Bozeman City Commission Meeting – June 16, 2026

The Bozeman City Commission met on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 12:30 PM (UTC) for a regular meeting that included approval of minutes, consent agenda items, a public hearing on a wireless facilities ordinance, and a work session on the community engagement framework update. The meeting featured significant public comment and commissioner discussion on accountability, engagement tools, and regulatory updates.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: The commission approved the January 13, 2026, meeting minutes by a vote of 4–1 (Commissioner Sweeney opposed).
• Consent Agenda Part 1 (Items G1–G7): Approved unanimously (5–0). Staff highlighted Item G3 (award of RFP for the Safety Action Plan for streets and roads) and Item G4 (contract to design infrastructure for Family Promise of Gallatin Valley using Community Development Block Grant funds).
• Consent Agenda Part 2 (Item H1): Approved 4–1, with Commissioner Sweeney voting no.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Daniel Cardi (Bozeman resident): Expressed support for including statistically valid surveys in the engagement framework, referencing the IAP2 spectrum, and asked the commission to consider when such surveys are appropriate.
• Callie Kazakoff (Big Sky Tutoring owner): Voiced opposition to a proposed cannabis dispensary sharing a common entrance with her tutoring business. She noted her business, along with Manmade Mentors (teen therapy) and Roots Family Collaborative (support for parents), would be negatively affected. She urged the commission to amend City Ordinance 2084 to include tutoring centers and daycare centers as prohibited neighbors of cannabis dispensaries, citing current law only protecting K‑12 and post-secondary schools.
• Kristen Newman (former disability community liaison for the Blonde/Bozeman plan): Criticized the removal of an ADA coordinator and disability liaison from the city budget, arguing that a full-time coordinator is needed to support growing ADA compliance. She warned that lack of staff infrastructure undermines past commitments and could lead to liability. She emphasized that the city cannot rely on nonprofit partnerships to meet its ADA obligations.
• Cindy Smith (Bozeman resident): Raised recurring concerns about transparency and accountability of city funds provided to HRDC. She stated she has filed a formal ethics complaint and requested an independent review. She asked for a written public accounting of all city funds to HRDC, including safeguards against misuse for employment disputes or public relations. She alleged selective accountability by the commission.

Discussion Items

• Ordinance – Wireless Facilities Text Amendment (Application 26074): Assistant City Attorney Jennifer Gutierro presented the first comprehensive update in nearly 30 years to Chapter 38 of the Bozeman Municipal Code (wireless facilities). The update aligns local regulations with evolving federal telecommunications law. Key changes include a new application review process with federally mandated “shot clocks,” exemptions for certain facility types (e.g., eligible facilities requests), and updated submittal materials. The Planning Commission (Community Development Board) recommended approval with one additional change (adding language to require concealed facilities in historic districts and under other circumstances). Staff had no concerns with the added language. The commission discussed aesthetics, micro facilities, and co-location requirements. The motion to provisionally adopt the ordinance passed 5–0.
• Work Session – Engagement Framework Update: Communications and Engagement Manager Takami Clark led a work session on updating the city’s community engagement framework (Engage Bozeman). Drivers include the Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA) and five years of implementation experience. The presentation reviewed the IAP2 spectrum (inform, consult, involve, collaborate, empower), existing tools, and planned improvements. Commissioner discussion focused on the need to move beyond “consult” toward “collaborate” and “empower,” using statistically valid surveys, deliberative polling, working groups, and better integration with neighborhood associations and advisory boards. Commissioners suggested adding deliverables to engagement plan timelines, identifying demographic groups for targeted outreach, improving real-time responses to public comment (especially technical issues), and ensuring that advisory board recommendations receive written responses when not acted upon. The update is expected to return in August 2026 for adoption.

Key Outcomes

• Wireless Facilities Ordinance: Passed 5–0, adopting the text amendment with the Planning Commission’s recommended change.
• Engagement Framework: No formal action taken; the work session collected commissioner direction for the draft update (to be presented in August).
• Public Comment Follow-up: The city manager agreed to provide commissioners with information regarding city funds sent to HRDC and explore possibilities for responding to public comments. The mayor and several commissioners committed to improving how they synthesize and acknowledge public input in real-time and in written form.
• Future Items: Commissioner Sweeney expressed interest in regulating cannabis dispensaries further; the city manager will work with the city attorney to explore options.