00:00:12,600	This is June 23rd, 2026. We are in the Tom Baker Meeting Hall and this is the Board of City Commissioners. Um, we are going to go ahead and start with Chaplain Halter. Can you double check for me? There he is. Thank you. With prayer and pledge.

00:00:36,630	That’s pretty good. How do you do? As many gifts. And in this room right now, even to. This is a sense of energy and enthusiasm for some of the words that are coming. And I think that that honor, we have to enjoy that.

00:00:59,600	I pray for those who affirm each other for that’s where we’ll continue that everybody believe and serve in this context. The Commission for the mayor of the chair this session, the server community, provided us with and. Fire protection and service based on dispatching as well. I founded to achieve or reach for the best parts of community. Let’s just recommend the great great state. Pledge. Flag.

00:01:33,230	The United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Throughout. All right. We will go ahead and call. Roll. Commissioner Risch here. Commissioner Zenker here. Commissioner Connelly here. Mayor Schmitz here. Commissioner Cleary here.

00:02:06,300	All right, before we go on to public comment. Um, we have the humanitarian award presentations that I believe. Sarah, Gianna, Tia and Katie are going to come present. Good evening. Commissioners and members of our community. My name is Katie Hull, chair of Bismarck Human Relations Committee.

00:02:31,930	Joining me this evening, our fellow committee members, Sargianna Wutzke and Thea Jorgensen. We’re honored to be here tonight to present the 2025 Humanitarian Awards. The Bismarck Human Relations Committee was established to celebrate the value of a diverse and compassionate community. Each year, the committee presents humanitarian awards to individuals and organizations who embody that mission.

00:02:54,930	People and groups who stand up for others treat every person with dignity and make our community a more welcoming place for all. This year, we received nominations that moved us very deeply. They reminded us of something important that the work of building a more welcoming and compassionate community does not happen in grand gestures or headline moments.

00:03:14,070	It happens in quiet, consistent acts of courage, kindness, and service. It happens in schools, in recovery houses, in afterschool programs, and in one on one conversations that never make the news. I’m going to start with the youth award. Our first award this evening is the Youth Humanitarian Award.

00:03:31,030	This is the second year that we have been awarding a member of our community that is under the age of 18, who shows strong leadership in human rights and service to others. This year’s recipient is Levi Engelstad, a young man from Bismarck who is nominated by Rhonda Styles- Rohde.

00:03:49,400	Rhonda has known Levi since he was young, and has watched him grow from an eager, small child who wanted to help in any way he could into a thoughtful, dependable young leader. Levi has spent his teenage years putting his values into action.

00:04:08,200	He’s now in his fourth year of the Avid program that builds skills and critical thinking, leadership, cross-cultural understanding, and community engagement beyond the classroom. Levi has volunteered consistently across the community, serving as a junior group leader at St. Mary’s Faith formation, supporting Roosevelt Elementary. Title one events, volunteering with ministry on the margins and leading activity stations at community family nights.

00:04:24,900	What makes Levi stand out is not just the list of activities of the ways that he’s involved, but the spirit he brings to them. He created welcome kits for new students at his school, ensuring that every peer, regardless of the background of their background or circumstance, feel supported from the very first day.

00:04:43,770	He helped create May day cards for classmates, staff, and community members who might be struggling or feeling overlooked. These are the kind of gestures that cost little, but mean everything to the people that receive them. Rhonda captured it this way. Levi’s leadership is rooted in compassion, humility, and a genuine desire to make life better for others.

00:05:02,530	He leads not by authority, but by example through kindness, reliability, and a steady commitment to human dignity and human service. Levi, on behalf of the Bismarck Human Relations Committee, it is our honor to present you with the 2025 Youth Humanitarian Award. Our second award is the Adult Humanitarian Award, which recognizes an adult who has shown exceptional leadership in human rights and service.

00:06:13,700	This year’s recipient is Megan Frankl-Mann, Director of Hope Manor. Nominated by Sally. Megan’s story is one that begins inside the very organization she now leads. She first walked through Holt Manor’s doors as a participant in 2014. She became its director in 2023. That arc from resident to leader, shapes everything about how she does this work.

