And it looked like we'll be saying that moving in the landscape architecture.

Or I had to be like, oh no, no, like what do you tell us?

Of course.

All the things we can't say, or imply.

Why did you use the side trap?

So I'm just going to do that.

That was what we're trying to draw.

I don't know if you know, to back it up, and back now at the very least.

Like, you know, I can choose that.

I think you're going to have a little bit of the shoulders.

No, I have to.

That was one of the little standards or the very end of the side.

Oh, I'm scanning.

So um like an ADA, and size, can also say that I miss you.

Likewise.

I agree.

I agree.

I agree.

I think it's like what's good.

You know, that's cool once you learn it.

Like, you can screen or you can line up through this.

We use all the total.

But right now, are they spotning in the same way?

Oh, are they going on the sort of surprise?

No, we could actually use it.

I just really sorry.

That's the goal.

It's right.

So we've got the time.

Oh, it's on our health.

So we got to see your cars and feel.

Okay.

Okay.

You were there.

Oh, you can't see that.

I'm gonna pass it.

I'll take the extra back.

So you might be like, yeah.

No.

And that's okay.

Yeah.

Terry will not be okay.

It's just something.

Right.

We don't want to shop.

Okay.

She would just go right.

Um, yeah, maybe we'll get the neighborhood catalog.

Like that all means.

I thought you would really want to catch those.

Or is it just the cherries?

But I mean sound like that, but all the crazy jobs.

I don't know if that's just the final.

I think so.

Okay.

We should be in public.

The origin story is just a weird.

Yeah.

I just saw that we're going to have a thing since I was a lot of the words.

Exactly.

No, that's the first one.

Well, so it's probably mouse.

And us before we start the meeting, I'd like to remind folks of a couple 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, either by attending in person in the city commission room.

You can stream us live on your computer by going to the meetings 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 the link to join us by clicking on a calendar event for the meeting on Bozeman's main webpage to find the city commission agenda, then 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 that this is for listening only, and you'll 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 Channel 190.

If you would like to offer public comment this evening, there are three ways in which 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.

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 webpage.

Any public comment received by noon today will have been distributed and read by the commissioner board.

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

Thank you.

And with that being said, we now bring our May meeting to order.

First up, any disclosures from the board?

I do have one disclosure.

I currently rent within the a couple blocks of the Cattail Creek Corridor.

Next up, approval uh changes to the agenda.

Mish.

Yes.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

We'd like to propose that we switch items F2 and F3 under FYI discussion.

And do the Cattle Creek Corridor Park and Anchor Master Plan discussion as F2, and then if time allows, the director update is F3.

Thank you.

All right, approval of mid of our minutes from April 23rd, 2026 meeting.

I move to approve the minutes from our April meeting.

I second.

Rant.

Yes.

Sally Shrink.

Yes.

Steve Lowering.

Yes.

Paige Lazowski.

Yes.

Matthew Karen?

Yes.

And Joe Cartwright.

Yes.

Minutes approved.

Thank you.

All right.

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

Any public comments online?

No public comments online.

All right.

With that, we will move on to item F1, our engagement framework update.

Yes, Mr.

Chair, I have a memo from our communications and engagement manager that I'd like to read to the board.

That is an engagement framework update.

The City of Bozeman is revisiting its engagement framework known as Engage Bozeman.

Public engagement is starting on the project, asking residents to give any feedback they have regarding how they have participated in engagement projects over the past five years.

The City of Bozeman launched Engage Bozeman in 2021.

In 2023, the Montana State Legislature passed Senate Bill 382, also known as the Montana Land Use Planning Act, or MLUPA.

MLUPA called for the creation of a public engagement plan.

And one of the goals of the engagement framework update is to ensure the city is in compliance with MLUPA's requirements.

A survey is now open on engage.bozeman.net forward slash framework to gather input until June 15.

If you're interested in learning more about this project, please visit engage.bozeman.net.

Great, thank you.

Could you repeat what was the closing date?

Was it June 15?

June 15th.

Perfect.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

All right.

Now we will move over to Addy with the Cattail Creek Corridor Park and Anchor Route Master Plan.

So as um Abby is pulling this up, Addie Jaden is our design and development manager with the Parks and Recreation Department.

We're gonna have a discussion about where we are with the Master Plan for the Cattail Creek corridor.

The master plan will be back to the board again before it is.

Um and before it goes to the city commission for approval.

So we have a draft plan, it's in your packet materials for review.

Addie will give a high-level overview of where we've come from, where we are on the current draft, getting any um input and feedback from the advisory board of which we'll incorporate into the next version and bring that back to the board.

Um thank you, Addy Jaden Park Planning and Development Manager.

Um I did a quiet poll or quick poll before we started the meeting to see to remind myself who has seen bits and pieces of the project before and who hasn't.

We definitely this is new to some of our group, so I feel like I've um presented it a lot, and there haven't been dramatic changes.

Um, but I am gonna you know kind of recap it again just so that uh we're bringing everybody up to speed and we'll go through there.

But I'll move kind of fast so we can get into any of your you know comments and questions.

So um, so this is the Catell Creek Park and Anchor Route Master Plan, and it intends to, as a primary purpose, plan a trail that is three and a half miles long, and that um through this whole park system that is called an anchor route in because of the parks recreation and active transportation plan.

These are the primary corridors, kind of the backbone of public transportation that's not um alongside the street system.

Primarily the anchor routes will fall within parks.

Um, so an overall look at the study area goes all the way from Union Valley Center Drive near the interstate on the north.

