a resolution to create a non-voting student seat on each of our major advisory boards.

2:27

So this seat will be appointed by the commission via a recommendation from the ASMSU Student Senate.

2:36

They are building out a process now to help promote and then select students from amongst the student body that might be interested or have a degree or otherwise some kind of experience that's relevant to each of our five superboards plus the historic preservation advisory board.

2:56

And then our city commission will vote to appoint them into these seats.

3:10

So rather than being a two-year term that starts in January, it will be a one-year term that starts at the fall semester.

3:17

Um, and then we'll go the full year through the fall semester.

3:21

So the expectation is that students will attend year-round, even though they may have you know summer jobs or summer travel might take them places, but um still the same expectation of making the majority of the meetings with you know some assistance from remote attendance if if necessary.

3:37

Um and I'm just really excited about this opportunity to bring some student voices onto our advisory boards and a little bit um of a lower barrier method.

3:48

Um, and then that non-voting kind of ex officio component, I think still keeps the um the rigor and validity of our boards intact while we help uh make sure we're getting some voices that we don't often hear from.

4:02

Um so yeah, we'll have some folks from the MSU student uh campus off-life.

4:09

I'm gonna butcher their name right now, off-campus student life be reaching out to um kind of set up this process, and I'll be facilitating it with um board chairs.

4:19

And if any of you have any questions about how the program might work, definitely let me know.

4:23

Um the one other thing to say about this is MSU has a um established program called Boardroom Bobcats, where they help place MSU students on advisory boards of nonprofits across the valley.

4:38

And so um this program will be working kind of in conjunction with that existing uh programming at MSU.

4:46

So there will be support for these students to understand how a board works and how to engage effectively and hopefully provide some of that institutional knowledge as we have kind of a higher turnover one year cadence of those terms.

5:01

So yeah, I'm again really excited about it and happy to take any questions at any time if you'll have them.

5:12

Any other FYIs.

5:16

Okay, Natalie, it looks like I maybe went out of order with the minutes, but you want to do your voice.

5:21

Okay.

5:29

Good evening, members of the board.

5:31

There are just a few upcoming events that I want to bring to your attention, in part because they are official items on your work plan.

5:43

The first is the Bozeman Cleanup Day, which we shared last month and just want to remind you that there's still an opportunity to sign up and participate and or just show up on the 25th at the festival to get your cleanup materials.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Parks and Recreation████████████████████████████████████████████44%
Environmental Protection██████████████████████22%
Community Engagement██████████████████18%
Procedural███████████11%
Affordable Housing██2%
Public Engagement█1%
Flood Mitigation█1%
Youth Programs█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Bozeman Sustainability Advisory Board Meeting – April 8, 2026

The Sustainability Advisory Board met on the evening of April 8, 2026, in the commission room and via Zoom. Due to technical issues, the video stream was unavailable; the meeting was recorded via Zoom. The board voted unanimously to approve the March 11, 2026, meeting minutes and received an update on a new non-voting student seat for advisory boards.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes from the March 11, 2026, meeting were approved unanimously.
  • FYI: The City Commission voted to create a non-voting student seat on each major advisory board. The seat will be a one-year term starting in fall, appointed by the commission from an ASMSU Student Senate recommendation, in coordination with MSU's Boardroom Bobcats program.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Mark Campanelli (Bogart Park resident) expressed concern about the lack of input data for the ClearPath 2.0 model, urged proper sensitivity analysis, and noted uncertainty in climate models. He also commented on heat pump refrigerants (R-454B), the talent drain to the Yellowstone Club, and the need to start with basic building code enforcement before pursuing high-performance standards. He expressed support for affordable green building.
  • Mary Bateson (Bozeman resident) expressed excitement for the urban forestry presentations and requested that the board advocate for maximum funding for tree planting and care programs.
  • Jim Walseth (603 West Babcock) offered expertise on public fruit tree orchards, encouraged scaling up Branch Out Bozeman from a pilot program, and emphasized the importance of private trees for canopy cover.
  • Daniel Cardi (Bozeman resident, Bozeman Tree Coalition) submitted written comments, asked for achievable objectives in the Branch Out Bozeman program (e.g., tree survival tracking), and urged the urban forest management plan to include strong definitions and ecological vision.
  • Natsuki Nakamura (Economic Vitality Board member, speaking as an individual) expressed concerns about limited staff capacity (4 full-time forestry employees) and the loss of private mature trees in midtown during redevelopment, urging better integration of equity and tree preservation.
  • Mark Campanelli (returning) raised concerns about trees in Bozeman Creek potentially affecting flood conveyance and praised improved tree maintenance in Bogart Park.
  • Elizabeth Darrow (formerly Historic Preservation Advisory Board) promoted a Heritage Tree program, citizen science, and the "I See Tree" app for measuring carbon and assessing private trees. She thanked Alex Nordquist for past help.

