Our Big Sky
A letter from the coordinating council
Dear Big Sky Community,
The Our Big Sky Vision, created in 2019, is being advanced for the betterment of our community’s residents and visitors. The origin of this vision came from engaged and active community members who realized that there was an opportunity to do something remarkable – create the vibrant, connected community in which we want to live. Since that time, a great deal of progress in fulfilling this vision has been completed, and there is a great deal more to do in our ever-evolving community.
The Coordinating Council of Big Sky (CCBS) is responsible for delivering on this community-led vision. The CCBS is a combination of nonprofit and special district leaders dedicated to improving and building community. The vision of the CCBS is that Big Sky is a connected and thriving community within our resort town. To achieve this vision, the CCBS invites you to participate in further creating the community we want to live in together.
The following pages provide you an update on the Our Big Sky Vision. In each sector there are strategies and initiatives underway, and a sampling of milestones completed.
We invite you to join us in creating Our Big Sky. Your feedback and participation in this plan are key to its success. The CCBS will be hosting a series of community forums to learn from you and provide an opportunity for your voice to be heard. Please join us! We are Better Together!
Sincerely,
The
Coordinating Council of Big Sky
WHO IS THE COORDINATING COUNCIL OF BIG SKY?
CCBS is a group of community leaders shepherding the Our Big Sky Vision and ensuring community input is represented in initiatives across sectors.
OUR GOAL
Create touchpoints in the community to ensure our work is reflecting the voice and the needs of our community.
We rely on conversation with YOU to inform this goal going forward.
WAYS TO ENGAGE
• Attend a community forum
• Reach out to strategy sector leaders
• Attend publicly open board meetings
• Email us at ccbigskyinfo@gmail.com
HOW TO NAVIGATE THE OUR BIG SKY VISION
STRATEGY SECTOR
Defined area of importance to the Big Sky Community as defined by the 2019 Our Big Sky Vision. These may evolve according to community need and input in the future.
STATEMENT
Strategy-Sector specific mission statement identifying the long term goal.
INITIATIVES
Initiatives advance the stated goal of the strategy sector. They address factors that are both important and urgent.
SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS
A highlight of some of the completed and ongoing progress made since the 2019 inception of the Our Big Sky Vision.
CONTACT
The individual who represents the entire strategy sector.
STATEMENT
A variety of stable and affordable housing options for local workforce and their families.
INITIATIVES
• Preserve existing stable and affordable workforce housing options across the community.
• Develop programs and tools to reclaim long-term rental housing that has been converted to other uses.
• Create a spectrum of affordable housing options to meet the needs of local families.
CONTACT
David O’Connor
david@bigskyhousingtrust.org
SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS
ONGOING
Good Deeds
• Deed-restriction purchase program
Rent Local
• Long-term rental incentive program
Cold Smoke
• Deed-restricted housing development
COMPLETED
52 25
MeadowView
52 permanently deed-restricted belowmarket condos sold to locals by Big Sky Community Housing Trust (BSCHT).
Riverview Apartments
25 apartments built for low-income residents by BSCHT.
24 07 12 02
Riverview Apartments East
24 apartments built for moderate-income residents by Lone Mountain Land Company.
Yellowtail Residences
7 permanently deed-restricted below-market condos for sale to locals.
Big Sky School District
12 on-campus teacher residences built.
Big Sky Community Organization
2 deed-restricted employee apartments built.
STATEMENT
Big Sky is an Arts & Culture hub.
INITIATIVES
• Expand educational offerings.
• Upgrade Arts & Culture infrastructure.
• Expand and improve year-round events and promote Big Sky as a year-round arts destination.
• Promote organizational diversity, equity, inclusion and sustainability.
CONTACT
Brian Hurlbut brian@bigskyarts.org
SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS
ONGOING
WMPAC Fall Season Expansion
• Building improvements and outdoor public art addition.
