Montana Association of Planners 2021 Annual Conference

Land Use Law (1.5 CM Law)

Kelly Lynch, JD, AICP- Deputy Director/General Counsel, Montana League of Cities and Towns

Of the many responsibilities’ planners hold, keeping current with court cases can be one of the most challenging.
Information can be hard to find, and hard to decipher, but can have significant impact on how we approach our day to
day. Kelly Lynch is back at the MAP Conference to present her entertaining and straightforward review of the land use
cases affecting planners in Montana from the past year. This presentation will cover the cases you need to know as a
planner practicing in Montana.

Presenter Bio-

Kelly came to the League from the Montana Department of Commerce in 2016 to pursue her passion for local
government. She provides research and technical assistance for elected municipal officials and staff and appears
in front of state and local governmental agencies, boards, elected officials, and the Montana legislature explaining
and advocating for community needs and resources. Kelly focuses on collaboration between public agencies, the
private sector, and elected officials with diverse backgrounds to provide creative, efficient, and effective leadership for
Montana’s communities.
Originally from East Helena, Kelly has a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from the University of California at Los
Angeles, Luskin School of Public Affairs and a JD from the University of California at Los Angeles, School of Law. She
earned her certification from the American Institute of Certified Planners in 2015.

Call to Action: Preparing for Change (1.25 CM Law)

Andrew Hagemeier, AICP

The Montana Association of Planners is part of a group of non-governmental organizations representing local governments and professional organizations who are working together to over hall Montana’s Growth Policy, Zoning and Subdivision Statutes. This session is a part of the “Call to Action” series started at the Miles City MAP Conference in 2017. Previous sessions focused on how we as planners want our enabling statutes to be structured and about the future of the MAP organization. In this session, we will recap what we discussed in past sessions, what this current effort to revise our laws is about, who is behind it, why it is happening now, and what MAP’s role in this process will be.  Montana’s growth policy, zoning, and subdivision statutes are going to change, how can we as planners be prepared for influencing that change?

Presenter Bio-

Andrew Hagemeier is the Long-Range Planning and Implementation Section supervisor for Missoula County Community and Planning Services (CAPS), where his mission is to align the county’s plans, priorities, and implementation tools to the community’s values. His career has taken him across the public, private and non-profit sectors of the planning profession. Prior to working with Missoula County, he worked as a consultant for public sector clients, writing long range plans, downtown master plans, and developing regulations for rural and urban communities. In 2014, he worked with the Bullock Administration to draft the Main Street Montana Project Report, a central part of Governor Bullock’s economic agenda. While working for the National Parks Conservation Association, he was essential to creating, organizing, and initiating the Whitefish Range Partnership, a collaborative effort with a diverse membership whose mission was to create a shared vision for forest management on the Flathead National Forest. He is an AICP certified professional planner and the immediate past President of the Montana Association of Planners. Andrew is from Missoula, having attended Hellgate Highschool and the College of Forestry and Conservation at the University of Montana.   

Complete Streets on Incomplete Budgets: Incorporating New Multimodal Infrastructure into Routine Maintenance and Operations (1.25 CM)

Ben Weiss & Brian Hensel

Missoula’s Complete Streets policy scored a perfect 100 points from the Complete Streets Coalition of Smart Growth America. Unfortunately, this does not come with any additional funding for transportation projects. With the costs of capital construction projects growing higher every year, Missoula has found ways to still make incremental improvements to their non-motorized network. This presentation will walk through some of the recent connections Missoula has made through intentional coordination.

Presenter Bio(s)-

Ben Weiss is a Senior Transportation Planner for the City of Missoula who has overseen the Bicycle/Pedestrian Program for most of the last decade. Ben is fascinated by the ways in which the built environment influences human behavior, and therefore enjoys being a part of projects of all scales, from high level conceptual planning to the fine details of construction projects. Working with a wide variety of people from engineers and planners to community organizers and business leaders, Ben has gained significant experience with all the E’s of transportation (engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, evaluation, and equity) throughout his career.