Uh, the northernmost park is uh the Trout Meadows, uh Cat, what do they call it?

Cattail Lake or Davis Pond, depending on you know probably when you move to Bozeman or how long you've lived here.

And then at the very south end uh is Bozeman Pond Park and the Gallatin Valley Mall, and nearly all of this corridor is intact.

Parkland, there's a gap we'll kind of look at between Baxter and the south end of the Cattail subdivision.

Um but in general we're really proud of this plan because it falls right in the heart of a really populated part of the city, and within a quarter mile, which I think is a conservative radius for service area of a big trail system like this, it's almost you know, a quarter of the city um lives within that area.

So it's appropriate to be investing um where it will impact so many people.

On the left, you see the fragmented subdivision parks.

They came in at different times, but luckily we had a trails plan um for the last 20, 30 years, and so the tendency to put parkland along that corridor over time has resulted in this corridor that's almost knit together, and the goal of the master plan is to be an overlay on top of all those existing subdivision master plans that plans for the trail and then other park improvements and other ways to align us with the Pratt plan.

So just some key analysis of the site, what does it look like now, and then what will it look like later on?

I think is part of some of the graphics that the landscape architecture team has been using all along.

So the landscape architects we're working with, BYLA, they have a local shop here, and they started out by doing site analysis a few years ago.

So they've walked through this whole corridor, taken photos, documented all the different types of land cover, where are there opportunities to retain some prominent views?

Where can we peel back some vegetation, like the turf grass and allow more native vegetation to take hold or plant new vegetation?

Looking at areas where there's higher visible accessibility from the street to potentially add in recreational elements, and so their analysis is included in the report.

And they took that and then started to look at, you know, well, what are the existing assets?

Where does it make sense to cross the streets to provide the best safest option?

That's going to be a big component of this project.

And then, as I mentioned, you know, one of the primary things here is alignment with the parks recreation and active trace transportation plan with three key elements that we're putting into place when we do this.

So the mobility of this shared use path that's pulled away from traffic and is alongside the natural resources, but giving, you know, due setback in that way, really looking at ways we can enhance the riparian corridor, amplify the efforts of the branch out Bozeman program, that forestry and the Gallatin Watershed Council have been spearheading.

And then switching from turf grass to these more native species in order to, you know, start to play our role in water conservation across the city.

And then, as we mentioned, there's some areas that are more suitable to add in more active recreation sports courts or uh larger playgrounds and pavilions and that kind of thing.

So as they designed the program and layout, they were looking for, you know, kind of guided by these key principles.

The trail is both recreational and a transportation route.

So it tends to be a straighter path, though it's not completely rectilinear, so they favored right flow versus a completely meandering trail.

So you'll see that.

The idea is to group the activities together instead of having it scattered throughout the whole trail corridor.

However, there is a little of both that's happening.

But you know, we've been learning about what draws people to a park, and there's this rule of 10.

It takes 10 elements to really create a lively environment, lively and vibrant public space.

And it can be a grove of trees, some wayfinding, some public art, a playground.

It doesn't have to be gigantic moves, but once you start to layer in all that fabric of a park system, then more people are drawn to the area, and one thing kind of against the other, and we'll go into a little bit more of that later, too.

So I've mentioned a lot of the other features here already, and so we'll be looking at that as we just zoom into some of the areas along the way.

Um we've got before and after pictures.

This is a view, I believe, looking, well, now I shouldn't guess because there's mountain ranges in the background.

I think it's looking south within the cattail subdivision.

It's it's it's beautiful here.

Um there's the creek is visible because the cattails are there, shows you where it is.

Um great width in this part of the system, even though you are primarily in, I think, you know, backyards, or at least on one side, some good vegetation here, but the plan when if fully realized would really turn a lot of that turf grass in those passive areas of the trail system more into riparian vegetation and tree canopy and just more biodiversity than we know.

Our turf grass is irrigated.

We're taking water out of the aquifer, even because we are using well water in most of these parks.

It's not our drinking water, but we're allowing that to evaporate, and we want to be more conscious of that.

And you know, I just I think I'm responding a little to some of the public comment concerns about peeling back the fields, um, and we think we're gonna do that in a more surgical way.

Like this is a trail corridor here that you typically wouldn't find people playing sports, and it's not super visible from the street.

So, this would be an area where we might try to have a more aggressive revegetation plan, but we hope to find balance and carve out and definitely maintain um the play spaces too.

Um, so I wanted to focus on the gap area we've been calling is just the part of the system that hasn't yet developed, and we don't have easements here in place yet.

You know, we we may approach landowners before they're um already coming in for development, depending on where we are in the process, because of construction on North 27th, to just to the east of what you can see on your screen, we're expecting a lot of those properties to start coming in for development, and we've already seen that the precedent will be to put the land along this corridor, um and there is a planned trail there, so they're required to put that in anyway.

So we have you know high confidence that at some point we'll get this land, if not already get an easement ahead of time, and then pointing out the school district um owns property along this route.

They're really enthusiastic to hear we might build them a safe route to school, right?

You know, to the front door.

Um, so that's just great planning that we can do, and they would definitely be willing to give us an easement if we're ready to go and connect that piece of the puzzle.

Um I I actually did a presentation last night to the West Winds HOA and the Harvest Creek HOA via Zoom.

So my presentation was kind of set up uh for that, but I thought it's it's a good opportunity to zoom in and get a little more in specifics in some of the areas.