00:06:38,130	People in recovery are the most easily overlooked members of our community. They’re often turned away from housing, employment and face insurmountable stigma. Megan has built her life’s work around the steady, quiet insistence that they are full human beings with dignity and worth. As her nominator, Sally wrote.

00:06:59,600	She doesn’t talk about the people man or serves as recipients of help. She talks about them as colleagues in recovery. Neighbors, future alumni, and future leaders. That stance shows up in small, repeated acts of dignity. Sally Wright’s character references. Megan writes character reference letters for residents headed to court. She drafts part in applications.

00:07:25,070	She designs participation policies that treat residents as adults with agency, not subjects to be managed. Megan has built something lasting for Bismarck. The men’s program, the women’s sober living house, and the hub together form a recovery ecosystem. Our city did not have before. The hub is especially significant.

00:07:46,600	Rather than operating as a closed recovery center, it opened its doors as a coffee shop and community gathering space where anyone can walk in. We are also grateful that a family who was touched deeply by Megan’s work wanted their story shared tonight.

00:08:06,200	Sally, a mother who lost her son to addiction, wrote to us and with her permission, we want to share a piece of what she said because it captures who Megan is as a humanitarian. Sally wrote, my son applied to Hope’s manor several times. I would take him to meet Megan and she always greeted him with respect, dignity and understanding.

00:08:25,430	No matter how many times he blew her off, no showed for an interview, or didn’t appear for his intake. Megan kept working with him. There were no lectures, no shame. She told him the truth about his actions and what they were costing him, not just to him, but to his family. She didn’t let him walk over her the way I often. So did.

00:08:47,270	She would name his disrespect plainly and then tell him she understood because she had been there herself, but that nothing would change until he took the first small step. Sally’s son lost his battle with addiction, and she shared, when my son died in an overdose.

00:09:10,830	Megan was the first person I called, not my new husband, not his sister, a woman the world might have called a stranger. She cried with me on the other end of the phone, and she just listened. She didn’t try to fix my pain. She asked when the funeral was and offered to come. But by then we had moved out of state.

00:09:26,200	She sent a card I’ve kept all these years. After he died, I went through his phone. What I found broke me open again. For nearly three years. From the day she first met him. Megan had been messaging my son names of sponsors, meeting times quietly, regularly, almost as if she had it on her calendar.

00:09:50,270	Sometimes he wrote back and she would share her own experience. Two months before he died, she sent him this. I know you’re hurting. I know you think it’s impossible, but your life has meaning. It can get better and you aren’t alone. When you’re ready to take the first step, please reach out.

00:10:10,000	I’ll do my best to help you. But remember, it’s not a negotiation. This is your life. I look forward to hearing from you. Take care of yourself. Till then, Sally cannot be here tonight to say thank you in person. So I’m honored to share this on behalf. Sally said Megan is so deserving of this award.

00:10:31,070	I wish I could be there in person to tell her this, what she did for my son and for me will stay with me until the day I die. On behalf of all the families she has held up through her quiet, extraordinary kindness, directly or indirectly, I want to thank her. You have no idea what.

00:10:49,130	Finding those messages on my son’s phone meant to me. Even though he died alone. I’d like to think he knew that at least one person in this world understood what he was going through and did not judge him for it. Megan, on behalf of the Bismarck Human Relations Committee, we are honored to present you with the 2025 Adult Humanitarian Award.

00:12:26,100	Our final award this evening is the Organization Humanitarian Award, which honors an entity that has demonstrated leadership in human rights and made our community more inclusive and welcoming. This year’s recipient is the Peer to Peer program at Century High School, nominated by Kendra Kendra Vander Wal and sponsored by advisor Sara Bohrer.

00:12:45,970	The peer to peer program pairs students together with a clear purpose to build connections, share knowledge, and strengthen both academic or academic and social belonging, with a particular focus on creating meaningful inclusion for students with disabilities. What these students do goes well beyond a school program.

00:13:07,270	They show up in classroom after school events and community spaces to make sure that individuals with disabilities are not just accommodated. They are welcomed, valued, and given a role. They take initiative to build genuine friendships and create opportunities for participation that fosters a sense of true belonging.