Born and raised in Missoula, Public Works Deputy Director Brian Hensel combines local, historical knowledge with a formal engineering education to make him the foremost expert on roadway maintenance in the Missoula valley. He holds Masters and Bachelor’s Degrees in Civil Engineering from MSU and has been a licensed professional engineer for over 20 years. His role places him in charge of Streets Maintenance, Traffic Services, and the Traffic Signals and Communications Shop. Always willing to look into innovative approaches to maintenance, Brian has adapted city operations to reflect the increased calls for improving safety, comfort, and convenience of all roadway users.

The State of Short Term Rentals in Montana (1.25 CM)

Elena Bigart, Zach Jones, Glenna Hartman

Little is known about short term rentals (STRs) as an accommodation choice for pleasure or business in Montana. In a recent study conducted by the Institute for Tourism and Research (ITRR), we assessed the impacts of STRs on hosts and communities in Montana, and explored characteristics and motivations of visitors who use STRs. The session will include presentation of the results, followed by the discussion about challenges, opportunities, and the future of STRs in our state.

Presenter Bio-
Elena is a social scientist and research associate at the ITTR, and instructor at the University of Montana. She has a background in outdoor recreation, national park management and stakeholder collaboration; her research efforts are aimed at helping park managers and tourism industry make informed decisions. Before joining ITRR, Elena has worked in tourism and the nonprofit sector, and served in the Steering Committee of the World Commission on Protected Areas as a Vice Chair for North Eurasia.

City of East Helena: Issues & Opportunities (1.25 CM)

Jeremy Fadness P.E., AICP, James Schell

In 2010 approximately 2,500 acres of former undeveloped ASARCO lands were annexed into the City of East Helena. The annexation doubled the land area of the City of East Helena overnight. The session will present the opportunities this has created as well as the problems this has caused with infrastructure and services as these lands are developed. We will present the affects this has had on review of subdivisions without the benefit of the annexation process.

Presenter Bio(s)-

Jeremy Fadness graduated from MSU Northern with a bachelors degree in Civil Engineering Technology in 2001. Jeremy started work with WWC Engineering and have worked there for the last 18 years. Jeremy started doing land use planning as a contract planner for Broadwater County in 2006. Jeremy received his AICP certification in 2014. Jeremy currently provide on-call contract planning services to East Helena, Townsend, Culbertson, Blaine County, and Mussellshell County. This includes zoning, subdivision, and long range planning.

Mayor Schell is a long time resident of East Helena. Mayor Schell previously worked in the telecommunications industry and in 2011 was elected to the East Helena City Council. In 2013 he was elected as the City of East Helena Mayor and was reelected in 2017. He has been instrumental in keeping the City’s land use regulations and long range plans up to date. He has also worked hand in hand with the land trust on development of the annexed land and infrastructure needs for East Helena.

Missoula by Bike: Mobile Tour (3 CM) 1:45-4:30pm

Aaron Wilson, AICP & Ben Weiss

This relaxed 5+ mile ride will showcase a variety of facility types that make riding a bike in Missoula safe, comfortable, and convenient. Tour guides Aaron and Ben have identified a handful of brief stop locations to discuss recent/upcoming projects, the bike/bus interface, and ways in which land use planning and transportation investment have come together. (We will have bicycles available or those who need one)

Presenter bio(s)-

Aaron Wilson is the Infrastructure & Mobility Planning Manager for the City of Missoula, where he oversees the Missoula Metropolitan Planning Organization, Missoula In Motion, and the City’s transportation planning functions. His focus in this position is currently figuring out how we make ambitious plans and goals a reality. Prior to concentrating on Missoula’s many transportation issues, Aaron gained experience understanding how our natural and built environment systems interact through work on land use planning, open lands preservation, and wildfire research. Aaron attended Cornell University where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Ecology, and later earned a Master’s degree in urban and regional planning at Portland State University.

