Does anyone ever wonder who is responsible for the flower baskets downtown in the summer or the Christmas Stroll in the winter? Those are the things that everyone knows and loves, but what about the rest? Like when you pull into the tiny parking lot that says there are six spaces available when there really are none, to then have to maneuver your made-for-Montana vehicle to get turned around to get back to the exit, but not before your tires take the journey through potholes that make you wonder if you’re on your way to a nice dinner at J.W. Heist or if you’re off-roading on a newly discovered trail.

For those of us who have lived in Bozeman for a long time, we can say how much better downtown is now compared to how it used to be. But we don’t have to settle for that. All across America, there are towns the same size as Bozeman (with a lot less money) that have the kind of downtown that looks, feels, and lives like you’ve stepped into something really special, where from the time you drive into the vicinity of downtown, traffic moves smoothly, parking is a breeze, and walking from one end to the other and through the surrounding blocks is an experience that is safe for your entire family to enjoy.

So who is responsible for the experience that is Downtown Bozeman?

Allow us to introduce you to the mysterious Downtown Bozeman Partnership, a for-profit, member-managed LLC that nobody really knows about, let alone understands, and yet who receives hundreds of thousands of dollars from the City of Bozeman to manage the infrastructure, environment, and promote the downtown. Who ever agreed to this? The city charter doesn’t make the relationship clear. What happens if the taxpayers who pay the majority of the salaries of the DBP’s staff don’t agree with the job that they’re doing?

We will be taking a deeper dive into all of this and more in the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned …

Downtown Bozeman Partnership Organizational Structure.pdf