And Westwinds is one of the areas slated for a big investment because of the visibility and access into this area of the parks and the proximity to some of the larger developments that are significantly funding this project through Cash and Loo.

And um, you know, when a new project comes in in the neighborhood, we do an analysis of what's available within the vicinity and whether the lot that is being developed has a configuration that's conducive to us getting land, and so um, you know, so this is kind of teeing it up.

Rose Park is across the street from a lot of these developments that have come along, and um, however, it has a fully programmed use uh with the disc golf.

So we want to make sure that there's other active features for a wider range of people, you know, nearby there.

So there's also really good um connectivity east-west that is planned to be coming through this park.

The Raptor Route is a trail, the east-west trail that's planned to go all the way from the M trailhead and the parking lot where we have that new um Sheridus Path all the way to Gallatin High School.

That's why it's called the Raptor Route.

And currently it meanders down to Huffine, where with work from the county is going to be able to extend that all the way to four corners.

So this is this important crossroads is happening in West Winds.

And I think the landscape architects made an interesting decision here because we were really trying to figure out how do these two trails cross and the roads aren't aligned and you know their sidewalk, and they they propose this idea of bringing it into the park kind of like a roundabout.

We like it as like that public plaza, you know, a symbol of this being public land, a space that people are welcome to come into.

So that feature is shown here.

We think there would be some expansion of the tot lot there.

It's really serving just a small age group.

Ideas like community gardens and picnic grove, and then you know, it's been identified to have potentially some kind of sports court, tennis or volleyball or something in this neighborhood where there's that good access.

And as I noted, we're working hand in hand with the transportation department on the traffic calming.

This is a pretty low volume street system.

I full disclosure to.

I live a few blocks to the west of here in the Westman subdivision.

Um but sometimes in those open stretches, people start to go really fast.

So I talked with Taylor Lonsdale just this week, and they're already planning some speed bumps along Shocky, and they know this project's coming along, they're doing some engineering to widen sidewalks that come in from the east and work on the idea of the complete street, the bike boulevard where we have pedestrian boulevards or bump outs to narrow the street, slow down traffic.

There may be areas where this trail goes on street.

Actually, that's a part of the plan that will have those bike boulevards as you get further south.

The anchor route can't fit within the parkland because the parkland is just the river corridor.

Um, so so we have um that planned further south.

And this is just another more detailed look of things going on at Westwinds.

Um, and the idea is to use the anchor route as this barrier between different ground covers.

Um, that's definitely something we hear from our maintenance crew that you, of course, we don't want to have the irrigated turf lawn right next to an area that might have um, you know, a just a different type of maintenance that's needed.

Um, so it does call to you know, sort of pull back that line and allow more of the natural um vegetation to kind of take hold.

We're working with Gallatin Watershed Council to plant along this corridor, and you know, of course, that helps us not only provide good habitat, it also cools the water and cleans the water.

So, you know, we think all of this stuff aligns with the Pratt Plan really well, and a lot of other city plans and initiatives that are underway.

So just kind of a cross section here showing before and after of what some of these areas might look like with increased vegetation.

A little bit further south here is Harvest Creek subdivision, the system the parks start to become narrower, and in this stretch, except for you know, Monkey Park is their neighborhood park, you really feel like you're moving through people's backyards.

Luckily, in this area, there's beautiful trees, um, really well taken care of, and so there is a feeling of enclosure and safety, but um, this wouldn't be an area where we would add any significant attraction that draws a lot of people.

This is a linear corridor meant to move people through it.

Um, of course, adding benches and things along the way, and those signals that you are in the park in the park system, wayfinding and any kind of branded, but you know, iconic elements throughout this area would be more appropriate.

And there are areas in here, as I mentioned before, you know, like this is a passive linear park kind of area, but it has a lot of irrigated turf, and it's been historically mowed right down to the creek bed.

There's not usually surface water, but you can tell where the creek has been and what might be happening underground.

And if we start peeling that mow line back, natural vegetation will start to take hold and will give more privacy between the neighbors, and and sort of carry forward that aesthetic.

So this would be one area where we would also be looking to just lower the irrigation.

And so this is just a snip of further south as you get closer to Bozeman Pond Park in the mall.

The parkland is too narrow or too close to the creek where we wouldn't want to come in and do what's you know, the ultimate plan would be a 10-foot-wide paved pathway.

Um that's just too too close to go that wide.

So, and it's lower volume traffic because as we all know, you can't get to the mall from the north side of it.

Um, so you know, you can't get to those commercial areas, so this isn't a thoroughfare for people trying to get to Huffine and beyond.

Um, so moving on to street in this area will mean a few more of these traffic calming interventions and the things that designate um that bikes and cars are supposed to share the road.

Um, luckily here we already had this vegetated uh median, and so it works out well.

Um, but we would still have um, you know, potentially an improved bridge over the creek or other features that have let you take that option too if you're on foot and not trying to um necessarily get somewhere.

So we wanted to recap all the public engagement we've done, and this project has been ongoing for several years, kind of has gotten put on the back burner while a lot of other things are happening.

Um, and but we've done some fun events.

We've had two bike your park days in this park system to demonstrate to people how well connected the parkland is.

We had scattered organizations along the route and a little map for people to take and did a you know, like a scavenger hunt.

You had to go to different booths, and so we had all, you know, our community partners setting up little activities along the route so people could come and experience that.

And then I was always there with the boards for this project, talking to people about what they like and um ideas they had, and um, you know, they all told me they wanted hockey.