Ben Weiss is a Senior Transportation Planner for the City of Missoula who has overseen the Bicycle/Pedestrian Program for most of the last decade. Ben is fascinated by the ways in which the built environment influences human behavior, and therefore enjoys being a part of projects of all scales, from high level conceptual planning to the fine details of construction projects. Working with a wide variety of people from engineers and planners to community organizers and business leaders, Ben has gained significant experience with all the E’s of transportation (engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, evaluation, and equity) throughout his career.

Project Re:Code – Billings and Yellowstone County (1.25 CM)

Monica Plecker & Wyeth Friday, AICP

During the 2019 conference in Chico, planning staff presented an overview of the first comprehensive update of the City and County’s Zoning Code since it’s intial adoption in 1972. This session will focus on the adoption and implementation of the code, including lessons learned.

Presenter Bio-

Monica Plecker is the Planning Division Manager for the City of Billings and Yellowstone County oversees division operations. She has ten years of planning experience in various capacities in Yellowstone County and has worked in both private and public sector planning. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and is a current board member for the Montana Association of Planners. Recently she was recognized by the Billings Gazette in the 2020 class of 40 under Forty.

Wyeth Friday is the Director of the Planning and Community Services Department in Billings. The Department provides code enforcement community development services to the City of Billings, and planning services to Billings and Yellowstone County.Wyeth has worked for the City of Billings and Yellowstone County for 18 years, serving as Planning Division Manager for almost 10 years and taking over as Director in late 2016. During his tenure, he has worked on current and long range planning projects, including amendments to the County Subdivision Regulations to address development transition between the city and county, participation on a complete streets working group to implement the City’s Complete Streets Policy, and ongoing leadership of the City’s Annexation Committee to administer the City’s Annexation Policy in coordination with the City’s Capital Improvement Program.Wyeth has been a member of the American Planning Association since 2001 and of the American Institute of Certified Planners since 2006. He has been involved with the Montana Association of Planners since 2005, including a stint as President of the organization.

Partners for Permanent Affordable Housing (1.25 CM)

Austin Wallis, JD. Lori Freeman, JD.

This session will educate planners and developers about the community land trust model, and give insight into the funding streams and housing policies that support permanent affordability in Montana. This session will start with an overview of how the community land trust model works. Then the session will dive into the various funding sources developers can tap into if they’re interested in partnering with a community land trust to create permanently affordable homes.

Presenter Bio(s)-

As the Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator Austin works to promote the CLT tool across Montana. She works to develop the organization’s marketing and education materials, manages social media platforms, helps to edit legal documents, and develops relationships with community leaders and non-profit organizations. She also advocates for state and local policies that increase affordable housing and farmland in Montana communities.

Lori provides legal services for Trust Montana and assistance to other community land trusts in Montana. She drafts and updates closing documents including ground lease contracts, real property deeds, and donation agreements. She drafted variants of proposed state legislation and she has submitted an article for publication in Montana Lawyer, which is awaiting publication. She conducts many educational seminars across the state to key stakeholders in the CLT process.

Deep Dive: Planning for the FIntegrating Land Use and Transportation Planning in Missoula: A Joint City-County Master Planning Process  (1.5 CM) 8:00-9:15AM

Andrew Hagemeier, AICP & Aaron Wilson, AICP

In 2019, Missoula County adopted the Missoula Area Land Use Element, a vision for guiding growth in the county portions of the Missoula Valley. This plan identified the need for a paradigm shift in development patterns for a growing area on the western edge of the City of Missoula. Growth patterns in this area were single use, lower density, and auto centric, in other words urban sprawl. The Land Use Element called for a walkable, transit connected, mixed use neighborhood, but the County could not complete this vision on its own. Instead, the County teamed with the City of Missoula teamed and the Missoula Area Metropolitan Planning Organization to secure a major influx in infrastructure funding, draft a joint master plan, and adopt a joint form-based code to implement a shared vision for growth in this area of the community. In this session, learn how to integrate land use planning and transportation standards to transform a growing community.  

