Monday, October 7, 2024

Mountain Combined Room

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Mountain Combined Room

Missoula and Bozeman have been hit hard by housing challenges in the past five years. Both have unique challenges to overcome. Low wages, a lack of housing variety, development costs and a shortage of developable land are creating challenges. On top of that, demographics are creating new demand for housing that can accommodate seniors. This session will include market data and insights, projections and case studies on some projects locally and nationally that could serve as models.

Presenter: Maggie Collister

Maggie Collister, has a keen eye for data, and a passion for shaping cities through commercial real estate development. Her career began in residential development, and transitioned to economic development in Charlotte, North Carolina, with Center City Partners. She’s contributed significantly to affordable housing and smart growth initiatives, leveraging her expertise in planning and consulting. At SterlingCRE, Maggie applies her data-driven approach to analyzing market conditions statewide.

1 CM AICP

Gypsum Room

Landscaping is one essential component of creating ignition-resistant communities. An understanding of the impacts of landscaping regulations on wildfire resiliency is essential for planners working in communities with a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). This session is provided in partnership with Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW), a program of Headwaters Economics.

Presenter: Susan Riggs, AICP

Susan Riggs has uniquely experienced the public, private and non-profit sectors over the past 23 years. Her consulting firm, GroundPrint, LLC, specializes in planning, land use regulations, entitlements and urban design. One of her clients is Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW), a program of Headwaters Economics, which provides land use planning solutions, communications assistance and customized research to better understand/manage wildfire-prone areas and reduce risks.

1 CM AICP

Depot Ballroom

This presentation will explore planning-related data resources compiled by the Montana Department of Commerce and made available through the Census & Economic Information Center. This includes best practices for utilizing publicly available population, population projections, housing characteristics, income, poverty, and community profiles for large and small communities. We will discuss data needs specific to the Montana Land Use Planning Act (SB 382) and options for improving data access.

Presenter: Dave Ritts

Dave Ritts is a GIS Analyst with the Montana Department of Commerce. He provides GIS support to the Census & Economic Information Center (CEIC) where he is the primary contact in the State of Montana for statistical boundary updates to the U.S. Census Geography program. He is also responsible for maintaining the CEIC data warehouse and website.

Presenter: Benjamin Gill

Ben Gill is an economist with the Montana Department of Commerce. He works within Commerce’s Census & Economic Information Center (CEIC) where he analyzes Census data and develops dashboards. CEIC is available to assist both governmental and public partners with their data needs. He is also responsible for providing resort tax analyses and various other agency mandated reports.

1 CM AICP

Mountain Combined Room

As Montana State University has grown to the south vehicular and pedestrian conflict along Grant St. became a major concern for the University. With several building projects in the area leading to closure of the street for construction service, the University was able to consider how the corridor could best function in the future. With the help of Sanderson Stewart and Alta Planning + Design, MSU has reimagined Grant St. as a vibrant pedestrian environment with a sustainable landscape.

Presenter: Richard Rudnicki, AICP

After obtaining degrees in Landscape Architecture and City and Regional Planning Richard spent 12 years in County Government leading development review, ordinance revisions, a comprehensive plan update, and providing representation at the Regional TPO. For the past 4 years he has served as MSU’s Planning Manager leading front end planning efforts on new buildings, guiding facility assessment and Capital Planning processes, and managing the University’s space assets.

1 CM AICP

Gypsum Room

After nearly 30 years of planning for redevelopment, construction activity is beginning on a portion of the former White Pine Sash facility. The master plan for the site calls for up to 220 apartments, 89 for sale homes on a Community Land Trust, and up to 35,000 square feet of neighborhood commercial, and major infrastructure investments. Hear from funding and implementation partners about how this vision came to be and why a private-public partnership is needed to make this a reality.

Presenter: Brittany Palmer

Brittany joined the North Missoula Community Development Corporation in 2020 and leads the organization in building community power, thriving neighborhoods, and affordable homes. Brittany received an MS in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana, where she researched and wrote about settler colonialism at the National Bison Range. She serves as the Board President of the Northwest Coalition of CLTs, a regional network of community land trusts, and organizes with ProHousing Missoula, a broad-based coalition of advocates in favor of zoning code reform that leads to housing for all.

Presenter: Kiah Hochstetler

Bio coming soon

Presenter: Annie Gorski

Annie has worked in the fields of community development and economic development for nearly 25 years with communities in the Caribbean, Missouri, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Montana. For the last 17 years she has worked in local government, overseeing urban renewal, job creation, and housing programs. She received her B.A. in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Kansas and her M.A. in Community Development and Planning from Clark University.

1 CM AICP

Depot Ballroom

Staff from the City of Lewistown, Montana Department of Commerce, and consultants Cushing Terrell will discuss how the City of Lewistown chose to voluntarily opt into Senate Bill 382 and shift to producing a Land Use Plan while already underway on a Growth Policy update. Presentation will include how staff approached City leadership about opting in, how the shift was messaged and communicated to the community, and how the team was able to get political will and buy-in from the community through

Presenter: Nora Bland, AICP

Nora Bland is the Director of Planning at Cushing Terrell, where she has helped guide communities throughout the Mountain West on Comprehensive Plans, Growth Policies, Sub-area Plans, Urban Renewal Plans, and affordable housing strategies. She specializes in designing award-winning community engagement efforts that are inclusive, creative, and results-driven. She is based out of Cushing Terrell’s Denver office, but frequently visits their offices across Montana for project work.