00:13:30,730	When powerful example is the neurodiversity palooza, a community event where students from multiple schools came together to create and run interactive booths, peer to peer students work side by side with individuals with disabilities to design, operate, and engage visitors at every booth. As Kendra described, everyone had a role in engaging with visitors and sharing in the experience, regardless of disability. The focus was not on limitations, but on participation and connection.

00:13:52,170	This event helped show the community what inclusion looks like in action by working together, all participants had a meaningful role. These students, through their daily actions at school and in the community, are building a culture where differences are respected and inclusion is not a policy, but a practice.

00:14:10,800	They are proof that young people have extraordinary power to shape the kind of community we all want to live in. To the students of central high School’s peer to peer program advisor Sarah Bower, activities Director Ben Levick, on behalf of the Bismarck Human Relations Committee, thank you for the work you do every single day.

00:14:27,870	We are proud to present you with the 2025 Humanitarian Award. All. All right. Before we move on, I just want to say thank you to the award winners for all the meaningful work you’ve done in our community. And thank you to the HRC again for presenting our award winners this year.

00:15:48,000	Um, we’re going to move on now to the public comment portion of the meeting. Um, public comment is restricted to items on the consent agenda. Regular agenda, or the prior commission. Prior city commission agenda, excluding any public hearing items. First call for public comment this evening.

00:16:21,600	Anybody over? I would like to thank Commissioner Zenker Commissioner Cleary for their service for the disability community. I also would like to thank Kendra and a peer to peer program. They do a lot of good work and they’re well deserving. And I thank Sarah Bohrer, Kendra, for nominating and thank you for your service both. You’ve done a lot for transit. Thank you. Thank you.

00:16:51,500	Second call for public comment. Third and final call for public comment. Public comment period is now closed. Moving on to the consent agenda. What are the wishes? Commissioners. I’ll make a motion to approve as presented. Second. It’s a motion. And a second. Any further discussion? Go ahead and call. Roll. Commissioner Zenker. Yes, Commissioner Connelly. Yes. Mayor Schmitz.

00:17:26,700	Yes. Commissioner Risch. Yes, Commissioner Cleary. Yes. All right. Moving on to the regular agenda item. A public hearing on request for the release of existing temporary turnaround easement. I believe. Oh, Gabe. I thought it was going to be Jenny. Surprise.

00:17:53,400	So this, uh, Vice chair, Cleary commissioners, this is a request from the landowner to release a non platted easement. So therefore, it’s something that goes before the engineering department, uh, platted easements would go before planning. But what you have on the screen here is a temporary turnaround easement on Paradise Drive on your consent agenda.

00:18:10,570	Earlier just approved was the creation of a new special assessment district that would extend to Paradise Drive, thus negating the need for this temporary cul de sac. So our requests are the developers. Landowners request is to vacate or, I guess, release the temporary turnaround easement. Just just also wanted to note that we would typically notify all the abutting landowners of of the easement release.

00:18:28,670	But since the abutting landowner in this situation is the developer as well as the land outside of that is also the developers, no additional notifications were provided because they were the ones requesting the release. So with that, I guess I would recommend opening the public hearing and then releasing easement. Uh 969159 for the agenda.

00:18:47,300	All right. This is a public hearing. Anyone who wishes to speak on item A, please come forward. A. Second call for public hearing. Third and final call for public hearing. Public hearing is now closed. What are the wishes of the commission? I’ll move. We approve as presented. Second motion and a second.

00:19:14,530	Any further discussion? Seeing none, go ahead and call. Roll. Commissioner Connelly. Yes, mayor. Schmitz. Yes, Commissioner Risch. Yes, Commissioner Zenker. Yes, Commissioner Cleary. Yes. Item B public hearing on ordinance 6670, a zoning map amendment from a agricultural zoning district to to our ten residential and public zoning districts for major subdivision final plat titled Boulder Ridge, eighth edition. Jenny.

00:19:45,470	Thank you. Vice chair Cleary commissioners, five Guys Investments, LLP. Request approval of ordinance 6670. A zoning map amendment from the Agricultural Zoning District to the ten Residential and Public zoning districts and major subdivision final plat titled Boulder Ridge, eighth edition.