Design Excellence Overlay Walking Tour (3 CM) 8:00-10:45AM

Ben Brewer, AICP & Emily Gluckin, AICP

The City of Missoula adopted its first form-based code, the Design Excellence Overlay, in 2019, that promotes buildings and sites that complement the public realm along Missoula’s key corridors. In this session, you will learn the in’s and out’s and opportunities and challenges of implementing the Design Excellence Overlay, and visit newly completed projects in the City’s downtown that were created under this new set of design standards.  

Presenter Bio(s)-

Emily Gluckin, AICP is an Associate Planner with the City of Missoula in the Current Planning division, where she implements municipal regulations and city policies through the review of land use proposals. Her previously held positions have focused on active transportation coordination and sustainable rural tourism development in Montana and Oregon. Emily came to Missoula in 2019 after completing a masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Colorado Denver, and she holds a BA in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Green Building and Community Design from the University of Vermont.  

Quick Builds for Slow Speeds Missoula’s Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (1.25 CM)

Ben Weiss, Madson Matthias & Stephen McDaniel

Utilizing the 6 Es of transportation safety – Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, Evaluation, and Equity – Missoula is taking a holistic, data-driven, inclusive, and transparent approach to managing traffic on residential streets. This session provides an in-depth look at the who, what, when, where, why, and how of Missoula’s new traffic calming program. The program uses quick build techniques to add traffic calming along local streets, priority biking and walking routes.

Presenter Bio(s)-

Ben Weiss is a Senior Transportation Planner for the City of Missoula who has overseen the Bicycle/Pedestrian Program for most of the last decade. Ben is fascinated by the ways in which the built environment influences human behavior, and therefore enjoys being a part of projects of all scales, from high level conceptual planning to the fine details of construction projects. Working with a wide variety of people from engineers and planners to community organizers and business leaders, Ben has gained significant experience with all the E’s of transportation (engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, evaluation, and equity) throughout his career.

Madson Matthias is driven by a passion to cultivate and explore the relationship between people and places — employing radical problem solving, biomimicry, and community engagement wherever possible in her work as a planner. She has lived in North America, Europe, and Asia, studying the variations of people’s needs and wants for the environments they inhabit and traverse. Her most profound experiences have been her exposures to biomimicry, and the Dutch integration of bicycles into urban environments and their application of landscape architecture. Before joining the Current Planning division in Missoula’s Community Planning, Development & Innovation department, Madson worked as a Transportation Planning intern helping the team develop the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program.

Stephen McDaniel is a professional engineer at WGM Group in Missoula, Montana and serves as the Board President for the Montana Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers. An engineer by trade and a planner at heart, he excels at keeping high level planning goals at front of mind when finding technical engineering solutions that are feasible, functional, and safe. His expertise includes traffic operations and urban facilities design including complete streets, roundabouts, multi-modal facilities, and ADA/PROWAG compliant accessible routes. Stephen recently served on the City of Missoula’s Transportation Safety Team, where he obtained an in depth understanding of the community’s safety wants and needs. In this role he helped the City craft the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program, a data driven approach to reducing crash severity and frequency by slowing neighborhood traffic and reducing vehicular cut through on residential streets.

Land as a Partner in a Time of Climate Change (1.25 CM)

Nancy Heil, AICP

Land and landscapes are fundamental starting places for all of our planning efforts, especially here in Montana. This session is an invitation to explore how we work with the land itself as a partner, an urgency during this time of climate change. How can we adapt our ethics and our practices to be more inclusive of a land based perspective? We will examine applying a land partnership ethic; working in partnership with the land; listening to the land; including the land as stakeholder.

Presenter Bio-

Nancy Heil, AICP, has over 30 years experience in environmental and land use planning, including 18 years as a planner for Missoula County. She has also worked in habitat restoration, bioregional education, and hazardous waste remediation. Nancy currently runs Cottonwood Consulting, which offers a wide range of general planning services, with a focus on restoring corridors and connections within and across landscapes and communities.

