Study Commission — Bozeman, MT
Date: 2026-01-15

Bozeman City Commission Meeting Minutes, January 15, 2026




 THE CITY COMMMISSION MEETING OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA

 MINUTES

 January 15, 2026


A) 00:02:59 Call to Order with Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence - 4:00 PM,
 Commission Room, City Hall, 121 North Rouse
Present: Carson Taylor, Becky Franks, Barb Cestero, Deanna Campbell, Jan Strout, Mike Maas
Absent: None
Excused: None

Dan Clark, Executive Director of Local Government Center at Montana State University Extension


B) 00:04:26 Changes to the Agenda

C) 00:04:33 Public Comment on Anything within the Jurisdiction of the Study Commission

D) 00:04:50 Consent Agenda
 D.1 Study Commission Claims Review and Approval
 BCSC Invoice #4 (December 2025) - Invoice.pdf


00:04:56 Motion to approve I move to approve payment of claims as presented

Becky Franks: Motion
Jan Strout: 2nd

00:05:31 Vote on the Motion to approve I move to approve payment of claims as presented The Motion
carried 5 - 0.

Approve:
Carson Taylor
Becky Franks
Barb Cestero
Deanna Campbell


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Bozeman City Commission Meeting Minutes, January 15, 2026



Jan Strout

Disapprove:
None


E) 00:05:43 Correspondence or Study Commission Update
00:05:56 Commissioner Jan noted that Becky and her decided to move Pecha Kucha to June or
September, presentation on March 23 at noon to League of Women Voters and that she submitted a
proposal to the Business and Professional Women for April or September. She also noted her opinion to
continue Op-eds and noted a four part series at MSU "Public Things."


F) 00:08:59 Unfinished Business
 F.1 00:09:05 Determine Who Will Draft the City Study Commission Report
00:09:07 The Study Commission discussed whom to assign to work on the Study Commission
Final Report



00:14:21 Motion to approve I would like to move that Becky Franks and Barb Cestero co-draft the initial
report.

Jan Strout: Motion
Becky Franks: 2nd

00:14:49 Discussion on the motion

00:16:44 Public Comment

00:17:05 Vote on the Motion to approve I would like to move that Becky Franks and Barb Cestero co-
draft the initial report. The Motion carried 4 - 0.

Approve:
Carson Taylor
Becky Franks
Barb Cestero
Jan Strout

Disapprove:
None


G) 00:17:32 New Business
 G.1 00:17:35 Working Ventures: Communication Action Plan
 Employee Survey Initial Efforts.pdf
 BCSC - Commissioner Survey.pdf
 BCSC - Boards and Councils.pdf


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Bozeman City Commission Meeting Minutes, January 15, 2026



 Community Survey Results.pdf
00:19:10 Stan Odenthal, Working Ventures, presented preliminary results from the employee
survey with a comparison to the community survey.

00:38:22 Questions for Working Ventures

00:51:55 Stan Odenthal outlined the Commission Survey questions for current and previous City
Commissioners.

00:56:45 Discussion on Commission survey

01:05:45 Stan outlined the Advisory Board Survey questions for current and previous Advisory
Board members.

01:08:34 Discussion on Advisory Board Survey Questions

01:13:06 Communications Strategy Discussion

01:13:59 Questions for Communications Strategy

 G.2 01:16:59 Learning Session on the Governing Body: Size, Terms,
 Duties/Roles/Function; Mayor System. Other elected offices?
01:17:04 Commissioner Carson Taylor gave an overview on item G.2

01:18:36 Dan Clark, Local Government Center, facilitated a discussion on the Governing Body


H) 02:49:19 Future Agenda Items
02:49:27 January 28 Discussion

List to vote on:
1. Deputy Mayor
2. Number of Commissioners
3. Partisan non-partisan
4. Other Elected
5. Vacancies Timeline
6. Duties of Commissioners

03:01:15 Commissioner Jan Strout requested an estimate on cost for having 5 full time City
Commissioners

03:01:45 Ex Officio Mike Maas' answer to Commissioner Strout's question

03:02:40 Request to have Ex Officio Maas find the average AMI for Gallatin County

03:03:35 Request for Dan Clark and Mike Maas to investigate if there are other Commissions that
have full time work and their respective job descriptions, as well as the Gallatin County Commissioners



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Bozeman City Commission Meeting Minutes, January 15, 2026



03:05:05 July 2 Discussion


I) 03:07:09 Public Comment on Anything within the Jurisdiction of the Study Commission
03:07:16 Dan Clark commented


J) Announcements

K) 03:11:19 Adjournment




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