Bozeman City Commission Regular Meeting – October 20, 2026

The Bozeman City Commission met in regular session on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the Commission Room at City Hall, with in-person and online participation. Mayor Morrison presided. The meeting, extended to about 10:45 p.m., included a lengthy consent agenda with heavy public testimony on an Axon contract, general public comment, a victim services presentation, approval of the BRC North Loop annexation, and adoption of two board governance resolutions. The Northwest Bozeman Area Plan work session was moved to the following Tuesday.

FYI & Disclosures

• Commissioner Sweeney noted that October 15 marked 60 years of the National Historic Preservation Act, cited Montana's more than 11,000 National Register listings, and urged opposition to proposed Section 106 rule changes and permitting reform. Commissioner Magic thanked city crews for post-snowstorm cleanup. Commissioner Bodie reported that the Sustainability Board supports applying lessons from the Bozeman Creek Vision Plan to the Northwest Bozeman Area Plan and noted public comment on dark-sky regulations. Staff announced that phase one of Fowler Road construction will begin soon, with an open house scheduled for November 2 at Fire Station 3.
• Commissioner Sweeney disclosed that multiple family members live in the Northwest Bozeman Area Plan planning area.

Consent Calendar

• The Commission approved the consent agenda 5-0. The motion referred to F1–F15, while the published agenda listed F1–F13.
• Routine items included accounts payable, a nuisance abatement contract, a Multihog utility vehicle purchase, an Axon equipment agreement, park design services, MSU Extension governance support, a snow removal amendment, wayfinding signage, a Parking Vision amendment, a Meadow Creek payback assignment, pedestrian crossing and lighting change orders, transfer of a City-owned Ford Taurus to Belgrade, and final adoption of a water adequacy ordinance.
• Item F.4, the Axon Enterprise agreement for body-worn cameras, patrol vehicle cameras, conducted energy devices, and digital evidence management, drew extensive discussion and public comment. Commissioner Bodie stated that the body cameras do not have facial recognition, that automatic license plate reader capability will not be enabled, and that the data is confidential criminal justice information. She expressed reservations but voted for the item, and requested that the City Manager bring forward an AI and surveillance technology policy and include a surveillance/technology section in BPD's quarterly report.
• After a long public comment period, the consent agenda passed 5-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• On consent item F.4, more than 25 people spoke in person and online in opposition. Speakers included Daisy Berci, Nolan Verrill, Jack Hayward, Chase Creighton, John Garrett Grimm, Carl Brandenberger, Julian, Charles Miller, Homamassud, Riley Ophis, Natsuki Nakamura, Daniel Cardi, Nicholas, Alana Selinger, Skylar, Zane Haroldson, Anthony Smith, Matthew Thomas, Kiki Hulls, Izzy Burkoltz, Joan Henderson, Lita Kiefer, Harry Seaton, Taylor Pujunen, and Taylor Dean.
• Recurring positions included opposition to spending approximately $2.4–$2.5 million with Axon; concerns about mass surveillance, privacy, and cloud storage; allegations of Axon's connections to ICE, DHS, and military/defense users; skepticism that facial recognition and ALPR features would remain disabled; criticism of contract terms such as auto-renewal and liability limits; and calls to table the item and investigate alternatives such as Axis Communications. Several speakers referenced Axon's recent $220 million ICE contract and said voting for Axon would contradict commissioners' previous statements about the military-industrial complex.
• Charles Miller, an MSU computer science student, noted BPD reports processing approximately 200,000 pieces of electronic evidence annually and questioned whether that workload justifies the contract. Natsuki Nakamura questioned how the technology improves accountability and referenced past police shootings. Anthony Smith cited four deaths in the valley, criticized police training and de-escalation, and said lawsuits against the city will exceed the contract cost. Harry Seaton, speaking for the ACLU of Montana, cited Axon's ethics board resignations, data integration risks, and Montana's 90-day data retention period. Taylor Pujunen, recently back from the West Bank, asked the Commission to delay the vote.
• During general public comment on non-agenda items, Izzy Watson, government affairs director for ASMSU, updated the Commission on appointing six ex officio MSU student members to city boards. Anthony Smith announced federal civil rights litigation against Bozeman officers and the City, named plaintiffs, and criticized the Mayor. Kyla Corota urged an urban bear management policy, noting that 14 black bears were euthanized north of Bozeman in September. Several MSU students and other speakers expressed frustration that public comment on Axon had not changed the outcome and criticized the consent process and the Commission's responsiveness.
• On the board amendment item, Natsuki Nakamura, an Economic Vitality Board member, said removal of public art and beautification awards was disappointing and raised concerns about narrowing the board's mission and about body-camera community engagement. No public comments were made on the BRC North Loop annexation or the board standards resolution.

Special Presentation: Victim Services

• Chief Prosecutor Becky McClain introduced Victim Services Coordinator Mandy Noonan and Victim Advocate Selena Richardson, the city's first victim advocate. They described advocate duties including case notifications, witness coordination, referrals, and victim input on plea agreements. They presented caseload data showing 44% of new victim cases were assaults, 37% were partner or family member assaults/domestic violence, and 19% were other charges. They also described the victim services suite, including a children's room, secure door monitor, and duress buttons. No public comment was taken.

Action Items

• I.1 BRC North Loop Annexation: Staff planner Tom Rogers presented an annexation of 2.002 acres at 2777 North 7th Avenue, formerly PDI Investments. The property remains an unannexed island, and water and sewer connections are now adjacent. The Commission affirmed the prior approval, adopted the annexation resolution, and provisionally adopted the B2 zoning ordinance. Commissioner Sweeney flagged a state code citation referencing pre-MLUPA statutes that should be corrected before second reading. All three motions passed 5-0. No public comment was offered.
• I.2 Board Resolutions: Assistant City Manager Cola Rowley presented amendments to the Economic Vitality, Sustainability, Urban Parks and Forestry, Transportation, and Community Development Boards. Changes included removing term limits, adding an ex officio MSU student member, and cleaning up pre-MLUPA language. The Commission discussed public art, the belonging and Bozeman work, and capital improvement plan input. It adopted the resolutions as amended 5-0 and directed the Economic Vitality Board to consider whether the belonging and Bozeman work would be best advanced by a separate board and to report back with a recommendation.
• I.3 Board Standards Resolution: The Commission adopted the high performing boards resolution, establishing standards for recruitment, selection, communication, duties, and behavior for appointed boards. It approved an amendment deleting the phrase 'to the commission for the board' from the commission liaison's 'serve as a contact rather than an advocate' duty. Staff will create a presentation for commission liaisons to brief existing board members. Passed 5-0.

Work Session

• The Northwest Bozeman Area Plan work session was postponed to Tuesday, October 27, 2026, due to the length of the meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda approved 5-0, including the Axon contract, with the motion referencing F1–F15 while the agenda listed F1–F13.
• BRC North Loop annexation: prior approval affirmed, annexation resolution adopted, and provisional zoning ordinance adopted, all 5-0.
• Board amendment resolutions adopted 5-0 as amended.
• Board standards resolution adopted 5-0 as amended.
• Economic Vitality Board asked to report on whether belonging and Bozeman work should move to a separate board.
• Mayor apologized to Anthony Smith for an inappropriate reaction during public comment.
• City Manager agreed to explore earlier distribution of draft agendas and to follow up on Commissioner Sweeney's concerns about consent item timing and access to staff.