The Psychology of Engagement – Meeting Design to Reduce Conflict

Rachel Gooen, MS, MSW, LCSW

People have a strong sense of place which they become passionately attached to. As planners guiding future land use and community design your job puts you at the crossfire of people’s desire to have input, their diverse perspectives and their primary personal needs. This session will share how the human psychological “threat system” which compels people to argue, defend, and resist change, can be softened through personal engagement techniques.  This session will explain the psychology behind this, share ad example of a forum designed to reduce conflict and give you some tips on how to design meetings, large or small, for engagement.

Presenter Bio-

Based in Missoula, Montana, Rachel Gooen, MS,MSW, LCSW is an experienced facilitator in leadership, team dynamics and strategic growth. For the past25 years she has refined her knowledge and skills to master the process of team strategy for the sole purpose of supporting individuals, organizations and communities to shine as their best selves.

She has deep experience working with nonprofits and government agencies, as well as business leaders, city/county boards, public health/environmental coalitions, and government agencies working towards healthy people, healthy ecosystems and healthy communities.

Rachel hold’s dual master degrees—a Masters of Science in Environmental Studies from Antioch New England Graduate School and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Montana. The tools she uses are informed by theoretical knowledge as well as on-the-ground experience.

Her goal is to create positive change. Help organizations improve their outcomes. Help teams work together more effectively, and empower individuals to discover their unique paths. It means she knows how to set up the right questions, listen, and help you lead toward a stronger future. In the end, change is never easy—but through deep engagement, a little bit of fun, and clarity we can create better outcomes.

Women in Planning Roundtable (1.25 CM)

Allison Mouch, AICP

If the past eighteen months have taught us anything, it is that life is full of transitions. Managing transitions can be overwhelming at best, and doing so gracefully can take a lot of practice – and maybe a little insight from your peers who have been there, done that! As women we often find ourselves being asked to do the impossible or make tough decisions in balancing our professional goals, personal life, and the demands of day-to-day responsibilities. Throw in a global pandemic and life gets even more interesting (and challenging)!  How can we grow and thrive as individuals and professionals in this current climate?  What frustrations and disappointments can we learn from and build upon? And when is it time to celebrate and champion our own success, big and small?  Join your fellow female planners for an honest, frank, and (hopefully) inspiring roundtable discussion about career, self-care, and lessons learned from “the Covid-era” and beyond.

Presenter bio-

Allison joined Orion Planning + Design in September 2016 and is currently based in Missoula, Montana. Bringing fifteen years of professional planning experience to the team, her areas of specialization include comprehensive plans, code development, public engagement, project management, mapping, and analysis, with a focus on collaboration as a means of achieving positive outcomes. Allison has wide-ranging experience working with private developers and public clients on forward-thinking land use and design solutions, fostering meaningful partnerships that result in sound policy and planning decisions. She is AICP and an active member of the American Planning Association (APA), Past-President of APA’s Western Central Chapter (MT, WY, ND, SD), and currently sits on the Montana Association of Planners (MAP) Board of Directors.  She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in architecture from Miami University (Ohio), and a Masters in Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

Channel Migration Zones: Moving in the Right Direction(1.25 CM)

Elena Evans & Karin Boyn

In 1908, a huge flood filled the reservoir behind the newly constructed Milltown Dam. In 1955, the Clark Fork River ran through Caras Park and you could skip rocks from the Wilma. These places have changed but the power of the river has not. How can we help people understand where our larger rivers have been in the past and where they may go in the future?

Channel Migration Zone mapping has just been completed in Missoula County on the Clark Fork and Bitterroot Rivers.  In the first half of the presentation, Karin Boyd will cover the background and methodology used to develop Channel Migration Zone maps and reports. In the second half of the presentation, Elena Evans will discuss areas of concern and ways in which the mapping can be implemented in decision making processes locally.