Uh they all told me they love the trail, you know, um, did have interesting interactions with people when you mentioned peeling back the turf like um we're seeing in some of the public comment that um you know that it's it is valued and it's useful and it is a multi-purpose area, however, it doesn't do a lot for accessibility or people of all abilities, and we aren't really fully utilizing um the whole of the park, in my opinion, when it's you know, it's only left to be a field, and um, so we think we're kind of gonna, you know, layering in some new improvements.

And that's the way our system is planned to work that at subdivision, they we get the land, and then as the community grows and develops, we get Cash and loo to invest into the park and respond to you know the growing population.

And so it's hard for us that way, because not a lot of people, you know, people get used to something and they don't want it to change.

Um, we've been lucky enough that most new developments come in and they try to invest everything that will ever be required from within their subdivision lots, they do it up front because they value, they know people value those things, and parks help them sell their lots faster and for more money.

But we are in a situation here where it's really a lot of fields.

So that's why we're able to come back and do this work.

But one other piece here for engagement that I wanted to highlight is that we've started working with a group of architects called physical space, and we've um on the idea of girls' park nodes, and we've had some workshops with teenage girls to kind of address it's it's a bit of a gap in participation and using parks.

I think Bozeman's a little different because we do have some amazing programs for youth and you know, for athletics, but there tends to be across not just the United States, but like the tendency is oftentimes that girls go to the park with their parents or their caregivers when they're young, and then there's a big gap, and they don't really start to return until they're the caregiver themselves and bringing young kids.

And so there's been workshops happening to kind of really get input on what makes you safe and what helps you feel comfortable in a park.

And so we did our version of that, and it was it was really amazing, just super great ideas, and what is helpful, as I mentioned before, um, you know, the rule of 10.

How do you get people into parks?

Um and how you get girls into parks is actually by having more people in the park of all ages, you know, having some people of authority, having people that of all ages and all genders makes them feel safer than just feeling isolated or feeling um like they would be on too much display if they were the ones to go enter this empty space.

Um, so so if we design to be more welcoming to everyone, then we we can see significant benefits.

So it's really interesting work, and we um we think that we'll do one of the main nodes within the Westwinds area to add into the programming there, and then we'll have scattered features throughout the corridor as well, as I mentioned, these like keystones or archways and things that articulate um you know the wayfinding along the whole route.

Um, and I think we're gonna be right on the edge of site furniture and playground equipment with what they come up with.

So creative seating is something girls ask for a lot, like they tend to be more social focusing on each other and talking, and um, you know, I was I was then saying I think someone coached these girls to not say anything about social media.

Um, yeah, but they talked about taking photo and like photography and beautiful vistas, and that that's what they want, and they want um, yeah, like the idea of archways where you know they said, Oh, it'd be really cool to go to a park when you're taking your prom photos if there was beautiful backdrop and actual flowers and things, so um, yeah, just super rewarding, and um, you know, light touches that we'll see because of that, um, so a bit on the timeline.

I've been using this as I've given the presentations.

Um, so anything with a line through it has been steps that we've taken and is done.

Um, and so I've been doing stakeholder meetings, you know, as I've found the opportunity to opportunity to do that, and we're getting into this formal process with finally adopting this um the master plan, which is a combination of the drawings, and now we finally have that draft narrative out just to further elaborate on what is the guiding principles, and then when we're done with that, um we'll immediately be rolling into the construction and and these dialing um sort of like drilling in with the individual neighborhoods.

We'll be starting with um Westwinds and Greenway Park.

Um, greenway is a little bit further south than from Harvest Creek.

And it's kind of in an in an HOA that isn't functioning, hasn't been, hasn't really been taking care of its park system, just invasive grasses right up to the creek bed, not a good canopy, and the trail has disappeared in some of those areas.

So we know it's a place that we need to invest and bring kind of bring up a few levels.

So we're already working with landscape architects in the Gallatin Watershed Council to focus some of their grant energy here.

And you might remember that.

They received one of our um park um community grants, and so we'll be getting that going.

And then um, and then we'll be applying for more grants ourselves.

Um the really good thing we hope transportation alternatives grants are now administered through a local entity, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, which is a regional transportation um structure that bridges over Belgrade, Bozeman, and Four Corners, and our certain amount of our tax dollars generated here stay here.

Um and so the TA funding is federal funding, it's administered locally.

We don't have to compete with the entire state for that.

Um, and there's only a few entities that are um eligible to apply, and we're in very good conversation with them.

So as long as the transportation bill this fall stays intact, um we we'll have a very good opportunity here to use our city funding as match funding for a federal grant, and with that we also get um some technical support too, so it could go a long way.

So we'll be you know anxious to hear where that goes.

Um so that's the end of my presentation.

Um, you know, I didn't I didn't like I joked about, you know, we're not going through the text line by line, but in general, you know, the narrative is there to back up the drawings, and um we'll we'll be bundling this up and cleaning up some of the issues that were caused when we when we went from the design package to a PDF.

We always have some weird things get missed, um, and and those you know, typos and things will get cleaned up and um bring that back to you one more time for final adoption.

So um would love to turn it over to you for discussion and comments, questions um or concerns.

I'm just gonna grab my own.

Yes, uh, I should also disclose I live within a block of the uh corridor as well.

Um what I mean looking at the plan, I know there's existing trail in place, um, is the intent to reroute the existing trail to the lines that are on the plan, or is there going to are we gonna maintain some of the stuff that's already existing?

