00:00:07,270	Good morning everyone. Welcome to the June 11th meeting of the Bismarck Parking Authority. I’m your chair, Jim Christianson. I see all of the parking authority members are present in person. Uh, including, uh, Jon Burger, Todd Kovash Jake Axtman and Trevor Vannett. And Mayor Schmitz is with us, as usual. We appreciate having you here.

00:00:27,900	First order of business would be, uh, public comment. If there’s anyone that wishes to comment on the current agenda or the prior agendas. I don’t see anyone in the audience. So we can move on to item two on the agenda, which is consideration of the minutes from our last meeting, which was May 14th.

00:00:47,900	Any changes, corrections, comments, suggestions? If not, is there a motion to approve the minutes? I’ll make that motion. Motion by Todd. Is there a second? Second. Second by Jake. All in favor, say aye. Aye aye. Opposed? Same sign. That motion carries. Now we’ll move on to the regular agenda, beginning with the financial statements.

00:01:05,470	And as usual, we’ll ask management to kind of point out any extraordinary items or anything else that they would like to point out. Jeremy. Mr. chairman, authority board members. Um, financials through May. Uh, in the and on the income side, uh, doing all right. There. No surprises on that end on the expense side.

00:01:26,330	Um, uh, repairs and maintenance. Uh, for the month of May, uh, was higher year to date. We’re doing okay. But, um, the bills that came in that we paid was actually from services from H.A.

00:01:46,600	Thompson on some VFD controls and some chiller work at the parkade for work that was actually done in January and February. And we just got the bills now on that. So, um, and then under the capital improvements, that’s the amount of 50% down on the Larson elevator, uh, project. Uh, that will be, um, underway very soon. Uh, reserve account, um, $3,000,435. Sorry, $3,435,579.50. Uh, combined with a checking, uh, amount of 349 $349,957.

00:02:25,170	24, for a combined total, $3,785,536.74. We’re going to probably spend some of that today. Um, questions or comments of management. Anybody on the financials? Anybody at all? Jake. Go ahead. Sorry. Just one really silly question. So there’s, uh, snow removal expense from last month.

00:02:50,600	Was that just a carryover from last winter or something? Yeah. Um, uh, Jake, authority board members. Uh, yes. So that. Correct. That is from actually, um, March services that were paid. Um, that lagging on the invoice. Okay. No snow on me. I don’t recall any possible. Yep.

00:03:14,200	Any other questions? If not, is there a motion to approve the financials as presented? I’ll make that motion. Is there a second? Seconded by Trevor. Any further discussion? Hearing none. Would you call the roll on that one, please? Sue.. Trevor. Yep. Jon. Yes. Todd. Yes. Jake. Yes, Jim. Yes. That motion carries item four on the agenda is the assessment of the ramps.

00:03:33,330	General condition. Every other year, we have CW structural do a walk through and they bring big heavy logging chains and bang them on the concrete ramps to look for hollow spots. And some really high tech stuff like that.

00:03:51,100	So, um, you all have had the report in your packet for a while, if you hopefully you’ve had a chance to review it. We’ve invited Derek from CW Structure Structural to appear this morning and kind of walk us through it, and then we’ll discuss our options. Derek good morning. Yeah. Good morning everybody. Um, uh.

00:04:07,530	So yes, as it was, as it was stated, we performed a, uh, a site visit inspection to the for parking ramps downtown. The Parkade Galleria, Third Street ramp, and the sixth and Thayer ramp. Um, that was done on May 13th and May 14th in the morning. Um, the third Street ramp and the sixth and Thayer ramp. They’re in very good condition.

00:04:25,730	They’re maintaining we did not have much of anything to say about those, um, just kind of monitoring a few things here and there. Um, the Galleria ramp, uh, that was looking in pretty good condition structurally. One thing that we’re noting is there were significant repairs that were done.

00:04:41,970	I need to check the year, but it was around 2017, 2018, I believe. Um, there’s a couple levels that had some significant, um, post tensioning, uh, tendon work that was completed in those ramps. I know it was shut down for a while, so that work was completed.