Discussion Items

  • Branch Out Bozeman Partnership – Lily McLean (Gallatin Watershed Council) and Alex Nordquist (City Forester) presented. Since 2021, the program has engaged 781 volunteers, logged over 2,000 hours, planted 783 trees, and staked 6,900 willows at 15 locations along 4 creeks. Goals include cleaner water, cooler summers, and equity. The program has leveraged approximately $200,000 in grants and donations. A tree voucher program distributed 79 free trees this year. Arbor Day is April 24, 2026. Board discussion covered fruit trees (caution about maintenance), repurposing wood chips (high demand, limited supply), species diversity, staffing capacity, and the need for canopy cover goals.
  • 2026 Urban Forest Management Plan – Alex Nordquist detailed the process to replace the 2016 plan. The city has about 28,500 trees in inventory, 4 full-time forestry staff (doubled to 8 with summer help), and a pruning rotation targeting a 7‑year cycle. The new plan, developed with consultant DGNA/Planet Geo, will include canopy cover goals, staffing assessment, community engagement, and emerald ash borer preparation. The RFP was issued in October 2025, consultant selected December 2025, and the plan will be finalized by end of 2026. Board discussion highlighted equity gaps (rental properties), the need for an outside perspective on staffing, and opportunities to incorporate private tree canopy and development review.
  • Gallatin Valley Beyond Plastics Poster Contest – Terry Quatrero presented. The contest, themed on remembering reusable bags, received 98 submissions from 5 schools (4th and 5th graders). The top 3 posters (A, B, C) were displayed. Board used ranked-choice voting: Poster A received 16 points, Poster C 12, Poster B 8. A motion to select Poster A as the winner passed unanimously. The winning poster was created by a 4th-grade student at Monfortan School. Prizes include a pizza party for the class and $100 for the school's food debt.
  • 2026-2027 Work Plan Adoption – Because of time constraints, the board agreed to defer adoption to the May 2026 meeting. No public comment was offered.

Key Outcomes

  • Minutes Approved: Unanimous approval of March 11, 2026, meeting minutes.
  • Poster Contest Winner: Poster A selected as the winner (motion passed unanimously).
  • Work Plan Deferred: Adoption of the 2026-2027 Sustainability Advisory Board work plan postponed to the May 2026 meeting.
  • Next Steps: The Branch Out Bozeman partnership and Urban Forest Management Plan will continue public engagement; the board will revisit the work plan in May.

Meeting Transcript

All right, good evening, and welcome to the April 8th meeting of the Sustainability Advisory Board. Before we begin, I'd like to explain the various ways to participate in tonight's meeting. First, you can join us here in person in the commission room, or you can join us on Zoom. Unfortunately, the sustainability board meeting video stream is unavailable on the commission's video page due to technical issues. The meeting will be recorded via Zoom and updated at a later date. So we're sorry for this inconvenience. If you're joining us via Zoom, you can provide public comment on an agenda item by using the raise your hand feature. We take public comment in the room first and then move online. Lastly, this board has decided to refer to one another on a first name basis for ease of communication. And with that, I call the April 8th meeting of the Sustainability Advisory Board to order. Natalie, are there any changes to the agenda? There are no changes to the agenda. Okay. Are there any disclosures board members would like to make on tonight's agenda? Okay. Would anyone like to approve the minutes from the March 11th meeting? Please move it to a vote. I move to approve the minutes. Okay. A second. Okay, thank you. Kessley, can you please facilitate the vote? Jessica Boy? Jesse. Aye, sorry. Isabel. Brooke. Aye. Erin. Hi. Kendra. Aye. Kristen. Aye. Motion pass. Okay, thank you. Are there any FYIs anyone on the board would like to share? I've got a commission FII, if I can hop in here. Um I neglected to let you know last month that previous to last month, the commission voted on a resolution to create a non-voting student seat on each of our major advisory boards. So this seat will be appointed by the commission via a recommendation from the ASMSU Student Senate. They are building out a process now to help promote and then select students from amongst the student body that might be interested or have a degree or otherwise some kind of experience that's relevant to each of our five superboards plus the historic preservation advisory board. And then our city commission will vote to appoint them into these seats. So rather than being a two-year term that starts in January, it will be a one-year term that starts at the fall semester. Um, and then we'll go the full year through the fall semester. So the expectation is that students will attend year-round, even though they may have you know summer jobs or summer travel might take them places, but um still the same expectation of making the majority of the meetings with you know some assistance from remote attendance if if necessary. Um and I'm just really excited about this opportunity to bring some student voices onto our advisory boards and a little bit um of a lower barrier method. Um, and then that non-voting kind of ex officio component, I think still keeps the um the rigor and validity of our boards intact while we help uh make sure we're getting some voices that we don't often hear from. Um so yeah, we'll have some folks from the MSU student uh campus off-life. I'm gonna butcher their name right now, off-campus student life be reaching out to um kind of set up this process, and I'll be facilitating it with um board chairs. And if any of you have any questions about how the program might work, definitely let me know.

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