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Record of Proceedings

Bozeman Downtown Business Improvement District Board Meeting – September 16, 2026

City Commission — Wednesday, September 16, 2026
BodyBozeman, Montana
SessionCity Commission
DateWednesday, September 16, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 36:37

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
5:37

For approval of the August minutes roll call vote.

5:39

Susan Nybauer.

5:40

Hi.

5:41

Randy Scholey.

5:42

Hi.

5:43

Eric Nelson.

5:44

Hi.

5:44

Elena Andrewin.

5:45

Hi.

5:46

Mark Kiki.

5:47

Hi.

5:47

Eric Woman.

5:48

Hi.

5:49

Great.

5:49

Motion passes six zero.

5:51

Any public comments online, Emily?

5:55

There are no attendees online.

5:57

Okay.

5:58

All right.

6:02

Sorry.

6:09

Let's dive in.

6:10

Yeah.

6:14

Yeah.

6:16

Minutes?

6:18

Great.

6:19

Um, all right.

6:21

Jumping right in.

6:22

Um, flower basket update.

6:23

I'm sure you guys all saw uh flower baskets were looking sad earlier than normal this year, um, and that they were taking down earlier than normal this year.

6:31

Um, a couple of things with chatting with oak gardens.

6:34

Um, it was obviously a hot and dry summer.

6:36

Um in hindsight and moving forward, we probably should have been watering more than we did, just our normal twice a week for each basket on those hot days.

6:46

We probably should have been doing three times a week for each basket.

6:48

They were just, you know, getting drier faster, and then in addition to watering the basin, watering the top of them so that the soil on top is just staying moist as well.

6:58

Um that seems counterintuitive because it seems like the baskets on the south side of the street in the shade were worse off than the baskets on the north side of the street in the full sun.

7:08

Is that did am I the only one who noticed that?

7:10

Or yeah, so oak gardens, they didn't have like a one-size-fits-all for all the baskets.

7:18

So it being a hot summer, the plants were obviously stressed.

7:22

Um towards the end of the year, we saw a lot of the baskets were um had aphids.

7:28

Aphids are sometimes more attracted to plants that are more stressed um throughout the summer.

7:33

So they said there's kind of a combination of everything.

7:35

Um north side baskets definitely they still looked good.

7:39

We just didn't want to take down half the baskets and then leave some of them up.

7:42

So some were so gorgeous, beautiful, doing great um when we took them down around Labor Day, and then the South Side.

7:48

Um, yeah, they just almost overnight looked horrible.

7:51

A lot of that was the aphids.

7:53

That was kind of like near Owen House, Montana Silversmiths.

7:56

There was some over by the element, which that doesn't line up because that's on the north side.

8:00

Um we increased the fertilizer a lot this year, which helped the grass baskets grow larger than they did last summer.

8:10

Um sometimes that can, you know, just pumping that into the plants, that can also have a role in how the aphids are attracted to it.

8:19

Um I remember that it was a different basket configuration that was supposed to hold water better or something.

8:27

So a couple of summers ago we switched completely to the earth cleaner basket, which has that reservoir in the bottom.

8:33

So we have we've been filling those up twice a week.

8:35

Um we've had those baskets now.

8:37

I think this was the third summer that we've had all earth cleaner baskets before we used to do the coconut liner baskets that had to be watered every day.

8:44

Um and staffing that early morning was proving difficult.

8:47

Um so yeah, we but we've been on the all earth cleaner baskets for a few summers now.

8:54

You know, it I will say just watching you deal with it, watching the watering and that sort of thing.

8:59

It seems like we're just trying to kind of figure out how to get to the point where all of them are doing great.

9:05

Um the the bad baskets happened really overnight this year.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Urban Forest Management██████████████████████22%
Urban Redevelopment███████████████████19%
Public Engagement██████████████████18%
Public Safety██████████10%
Transportation Safety██████████10%
Homelessness████████8%
Procedural████4%
Mental Health Awareness███3%
Charter Revision███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Bozeman Downtown Business Improvement District Board Meeting – September 16, 2026

The Bozeman Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) Board met on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. The meeting covered operational updates, staffing, downtown improvements, and planning initiatives. The board approved the August minutes and received reports from staff and board members.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of August Minutes: The board held a roll call vote and unanimously approved the minutes of the August meeting (6-0). Board members participating: Susan Nybauer, Randy Scholey, Eric Nelson, Elena Andrewin, Mark Kiki, and Eric Woman.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were offered, either in person or online. Emily Cope confirmed there were no attendees online.