Public Art
• Gibbous and Lightning installation
• Utility box wrap
• Lighting improvement
• Ousel Falls pollinator garden and sculpture relocation
• Pedestrian tunnel mural
New Events
• Oktoberfest
• Wildlands Festival
• Metal in the Mountains
• Songwriter Festival
• Savor
• Artisan Festival
• Labor Day Art Sale
• LMLC summer concerts
Education
• ACBS art class expansion
• Big Sky Artist Collective studio, multi-day classes, gallery
• Kids music classes
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH & WELLNESS
STATEMENT
Holistic behavioral health & wellness options support our community members.
INITIATIVES
• Increase strategic and well-resourced staffing and diverse programming for wellness services in Big Sky.
• Increase community education and prevention support, services and programs.
SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS
COMPLETED
Behavioral Health & Wellness Coalition partner organizations onboarded and continually support new specialists- Peer Support Specialist, Community Health Worker, Bilingual Case Manager, psychiatry and other mental health staff.
Expanded community education and prevention offerings including: suicide awareness education, Holistic Emotional First Aid training, free mindfulness workshops, grief support groups, Promoting Healthy Boundaries series, and more.
STRATEGY
SECTOR
BUSINESS
STRATEGY SECTOR
TOURISM
STATEMENT
A positive climate where businesses can prosper.
INITIATIVES
• Serve the needs of the business community with retention and recruitment activities.
• Support the full-time and seasonal workforce in Big Sky.
SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS
CONTACT
Shannon Steele ssteele@bewellbigsky.org
Developed a grassroots, peer-to-peer Navigator Network, onboarding over 30 diverse community members who provide trusted, organic support and serve as key entry points to resources and help to reduce stigma associated with mental and behavioral health.
Coalition partners and the navigator network launched bewellbigsky.org- Big Sky’s resource navigation tool and a one-stop-shop to find local behavioral health and wellness resources.
Established feedback loops between behavioral health and wellness coalition partners and navigator network. Navigators share key insights into mental and behavioral health trends, needs, and barriers to care, while coalition partners provide updates on the resources available to community members.
ONGOING
• Prospera business roundtable and coaching initiative.
• Community workforce initiative.
• Develop Big Sky’s future leaders through the Leadership Big Sky Program.
• Continued data collection to assess cost of living and economic impact.
CONTACT
STATEMENT
Quality visitor experience that is balanced with local needs.
INITIATIVES
• Create a year-round destination economy.
• Develop Big Sky into a world-class destination.
SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS
COMPLETED
• Conducted 2023 Visitor and Resident Sentiment Survey with over 1500 respondents.
• Based on 2023 Survey and input from community stakeholders over 18 months, published the Big Sky Destination Stewardship Strategy and began implementation with action team networks.
• Data collection to support the tourism economy.
Brad Niva | brad@bigskychamber.com
STATEMENT
A quality, affordable, accessible education for all children.
INITIATIVES
• Increase available child care spots to meet demand.
• Increase affordability of child care.
• Increase affordable housing options for educators.
• Increase opportunities for students in summer and non-school hours.
SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS
Big Sky School District (BSSD) launched its 4K classroom, and Discovery added a second early childhood classroom. Greater Gallatin United Way (GGUW) launched the KidsLink summer camp, and BSCO and GGUW began offering after care programs. All of this work helped to alleviate the need for more enrollment options for 3 and 4-year-old children during the school year and summer. The Arts Council has also created more opportunities beyond school hours for older children, adding classes and camps when there is no school or summer camp.
Morningstar Learning Center (MLC) added two classrooms for children under 3, increasing infant and toddler care in Big Sky by 80%. MLC and Discovery each began offering need-based tuition assistance programs. MLC initiated an employee housing program to support the retention of early childhood educators in Big Sky, adding to BSSD’s work with Habitat for Humanity to provide housing for K-12 teachers.
STATEMENT
Healthy populations with access to local high-quality healthcare services.
INITIATIVES
• Improve access to medical specialties.
• Increase access to counseling and psychiatric services in Big Sky.
• Expand transitional care to include palliative and hospice care.
SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS
Hospice and Palliative Care Services
Comprehensive End-of-Life Care and Support: Develop and enhance hospice and palliative care services to provide compassionate, patient-centered care for individuals with terminal illnesses, ensuring families receive essential support throughout the care process.
NATURAL RESOURCES
STATEMENT
Our natural resources are enhanced and protected for future generations.
INITIATIVES
• Increase awareness for residents and visitors of local natural resource sensitivity.
• Improve water quality and quantity of local streams and aquifers.
• Enhance and protect critical habitat and connectivity for fish, wildlife & water.
• Improve natural resource data and assessments to guide management decisions.
Kristin Gardner
kristin@gallatinrivertaskforce.org
SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS
ONGOING
• Alpenscapes: collaborative education and outreach for sustainable landscaping practices.
• Restoration projects at 35 locations along the Gallatin River.
• Landowner Assistance Program & noxious weeds educational signage at community trailheads to engage all community members in understanding the importance of native species
COMPLETED
• Noxious weeds educational signage at community trailheads.
• Little Coyote Pond and West Fork Stream restoration.
• US-191/MT-64 Wildlife & Transportation Assessment.
STRATEGY SECTOR
RECREATION
STATEMENT
World class, year-round recreational opportunities for Big Sky.
INITIATIVES
• Enhance BASE as an accessible recreational & community center.
• Provide accessible and affordable behavioral health and wellness opportunities through recreation & programs for all ages.
• Expand and enhance youth and adult athletic playing fields for residents of Big Sky that meet regulations to host tournaments and visiting teams.
SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS
COMPLETED
• Offered 45 Health and Wellness Programs weekly.
• Expanded BASE hours during the winter months to better serve workforce.
• Created after school program for elementary school students.
• Hosted clubs and events open to the public such as Storytime, Book Clubs, Sewing Clubs, Health and Wellness Fairs.
• Provided indoor rock climbing instruction, youth basketball clinics and games, indoor volleyball and dodgeball leagues and tournaments.
STRATEGY SECTOR
TRAILS & OPEN SPACES STATEMENT
A connected community through trails, parks, and open spaces.
INITIATIVES
• Expand trails and paths in Big Sky.
• Create additional ADA compliant trails and opens spaces.
• Increase parks and open spaces.
SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS
ONGOING
• Construction of a new park accessible to all residents and visitors.
COMPLETED
• 18 miles of new trails.
• Huff’s Trek, which is gravel and provides access to wilderness for persons with mobility challenges.
• Partnered with library to create a story
CONTACT
Whitney Montgomery whitney@bsco.org
STATEMENT
Robust social services exist for a thriving workforce and livable community.
INITIATIVES
• Increase access to local, state and federal supportive services.
• Create new access points to service for both English and Spanish speakers.
• Develop coordinated entry and increase collaboration among all service organizations.
CONTACT
Sarah Gaither Bivins sarah@bigskyfoodbank.org
SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS
COMPLETED
• Integrated Community Health Worker, Peer Support Specialist, and Bienvenidos Spanish Speaking Case Manager into client operations at the Big Sky Food Bank.
• Social Service partner organizations implemented a Community Support Group for J1 and other seasonal workforce; published new J1 and other seasonal workforce resource guide.
• Continued Voucher Program for workforce clothing and household necessities supports; on average, supporting Big Sky workforce with $3000/month for purchasing of produce and household necessities IN ADDITION to free emergency food box services.
• Offered Medicaid re-enrollment guidance, opportunities and counseling as well as application assistance for SNAP and other public benefits including Free/Reduced Lunch, Senior Groceries, Kidspacks and Snack Pantry program at the Big Sky School District.
STATEMENT
A community-based solution to develop sustainability and climate neutrality.
INITIATIVES
• Improve building efficiencies and increase green energy supply.
• Reduce transportation emissions.
• Support local ecosystems and sequester carbon.
• Decrease waste sent to the landfill by increasing product reuse, food recovery, composting, and recycling streams.