00:04:59,530	And then a traffic coating membrane was put on top. Um, that traffic coating membrane has been significantly worn away in many locations throughout the ramp, protecting those repairs. So that’s one kind of significant thing, is we would look to have that repaired and to continue providing protection just with that coating on top to prevent water and chlorides from penetrating through the

00:05:20,200	concrete into the the slab. Um, the parkade had similar, similar concern at the yellow level because we had the yellow level being when you come up the entrance into the ramp, you’re right immediately into the yellow level. Once you pass the ticket gate.

00:05:38,700	And we had significant tendon repairs that were done there. And that slab is directly over the top of the tenants below. Um, and that, that, uh, also has a traffic coating to help protect all those repairs. And, uh, that is where it wears away quite quickly at the drive lane. And when cars turn to go to the next level.

00:05:56,900	So, um, there’s a couple of spots that we’re starting to show some wear. So we’re just kind of pointing out that that should be, uh, probably maintained. Um, and then recently repairs were completed on the green level in that ramp. Um, with the new traffic hitting applied.

00:06:13,600	So the south half green level is, um, looking in good shape based on those recent repairs. Um, there are a couple other areas. One other. Area up on the orange level, there was a, a concrete beam that we’re just looking at. We noticed some cracks and stuff at the bearing.

00:06:28,530	So, um, we’re potentially going to do some, some, uh, investigation on that or we’re looking to have that done here in the future. I guess to go back to the yellow level, there was one area that work was completed, and there was one small that we noticed that potentially was like an old tendon that was broken.

00:06:46,670	So what was done when we repaired that in the past? That was completed about 2020. New tendons were put in there and there’s some old tendons that remain. And we believe that one kind of potentially broke and maybe stalled there.

00:06:57,530	So, Derek, if you don’t mind, can we kind of question as we go because there are a lot of items here. We might kind of lose track, but so on that item, the potential small. Yep. Um, what testing. What’s what’s the next step to determine. Yeah.

00:07:14,470	So the next step, we’re looking at preparing an engineer’s, uh, proposal to work with Walker Consultants out of Chicago to come in and do some investigation. So we would need a proposal from them, and we would need assistance from a specialty contractor to make that excavation, because we are going into a post tension slab, and it’s kind of delicate work.

00:07:32,070	Is there any radar or ground penetrating concrete penetrating anything that you could, you know, a machine so you don’t have to open up the slab? I’m just I don’t know.

00:07:42,800	Yeah, well, that would be used to locate the tendon, but I think what needs to be done is to kind of open up and see exactly what it is that caused it, because right now this ball is not open. It’s it’s, you know, it needs to be excavated and, and, uh, check it out and you can kind of see, oh, what’s this old tendon that’s doing it? You know, that’s kind of what we’re trying to figure out. Okay. So but.

00:07:55,630	The possibility is that it’s an abandoned. Yeah. I can kind of see still where the new there was new trenches that were made for the new tendons. And this is located in between them. So it’s my belief that it’s a it’s an old tendon. Okay. Thanks.

00:08:06,700	Yep. Um, yeah. So I guess that was the one concern at the yellow level. And then going up to the orange level, there was just a beam bearing. It’s right below the roof. So when the water has been penetrating down beside the the vestibule. So we’re just looking to have some more investigation done there.

00:08:22,730	Um, we did do some repairs on the roof in the past that provided a membrane to protect that. So, um, that water infiltration may have stopped, but there is some, some investigation on doing that beam, too.

00:08:38,270	So, um, the rest of the items were fairly minor that we noted just ongoing, you know, things in slide repairs that we potentially would do going forward. Um, the idea would be that we would do some investigation on some of these higher priority items that fall at the yellow level, the beam at the orange level, and, um, a condition assessment was done on the entire ramp, um, by, by

00:08:57,030	Walker in 2020. And that’s what we’ve kind of been putting together a list of priorities to do some work on. And then the parking authority recently approved the green level that was part of that. So we’re just kind of going through the ramp level by level.

00:09:12,370	So what we would do is an engineer’s assessment, um, of these areas. And we would try to also at the same time reevaluate some of these other areas and try to put together a list of priorities for the board to consider moving forward for future work, just to kind of keep protecting the parkade, because there are some various areas throughout the parkade

00:09:26,800	where we should, um, just repair spells and, and, um, it provides some traffic coating protection. Um, any questions on the parkade before we move on to the. Are you going to move on to the next one then I would guess, or you’re not quite done with the parkade. Sorry. Uh, Gallery is up next. It looks like.