Discussion Items

  • Flower Basket Performance: Emily Cope reported that flower baskets declined earlier than normal due to a hot, dry summer. The standard twice-weekly watering was insufficient; three times per week is recommended in extreme heat. Aphid infestations exacerbated the issue, particularly on south-side baskets. Oak Gardens, the contractor, noted that stressed plants attract aphids. The board discussed removing dead baskets sooner and storing them temporarily. A suggestion was made to arrange preventative aphid spraying with Oak Gardens, though Oak Gardens indicated spraying outdoor baskets is more complicated. Staffing for flower watering was successful, with Heather continuing to water pocket parks and water bags. Patty, a former flower waterer, returns for weekend and winter maintenance.
  • Staffing Update: The Downtown Bozeman Partnership is interviewing for a new operations manager; an announcement is expected next week.
  • HRDC De-escalation Training: A four-hour training is offered on September 17, 2026, in partnership with HRDC, aimed at frontline employees. A board member reported an anecdotal increase in unhoused individuals seeking shelter downtown, attributing it to HRDC incentives, but no other board member had heard this.
  • Zoning Update (B3C District): The August board meeting featured Chris Saunders discussing the B3C height allowance. The city commission maintained the 90-foot height limit but directed staff to explore zone edge transition options. Commissioner Fisher indicated the current code will be given a year to settle before further changes.
  • Bozeman Creek Plan: Consultants will visit next week; the next public engagement is in November, with a vision plan presentation expected mid-December.
  • Future Meetings: Commissioner Fisher noted upcoming city meetings with Belgrade, ballot issue discussions on October 6th, and potential advisory board restructuring (e.g., forming committees for projects like Fowler). A board member asked about city charter ballot changes; updates are available on the city website.
  • Trick-or-Treating: Scheduled for Friday, October 30th, from 3-5 or 4-6 p.m. Main Street will be closed from Rouse to Broadway for pedestrian safety, not for vendors.
  • Monday Walks: A recurring weekly event organized by DBA board members, touring different downtown businesses. Molly Bryan (Element) leads coordination; attendance averages about eight people.
  • Parking Garage AEDs: The board is purchasing AEDs for the parking garage through the fire department’s contract. They will meet with Nick Faulkin to confirm locations.
  • Parking Garage Restrooms: HRDC and the City of Bozeman are working to reopen the parking garage bathrooms, which are in poor condition due to a sewer issue. HRDC may help fund improvements.
  • Passenger Rail: Board member reported progress with the passenger rail authority; BNSF and Montana Rail are involved.
  • MSU Strategic Plan: Board member served on the committee; the plan is nearing adoption by the Board of Regents in November. One more feedback opportunity will be provided.
  • URD Projects: The Babcock Street project (curb extensions, pedestrian ramps) is complete. A board member noted a grade discrepancy at one corner; Emily Cope will review photos. Pedestrian lighting will be installed on the north side of Main Street from Fifth to Wells Fargo, with potential expansion to the south side.
  • Finance Report: Flower basket expenses were paid before July 1. New downtown banners were printed at modest additional cost. Finances are otherwise on track.
  • Christmas Decor Update: New garland and bows are in storage; old garland (faded, dusty, with broken lights) is available free to property owners.

Key Outcomes

  • Minutes approved (6-0).
  • No formal action items were voted on besides the minutes.
  • Directives: Staff will discuss early aphid spraying with Oak Gardens, remove dead baskets more promptly, and investigate storage options. Emily Cope will follow up on the sidewalk grade issue at Babcock and Black.
  • Next Steps: The October board meeting may be canceled or rescheduled; Emily Cope will email board members to confirm.
  • Training: De-escalation training (Sept. 17) is still open for registration.

Meeting Transcript

For approval of the August minutes roll call vote. Susan Nybauer. Hi. Randy Scholey. Hi. Eric Nelson. Hi. Elena Andrewin. Hi. Mark Kiki. Hi. Eric Woman. Hi. Great. Motion passes six zero. Any public comments online, Emily? There are no attendees online. Okay. All right. Sorry. Let's dive in. Yeah. Yeah. Minutes? Great. Um, all right. Jumping right in. Um, flower basket update. I'm sure you guys all saw uh flower baskets were looking sad earlier than normal this year, um, and that they were taking down earlier than normal this year. Um, a couple of things with chatting with oak gardens. Um, it was obviously a hot and dry summer. Um in hindsight and moving forward, we probably should have been watering more than we did, just our normal twice a week for each basket on those hot days. We probably should have been doing three times a week for each basket. They were just, you know, getting drier faster, and then in addition to watering the basin, watering the top of them so that the soil on top is just staying moist as well. Um that seems counterintuitive because it seems like the baskets on the south side of the street in the shade were worse off than the baskets on the north side of the street in the full sun. Is that did am I the only one who noticed that? Or yeah, so oak gardens, they didn't have like a one-size-fits-all for all the baskets. So it being a hot summer, the plants were obviously stressed. Um towards the end of the year, we saw a lot of the baskets were um had aphids. Aphids are sometimes more attracted to plants that are more stressed um throughout the summer. So they said there's kind of a combination of everything. Um north side baskets definitely they still looked good. We just didn't want to take down half the baskets and then leave some of them up. So some were so gorgeous, beautiful, doing great um when we took them down around Labor Day, and then the South Side. Um, yeah, they just almost overnight looked horrible. A lot of that was the aphids. That was kind of like near Owen House, Montana Silversmiths. There was some over by the element, which that doesn't line up because that's on the north side. Um we increased the fertilizer a lot this year, which helped the grass baskets grow larger than they did last summer. Um sometimes that can, you know, just pumping that into the plants, that can also have a role in how the aphids are attracted to it.

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