00:20:09,000	This request is located in North Bismarck, east of North Washington Street, between 43rd Avenue Northeast and East LaSalle Drive. It consists of 13.6 acres with 19 blocks or, excuse me, 19 lots and four blocks. I should note that the Land Development Code and Official zoning map were recently approved and take effect on October 1st.

00:20:29,270	The zoning ordinance for the proposed Map amendment includes the existing zoning districts and their equivalents outlined in the LDC. In this case, our ten residential will become ours. Residential, suburban and public will become OS open space. The property has been identified as urban neighborhood. In our future land use plan. These areas are for places of quiet enjoyment of home life.

00:20:50,130	The proposed zoning districts would conform to the character of this district. Adjacent uses include developing single family residential to the north, south and west, and a remnant agricultural zone property to the east. The Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing on this request on May 27th. Staff received one written comment outlining traffic concerns before the hearing.

00:21:13,070	Additionally, two members of the public spoke during the hearing inquiring about landscape buffer requirements and special assessments for a proposed park on lot one, block two of the plat. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend approval of the of ordinance six, six, seven zero and made for the zoning map amendment and major subdivision final plat titled Boulder

00:21:30,130	Ridge, eighth edition. Do you have questions? Doesn’t look like it. Thank you. Thanks, Jenny. This is a public hearing for ordinance 6670. Anyone who wishes to speak, please come forward. Thank you. Commissioner Cleary. Land. And I’m Swenson Hagan Engineering, representing the applicants on this one. Um, yeah.

00:21:52,800	This is an infill project here in Bismarck. This is an area that’s been waiting a long time to get in, to get a park. And that connected road with a with Normandy there, that’s been sort of this gap in the infrastructure for, for quite some time.

00:22:04,900	So this is our shot here to, to make that infill happen and get a couple lots to sell as well. But I can certainly answer any questions if you have them. Commissioner Risch. Um, Madam Chair. I just see to the east of there there’s some vacant land looks to be. Is that is there any plans for the future for that? Thank you, Commissioner Risch.

00:22:21,600	Um, there are plans that maybe a few years down the road yet that would be Boulder Ridge ninth at some point. Um, there are some difficulties in the area. There’s some some wetlands there. There’s some drainage issues. There’s difficulty of access.

00:22:35,330	So, um, at some point we will develop that part. But for now, we’re leaving that alone so that we can we can finish this part up. All right, I don’t think. Any other questions for you. Thanks, Linda. Thank you. This is a public hearing. Anyone who wishes to speak, please come forward. Second call for public hearing.

00:22:55,070	Third and final call for public hearing. Public hearing is now closed. What are the wishes of the commission? Move to approve is presented second. With a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Hearing none. Go ahead and call. Roll. Mayor Schmitz. Yes, Commissioner Risch. Yes, Commissioner Zenker. Yes. Commissioner Connelly. Yes, Commissioner Cleary. Yes.

00:23:22,800	Item C public hearing for major subdivision final plat titled clear Sky, second edition and Ordinance 6671. A zoning map amendment from R5 Residential and agricultural zoning districts to our five residential zoning district. Thank you. Vice chair, Cleary commissioners, FRF investments and 94 investments LLP. Request approval of Ordinance of Zoning Ordinance 6671.

00:23:47,400	A zoning Map amendment from the R-5 Residential and agricultural zoning districts to the R5 residential zoning district and major subdivision final plat titled clear Sky second edition. This request is located east of Bismarck, east of 52nd Street, southeast and north of Apple Creek Road. It consists consists of 19.18 acres with seven lots in four blocks.

00:24:08,730	Again, the Land Development Code and official Zoning map were recently approved and take effect on October 1st. The zoning ordinance for the proposed Zoning Map amendment includes our existing zoning districts and their equivalents in the Land Development Code, in this case, R5 residential will become our S residential suburban.

00:24:24,930	The property has been identified again as Urban neighborhood in the land use plan. The proposed zoning districts would conform to the character of this district, with future residential development of the plat. Adjacent land uses include developing single family residential to the north, undeveloped residential to the to the west, and agricultural land to the south and east.