Um I think it's a little of both, depending on where you are.

Predominantly we'll be following the same um primary paths, and in some of the areas like Westwinds, they've shown not only the primary anchor route in the boulder, you know, red salmon color, they also have some of the gravel trails, and I think that's responding to existing um conditions, and we know that people like all the surfaces depending on what they are doing.

Um, so that, and that's something that came up last night with the HOA groups that they people like that idea of the parallel surface for running, typically, um, or you can scoot off on your bike, and um, and so that might be something we can be intentional about, or we might just see it start to appear.

So we can we'll be watching for that.

Is the plan for the entire primary route to be paved, and then only secondary routes would remain as gravel?

That's the ultimate plan, and it will just kind of depend on how funding, you know, how we how we're able to amplify the funding that we have.

I would say too that considerations will be given to the width of the path.

Um, like in this scenario, we're somewhat paralleling the sidewalk in close proximity.

And so this might be an area where we don't go the full width, um, and we we're expanding to I think we wouldn't want to go eight lower than about eight feet wide for this type of shared use path, but um, we wouldn't go like an anchor out is described as potentially being 12 feet wide in the Pratt plan.

Um, so so we would be balancing that out, and and again, here there's a gravel option, there's a sidewalk, you know, we'll probably be doing asphalt for most of this.

So we would we kind of make those site-specific decisions.

Do any changes need to be made then to existing bridges that are along the road?

Yes, um, usually what we've been doing when we have um like a 10 foot wide connection is we do an eight-foot bridge just to try to you know minimize the disruption to the water course as much as possible.

We will be avoiding any um actual floodplain and um just because of you know, these aren't it's not the widest creek in this area, um, so it's easier that way, it's a lot less expensive, and um, we're just we're able to do it.

So they're pretty simple bridges, I think, in most areas.

How does the plan anticipate implementation?

So there's the plan, but then there's the implementation funding and schedule.

How does that fit into the master plan?

Yeah, and that's a good question.

I think we did talk about having a section to go more further into that.

Um, and I think the way that we're getting started is um by starting to hardline more of the actual construction plan for areas like Westwinds and Greenway, we'll start getting those estimates of cost.

Um, then we can start to kind of like extrapolate that out across the system to see, you know, if we continue on in this pattern, how quickly will we run out of money?

Um, you know, so we're we're using some of these first projects to start to analyze, you know.

Oh, if we do this all in concrete, um, because Westlands is going to be one of these primary hubs.

Uh what where does that leave us?

We do have the benefit also of um, you know, more more projects are happening and more cash in Lu is being generated on the round along this route, and when we first conceptualized it, we were doing a lot more of trying to have developers do improvements in Lou, so that's instead of paying us cash, they can go in and manage the construction of something, but we needed to have it planned first to pause out the development process to go out and do the appropriate public engagement is really hard.

So that's another piece of what this plan is doing is teeing up the areas and getting the public comment, helping us decide make the decisions, so that it's more like a la carte that a developer could say, Hey, yeah, actually, I'd love to build um this picnic grove or one of these girls' nodes, or something like that, depending on what um you know what they owe to the park system.

So trying to remember back what the question was.

Oh, implementation, yeah.

And so, also along with that is identifying all the ways and the grants and potential partners that are helping us, you know, fundraise.

Um, Gallatin Watershed Council, GBLT.

Um, there's a regional trails collaborative too that's been interested in um, you know, helping us target certain stretches of the pathway.

So we'll really be looking at that too.

So what were their design constraints?

I would say just really following the principles in the Pratt plan.

You know, the constraint is our opportunity, right?

The anchor route is planned.

And it is in a city adopted document that we are trying to weave, you know, connect a pathway through this system and create this new backbone for active transportation that falls within parks and um provides that other option.

So, you know, that's it can look different across the corridor, but that was the main reason for focusing on this area.

Um other constraints.

Mostly fiscal.

Yeah, I guess you go through the process, yeah, right.

Different decisions, mostly fiscal, yeah.

I would say that's gonna be our limiting factor here.

Um, we have not done a full, you know, a cost analysis for this to see our in general.

What we've been trying to use as a rule of thumb is that this could be something we could build out almost entirely within 10 years.

So either from our initial startup funding and then grants and partnerships to future capital plans that we would like to make this achievable within 10 years and not have it sit on a shelf, and it was a nice idea, and then we never fully implemented it.

So it'd be more design the ideal plan and build it as you can, right.

And prioritize different sections based on analysis.

Yep.

Another type of partnership, too.

I just wanted to mention some of you know, several of the HOAs along this stretch are really active, and they were the original people, you know, maintainers of the park, and they're very heavily invested.

Um Cattail Creek Corridor or the Cattail Subdivision is interested in working on improvements around one of their open ponds, and we have to try to find a balance between this more aesthetic pond.

Sorry, this is funny.

I'm using teen language.

Um, aesthetically pleasing, um, or or let's say golf course type pond versus something that has really dense vegetation around the edge.

Um, so we want to just strike a balance there, like really capture some views and invite more.

We think we can invite a lot more species of ducks and birds by right increasing the pollinators and the vegetation that is you know, um, sheltering them and providing habitat.

So um so they're they've come forward with an initial proposal, and they want to partnership partner with us, including funding to bring forward um, you know, some of these improvements up in their stretch of the park.

So that's a great one too.

They've got some professional consultants they're willing to hire and um would work with us in Gallatin Watershed Council to bring that forward.