Presenter Bio(s)-

Karin Boyd, P.G. is a registered professional geologist, with 33 years of experience in applied fluvial geomorphology.  She has mapped Channel Migration Zones (CMZs) on over a thousand miles of river corridor in Montana.  Her main professional objective at this point in her career is to encourage all Montanans to respect the awesome power of our major rivers throughout the state, to assist people if making sound development decisions while ensuring that the ecological sustainability of our unparalleled water resources persists for future generations.

Elena Evans brings a water focused perspective to the City of Missoula and Missoula County as the hydrogeologist for the Missoula Valley Water Quality District, a subdivision of the Missoula City-County Health Department.  She is excited to incorporate the recently completed Channel Migration Zone mapping into larger district efforts to understand water quality and quantity and set our community up for successful water management now and into the future.

Panel: Effective & Inclusive Community Organizing (1.25 CM)

Facilitated by Kaitlin McCafferty & Emily Gluckin

Planning and community organizing may be two separate disciplines, but there are many lessons we can learn from each to inform our practice planning for neighborhoods, cities or regions. This session will give planners inspiration to incorporate effective organizing strategies into their toolbox via discussions with a panel of residents and planners involved in building community capacity in several Missoula neighborhoods. Topics will include what planners need to know about organizing, what information is helpful (or not!) to communities trying to impact their future, and several case studies surrounding successful collaboration between community groups and local government.

Wildlife and Subdivisions: Tactic and Tips for Effective Review (1.25 CM)

Tim Worley

Montana is truly the “Last Best Place,” and continues to be discovered for its outstanding natural environment. It follows that the ongoing need for subdivisions and housing will sometimes conflict with wildlife and wildlife habitat. This session explores tools for effective review of impacts to wildlife, wildlife habitat, and the natural environment in the context of subdivision review.

Presenter Bio-

Tim works as Senior Planner for Missoula County Community and Planning Services, overseeing Current Planning and Permitting. He was worked both in the city and county since 2002. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography from Montana State University, and a Master’s Degree in Geography from Oregon State University.

Integrate to Implement: Climate Resiliency Planning (1.25 CM)

Caroline Lauer & Diana Maneta

In the summer of 2018, Missoula County, Climate Smart Missoula, and the City of Missoula began jointly leading a community-wide climate resiliency planning process: Climate Ready Missoula. Over the course of 18 months, hundreds of community members came together to identify who and what is most at risk given climate change, as well as develop goals and strategies that would build Missoula County’s climate resiliency. Climate Ready Missoula’s 29 goals and 77 strategies seek to balance the dual aims of “managing the unavoidable” through adaptation strategies and “avoiding the unmanageable” through mitigation strategies. The plan was adopted as an amendment to the City and County growth policies in May of 2020, and Missoula County’s Climate Resilience Coordinator began in April of 2021. Implementation is the key focus, but it often isn’t quite straightforward. In this presentation, you’ll learn both about the development of the plan as well as the implementation of it, including prioritization, processes to operationalize equity, tracking and reporting on progress, and building broad-based public support through community organizing and events. 

Presenter Bio-

Caroline Lauer is Missoula County’s Climate Resilience Coordinator, where she oversees the implementation of climate adaptation strategies across the County. Prior to joining the County, Caroline was the Program Director for Climate Smart Missoula, where she worked on a variety of local climate mitigation and resiliency efforts.  She holds a Masters in Urban Planning from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.  

In her role as Sustainability Program Manager for Missoula County, Diana Maneta is responsible for the county’s efforts to address climate change. Diana has worked in the field of energy and climate for 15 years, including previous positions as Executive Director of the Montana Renewable Energy Association and as an advisor at the California Energy Commission. She has a master’s degree in Energy and Resources from UC Berkeley.

AICP Exam Prep

Matt Heimel, AICP

Prepare for the American Institute of Certified Planners exam by covering topics including the application process, study resources, helpful tips, and a plethora of practice questions. This session is intended for new and experienced Planners alike who are seeking to advance their career with professional certification. You’ll leave this session understanding the certification process, scope of material covered by the exam, and the format of the questions you can expect to answer when you pass!