00:24:44,470	The Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing on this request on May 27th. No members of the public spoke and no written comments were received at the conclusion of the hearing, the the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend approval of ordinance 6671 and Major subdivision final Plat for Clear Skies, second edition, with the following conditions.

00:25:03,200	Additional Off-Site Stormwater and drainage easements for the adjacent property, as noted in the conditional approval of the SMP, are received prior to record of the plat and a waiver of minimum lot with sub with subdivision standards for lot three in the southeast corner of the plat is approved with this request. Do you have questions? Thank you.

00:25:27,170	This is a public hearing for Final Plat titled clear Sky, second Edition and Ordinance 6671. Anyone who wishes to speak, please come forward. Second call for public hearing. Third and final call for public hearing. Public hearing is now closed. What are the wishes of the commission? I’ll move. We approve as presented. Second.

00:25:52,300	The motion and a second. Any further discussion? Seeing none, go ahead and call. Roll. Commissioner Risch. Yes, Commissioner Zenker. Yes, Commissioner Connelly. Yes. Mayor Schmitz. Yes, Commissioner Cleary. Yes. Item D consider the request to receive an update on the half cent sales tax for roadways. Gabe. Again. Good evening again, vice chair and commissioners.

00:26:39,630	I’m here to present just some initial thoughts on the half cent sales tax. So as you as you will know, the half cent sales tax was passed by the citizens, the voters of Bismarck at the most recent primary election in the consent agenda, there is a request for a future ordinance public hearing that would set

00:26:59,070	forth some of the language that would have an ordinance that would then reflect what was approved in the Home Rule Charter. But what I’m asking tonight, or what I want to have a discussion on tonight, is just setting some initial direction, fully understanding that this board is not the same

00:27:12,400	board that will be here in a couple of weeks to make other decisions. So no decisions trying to get made here. But I do want to recognize the timeliness of some of these things that if the effort and energy is, is desired to put forward a project in 2027, we kind of need some direction as

00:27:27,400	soon as possible to do some of that. So what I’m proposing is some evaluation methodology and a matrix to help prioritize projects. And we’ll get into that here in the next couple of minutes. So on the screen now is the revised project list. Those are all the eligible projects.

00:27:45,900	What’s a little bit different about this go round of the half cent sales tax, compared to the one previously passed by the 2018 voters, is that there’s a mix of projects. So it’s not just extension, it’s not just reconstruction of arterial roads. There are some extension projects to new developing areas.

00:28:03,670	There are some more local and collector type routes on there. There’s arterial roads that really don’t have that have less traffic today than some of our local roads do. So it’s just kind of a mix of things.

00:28:17,270	So it was probably a little more straightforward under the earlier program to say what’s there all kind of the same types of roadways, same types of facilities. What’s the one in the worst condition or what’s the one that had the most pressing issues and that’s picked that one to move forward with an advance into a product development state? This one’s going to be a little mix of lots of things.

00:28:29,930	We probably need a little more analysis to be able to decide as as a commission and as a community what is the priority, which ones we want to advance, in what order. So this is a community wide investment that we get from sales tax. We’re intending to try to deliver a community wide benefits both to our citizens and non-citizens.

00:28:47,930	As I mentioned before, we need ways to evaluate those different types of projects. A reconstruction of a road under some viewpoints, under certain lenses, looks better than a construction of a new extension. But all it depends on that perspective and what you’re using to evaluate those.

00:29:06,070	But the main goal is to figure out a framework to compare these. So with that, our first go round to trying to develop a framework includes some some technical exercises. Many of these will not be able to be I guess, quantified in the way that you’d like because it’s more of a yes no or it’s more of a qualitative how well does this perform? We’re not trying

00:29:25,800	to show that this one will create a safety benefit of measured X versus y. We’re just trying to say that inherently an improvement that puts a turn lane on a really high speed facility.

00:29:39,670	It probably has more safety benefits than improvement of a turn lane on a really low speed facility, just because of the inherent nature of of the crashes that could occur there. So what we put together is the first five bullets here are connectivity and network completion, traffic operations, safety, pedestrian, bicycle, transit, connectivity and then existing infrastructure deficiency.