00:09:43,330	Yeah. Well, the gallery I kind of already explained that I don’t have a lot to say at the gallery, other. Than the. The traffic coating should be protected, and we would have Walker assess that as well and put together like a scope of work potentially, um, on how much repair of the

00:09:58,830	replacement of the traffic coating they would need to be provided to provide protection for those tendons. Okay. So any questions as we go along here anybody? Okay. Keep going. Thanks, Derek. Okay. Um, yeah, I’m just kind of looking through here.

00:10:18,070	Uh, like I said at the start, I don’t have much to say about the Third Street ramp. There’s just very minor issues. Um, and the sixth Street ramp. There was not much there either. So, um, other than the stair tower on the sixth Street ramp, I don’t know how that was constructed.

00:10:31,930	There is at the the stair tower, some some aesthetic work. Um, at the bottom of the panel, it’s, um, not spalling yet, but you can clearly see some there’s some kind of moisture infiltration going on with that architectural panel. So just something I’ve noticed it for a while, but it hasn’t really progressed. But I’m just hoping for watching. It’s not really structural.

00:10:50,570	Do anything about pigeons? No, but they do spook me once while I’m in there. Yeah, they come around the corner, they catch you by surprise. They like the newer ramp. Yeah. They do. We’re working on that. Okay. Questions as we go along. Anybody okay? Okay. Is that complete? Your. Other than that, no.

00:11:09,270	I guess the board could just be looking for for, um, in the future from us. A proposal to do some this investigation work and then and we would also, um, you know, look to do this, this condition assessment because basically what Walker would need to do is they’ve done a condition assessment.

00:11:27,630	They know some of the areas on each level that would need repairs, but the the quantities are kind of what would need to be verified going forward so that that bid documents could be developed.

00:11:44,130	So we’re trying to we would try to combine that like do the investigation, establish a scope of work and establish quantities so that they can put together like a list of priorities for the board to consider and then develop construction documents for for bids, a bid package to be developed. Okay. And what’s the time frame on that, do you think? Uh, we would hope to have something for the next meeting as what we’re working on. Yeah, for the engineer’s proposal. Yep. Do you do you recall or.

00:11:57,470	Jeremy, when did we do that? Traffic coding on the entrance to the parking. Was that 20? So that would, uh, Mr. Chairman, authority board members, that would have been, uh, in, um, 21. No, 2020 when those repairs were done, it was immediately after.

00:12:11,970	So it would have been late summer or early fall. So six years, about six years. Yeah. I would just I would just comment. Traffic warnings last about five years. You know, high traffic areas like the entrance of the parkade is a very steep incline. So vehicles are putting a lot of traction on that.

00:12:25,070	That wears very quickly, so that maybe even four years on that portion, but turn lanes and things you could expect about five years. Has that have the materials or technology improved in the last 5 or 6 years? Are we still dealing with the same product? I think it’s I’m not too familiar, but I think it’s pretty much a similar product.

00:12:39,670	We’ve been using traffic coding down there for about the last 13 years or so. Um, so I think it’s a similar product they’ve been putting down. And that’s kind of the what I understand to be the lifespan of it in high, high areas.

00:12:54,700	Do you remember what we spent back then on that? Just on that item? Is it like six figures? Wasn’t it 100 for my way. Off that particular line item? I, I don’t know specifically.

00:13:13,730	I mean, in the a whole that was only, um, you know, the drive line coming in and then that half portion, uh, and our engineer estimates from prior as of a couple of years ago for a, uh, for half of is roughly 50 to 60,000. I’m sure that hasn’t gone. Up, you know, per half, uh, level 120 per level. Trevor. Mr.

00:13:35,670	drew, I think we need to do that, because what I’m seeing when I go over to the ramp, the entrance is steep, like he’s saying, I think it needs to be done as soon as we can. Because what I’m saying is, what would the vehicles go through there? It’s just, uh, hard for them in the snow to get up and that it wears that out.