Presenter Bio-

Matt has over 7 years of experience as a Planner in Montana, and has worked for Lewis and Clark County, the City of Missoula, and currently Missoula County. After taking the AICP exam in 2019 and having lived to tell the tale, he hopes to assist fellow Planners so they may enrich their profession and thus be of greater service to the community.

Ethics Cases of the Year

Andrew Hagemeier, AICP

This year’s “case of the year” is a series of ethical scenarios based on real-life planning issues from the past year. It was developed by the AICP Ethics Committee, with the assistance of AICP Ethics Officer James Peters, FAICP. The ethics topics discussed are: plagiarism, volunteer boards, equity and ADUs, emails/social media, revolving door, and sub and salaried consultants.

Presenter Bio-

Andrew Hagemeier is the Long-Range Planning and Implementation Section supervisor for Missoula County Community and Planning Services (CAPS), where his mission is to align the county’s plans, priorities, and implementation tools to the community’s values. His career has taken him across the public, private and non-profit sectors of the planning profession. Prior to working with Missoula County, he worked as a consultant for public sector clients, writing long range plans, downtown master plans, and developing regulations for rural and urban communities. In 2014, he worked with the Bullock Administration to draft the Main Street Montana Project Report, a central part of Governor Bullock’s economic agenda. While working for the National Parks Conservation Association, he was essential to creating, organizing, and initiating the Whitefish Range Partnership, a collaborative effort with a diverse membership whose mission was to create a shared vision for forest management on the Flathead National Forest. He is an AICP certified professional planner and the immediate past President of the Montana Association of Planners. Andrew is from Missoula, having attended Hellgate Highschool and the College of Forestry and Conservation at the University of Montana. 

Understanding Flood Risk & Management (1.25 CM)

Traci Sears CFM, Katie Shank CFM

Anywhere it rains it can flood. Flooding is the most common and most costly natural disaster in the nation. This session will focus on flood studies and floodplain management in Montana by diving into how flood study data is used to develop floodplain maps for Montana and how it helps our communities with floodplain regulations.

Presenter Bio(s)

Traci Sears is the National Floodplain Insurance Program (NFIP) Coordinator for the State of Montana. She works with local communities and state and federal partners on flood recovery, the Community Rating System (CRS), mitigation, flood insurance, policy issues, and permitting to reduce flood losses and build community resilience. Ms. Sears is a Certified Floodplain Manager and holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice with a minor in Planning from Florida Atlantic University.

In 2013, Katie obtained a BS in Geography (GIS) and Environmental Sciences from University of Wisconsin – Whitewater. She then went on to get an MS in Geography from The University of Montana in 2017. She has been working for the Montana DNRC Water Operations Bureau as the Flood Hazard GIS Specialist since February 2019, receiving her CFM in December of 2020.

Subdivisions & Surveys Across Jurisdictions (1.25 CM)

Samual Scott

In 2019, Missoula County improved review processes for plats & surveys by streamlining logistical pinch-points & reevaluating procedures. Missoula County cut review times in half without additional technology. Presenters will discuss how Missoula County transformed reviews from a linear-analog process to a concurrent-digital workflow. Presenters will explore the resultant benefits to communication, transparency, & responsiveness all while capturing data to inform regulatory & policy decisions.

Presenter Bio-

Sam Scott serves as the Project Coordinator for the Missoula County Clerk & Recorder’s Office. He holds a BA in Planning, Political Science, & GIS, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Montana.

Tour: Community Land Trusts in Missoula (2.5 CM) 9:15-12:15 AM

Kaia Peterson, Heather McMilin, Brittany Palmer, Austin Wallis

Join NeighborWorks Montana, Trust Montana, Homeword and the North Missoula Community Development Corporation to see three Missoula properties that showcase different permanently affordable housing approaches: River Acres Resident Owned Community a manufactured home park cooperative, Lee Gordon Place providing homeownership in the heart of downtown in a land, and the Montana Street Homes providing small homes in a land trust through a collaborative partnership.

