Dear City Council Members, Mayor and Staff,
We would like to invite you to join us for a listening session at the Native American Development Corporation’s offices, in partnership with Big Sky Economic Development, Native American Development Corporation (NADC), and Seventh Generation Intertribal Center to look at infrastructure project prioritization and the impacts to the community, including the Native American population. This is part of an award for technical assistance through the US DOT Thriving Communities Program (TCP) awarded to Big Sky Economic Development.
The session will be held at the:
Native American Development Corporation
17 N 26th St Billings, MT 59101
February 28th, 2024
10:30 am to 12:30 pm
During the session the team providing technical assistance will focus on the following:
- Providing more details on the technical assistance
- Barriers and solutions to mobility for access to the Eagle Seeker Center and other areas of community
- Barriers and solutions to engagement with tribal members and the broader community
- Understanding current and expected planning and public works efforts in Billings
The project will leverage the TCP technical assistance program resources to pull various organizational missions together and form a cohesive, widely-adopted community vision that provides various transportation options and allows all community members to be part of a thriving community that is inclusive of all people. Outcomes will include:
- Develop an engagement strategy to better connect with Native and non-Native communities and advance equitable project planning and implementation.
- Conduct a needs assessment to understand the community’s transportation priorities and develop a list of priority projects.
- Utilize the listing of priority projects to pursue and secure funding for implementation.
The Thriving Communities Program is a planning, technical assistance, and capacity-building support program funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The program enables disadvantaged and under-resourced communities to work with community partners whose voices are typically left out of decision-making to advance a pipeline of transformative infrastructure projects that will increase mobility, reduce pollution, and expand affordable transportation options. The program also provides support for equitable public involvement opportunities and applications for federal funding. A team of technical-assistance providers (“capacity builders”) provide a range of support services to the communities.
We hope you will be able to join us and lend your voice for this important opportunity. Please reach out to me with any questions and if possible, please let us know if you are unable to attend.
Thank you,
Dianne