So, wouldn't add Joe, an example of a physical constraint that the designers had to deal with would be um for you know a section of this trail system that really currently uses the roadway to connect.

And the park land that exists there to utilize it is too narrow for a trail because it's in the wrong, it's in the water course.

So they have a constraint there that they we can't put a trail in it's immediately adjacent to that water course.

So, how do we utilize the roadway?

How do we go from a trail in parkland onto a street and keep the trail keep that feeling and the flow and that safety and that corridor moving and then back into a trail and that particular section you'll you'll you'll find in the master plan, it is uh north of Babcock.

Um in a uh in in that neighborhood, it's uh south of the Greenway section, so south of um Durston and north of Babcock.

So through that section, we we end up there.

So that was a challenge for them.

Uh we ended up they did use the street in the plan, um not trying to utilize an exemption to put the pathway just or immediately adjacent to the creek.

I've run into that recently.

I was on like in that particular area, it's easy to exit the trail and get lost, right?

Anything that I'm sure the plan anticipates sharerows or whatever to encourage people to stay on the trail if that's definitely yeah, um, reconnect.

Yeah, the new wayfinding that we will be deploying along the Raptor route this year, um, that'll be one of the first investments that will we will plan to do along the whole corridor.

So it's really um the wayfinding is a big piece of this, especially in that gap um area.

Uh we're lucky enough that North 27th is going in with shared use paths on both sides, so just south of um Outlaw Brewery and Winco there, that connection all the way down to Baxter will have a detour path that we're gonna direct people to and come back.

So um until we have the other you know gap area, and I wanted to point out that Rob Pertzborne is here, um, who's been a part of this project in a way since the very beginning of the city developing out there?

Um he was part of the cattail subdivision project, um, is a local um rep from intrinsic architecture, and he thinks that he named Cattail Creek, because there were a lot of cactus, and there was a creek, and um it was it's it's labeled on the very initial plans as unnamed creek.

Um so they came up with that, and then um some of these new landowners um that are coming in along 27th, um, that we've seen initial designs for um, we have good partners in the you know design world that can be kind of that connection to some of those groups, so um on that I had an additional question on where the path does go out into the streets because I have experienced the same thing where you wind up in a safe corridor and then you're out into traffic.

Has there been consideration on protected bike lanes?

Um I know you know most of our roadways it's it's shared use and people are just using the road, but if you're directing commuters off of a trail and intending them to use that as the trail, would there be any consideration for additional safety measures there?

So I do I definitely think we'll be doing um like the the bulbouts to narrow down the lane at intersections.

Um I hope we can do like Mitch said, like, really embody, you know, this might be something that is more in the 20-year plan, but turning any of that pavement into a more impervious surface or um having planters installed along the way um to really hammer home that there's a separate use there.

I think just the way these areas are developed, there's a lot of driveways coming out, right?

So we couldn't fully restrict, um, but where it's appropriate, um, there's other parts of town where we've started to talk about uh maybe it's a one-way street in order to fully um try to dedicate a more um separate pedestrian way, um, so that could be some kind of treatment that we might be able to do.

But I I shouldn't speak for the transportation department without them here.

So, sort of catching on to that safety question a little bit.

Um, with the corridor going north-south and crossing Durston and crossing oak, what's the safety features that will be there?

I see that there's like little stripe things, but I was curious.

Yeah, so if I go here, this one actually the drawing shows the corridor.

There's been a revision here where at Oak we actually come over to Hunters Way to cross because there is already a pedestrian median there, and uh, you know, a striped crosswalk.

So that's you know, a far safer option there, and so just trying to yeah, like double down on that.

And we know oak is a pretty bad word for um people on you know for traffic safety and um these days, so like being really sensitive about that and um working with transportation as much as we can to just continue to like layer on all those traffic columning element elements.

I also feel like Durston has some issues where this trail crosses too, right?

I know there's a pedestrian crossing there, but I know I've missed it myself.

So yeah, yeah.

Um I was curious uh what's the engagement with the neighborhoods south of Durston been like towards the mall.

I'm I'm familiar with those paths and getting lost and confused and dazed and curious what the engagement's like.

Yeah, so for Greenway, where we're going to do um this whole new landscape.

Um we have a lot of, you know, a lot of turf that and it's not turf, it's just more of an invasive um like smooth brome or something.

Um we want to do direct engagement there.

Um the neighborhood uh our communications and engagement department um has done, you know, postcards to certain neighborhoods and we can use signs in the park, but doing specific workshops and trying to broadcast that out um to the neighborhood, and then we do I do personally have some good connections, um, have had some discussions with people over the fence.

Um, so we'll also kind of rely on that phone tree um method in that area too.

Um some former city Bozeman employees, and and if anybody from our team, you know, if you have if you live in that stretch or you know people, that would be a nice way too for members of the board to help when we're getting into that.

But we do want to have um make sure we're giving an opportunity for just like firsthand uh engagement as we get more specific and um make sure we're balancing um what we're proposing.

So, an example to just um I walked out with Jared from Gallatin watershed council recently through that greenway area to start um he's already done a lot of work to plot out new vegetation that we could introduce down there.

Some areas we can let the aspen proliferate if we stop mowing, some areas are going to need to fully strip or spray and kill that brome and then revegitate with you know sagebrush and um native plants and pollinators and so we walked through to kind of check one more time what was our strategy, and it was great to see there's a lot of interesting conditions as you walk through there, and um, so in neighbor in areas where the neighbors have invested heavily in their tree canopy.