Presenter bio(s)

As Executive Director of NeighborWorks Montana, Kaia is passionate about creating opportunities for Montanans to have safe, quality homes where they can thrive. She uses that passion to guide NWMT and advance financing, education and counseling, and collaborative housing solutions across the state. Kaia has a BA from Bates College and an MBA from the University of Washington. She is a member of the Missoula Housing Authority and the Providence St. Patrick Hospital Western Montana Boards.

Heather is the Project Development Director at Homeword where she manages all aspects of the organization’s housing development, construction, and project management. After graduating with a Master of Architecture degree and a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Montana State University, Heather moved to Missoula in 1998 where she worked with several different architectural firms and deepened her understanding of the need for more sustainable building practices. She joined Homeword in 2003.

Brittany joined the NMCDC in 2020 as the Land Stewardship Program Coordinator after many years of working in local food. Brittany came to Missoula in 2016 to complete an MS degree in Environmental Studies at the University of Montana. In addition to her role at the NMCDC, Brittany teaches as an adjunct instructor at UM, and is the VP of the Board of Directors for MUD.

As the Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator Austin works to promote the CLT tool across Montana. She also advocates for state and local policies that increase affordable housing and farmland in Montana communities. Austin comes to Trust Montana after graduating from the Alexander Blewett III School of Law in May of 2020. She worked as a staff attorney for Nevada Legal Services in Reno, NV where she focused on unemployment, landlord/tenant and public benefit cases.

Municipal Parking Management– What They Don’t Teach You in School (1.25 CM)

Julie Dixon

Learn the down-and-dirty realities of managing and operating a municipal parking program. Using hands-on experience in Whitefish and Park City, this session will discuss municipal parking management, sustainable policies, building consensus among stakeholders, and customizing a technology solution that can keep up with future demand. In this session, learn the gritty realities of implementing strategies in the face of cultural, equitable, technological, and fiscal trade-offs.

Presenter Bio-

Julie Dixon is the President and Founder of Dixon Resources Unlimited, a woman-owned business, focused on providing parking consulting services to municipalities. With over 30 years of experience in parking and transportation management, Julie built her firm to provide “best in class” municipal parking solutions for operations, management, and integrated solutions. Julie received Parking Today’s 2020 Parking Person of the Year for her exceptional dedication and contributions to parking.

Gallatin County’s Growth Policy Update: Innovative ideas and strengthening the Primary Criteria. (1.25 CM)

Garrett McAllister & Mayana Rice AICP

Unique features of the Gallatin County Growth Policy update, particularly the Primary Criteria and Subdivision chapter, followed by more technical guidance and a case study on how we are attempting to draw a closer connection between the Growth Policy and Subdivision Regulations in order to comply with SB 174.

Presenter Bio(s)-

Garrett McAllister is a Senior Planner for Gallatin County, responsible for identifying and managing long-range planning projects. He graduated with an MS in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana and has nearly four years of experience as a planner in three different states: Oregon, Florida, and Montana. His career experience ranges from current planning and code enforcement in a small rural town all the way to countywide land use planning in a top 10 metro area in the country.

Mayana Rice is the Assistant Planning Director for Gallatin County, responsible for the daily operations of the department. She graduated with a Master’s Degree from the University of Florida in Urban and Regional Planning and an Undergraduate Degree in Soil and Water Science. Her experience includes working in Minnesota, Wyoming, and Florida over the past 20 years. Collaboration has been the backbone of her experience as a regional planner, a contract town planner, and planning director.

Unseen Missoula Walking Tour (2.5 CM)

Jon Sand

Experience the parts unseen in Downtown Missoula! This tour will explore a holistic look at downtown life during Missoula’s transition from a marginal frontier town to a major local economic and cultural center from 1880 to 1920. The tour starts at Caras Park and is approximately two hours. This tour is not fully ADA accessible. These less-accessible spaces remain hidden the majority of the year, so catch them while you can…