Bozeman Economic Vitality Board Meeting August 5, 2026: CDBG, Vendor Contracts, Green Power
Bozeman Economic Vitality Board Meeting – August 5, 2026
The Economic Vitality Board (EVB) met on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The meeting covered approval of prior meeting minutes, a public hearing and vote on the CDBG Program Year 3 Annual Action Plan, and two work sessions: one on improving city vendor contract processes (Belonging in Bozeman recommendation) and another on the Green Power Program lead community agreement with NorthWestern Energy. No public comments were made on any agenda items.
Consent Calendar
- No consent items were presented.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were offered, either in person or online, on any agenda item.
Discussion Items
- Approval of Minutes: The board unanimously approved the minutes from the May 6, 2026 and June 3, 2026 meetings by a 5-0 vote.
- CDBG Program Year 3 Annual Action Plan: Community Housing Manager Brian Geyer presented the plan, which allocates Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for the third year of the 2025–2029 consolidated plan. Key investments include water infrastructure at Family Promise’s A Journey Home facility (enabling four additional transitional housing units that can serve up to 40 families per year), an eviction prevention program, and continued affordable housing activities. The plan is expected to assist approximately 200 low- and moderate-income households. The city commission had approved the plan the previous night, but the board’s endorsement was sought to demonstrate community support to HUD. Board members asked about the lack of public housing (not pursued due to a 2023 feasibility study and the Faircloth Amendment), the flexibility of the “increasing and preserving housing options” category, and potential changes from the federal housing bill passed in July 2026. The board voted 5-0 to approve the plan.
- Belonging in Bozeman Vendor Contracts Work Session: Belonging and Engagement Coordinator Courtney Smith presented a work session on a recommendation from the Belonging in Bozeman plan to provide training on applying for city contracts and to connect experienced vendors with small businesses. She noted that roughly 40% of city contracts go to out-of-state firms, 30% to Bozeman-based firms, and 30% to other Montana firms. The city currently issues RFPs (for contracts ≥$80,000) and RFQs, with scores published. The proposed training, in partnership with Prospera, would include networking, an overview of the process, and a Q&A with city staff. Board members suggested discussing common errors, tracking attendees’ subsequent submissions, targeting specific contract categories where responses are low (e.g., professional services), and exploring ways to measure success. No action was taken; the session was for input.
- Green Power Program Lead Community Agreement Work Session: Sustainability Program Manager Natalie Meyer presented the “Green Power Program” (a green tariff) being developed with NorthWestern Energy, the City of Missoula, and Missoula County. The program allows customers to voluntarily purchase utility-scale renewable energy (initially up to 50 MW) from a new Montana wind or solar facility. Bozeman’s community-wide electricity use is 326,777 MWh/year; a 50 MW resource could cover about 10% of that. The city has committed to filing with the Public Service Commission by September 15, 2026, but has not made binding subscription commitments. Board members discussed the uncertainty of pricing, the importance of stable rates for businesses, compatibility with agriculture, and potential large subscribers (e.g., MSU, hospitals). The 8.2 MW goal for Bozeman is ambitious but achievable. No action was taken; the session was for discussion.
Key Outcomes
- Approved the May 6, 2026 and June 3, 2026 meeting minutes (5-0).
- Approved the CDBG Program Year 3 Annual Action Plan (5-0) – a recommendation to HUD; the city commission had already approved it on August 4, 2026.
- Directed staff to proceed with planning the vendor contract training, incorporating board feedback on measurement and outreach.
- Noted the Green Power Program’s next steps: filing with the Public Service Commission and issuing a non-binding notice of interest; board input will be considered in messaging and recruitment.
Meeting Transcript
I call this meeting to order. The August fifth, twenty twenty six meeting of the Economic Vitality Board is underway. This meeting will be held both in person and online using a video conference system. You can join this meeting at the link provided on the website. Do we have any disclosures? Hearing none, we'll move on to changes to the agenda. Do we have any changes? No, sir, there are no changes. None from me. Thank you. Next, we'll move to um here a motion for approval of the minutes for the May sixth and June third, twenty twenty-six economic vitality board uh meeting minutes. Does uh anyone have a motion to approve those minutes? Uh does anyone have any amendments they'd like to move for? Okay, so any second. Second. Hearing a motion and a second, we will uh take the vote to approve the minutes. Not suki. Um yes. Rachel. I'm so sorry. No worries. Yes. Andrew. Andrew. Yes. I always want to call you Chris. And Albert Jones is yes. Um with a vote for zero. The motion carries. Do we have any consent items for tonight? We do not, sir. Now we'll hear public comments on non-agenda items falling within the purview of the board. This is the time to comment on any non-agenda matter falling within the scope of this board. There will also be time in conjunction with each agenda item for public comment relating to the item, but you may only speak once per topic. Please note that we cannot take any action on any item which does not appear on the agenda. All persons addressed on the board, please speak in a civil and courteous manner and uh be respectful of other members of the audience. If you want to speak, state your name and state whether you are a resident of the city or a property owner within the city limits, and uh limit your comments to three minutes. Do we have any public comment uh for non-agenda items from the crowd? Do we have anything online? Uh I see no hands raised. Excellent. Hearing nothing, we will move on to special presentations. Uh no special presentations tonight, Chair, just uh moving into action items. Excellent. Moving on into action items. We have a public meeting on the CDBG program year three annual action plan. Thank you, Chair. I'd like to introduce uh community housing manager, program manager Brian Geyer to the podium, and tonight he'll provide a presentation and then um a discussion from the chief from the board and then a motion and a vote. Thank you. All right.
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