Bozeman Study Commission Meeting – August 19, 2026
Bozeman Study Commission Meeting – August 19, 2026
The Bozeman Study Commission met on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at 4:01 PM in the Commission Room at City Hall. The meeting focused on approving final report language, finalizing educational materials for the upcoming ballot, and planning outreach efforts. The commission approved key items and set future meeting dates.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The Study Commission unanimously approved the minutes from the August 6, 2026 meeting (4-0 vote).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made during the meeting.
Discussion Items
- Correspondence and Study Commission Update: Commissioners reported on outreach at events (e.g., “Story Under the Stars,” Celebration of Life in Police Park, Business and Professional Women’s meeting). Concerns were raised about the website not yet displaying the final report and amended charter, which had been promised via QR codes on palm cards. The web team (Cole) aimed to have the landing page updated by the end of the week with direct links to documents.
- F2: Ongoing Education Plan: Presenters Aaron Coursey and Nevin Graves (Dangeld) walked through proposed educational materials: a PowerPoint presentation, a quarter-page flyer, a trifold brochure, digital ads, a tent/tablecloth for events, and an updated website wireframe. Commissioners requested revisions:
- Add a fourth bullet to the PowerPoint highlighting city commission vacancy changes (previously only three: four-year mayor term, expanded public engagement, compensation board).
- Emphasize Article 8 (new article on public engagement) as a key change.
- Clarify that ballot sub-options take effect only if the amended charter is adopted; add a slide or note about this.
- Include campaign attribution (paid for by Study Commission, treasurer) on all materials.
- On the flyer, reverse sub-option two to match ballot order and add city commission vacancy language.
- Consolidate QR codes to a single link to the website homepage (which will contain both the report and amended charter).
- Use state law language to indicate that sub-options are contingent on charter adoption.
- F1: Approval of Final Report: The final report had been previously signed but contained a “DRAFT” watermark and lacked ADA compliance. The commission discussed reformatted version with table of contents and hyperlinks. Commissioner Deanna noted that Barb Sisteros, absent, supports the report. The commission praised the work of Barb and Becky.
- Future Meeting Schedule: The commission debated need for future meetings given busy outreach schedule. It was decided to schedule two meetings (September 24 and October 14) with the possibility of cancellation if no agenda items arise.
Key Outcomes
- Approval of Education Materials: Motion to approve the graphics and central copy for ongoing ballot education materials (as presented) carried 4-0. Materials include PowerPoint, flyers, brochures, digital ads, and additional resources.
- Approval of Final Report: Motion to approve the Bozeman Study Commission Final Report as written (with formatting and ADA changes) carried 4-0. Commissioners will sign the revised version for submission to the county.
- Future Meetings: Motion to meet on September 24, 2026 and October 14, 2026 (both Wednesdays) carried 4-0. Other previously scheduled meetings (September 3, 16, and October 1) were cancelled.
- Outreach Logistics: Commissioners will coordinate with Mike to manage engagement calendar. Tent and tablecloth will arrive for Catapalooza. Printing of brochures is scheduled for pickup by Friday; commissioners will arrange distribution for weekend events.
Meeting Transcript
Yeah, that's probably what's that although we weren't too late for shallow spot now. Oh, yeah. All right, are you going to drive over the less smoky than it's been, but it's always been a back and forth between this really smoky and there's a thunderstorm, so yeah. I can breathe, but it's ringing. Right. Yeah, that was us last week. Yeah, that would be so do it. Just do it. I'll call to order the August nineteenth, twenty twenty six meeting of the Bozeman City Study Commission at four oh one PM. If you're able, please rise for the pledge of allegiance and then a moment of silence. Feel free to sit for the moment of silence. But let's all rise if we can for the pledge of allegiance. We do have someone online, but no hands raised right now. Next on the agenda is the consent agenda. Is there any public comment on the consent agenda? It's the approval of the study commission minutes. Seeing none. Second. All those in favor, so indicate by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Motion carries 4-0. Correspondence or study commission update. Any comments. I went to the um story under the stars on Saturday only to find out that it got canceled. But I did hand out some uh palm cards to people who like me didn't know that it was canceled. So and I I will say this on the events that I've been at, people have been um extremely receptive to the palm cards. Often didn't know that this was going to be on the ballot, and um said they would look at it. I think it's an important uh introduction at this point that we get the word out that there will be something on the ballot from us. I also want to say that um I did not know that the report and the um amended charter were not up on the website, and I told probably uh 50 plus people on the two events that I went to that all they had to do was click on the QR code and they'd see it all, and um I want to formally apologize to those people if uh I caused them confusion. My understanding is that it will be up on the website um by tomorrow or Friday. Friday is probably safe. Um, and I hope people will look again at that point. Um I did after the fact try out the QR code on my phone, and it works. Takes you right to where you want to be. So that that part was really good. Anything else under correspondence of study commission update. Just a ditto uh Carson with uh a number of the events we were in parallel and also some new ones that I was able to just add um that aren't even on the um list yet. But the e ho um celebration of life in the police park was a beautiful event, and people were very receptive there. Um also I was at the business and professional women's meeting today, and people are so interested when they find out it exists that it will be on the ballot, and the palm cards are working so well to be able to hand out anywhere easily. So we will continue on that and keep keep that uh list updated. If people can add our commissioners uh who haven't added to that list would would do so. I know most of you most of you have, but uh again send it directly to Nevin. Um, and then we can all track each other's efforts, and I will be there for the rescheduled story under the stars next Saturday this coming Saturday with um our information. Thanks. Great, thank you. Deanna? Uh I would like just like to uh comment that um the palm cards uh uh will only be as useful and informative as the website uh that they're directed to becomes which of course it isn't now, and I made the same mistake uh uh Carson in handing them out and directing people to the cue card to find out uh what we had done and to prepare themselves for the November vote. So uh the the palm card in itself is not going to do us anything, it's going to be what is on that website. So I'm looking forward to seeing something useful there and very accessible on the fur front page.
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