Scenario Development Toolkit aims to inform community before important survey launches at Jan. 28 meeting
By Jack Reaney SENIOR EDITOR
As the study of potential local governance options for Big Sky continues, leaders unveiled an educational tool this week.
The “Scenario Development Toolkit” allows anyone to play around with hypothetical structures of government for Big Sky, from incorporation to the creation of an independent county. The tool outlines the benefits, drawbacks, and likelihood of success in implementing those options—for example, creation of a county would face “high” barriers to implementation, as study leader Dylan Pipinich demonstrated in an informal community session on Jan. 15.
“The toolkit is basically a buffet line of options available for local government,” said Pipinich, a land planner for WGM Group. “… The goal of this toolkit is a little bit of education, and a little bit of informing what’s available. But it’s also trying to drive those gears in those thought processes, and get you thinking about the level of detail and what you really want in your community. So when we ask you some survey questions in a few weeks, you’re going to have some robust answers.”
The toolkit is a Microsoft Excel file available for download at the study website. In case of technical difficulties, the team asks the public to email bigskygovstudy@wgmgroup.com.
“Just play with it,” Pipinich said.
On Jan. 28, the study team will hold a public meeting at The Wilson Hotel. The meeting will allow the study team to share their months of research, updating the community since the last big-picture meeting in September. A community survey will also open on Jan. 28, and its results will illuminate which governance options the community wants to seriously explore.
Pipinich hopes the community will explore the toolkit before taking the survey, to learn which governance options will be realistic and generate positive outcomes for Big Sky.
Meg O’Leary, a community outreach leader for the study, reiterated the intentions of the study. “We’re going to present facts, not recommendations to the community,” she said, adding that many community members have expressed a desire to be told what the best local governance structure is.
“This study is fact-based,” O’Leary said. “It’s for the community to decide.”
She said even well-informed community members have been picking up bits of crucial information during the fact-finding study process.
“The train only goes as fast as the slowest car, right,” Pipinich said. “… There’s a broad range of understanding of local government in the community, and we’re bringing the whole train along.”
