The Economic Vitality Board reviewed the Belonging in Bozeman Decision-Making Tool during its September 2 work session, offering feedback on the structured framework intended to ensure city policies align with equal access goals. Presenter Courtney Smith walked the board through the tool using the MSU ex officio board member position—adopted by the City Commission in March—as a case study.
The tool consists of six core questions designed to guide policy examination: identifying proposals and desired outcomes, reviewing data on who is well-served and underserved, assessing stakeholder engagement and missing voices, analyzing who benefits and who may be burdened, planning implementation for diverse community needs, and establishing accountability measures. Board members offered several suggestions for refinement, including adding specific criteria to clarify when sufficient review has occurred, reordering questions to lead with broad outcomes separate from the proposal itself, and examining data before finalizing goals. Natsuki Nakamura proposed dividing the tool into two components: a "why and proposal" phase for City Commission decision-making and an engagement and strategy phase for board feedback. Multiple members recommended simplifying the format to a one-page matrix or flowchart rather than lengthy paragraph instructions and emphasized the need for plain language accessible to people with limited English proficiency.
Chair Danielle Rogers stressed that data availability is critical to the tool's function and urged the city to address data collection before implementation. Commissioner Douglas Fischer acknowledged current data gathering is unstructured but expressed confidence that city staff, school district partners, and community organizations can work with small sample sizes while protecting anonymity. Board members also raised concerns about applicability and the risk of checkbox compliance rather than genuine analysis, requesting specific guidance on implementation standards and which decisions require the tool. The board will focus its next meeting on the C. Bozeman Creek plan.