Bozeman TIF Advisory Board Meeting – April 16, 2026
Bozeman Tax Increment Finance Advisory Board Meeting – April 16, 2026
The Tax Increment Finance (TIF) Advisory Board met on April 16, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. to review and recommend approval of the FY 2027 and FY 2028 work plans and budgets for five urban renewal districts: Northeast, Pole Yard, North Park, South Bozeman Technology, and Midtown. The meeting lasted approximately two hours and included public comment on several topics, staff presentations, and board votes on each district's budget, including amendments.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Mark Campanelli (Bogart Park neighborhood) urged the board to consider using TIF funds for the Bozeman Creek Vision Plan, noting an estimated $35–80 million in flood protection infrastructure with a 50-year net present value benefit-cost ratio. He also expressed concerns about the Bozeman Yards luxury development and the potential for TIF to support affordable housing and public goods.
- Jason Delmu (Northeast neighborhood resident) requested a dialogue with city staff about the North Church Avenue right-of-way project, emphasizing that the $580,000 placeholder seemed more than what residents envisioned for a simple creek-side parklet. He asked for clarity on access to adjacent parcels.
- Nathan Stein (Executive Director, Headwaters Community Housing Trust) spoke in support of the proposed housing acquisition loan fund amendment, stating that such a fund could make a critical difference for affordable homeownership projects in the Midtown area.
- Emily Telago (remote comment) questioned the legal basis for the housing acquisition loan fund under Montana urban renewal law and asked for clear findings. She also noted that the Midtown Design and Connectivity Plan had been sunset, and urged the board to consider zoning-specific corridor planning.
- Additional public comments addressed the L Street Annex site (potential contamination and utility costs), the South Bozeman Technology District (concerns about Department of Defense-linked tenants), and the need for neighborhood engagement on TIF projects.
Discussion Items
- Northeast Urban Renewal District – Staff presented a budget with $2.4 million in cash on hand, proposing $314,000 in FY 2027 and $2.5 million in FY 2028. Key projects: quiet zone engineering, tree planting program, right-of-way improvements on Church Street (between Cottonwood and Aspen), and existing development agreements (Wallace Works, Bozeman Yards). The board discussed the need to broaden the scope of the Church Street project to address neighborhood priorities beyond the current corridor.
- Pole Yard Urban Renewal District – The newest district, with limited private projects but growing increment. The budget focuses on completing the quiet zone project, with funds set aside for construction costs.
- North Park Urban Renewal District – A small industrial district with no current TIF requests. The developer has already installed infrastructure and will seek reimbursement for future phases. The board approved the budget as submitted.
- South Bozeman Technology District – The district is seeing revenue from two new buildings (Engine Works and Aurora Technologies). The budget includes authorization to bond up to the full amount owed to the developer for infrastructure, with a 170% debt coverage ratio. The board added a bullet acknowledging that appropriation reflects existing obligations, not project approval.
- Midtown Urban Renewal District – The most complex agenda item. Staff proposed a $2.5 million housing acquisition loan fund by eliminating $1.89 million in “other” and reducing parking garage design funds by $610,000. After discussion, the board amended the sub-motion to simply increase the “other” line item by $610,000 (derived from parking garage design) to preserve flexibility. The final budget includes funding for Whittier School parking lot, Fifth Avenue lighting, North Fifth Avenue pedestrian safety design, Mendenhall Street sewer design, and a technical assistance grant program.
Key Outcomes
- Northeast Urban Renewal District – The board approved the FY 2027 and FY 2028 work plans and budgets with an amendment expanding the scope of the right-of-way improvements on Church Street to address neighborhood needs. Motion carried on roll call.
- Pole Yard Urban Renewal District – Approved as submitted. Motion carried on roll call.
- North Park Urban Renewal District – Approved as submitted. Motion carried on roll call.
- South Bozeman Technology District – Approved with an added bullet stating that appropriation for development agreements reflects existing obligations, not project endorsement. Motion carried on roll call.
- Midtown Urban Renewal District – The board approved the work plans and budgets after a sub-motion to increase the “other” line item by $610,000 (reducing parking garage design funds) to allow for potential housing acquisition loans or other opportunities. The main motion carried on roll call.
- The board also discussed future projects at Whittier School and expressed interest in exploring additional TIF-supported improvements for the school.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. I think we've hit afternoon. It's noon now. Welcome. Um okay, thank you for joining us. Before we start the meeting, I'm gonna follow my new script. So um I'd like to remind folks of a couple of things to make it easier for you to follow along and make public comment. You can watch us in real time in several different ways. Attend in person here in the city commission room, stream us live on your computer by going to meetings video page at Bozeman. You can watch the meeting on Cable TV channel one ninety. You can also join us via video conference. You'll find the link to join us by clicking on the calendar event in the meeting of Bozeman's main webpage to find the city commission agenda, click the link to register and follow the prompts and enter the meeting. Lastly, you can call in to listen. You can find the phone number on the video conference and access code and agenda. Please note that 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 or 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 cable on channel one ninety. Moving on, do we have any changes to the agenda? No. Uh greetings, everyone. Uh Mark Campanelli. I live in Bogart Park neighborhood. Um I wanted to discuss the uh Bozeman Creek Vision Plan, which is the engagements just getting underway. My phone is already bothering me, sorry. Um so a main component of the Bozeman Creek Vision Plan is an infrastructure component. Um there is public benefit, about 35 to 80 million in project costs is estimated for hundreds and millions in flood protection infrastructure. Uh so that's your like benefit to cost ratio, uh, which is a range calculated as a 50-year net present value, I think at like 4. something percent uh compared to the do nothing alternative. Uh there's blight, the creek should see the light and stay clean, so us common folk can enjoy it. And there's also but four. Oh heavens, where will the money come from? So considering these three criteria, where could the money come from for this infrastructure? TIFF! Right, those three are the what you need for a TIFF. Okay, cool. So alternate approach. So you want 250K to your go to your fancy new building near the creek, then we match 250k from the increment to bond a creek improvement in the district, which would also help your fancy new building not flood. Right? Win-win for the public and for the person. So now I realize this approach may not boost a developer's profit margin or generate lavish real estate agent fees like the TIFF supported Bozeman Yards luxury development does, but to that I say. So please consider other uses of TIFF everyday people and our like community as a whole really does need it. Thank you. Thank you. Are there any other public comments? Um public comment online? We have no online participants yet. Great. Um we discuss that or do we move on to the agenda? Great. Okay, moving on to the agenda items.
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