00:29:58,800	The goal with this criteria development is to try to establish different types of buckets so that if if something maybe performs poorly on existing infrastructure deficiency, that doesn’t give it points or doesn’t count towards scoring metrics in the other categories. So trying to have them be as well as we can, self-sufficient and independent of each other.

00:30:19,400	So we’ll throw in some some context of what we mean when we say traffic operations or safety here. The elements that we’re trying to achieve with, with these sorts of criteria.

00:30:34,730	Um, when we did this, I kind of ran through this internally and we would find ourselves with a project that according to those things and those things alone, should be the number one project that we pick. But for some reason it’s not so tried to better understand why is that? Why? Why would a project and I’ll use the example of a State Street reconstruction project from Calgary Avenue North. Very, very valid project capacity, constraint, safety, all those sorts of things.

00:30:53,570	But our ability to deliver that project in a timely manner is difficult because of the additional, I guess, uh, feasibility concerns we would have with our state partners at the Dot and federal partners and funding some of those things. So we try to establish what are some of those other factors that would influence the prioritization.

00:31:13,870	And some of those probably have a little more, um, a little more weight early in the program compared to later in the program. If we’re just looking to establish what do we want to do in 2027, we would say, how can you build it in 2027? Would be very important.

00:31:29,270	If we’re looking at what sort of project we’re looking for for 2030, the implementation feasibility probably wouldn’t be as high of a concern because we have time to work through on any of those those challenges. I also added a concept called community benefit.

00:31:47,570	That was an attempt to try to decipher the difference between a potentially an extension of a roadway between two neighborhoods that exist right now that both of those parties would be able to use, that there’s a great community benefit from that compared to an extension of a roadway that maybe isn’t even in the city of Bismarck proper right now, around not annexed into the city. So they both might be extensions. They both might provide connectivity and network improvements.

00:32:03,530	But one connects things that already exist today, compared to maybe a different type of project that connects something into the future. Um, so I guess that’s the the prioritization concepts that we’re looking at as we then look at our ability to rate those. It’s a lot of words on this one. This is all in the agenda memo.

00:32:20,800	But I thought it’d just be a fun slide to put up with all the crazy words all at the same time. Uh, but this is the same criteria. The description that was just on the screen, our draft weighting that we would recommend, and then a rubric that would, we would use to establish what does a score of

00:32:34,870	one through five look like on something like this? I’m not asking for approval on the rubric necessarily. Uh, I think that’s still be kind of in flux. Or if we forgot to have a particular word in there, we don’t want to get locked into that just yet.

00:32:50,500	But we are just trying to establish that there’s going to be projects that have really very little safety benefits to them, and projects that have a lot of safety benefit to them. And that’s probably how we’ll describe them as a one through five for each one of those sorts of categories.

00:33:03,670	But up here on the screen should give, uh, the audience you, anyone else kind of peer into when we’re evaluating that, we put a three of a score or five of the score. What does that mean? So as we work this thing through, this would just be an example of what you’d like to likely see if this is approved.

00:33:21,400	In terms of the methodology, we would run each project through that methodology and come back with a score that would be weighted. We would rate each one of these activities. Each one of these projects, into against those criteria and then score them.

00:33:36,870	And you’d see something like this, except it’ll have all 35 projects or whatever it would be available to you. I want to stress that it’s probably not so important to to make the distinction between whether something got a four or a five, and or the net score was 4.2 versus 4.3.

00:33:51,200	Really, this exercise is mostly just to get kind of the the grouping of projects that are higher on the list to understand that those are the ones we should probably look for to be establishing or implementing in the near term, with full understanding that at any given time, if the circumstances change and all of a sudden, let’s say, community benefit of a project could drastically change from a one

00:34:07,400	to a five, if that’s the new road to the new high school, the new amusement park, the new amazing thing that the community wants, then all of a sudden that community benefit score could change in the blink of an eye. And the commission could could reevaluate that decision.

00:34:20,470	At that point in time. So what I see for next steps, here we are today in June, uh, talking about methodology to prioritize these projects. I’d like to come back in July with then applying that methodology to help prioritize select and advanced projects for implementation.