Presenter: Doug Osterman, AICP

Doug Osterman came to Lewistown, Montana to be the town’s Planning Director by way of a 33-year planning career in the Puget Sound region of Washington. During those three decades in the public sector, he served as long-range planner, environmental planner, and growth management manager for cities in King and Snohomish Counties and for King County. Doug coordinated cross-jurisdictional surface water management, water quality protection, floodplain management, and fish habitat restoration.

Presenter: Dani Arps

Dani Arps worked for Teton County for two years as the Planner, Floodplain Administrator, GIS and Grant Administrator. In July 2023, she joined the Department of Commerce’s Community MT Division as a Planner for the Community Technical Assistance Program (CTAP) where she currently assists communities across Montana with projects such as implementation of SB 382, land use document updates, trainings and grant programs. She lives in rural Beaverhead County with her family.

1 CM AICP

Depot Ballroom

Presenter: KellyAnne Terry

Bio coming soon

Plenary Title: Conflict Resolution

Presenter: Dayna Rumore, Ph.D

Danya Rumore is the Director of the Wallace Stegner Center’s Environmental Dispute Resolution Program, a Research Professor of Law, and a Clinical Associate Professor of Planning at the University of Utah. She is a facilitator, collaborative process designer, and conflict resolution professional with a particular passion for understanding and addressing the unique challenges and opportunities facing rural regions in the American West. Danya founded and now co-directs the Gateway and Natural Amenity Region (GNAR) Initiative. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Policy and Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and she was the 2018 recipient of the Rob Williams Award for Emerging Environment and Public Policy Leaders.

1 CM AICP

Mountain Combined Room

This presentation describes major emerging trends that will be important for planners to consider and introduces ways to make sense of the future and practice foresight in community planning. With foresight (i.e. understanding potential future trends and knowing how to prepare for them) in mind, planners can guide change, create more sustainable and equitable outcomes, and establish themselves as critical to a thriving community.

Presenter: Zhenia Dulko

Zhenia, a planner and researcher with an MA in Planning from the University of Illinois at Chicago, is currently a Foresight Manager at American Planning Association. In her role, she focuses on developing the annual Trend Report for planners and advancing the application of strategic foresight in the planning profession.

1 CM AICP

Gypsum Room

This session would provide an overview of how the US Supreme Court did (or didn’t) shift the Nollan/Dolan analysis after the Scheetz decision and pitfalls planners should look out for when recommending fees as conditions of approval in subdivision review.

Presenter: Karen Alley, JD

Karen Alley has served as Associate General Counsel for the Montana Association of Counties since October 2021. Her main focus is Land Use and Road Law. Karen joined MACo after 10 years as an attorney in Havre, MT. In that time, she engaged in general private practice, public defense, and as a prosecutor. Prior to her current position, Karen was the Hill County Attorney.

1 CM Law AICP

Depot Ballroom

This session will outline how CTAP can support montana communities in the following ways:

• Overview of SB 382 support provided
• Montana communities realizing importance of long-range planning efforts
• HB 819 planning grants for housing
• CTAP program overview

Presenter: Dani Arps

Dani Arps worked for Teton County for two years as the Planner, Floodplain Administrator, GIS and Grant Administrator. In July 2023, she joined the Department of Commerce’s Community MT Division as a Planner for the Community Technical Assistance Program (CTAP) where she currently assists communities across Montana with projects such as implementation of SB 382, land use document updates, trainings and grant programs. She lives in Dillon with her family and enjoys the outdoors.

Presenter: Gus Byrom

Gus presently serves as a Planner for the Planning Bureau of the Community Development Division of the Montana Department of Commerce where he is responsible for assisting Cities, Towns, Counties, Water and Sewer Districts, and Tribes with the full range of community planning issues. Prior to this position, Gus worked as an Outreach Specialist and as Program Manager for the HUD-funded Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program – Housing and Public Facilities, also within Commerce.

1 CM AICP

Mountain Combined Room

This session will cover several planning topics in 15 minute presentations.

Topic 1: Saddle Up….On Two Wheels: Pumping Up Actives Transportation in Rural Communities

The past decade has seen dramatic gains for walking and bicycling in American cities. But what about smaller and rural communities? Should we get in on the action? And if so, where do we start? Join us as we talk strategy for elevating active transportation in your smaller community, from gaining buy-in (even from people who don’t ride), developing a vision and a plan, deploying the right projects and programs, doing more with less, and plucking low-hanging fruit to keep the momentum going.

Presenter: Rory Renfro, AICP

Rory Renfro is HDR’s Pacific Northwest Transportation Planning and Complete Streets Practice Leader. Developing creative yet practical solutions in complex environments, his portfolio includes pedestrian/bicycle master plans, corridor planning and concept design, trail feasibility studies and community engagement. Over the past two decades, Rory has worked with communities across Montana and the nation to make walking, bicycling and transit safe, reliable and enjoyable travel modes.