I not as a 100% rule, but they tend to be on the east side of the corridor.

Uh they've put up a lot of trees, and so that'd be an area where we'd kind of double and triple down.

And on the west side, it's less so, and at this time of year, when you stand and you walk in the park, you can see why, because they have views of the bridgers from the west side, and so we think that's why they've kept the trees really low on their side.

So in those areas, we're planning to also do more of that um, you know, sage brush step type landscaping, keep it lower.

Uh there'll be some, of course, variation there, and certain people have gardens up against the fence.

We don't want to completely shade it out, but we maybe can't go spot specific to that extent.

Uh so keeping keeping a lot of the tree canopy over the creek itself is one surefire way to add in more vegetation.

Um, but that's the area typically where it's furthest from anyone's home.

So um, so that's kind of nice.

Uh going back to implementation for a minute.

Yeah.

Um, the different sections that are outlined here on the plan, um, are those all funded like independently of one another, or is it all just kind of one big pot?

So, it is a little independent because cash and loo is supposed to be used within a radius from which it originated.

So, the first $500,000 in our budget is from cash and loo.

And so, more so than the additional funding, I need to track a little bit more that that happens within Westwinds.

There is some cash and loo available up in the Cattail neighborhood down closer to the mall.

There hasn't been a lot of new projects come along, right?

So that's where we added in from the park and trails budget, um, two following years of funding, and that's to help you like spread it all along the corridor.

Okay.

Yeah, I guess um, I don't know, you might not have the answer to this at the moment, but theoretically, like if one of the sections got its funding and was like ready to roll sooner than some of the other ones, like would you start construction there, like before the other ones are figured out essentially, or would you kind of wait until the whole thing is like penciled out, I guess.

I think we're being it's a it's a blend of both.

I think we're being kind of opportunistic, you know.

Like I said, Westwinds has money available.

Greenway really fits all these parameters of the GWC work in our desire to focus on equity, um, and balancing out the access to the park and trails district funding.

You know, so um, so that's one reason I would say we actually started with Greenway is because it needs some love.

If you go through this corridor, those are the areas that are not up to, you know, a silver level of service, which is what we try to implement across the system.

Um, and so you know, we've kind of focused there.

Um, and that, like I said, this this HOA that's coming forward to try to partner with us, we're definitely gonna jump on that, you know.

Um, and and that it does steer our steer the ship a bit.

So uh yeah.

Okay.

I really like the um re-vegetation idea.

I think very, you know, there everyone likes grass, but you know, very seldom do we have an opportunity to create less maintenance, use less water, and create better habitat as opposed to just green.

So I think it's a good idea.

Yeah, yeah, that's good to hear.

It yeah, it feels very aligned with broad public comment that we've had, and that's also our job is to balance the objectives of the Pratt plan with what feedback we might get from the people whose house is directly facing the park, right?

Because you're gonna get a certain thing from right here, it's important and it they know what's going on in the park, right?

Two blocks away, you're gonna have a different input.

So we try to um get everybody in the same room, right, to try to understand and balance the different needs.

I I was also curious about um I realize most of the stuff is for the local neighborhoods, but I also know if you put a pickleball court in everybody from my neighborhoods headed over that way.

Um also a great park tends to get folks from across town.

Um, and these streets are pretty small.

How are you thinking about parking for those, you know, new places, since I know that that engages people?

Yeah, we did hear some comments yesterday that concerns that this dog park might be a big draw.

Um and I, you know, I live in this neighborhood, that's where I bring my dog when he's with me and um for a quick stop, because I have to quick get him out before I can go somewhere.

But he does not walk on a leash, so um more often than not we're getting in the car, and once we're in the car, we're gonna go to the regional park.

And that was some of the feedback.

Why would you put a dog park here?

You have one of the best dog parks in the country, you know, just two blocks away right a half a mile away.

Um, so so this was really a part of Commissioner Cunningham's vision.

Um that we provide more spots where it's legal to be off leash, then we could potentially start to enforce leash laws.

And we need to try to make it easier for people to comply.

Um, and it's more that idea that you're gonna you sometimes need to just walk out the door and you have a quick trip, and that other times you're really there for the exercise um of the dog.

So um, so going back to parking, um, you know, the city streets do provide a lot of parallel parking spaces, they should be designed to accommodate parking on both sides.

We're gonna need to watch, especially for the cars to become visual obstruction where we're trying to have a main you know commuter route crossing, so we're gonna have to balance that out.

Um, I do not see us adding any like parking lots within these areas.

I don't think that'll go over very well.

Um, but but you know, really what we're trying to do here is get people out of their cars and to the park safely on their bikes and walking or on other um, you know, scooters and things.

So I you know that's a big objective of the city.

Um and so it is a hard one like to fully balance, but you I think we all do that, right?

Everyone is welcome in every park.

We don't have gated communities here, and we're so lucky for that.

And uh we hope that when you know when I go to a neighborhood park in a neighborhood that's not mine, I'm respectful of that.

And um there's things we can do.

Uh there's ideas to do like um handicap accessible parking near some of these trailheads that also has that benefit of blocking up some of the street where people tend to park their boats along uh park frontage because there is no neighbor there to say you're parked in my front yard, right?

So uh that that's a visual obstruction that we don't want to have, and then no one can use those spaces.

Um, so we can look at treatments like that as well, just um being pretty sensitive to blind spots and what that can create, but I think the primary traffic to this area is gonna be on foot.

Um this is a Westwinds, the corner of that park is where there's a bus stop that kids from the apartment complex, two blocks away, walk to get on the bus.