00:13:55,330	So if Derek comes back to us with the next meeting in June or July, excuse me, we might have. We may be able to act on something with that meeting. We think. Yeah. So I would just comment. I think I probably didn’t explain this clearly, but so the green level repairs were just completed.

00:14:11,070	Um, and part of that, we also did the entrance like an entrance update on that. So the entrance ramp up to the ticket gate was just completed as far as the traffic membrane. So that that is good to go for probably another five years. But beyond that, the yellow level is what we’re looking at beyond the ticket gate. Okay. All right. Good point. Thank you. Other comments or questions anybody. Todd.

00:14:26,970	So Derek you had. This consultant. From Chicago would come out.. And then they develop a scope of work plan. And then you come back next month with the cost, correct? Yep. And what’s an estimated cost to bring these guys out here. Uh, that that’s what we’re working on. That’ll be part of the proposal. Um, I’d have to.

00:14:44,270	It depends on how many. I think we’re looking at one site visit, but we would also need the assistance of a contractor because they don’t physically open things up themselves. So, um, I don’t have to have that off the top of my head.

00:14:59,070	I wouldn’t really want to venture a guess without without talking to them. But maybe similar to what we’ve done in the past, I think. Well, Walker still has offices in Minneapolis. Obviously. Walker. Yeah. Um, they might. The gentleman we work with, though, that you’re familiar with the ramp, he’s been coming from Chicago. Yeah. Okay. So he used to be Minneapolis. All right. Yeah.

00:15:17,630	Other questions or comments? Jeremy, do you have anything to add or question? All right. Well, thank you for the report, Derrick. We will look forward to the next steps. Oh good. Thank you. Get our checkbook ready for that. Kate, do you have anything you wish to enlighten us about for the for the. Yeah. Run other business. I know.

00:15:40,470	Uh, chair Christianson authority members keep from the downtown. Owners just want to highlight a couple things to be aware of that might have some ramp, um, impacts. Good and bad. Uh, well, good for you guys. Probably all the way around. But, um, obviously there is a construction project happening on Main Avenue.

00:16:00,230	It’s a concrete pavement repair project. Oh. Yeah. Um, and so there’s no underground work. It’s not a full resurface or anything. They’re basically cutting out panels, replacing those panels that are damaged and doing some other kind of crack sealing and things like that.

00:16:17,930	So it’s not a big it’s not they’re not gonna, you know, tear up the whole surface. That being said, it’s all closed right now. On one side on the north side of Main Avenue. So, um, we sent out an email again this morning to our membership and our, uh, folks that subscribe to our get our newsletter, um, to look at the Park Smart program.

00:16:35,670	And if anybody’s listening, just to know the Park Smart program is a validation program, um, so that customers can use the ramps. So if you haven’t done that already, I did put it in our newsletter to reach out to the parking authority. Um, if they need the validation chaser tickets.

00:16:52,770	So, um, also, if folks are listening, just a reminder, we’d love to have the employees that work downtown park in the ramps to save that on street space, especially the side streets. Fourth Street, fifth Street, and so on. Um, for customers so that they can get down there. Um, we would really appreciate that. Quiet rail.

00:17:09,670	Um, the horns will sound when there’s construction happening with the signals that are attached to the signals that are attached to the railroad. And so now that those signals are being changed or they’re going to like a four way stop signal, you will hear the the horns sound. At third and fifth.

00:17:26,230	At third Street and fifth Street. Yep. Um, so 12th Street will remain quiet, but it’s, you know what, six blocks. So you’re still going to hear it.

00:17:42,800	So just so people are aware, you will hear the train, uh, horn um, I think throughout the whole construction project, unless the signals go back to being tied back into that, uh, into the signals on Main Avenue. So just want folks to be aware of that. Um, a couple sort of. I mean, there’ll be some events at the depot, so let’s we’ll keep our eyes on, on those dates and we’ll send them to Jeremy and your crew.

00:18:00,400	We probably would expect that there would be more folks parking in the ramps for that event. Since the main avenue is closed. Um, if folks do know the third and main ramp is free from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and then it’s $1.

00:18:17,130	50 an hour in the other ramps, or a maximum of up to $8 a day. So please use the parking ramps. They’re safe, easy to use. We’d love everybody to continue to get good momentum. I mean everyone, we want to keep it through this construction project.