Topic 2: How a Digital Twin Can Inform the Planning Process

This session will highlight collaboration with the MT Department of Commerce to establish a digital twin for Lewistown, MT. Our focus will include optimizing growth, concentrating on the most appropriate areas, and ensuring compliance with the latest MT State Land Use Planning Act regulations. Utilizing Esri’s ArcGIS Urban, we will craft scenarios that will be translated into an immersive 3D experience, commonly known as a Digital Twin, illustrating the city’s future development potential.

Presenter: Devin Lavigne, FAICP

Devin is a Partner and Co-founder of Houseal Lavigne, specializing in urban design, land use planning, graphic illustration, and geographic information systems. He excels in communicating planning concepts through development visualizations. He has directed, managed, authored and contributed to a number of comprehensive plans, downtown plans, corridor plans, subarea plans, and other plans earning recognition for his graphic work, including an APA award for emerging design firm.

Presenter: Dani Arps

Dani Arps joined the Department of Commerce in the summer of 2023 as a Planner for the Community Technical Assistance Program (CTAP). Prior to that, she worked for a few years in Teton County as the Floodplain Administrator, Grant Administrator and Land Use Planner. She lives in Southwest Montana with her family and enjoys camping, fishing, hiking and snowboarding.

Presenter: Dan Meehan

Dan is a Senior Project Manager and Business Development Lead with Houseal Lavigne, an urban planning and geospatial design firm focused on evidence-based decision-making and powering the art of planning with science and technology. Dan has been in the geospatial technology industry for almost 20 years and has worked developing, integrating and applying GIS in support of local, state, and federal government projects and academic research.

Topic 3: AI Driven Tools for Smarter Planning

This session will discuss options for integrating interactive, AI-driven tools that can support various stages of a planning lifecycle. The session will highlight how AI-powered tools find practical application in a planning process, from initial citizen engagement to the final publication of AI-connected plans.

Presenter: Nora Bland

Nora is a certified urban planner, project manager, and leads Cushing Terrell’s Planning and Urban Design group. She specializes in designing award-winning community engagement efforts that are inclusive, creative, and equity-centered. She has extensive experience helping communities update their long-range plans through a community and data-driven process.

Presenter: Chris Haller

With over 20 years of experience in the planning field, Chris Haller is a digital engagement expert who leads Konveio, an engagement platform for plans and policies. As the Founder and CEO, Chris oversees the vision, product development, and business growth of Konveio, which empowers community leaders to convey ideas, collect feedback, and spark action. Chris is also the Publisher of EngagingCities, a community outlet that amplifies stories and best practices in urban planning and community engagement. He is passionate about helping community leaders succeed in their efforts to create a better tomorrow.

1 CM AICP

Gypsum Room

In early 2024, Montana State Library released a new version of the popular Montana Cadastral application. This presentation will include a short history of the application, a tour of the new application’s features with an eye toward planning, and time for questions. Both new users and power users of Cadastral will likely benefit from this session.

Presenter: Kenny Ketner

Kenny Ketner is the Information Products Lead at the Montana State Library (MSL), where he has worked since 2016. His team is responsible for application development and systems administration, frequently in collaboration with the GIS professionals at MSL.

1 CM AICP

Depot Room

Panel discussion facilitated by Carly Wheatley of Snowy Mountain Development will discuss how rural communities approach growth and change. This will include managing sprawl into ag lands, impacts to outlying communities, challenges, utilizing partners and resources and examples of success.

Panelists include Jennifer Saunders, Fergus County Commissioner, Laura Nowlin with Winnett Aces, Sara Hudson with Snowy Mountain Development, Brit Fontenot, Economic Development Director with the City of Bozeman, and Terra Burman with Eastern Plains Economic Development.

Presenter: Carly Wheatley

Carly Wheatley is the Deputy Director of Snowy Mountain Development Corporation. The regional economic and community development organization serving six counties in Central Montana.

1 CM AICP

Depot Room

Overview of US Supreme Court, 9th Circuit Court, Montana Federal District Court, Montana Supreme Court, and Montana State District Court decisions regarding land use and planning. Attendees will learn the facts of each case, the statutes and precedent applied in the case, and the decision reached by the court. Each decision will be described in the context of its application to current planning work, and the presenter will engage attendees in discussions of how the decisions could affect such work.

Presenter: Kelly A. Lynch, JD, AICP

Kelly has more than 20 years of experience as an attorney and public sector advocate. Prior to joining the League in 2016, Kelly served as Division Administrator and Legal Counsel for the Montana Department of Commerce, Deputy County Counsel for Santa Barbara County, and an Associate with Richards, Watson, and Gershon in Los Angeles. Originally from East Helena, Kelly has a Master of Urban Planning and a J.D. from UCLA. She obtained her AICP in 2015.

1 Law CM AICP

Central Feed Grilling Company 220 E Main St, Lewistown, MT 59457

Join your fellow conference attendees for an evening of trivia.