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Speakers call to restore Bozeman advisory boards and strengthen neighborhood associations
Summary
Multiple commenters at the April 3 hearing urged the study commission to restore the city’s previous network of advisory boards, strengthen neighborhood associations and consider paid staffing for neighborhood engagement.
At the April 3 public hearing, several residents and former elected officials urged the Local Government Study Commission to reinstate or strengthen neighborhood advisory boards and to formalize how neighborhood input is incorporated into city decisions.
“Get those 32 boards back in place,” said Jeff Krause, a former mayor and longtime commenter, arguing that boards and neighborhood councils give residents structured ways to advise elected officials. Amy Hoitsma and Emily Talaygo described models used elsewhere: Hoitsma said Colorado Springs has paid staff for neighborhood associations, and Talaygo recommended assuring board members have technical expertise and that advisory boards not be used as “rubber stamps.”
Speakers also emphasized the Inter‑Neighborhood Council and neighborhood associations as places where residents can get engaged without speaking directly to the commission at a public hearing. “Neighborhood associations are part of the current Charter,” a commissioner noted; commenters said some associations feel ad hoc and recommended exploring staffing or structural changes to make them more consistent and representative.
Ending: Commissioners said neighborhood associations, advisory boards and how they feed into commission decisions will be part of the commission’s study topics and outreach planning for future meetings.