00:18:33,270	Um, the other thing I wanted to make you all aware of is the city of Bismarck is looking, or the MPO is looking at an on street parking study. Um, and this is looking at, um, areas that have a lot of, you know, on street customer parking, um, employee parking.

00:18:48,930	And so right now it looks like the study area is a big portion of downtown does go up kind of through or close to BHS because we’ve got a lot of on street parking up that way. So, um, that will get underway later this year and we’ll be part of that.

00:19:03,100	Um, so, um, we’ve had some consultants call our office that are looking to bid that and get some information about how things are used, the timing of certain things, like where we have two hour parking and loading zones, where we have handicapped parking, um, is 90 minutes working for us. So we’ll probably reach out to you all.

00:19:19,500	They’ll probably reach out to you all as well. The consultant, when they’re selected about, you know, ramp capacity. What you all are seeing here. Um, so probably just be on the lookout for that. I had a whole list for you. Uh, street fair will be September 18th and 19th. Just want to put that on the radar.

00:19:35,930	It. I don’t want to say it out loud, and I’m knocking on wood, but I think the construction project should be completed by then. I think they’re looking at like September 1st or seventh. So on Main Avenue. I was going to ask you about the duration, but wasn’t it 75 days, I think right in the contract. Yeah.

00:19:52,430	And they did, you know, when we had had talked earlier and it was up to the property owners a little bit, but do you want to go faster and have it cost a little bit more, or do you want to go slower and have a cost a little bit less? I think the

00:20:02,670	engineering department said faster, and let’s just get this over with. Um, so we will be in the weekly construction meetings with, uh, Knife River and the city of Bismarck engineering things like that.

00:20:18,600	And we’ll be able to get the information out to you on a weekly basis of what they’re doing, what’s happening, so everybody can prepare for that, for the construction project. So street fair, September 18th and 19th. And then the last thing, June 22nd will be out with a bunch of volunteers will be planting and filling in some of the pollinator beds, some that kind of abut your properties.

00:20:34,130	We also worked with public works. We’re going to be staining the benches downtown, painting the benches downtown just so they look nice. We do that maybe every other year or so, so that’ll be a fun opportunity. If you want to get out, get your get your stain on. Come find me.

00:20:48,830	We’re going to have a big crew of people out. Or if you want to plant some plants. So busy, busy. Questions or comments of Kate. Um, on the main Avenue repair project. Um, as you noted, they blocked off the streets last Friday, and there were Friday and Saturday. The parking was gone and there was no activity, no construction activity. There was no construction activity.

00:21:08,870	On Monday of this week, Tuesday of this week, they were sore cutting the joints since then and today’s Thursday there’s no activity again. So what I’m wondering is can your organization when you when you go to these construction meetings, can you talk to it’s Knife River as the general I

00:21:25,000	believe. Is there some way they can communicate on a regular basis with all the businesses along Main Avenue that are being affected by this and impacted? I’ll ask I’ll ask Linda how they how they’re going to reach out or talk to folks. I mean, we’ll obviously. City engineering.

00:21:38,700	Yeah. Well, sorry. Linda Oster and uh, Chris are kind of running that that project. Um, yeah, we can ask them. I think when I talked to Linda earlier this week, if they’re not doing work for X amount of days in a row, like three days in a row or something, they have to. Uh. Well.

00:21:56,570	Put it all back. Uh, well, allow for parking. And so, um. Well, as of this morning, there’s nine blocks that are blocked off, and there’s one pickup truck on one block face. All the rest of them. There’s no activity in it. People are, you know, wondering why. So I have a comment. Here, Trevor. Sure.

00:22:15,570	Two in Mayor Schmitz. Uh, I visited with, uh, transit. They’re having issues with this project quite a bit. Uh, the transit bus in front of the Patterson. Uh, they they don’t they didn’t even know about the project until I called. When I got the notice inside the Patterson.

00:22:39,730	So what they have to do now is with the big paratransit buses, they have to park out in the middle of the road with those three signs, right on Main Street. And it’s kind of crazy. So I would really encourage you to okay, to talk to Knife River because it is affecting fixed route in para as well. So you’re aware.

