Bozeman City Study Commission Meeting – August 6, 2026

On Thursday, August 6, 2026, at 4:00 PM, the Bozeman City Study Commission convened at City Hall to finalize its work, approve the final report and amended charter for submission to the County Election Office, receive legal guidance on ballot education, and develop a public education plan. The meeting adjourned at 7:27 PM.

Consent Calendar

• The Commission unanimously approved the minutes from the July 30, 2026 meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No in-person or online public comments were offered during the general public comment periods.
• During the approval of the final report, no public comments were received.
• When the Commission considered establishing an incidental political committee, Nevin Graves of Dangeld (the Commission's ballot education consultant) recommended removing the definite article “the” from the committee name to match existing materials. The Commission accepted this suggestion.

Discussion Items

Legal Guidance on Education and Advocacy

• City Attorney Greg Sullivan presented on Montana law prohibitions on using public resources to support or oppose ballot measures (Title II and Title 13), explaining that the Commission's education campaign must be “properly incidental” to discussing the impacts of passage or failure on local government operations. He warned against “magic words” and language susceptible of no reasonable interpretation other than a call for passage or defeat.
• Sullivan outlined disclosure requirements under the Montana Disclose Act, including the need to form an incidental political committee (IPC), appoint a treasurer, track all time and expenditures, and include attribution on all materials. He advised the Commission to avoid any coordination with separate political committees to protect election integrity.
• Commissioners asked detailed questions about personal speech rights, quoting past meetings, handling minority reports, use of city email, and tracking time. Sullivan advised that individual commissioners may express personal views on their own time using personal resources, but should not do so at structured study commission events or using city resources.

Approval of Final Report and Amended Charter

• Becky Franks and Barbara Taylor presented the final report, highlighting remaining edits in red. Key edits included:
  • Clarifying language for sub-option two on commissioner residency and election method in Section 7.03.
  • Adding a blue explanatory box to indicate charter language that would apply if voters choose not to have wards.
  • Adjusting language on the Inner Neighborhood Council's ethics obligations: “are not bound by, but should consider the city and state code of ethics” was revised to “are expected to observe” the code after discussion.
  • Adding a new sentence to Section 8.03 (principles of public engagement) requiring all city meetings and hearings to be “conducted in a transparent manner, publicly announced in advance and open to the public.” The motion passed 4-1 (one abstention).
• Commissioner Deanna raised the possibility of filing a minority report. After debate, the Commission agreed to include a placeholder “Minority Report – None filed as of August 6, 2026” and noted that a minority report could be submitted within 30 days if permitted by law.
• Each commissioner delivered closing remarks, emphasizing the collaborative effort and the importance of the proposed changes. The final motion to authorize submission of the report and amended charter to the County Election Office passed 5-0.

Education Plan and Materials

• Consultants from Dangeld (Nevin Graves, Aaron Corsey, Tor Goodmanson) presented a draft engagement timeline with two lists: contact groups (civic organizations) and public events for tabling or presentations.
• Commissioners volunteered for upcoming events:
  • Sweet Pea Festival: Friday, August 7 (3–5 PM, in front of library) and Saturday, August 8 (3–5 PM, at the back of the library).
  • SLAM (Saturday and Sunday): Jan will distribute materials, possibly from the City of Bozeman booth.
  • Bozeman Farmers Market (walking around with flyers) to begin in September.
  • Story Mansion “Under the Stars” film (August 16, approximately 8,000–10,000 attendees): Carson and Becky will staff a table if available.
  • Catapalooza (August 28, 10 AM–3 PM): Deanna volunteered for part of the event.
  • Bozeman Sunrise Rotary (September 25, 7 AM): Carson and Jan will present.
  • An Art Walk (August 14) was suggested; Jan and possibly others will attend.
• The Commission approved (by consensus) a quarter-page “palm card” flyer with minor typographical edits. Nevin Graves confirmed the attribution line “Paid for by Bozeman Study Commission, Mike Moss, Treasurer” was included.
• The Commission established a process for material approval: the two liaisons (Carson and Jan) will coordinate with Dangeld; all five commissioners will review major materials by August 19 meeting; minor tweaks can be handled via email. A trifold brochure will be developed for events with captive audiences.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimous approval (5‑0) of the Final Report and amended charter, including all edits discussed, and authorization to submit to the County Election Office.
• Creation of an Incidental Political Committee (IPC) named “Bozeman Study Commission” with Mike Moss as treasurer, passed unanimously (5‑0).
• Approval of consent agenda (minutes from July 30, 2026) unanimously.
• Approval of a quarter-page palm card by consensus, with corrections to text.
• Scheduling of next regular meeting: August 19, 2026, to finalize remaining education materials (PowerPoint, trifold brochure, talking points).
• Direction to begin tracking time for education campaign activities in 15‑minute increments, as advised by the City Attorney.
• August 10, 2026 deadline for filing the C2 form to formally create the IPC (to be completed by the next business day).