So this is their park, this is their little neighborhood.

Um, so you know, we just really want to embrace that and make that feel like a place that they're welcome to be.

So, do you have a target number of these more specific nodes that you plan to implement, whether it be like quantity of sport courts and what types, um, number of dog parks, or is that all just up in the air at the moment?

Um, we I could count like where they've been added.

Um, this is the only dog park that's proposed within the the system, the one in Westwinds.

Um there is already one at Bozeman Pond Park.

Um there could potentially be something to the north, but and I do think um it's it's good for even me to be reminded like it is a conceptual plan, and uh when we as things change and as we go out to the neighbors, we might hear them say we need a spot to you know this little area right here could be fenced in for dogs or um that kind of thing.

So yeah, I don't think I have specific targets.

Any other questions, board members?

All right.

Thank you, Addie.

Appreciate it.

Um you're welcome.

And we should maybe just allow public comment if anybody's online.

I it's kind of a discussion, not a really an action item, but right.

We did receive um one written general public comment about this uh uh master plan today.

Um I did forward that to the board a little late, but did get that out to the board.

Uh so you have that in your emails, and we'll also include that into the minutes.

Um it was supportive of the Cattail Creek um anchor route that plan that comment and it really took what was um planned for this and really went to another anchor route that's already in existence and talked about that, which was um which is the Galligator.

Um, and so that's in your your materials, and then we additionally we had received two submitted written public comments today that we had just received immediately prior to this meeting.

Um you have those in hard copy, but Jess and I um have requested those already this evening from the clerk, and we'll get those via email and then submit it into the minutes and then out um also to the board via email tomorrow.

But it's it is the the the pleasure of the board here.

It is a discussion.

We don't generally do uh public comment specifically about the item because it's not an action item, so there's no action taking being taken on the item tonight.

All righty.

Then we'll turn it over to you, Mitch, for the update on the blanking on it right now.

Yeah.

Uh we moved that to directly three, director update.

Yes, thank you.

So uh Chair Lumsden and and I started adding this reoccurring item as a uh general board update uh and FYI discussion uh for when time allows during the meetings to really for just communication to the board and to the general public that happens to be in the room or watching.

Um so some updates for the board.

Um next month at our June meeting, we will have our first of our biannual cemetery updates and presentations to the board.

Uh so that will happen at our June meeting next month.

Again, that's in our work plan to have at least two of those uh annually.

We are really hoping to have the splash pad turned on and fired up next week.

Uh still it's in the final stages here of fine-tuning and uh having the uh county inspection, and that's just really the final stages here.

Once we do get it fired up and approved by the health department, we'll leave it open for a soft opening.

We'll promote it uh and you know um uh through our website and social media, etc.

Um, however, we do have or started planning with our communications coordinator of the city a ribbon cutting um today.

So she's working with our primary partners on this project, which are the trust for public land to ensure that we can coordinate a date that is tentatively on June 17, and she does not have a time yet, but that is our tentative date for the ribbon cutting for that.

So um hopefully that all makes sense.

Once we open it, it's a it's gonna be open.

Um we'll advertise that, but that's really more of a soft opening, and we'll do the ribbon cutting and make it official.

Um so once that's confirmed, we'll communicate with the board uh so everybody knows the date and the time, and if you can attend, it would be great.

So we're at the stage now of trying to get that implemented and work around some special events that are starting early next month and try to get that in and not take up too much space there that it affects our special events.

Farmers markets, uh there's other large special events.

Uh, we just want to make sure we don't get in the way of any of those.

Um, but great project.

Um, summer hiring and training is in full swing.

Um, just FYI, our assistant director went to Washington DC last week for our parks and recreation hill day.

Um, something we try to participate in when our national organization could really use us.

I went last year, wasn't able to go this year, but um she went in my stead and really talk about how we know how we're utilizing some of those federal funds and how important it has been to us, uh, some of the stateside funds, land and water conservation fund and continue support for that and give real world examples of um how that affects uh Montanas.

Um so uh that went very well.

Um and speaking of that, um July is parks and recreation month.

Uh we'll be planning outreach and communications around that.

Uh and then lastly, we talked about here with this board, but our birds, our first of two bird surveys at Bikeville is set to uh take place this Sunday morning, and so it's highly coordinated, and I uh take Saca Juio over there in the morning and let them in the gate and close it up behind them, and then they have access for the first half of the day and then come back in and do that.

So we're closely watching the weather.

If the weather's not conducive, we're gonna have to postpone that.

But uh this Sunday is the first of two of those that we agreed to, yeah.

Uh we're love having them in, they're great partners of ours, and we're really, as we've discussed at this board, hoping um to continue those board bird surveys there, and that we see actual improvements that we make improvements to the natural resources in that area, and then we see improvements in those bird surveys over the years.

That's it.

But I'm happy to take questions about any of those items or anything else.

Um, did am I remembering that Tom White announced his retirement?

Yes, and will he so who will then be providing the cemetery update and has his position been filled?

Yep, great question.

Uh, that's right.

Uh, Tom White did retire.

I had that in my update last month, and that was great.

34 years, uh fantastic.

That position is still posted, so we haven't filled it.

Uh, we have our cemetery manager slated to come.

That's Shane's server, and he's also a long um long term employee with this at the cemetery uh with our department, over 30 years.

So he'll be here to give um give our update.

Yeah, anything else?

All righty, our May meeting is adjourned.

Thanks, Brent.