00:23:05,170	Mayor, I think a little communication would go a long ways.. Yeah. And what I call that, they were like shocked because I talked to Amanda O’Brien at National Express and she said, thank you for calling. We don’t even know it’s going on.

00:23:26,730	And this is the same thing that happened with Memorial Highway to the the board didn’t even know that. And they weren’t communicating with transit. And they finally got that fixed last month. Uh, one of the board members talked to the city of Mandan. So I think we all need to be involved. I just really feel strongly that it hasn’t been enough communication going on. So I agree with you too.

00:23:49,630	Well thanks, Trevor. Okay. Yeah, we’ll push it. Um, and again, same with us. The property owners were all notified that this was going to happen, whether that, you know, matriculated down to folks. Obviously the Patterson was notified because they will be they got a special assessment for this project.

00:24:07,670	Um, but we have been invited to the meetings from here on out, which is great. Um, to Trevor’s point. So there was a big, uh, loading zone in front of the Patterson on Main Avenue that’s been flipped, and now it’s on Fifth Street. So they’ve taken maybe three, four spots. And that is the 15 minute loading and unloading.

00:24:24,770	Zone over there. Okay, um, just so folks know that there is a accessible loading zone, uh, particularly for folks that are using the Patterson. It’s just been flipped on the fifth Street. So. That’s helpful. So we’ll push. Um, yeah. We also were a bit surprised.

00:24:40,300	We figured we thought it was going to be phased in as what we were had been. Phased, meaning do a couple of blocks, a couple blocks incrementally. But one more. Trevor. I know it’s on fifth. We just have a lot of them that are struggling with, uh, walkers and having to walk down there.

00:24:59,130	It’s really difficult for some of those residents. So and there might be a way to kind of deal with that once they finish the north half, when they flip back to the south half, how they could access the front of the Patterson as well. So, um, for now, just encouraging everybody, please use the ramps.

00:25:17,900	Please support those business property owners that are down there on Main Avenue. It’s still not that hard to get a spot. Um, you just gotta either use the ramps or use the side streets.

00:25:32,600	But yeah, it’s going to be inconvenient for for some time, but we’ll keep you all in the loop each week, and maybe I’ll just send it to Jim and Jeremy so that you guys are aware you can send that forward. To Patterson did do a good job, but they just got the notice, I think, on Friday because it was hanging down on the lobby. So. Okay. Just short notice. Again. Yep. Communication the merrier. Okay.

00:25:53,930	Are there other business? Uh, anybody have anything else? I was going to ask Jeremy. What’s the status of the camera? The entire upgrade. That. Where’s that at right now? Um, yeah, it’s actually underway. Uh, so it has started, but, um, I guess I, I have to find out what the full scope timeline is. I haven’t heard yet. Unless Corey. Has, but it is underway.

00:26:12,230	It is? Yes. 50 foot of conduit so far. He told me this morning. Oh, great. Okay, good. Good deal. Okay. And then, you know, uh, not to be a broken record, but each month we try to bring some sort of an update on discussions that are that are centered around a possible new ramp in the downtown area.

00:26:30,300	Those conversations continue. Uh, there’s really nothing, uh, concrete on plan words to report, except that we are still making forward positive progress. You know, kind of like Trump and Iran. Let’s see. Kind of all this. Not the right, not the right analogy. But I but. Trevor.

00:26:52,100	I would like to be a part of that committee, you know, with the uh. Okay. With that because I’m hearing a lot of complaints about, you know, we need to do it because I hear rumors that Sam, uh, is going to do the heart hospital, but it’ll be 20, 32. Mm.

00:27:12,430	Well, yeah, they have their own schedule, and they have their own plans for their own parking ramp, which is a good thing on that with as part of that project. But, uh, we will continue to we don’t have a committee. It’s just right now it’s just discussions.

00:27:25,800	Uh, but again, there are positive discussions. Um, you know, there are open lines of communication and we’re all kind of working towards the same goal. So that’s my report on that for this. But anything else for the good of the order, Mira, do you have anything? Congratulations to Mayor Schmidt for getting reelected. Congratulations to Trevor for running us. Good showing there.

00:27:45,530	If anybody else has anything else for the good of the order. No. If not, and if there’s no objection, we stand adjourned