CONTACT
Lizzie Peyton bigskysno@gmail.com
SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS
One Less Car
Commuter incentive to reduce single occupancy vehicles in the canyon.
Riverview Solar
Collaboration with Big Sky Community Housing Trust to provide equitable onsite green energy to workforce housing.
Big Sky Resort Forever Project
A focus on building efficiencies for one of the largest tourist attractions and employers in the community.
Procurement Guidelines
Created a ‘How-To Reduce Business Waste’ through sustainable purchasing practices and implemented with largest employers and provided through the Chamber of Commerce to create source reduction for waste.
Sustainable Owners Association Workshops
Facilitate Sustainable Owners Association Workshops to engage property owners and associations in collective best practices.
STATEMENT
Big Sky and the region have world-class transit infrastructure & services.
INITIATIVES
• Commit high investment to expand coverage of Skyline Transit service, thus enabling car-optional lifestyle while improving transportation sustainability.
• Prioritize employees traveling from Gallatin Gateway, Four Corners, and Bozeman.
• Enhance and update existing facilities and transit user technology.
• Increase partnership opportunities with both private and public transit providers.
• Pursue new dedicated funding sources, such as local uniform mill levy, while continuing current funding sources to leverage federal grant opportunities.
CONTACT
Darren Brugmann dbrugmann@bigskytd.com
SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS
ONGOING
• Introducing and expanding new transportation service modes, such as the on-demand Connect service, while increasing commuter service frequency.
• Public-private transit partnerships for seamless and integrated rider experience opportunities.
• Developing transit-supportive facilities such as park-and-rides in areas north of Big Sky, high quality bus stops/pull-outs and waiting huts on Hwy 64 and an in-town mobility transfer point.
• Enhancing transit’s appeal by introducing transit user technology, such as electronic fare payment and real-time data of bus location.
COMPLETED
• Introduced on-demand (CONNECT) service in Town Center and Meadow Village area.
• Took delivery of several new/replaced vehicles, including 53 Passenger Commuter Buses.
• Created 5-Year Strategic Plan to implement vision and goals for the immediate future.
STATEMENT
The development and growth in the Big Sky community over the past 5 years have increased the demand for emergency services for Big Sky Fire Department, Gallatin County Sheriffs, and Search & Rescue.
INITIATIVES
• Enhance communications for all emergency responders.
• Educate and disseminate natural disaster information: community notification through Everbridge, emergency evacuation, and safety zones.
• Ensure sufficient public safety staffing for Big Sky Fire Department, Sheriff’s Office, Search and Rescue, and Emergency Management.
SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS
• Increased Sheriff’s Department presence in the community.
• New Fire Department Training Facility.
• Training new deputies to increase coverage to 24/7.
• Continue upgrading emergency communications infrastructure.
• Big Sky Fire Department hired a dedicated fuels reduction crew.
• Fire Adapted Big Sky - collaboration of community stakeholders that are vested in working together to build community resiliency and make Big Sky and its residents and visitors more wildfire adapted.
• Neighborhood ambassador program to actively assist community on fire preparedness protocols.
CONTACT
Mike VanMeter | Michael.VanMeter@gallatin.mt.gov
STRATEGY SECTOR
WATER & SEWER
STATEMENT
To be good stewards of the water and sewer system, environment, public health, and safety while providing reliable and sustainable services for the community.
INITIATIVES
• Expand sewer treatment & disposal capacity.
• Expand water capacity.
• Water conservation.
• Stand-Up Canyon & Water Sewer District.
SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS
• New water treatment facility completed in 2024.
• Continued water conservation efforts.
CONTACT
Johnny O’Connor
johnny@wsd363.com
WAYS TO ENGAGE
• Attend a community forum
• Reach out to strategy sector leaders
• Attend publicly open board meetings
• Email us at ccbigskyinfo@gmail.com
Our Big Sky
This Our Big Sky Vision update was made possible with support from the Big Sky Resort Area District.