Bozeman Community Development Board Meeting - June 1, 2026: Wireless Facilities Text Amendment Approved
Bozeman Community Development Board (acting as Planning Commission) Meeting – June 1, 2026
The Community Development Board met on Monday, June 1, 2026, at 6:00 pm to consider a legislative text amendment (Application 26074) revising Division 38.330 (Wireless Facilities), Section 38.710.160 (Submittal Materials for Telecommunications), and Division 38.800 (Definitions) within Chapter 38 of the Bozeman Municipal Code. The board unanimously approved the amendment with a clarifying change to materials standards. No public comments were received.
Consent Calendar
- No consent items were on the agenda.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public provided comment on the agenda item or on non-agenda items. No written comments were received by the deadline.
Discussion Items
- Assistant City Attorney Jennifer Giuttari presented the legal overview, noting that the wireless code had not been comprehensively updated since 1998 and that federal law heavily constrains local regulation. Key changes included new “shot clock” timelines for application review (Section 38.330.050), a list of federally exempt facilities (Section 38.330.060), and revised submittal materials (Section 38.710.160).
- Board members discussed aesthetic standards, specifically the removal of subjective language like “compatible with surrounding structures” in favor of more objective criteria. Concerns were raised about potential for unattractive, opaque enclosures in residential areas. Staff explained that landscaping requirements were removed due to water conservation and enforcement challenges, and that the code incentivizes concealment through faster review.
- A motion was made to amend Section 38.330.040 B1f to require “architectural materials of similar appearance as those commonly used in the immediate area” rather than simply “materials.” The amendment aimed to prevent generic industrial materials while allowing flexibility.
Key Outcomes
- Amendment Motion (Section 38.330.040 B1f): The board voted 6-0 to change the text to: “Exterior façade materials and the character of equipment shelters used in residential areas must be architectural materials of similar appearance as those commonly used in the immediate area.”
- Main Motion (Recommend Approval): The board voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the text amendment as amended, adopting the findings in the staff report.
- Next Meeting: The board’s next meeting is scheduled for June 15, 2026, and will include a text amendment on short-term rentals and B3 parking, as well as an update to the Engage Bozeman framework. Staff also announced a webinar on effective public comments on June 4, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Shall we go? Okay. Good evening and welcome to the June first meeting of the Community Development Board. Uh, the Community Development Board Development Board is a seven-member citizen board, comprised of volunteers appointed by the City Commission that fulfills the requirements of state law. We meet twice per month to make recommendations regarding land use regulations to the Bozeman City Commission. Final decisions are typically not made here. Thank you for joining us. We welcome the presence of those here in the City Commission room. Before we start this meeting, I'd like to remind those not physically present here of the ways in which you can follow this meeting and provide public comments. You can watch this meeting in real time and provide public comment should you choose by joining us via video conference. You'll find the link in the join us by going to the City Commission website at Bozeman.net, click on departments, then on City Commission, then on live stream and videos. Find this meeting under the upcoming events list and click on the copy of the meeting and agenda. It is highlighted in blue. Then click on via video conference, also highlighted in blue in the second paragraph of the agenda and follow the prompts to enter the meeting. If you are joining us via video conference, and if you would like to offer public comment this evening, use the video conference raise your hand feature when it is your turn to comment. Staff will call on you by name. Please note that we will take public comments from those physically present here first, and then we'll uh ask those joining online to participate. In addition to joining via video conference, there are three other ways you can follow this meeting. These are for viewing and listening only, and you will be unable to provide public comment using any of these methods. You can dial in and listen to the meeting. You'll find the phone number and access code under section A of the agenda for the meeting under the V video conference heading on the city's website as described above. You can watch this meeting on Cable TV channel 190. And finally, you can stream this meeting on your computer, go to Bozeman.net, click on departments, then on the City Commission, then on live stream and videos, find this meeting under the upcoming events list, and click on View Live event. You can always provide written comment before the meetings by sending an email to comments at Bozeman.net or by visiting the city's public comment web page. Any comment received by noon today will have been distributed to the board. With that, call this meeting to order. Do a roll call. Maybe score around the dais we'll start with the mayor. Sure. Joey Morrison. Jason Delmu. Ben Lloyd. Markie. Lauren Mike Chow. Eric Bonnett. City staff present. Sam Sexteter. Chris Saunders. Great. Thank you. Any disclosures this evening regarding anything? Agenda items primarily. None. Okay. Approval of the minutes. Do we have minutes to approve? I'm having a hard time getting my agenda. I've been technical problems. Not today. We've been having some struggles with the minutes.
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