Bozeman Urban Parks and Forestry Board Meeting Summary - October 22, 2026

The Bozeman Urban Parks and Forestry Board (UPFB) met on Thursday, October 22, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 8:15 PM. The board approved consent items, rescheduled upcoming meetings to avoid holidays, and held detailed work sessions on implementing the Parks, Recreation, and Active Transportation (PRAP) Plan into the city's Unified Development Code (UDC) and on the 2026 Park Land Trust Community Grant Cycle.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the September 24, 2026 UPFB meeting were unanimously approved. (Motion: Terry Limston. Voting Aye: Brant Baruby, Steve Lowry, Paige Lizowski, Sally Schrank).
• Agenda Changes: No changes to the agenda were made. A disclosure was noted from Sally Schrank regarding her role with Bozeman Sunrise Rotary Club, a prior grant recipient.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were offered on non-agenda items at the beginning of the meeting or during the designated public comment periods for agenda items.

Discussion Items

• Action Item: Alternative Meeting Dates (November and December 2026): To avoid the holidays (Thanksgiving on Nov 26 and Christmas Eve on Dec 24), the board unanimously approved moving the November meeting to Thursday, November 19, 2026 and the December meeting to Monday, December 14, 2026.
• Work Session: PRAP Plan Implementation and Community Engagement Plan: Park Planning and Development Manager Addie Jadin led a discussion on the draft Community Engagement Plan for amending the UDC. Key points included thematic priorities from the PRAP plan (equitable access, active transportation, natural resources), code obstacles such as the 12 unit per acre density cap limiting parkland from high-density projects, and maintaining the city's goal of 17 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. Board members provided feedback on stakeholder outreach, recommending targeted inclusion of groups like Ability Montana, Bienvenidos, and the Bozeman Tenant's Union.
• Work Session: Park Land Trust 2026 Community Grant Cycle: The board reviewed the draft criteria for the $200,000 grant program. A central topic was defining eligible projects; the board emphasized a preference for funding permanent capital improvements (e.g., trail construction, accessible playgrounds) over operational costs (e.g., seasonal trail grooming). Members also supported formalizing applicant presentations and requiring final reports from grantees. Final scoring criteria and allocation methods were tabled for detailed review at the November meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Approved Minutes: Unanimously approved.
• Approved Date Change: November 19 and December 14 were approved as the new meeting dates (unanimous).
• PRAP/UDC Directive: Staff will revise the Community Engagement Plan based on board feedback and schedule a work session with the City Commission for direction on major policy shifts, such as the density cap.
• Grant Program Direction: Staff will refine the grant criteria to focus on capital investments. The board will formally review the final scoring process at its November meeting.
• Director's Update: Received. Staff is finalizing storm damage cleanup, the Urban Forest Management Plan, and facilities improvement projects.
• Commissioner's Update: Received. Board authorizing resolution 5328 was updated, formally adding recreation to the board's purview, empowering CIP recommendations, and removing the "one body one voice" provision to allow personal stakeholder comments.