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Greeley neighborhood group urges charter recognition of community councils; commissioners say idea merits study
Summary
A Greeley Neighborhood Community Development Corporation representative told the study commission that a 2016 petition showed strong resident support for neighborhood councils and urged including community councils in the charter; commissioners said they will research models and consider language but are cautious about mandates and staffing.
A representative of the Greeley Neighborhood Community Development Corporation urged the Butte-Silver Bow study commission on Oct. 28 to include neighborhood and greater-community councils in the charter, presenting petition results and arguing for a mechanism to bring residents’ priorities directly into government deliberations.
The presenter said a 2016 survey of 500 residents produced 447 signed petitions in favor of implementing a community-council system; citing standard-sample math, he characterized that sample as indicating broad support and urged the commission to consider a voluntary, low-cost neighborhood-council structure that would not add taxpayer expense.
Commissioners responded that they had reviewed other charters that include community or neighborhood councils and that the idea merits further study. Chair Raylan Bridal said the commission has considered community councils as a possible way to increase public participation but wants guarantees the councils will be effective and not create undue workload for volunteers or commissioners. Several commissioners suggested contacting Missoula and other Montana jurisdictions for examples of structure and practice.
Commissioner Cindy Perdue Dolan said she supported neighborhood-level mechanisms to provide commissioners with grounded local priorities and said any system should avoid creation of long-term bureaucratic staffing or unfunded mandates. The presenter said the model he favors is voluntary, coordinated by commissioners and designed to send delegates or coordinated input to a Greater Butte-Silver Bow assembly rather than create a permanent staffing layer.
The commission did not take action on the presentation but asked staff to follow up with examples from other Montana cities and to add community-council structures to the commission’s deliberation list for potential nonform charter language.
