Water Adequacy for Residential Development (WARD) Panel

The September 2025 monthly Gallatin Water Collaborative discussion centered on the citizen-led WARD ballot initiative and its potential impacts on housing affordability, water adequacy requirements, and regional development patterns. Presenters included Bozeman City Staff, Shawn Kohtz and David Fine, Deputy Mayor Joey Morrison, WARD Working Group members Dan Carty and Natsuki Nakamura, Nathan Stein with Headwaters Community Housing Trust, Ashlie Gilbert with the Gallatin County Planning Department, and Kerri Strasheim, Montana DNRC.

Goals of this session: 

• Understand the WARD ballot initiative from multiple perspectives

• Understand the impact of the WARD ballot initiative on water supply and use

Meeting resources:

• Meeting agenda 

• Meeting notes

• Recording

• Presenter slides

WARD resources:

• Full Text of the Ballot Language

• WARD Conversation Summary with GWC

• WARD Group Website

• Engage Bozeman: WARD