00:34:38,830	And then at the same time in July, we’ll come back to discuss the use of special assessments for both any of the roadway improvements, if that’s desirable, as well as any of these water and sewer lines that are in some of these corridors. When it comes to some of these extensions that are not there today.

00:34:51,330	So that’s been something that in the past, the utility has paid for those improvements. When we’ve reconstructed Nash Coulee Drive, we would not be recommending that the utilities paying for the extension of of water mains or sewer mains and some of these local or collector type roadways when everyone else adjacent to that already paid for their water

00:35:08,170	and sewer lines. So those are the types of things we get into a little bit bigger discussion at our next opportunity to talk on this, but just kind of wetting your whistle a little bit to know that that’s something that will be forthcoming.

00:35:23,200	So with all of that, my recommendation is to consider approval of the criteria that we’ll use as a guide to prioritize half cent sales tax projects, and would take any questions that you may have, as well as any other recommendations for criteria. If there’s something that we’re missing here. Sounds good. Commissioner Risch. Chair. Gabe, you second the last slide.

00:35:41,870	It says discuss use of special assessments for roadways, water and sewer. I understand the water and sewer, but I thought the sales tax was specifically, uh, would address the roadways themselves. Sure. Commissioners.

00:36:00,400	Commissioner Risch, um, one of the comments that we received during the public involvement process was like, how do we treat some of these, let’s say, local roads, when it’s a Lea Avenue or a Ottawa street where the neighbors down the street for many of these local roads paid for their facility, should what sort of financial involvement or impact should the adjacent properties have of some of these more local type

00:36:18,530	roadways? The City Commission, since the passage of the half cent sales tax in 2018, has elected to not use special assessments on any of the arterial roadways. So that has been a precedent set.

00:36:32,100	So that’d be something to reaffirm if that’s what you want to do moving forward, but then understand, should there be a carve out for those non arterial roads to say what is the financial participation. Um, not saying it should be 100%, but what, what is the meaningful but yet not overly burdensome number or percentage that we would find appropriate for those sort of facilities.

00:36:46,070	So that’s kind of the analysis that we’d try to get a handle of what those costs might be to be able to make a policy decision or have the board make that sort of policy decision in the near future. My Mr..

00:37:03,930	Mayor, my only comment is I’m glad you come up with a matrix, Gabe to use, and we’ll have to see how it all shakes out. There’s a lot of potential projects, so they’re all going to get weighted, and at least it gives us a roadmap. I appreciate it. Thank you. I mean yeah I don’t have anything else. The rubric looks very well rounded to me I think. Yeah.

00:37:23,670	It’ll be interesting to see how how the projects shake out because I know there’s a long list of them. So., Madam Chair, but this will be an initial weighting system. I mean, the city will develop and we’re going to have to react six years down the road to other. Um. Priorities that.

00:37:45,070	Correct? Mayor, Commissioner Commissioner Risch, I would certainly think that that’s the case. This would just be what is the next 2 to 3 years look like? What do we think for a 27, 28, 29 sort of program? Those will be the types of projects we want to get going.

00:37:58,600	And then whether it’s on an annual basis or biannual basis, kind of rehash that, look at it, remove the projects that we’ve completed and then take us take stock of what the community has for needs and then reassess.

00:38:13,900	Do any of those projects move up or down the list accordingly? So in theory, the rubric will be reassessed, potentially annually, to watch them shift as like depending on how things grow and like maybe a project becomes more important or less important as the community grows. Is that what you’re implying? Or commissioners? Commissioner Cleary, I would think yes, to some extent.

00:38:29,400	I mean, if something’s at the very bottom of the list, my my example for a project on the bottom of the list will be the reconstruction of South Washington Street from Burleigh Avenue north to the Bismarck drainage ditch that we just reconstructed.

00:38:43,870	Sure, that’s a real low priority for us to go in and do something, so I don’t see that one probably moving up or down the list. But if there was new activity or new annexations that were driving traffic demands, we’d want to be able to take that into account and re analyze how our project list fares. Sure makes sense.

00:39:03,470	Any other questions for Gabe? I guess in that case it would be to add an extra lane, possibly if we had a tremendous amount of traffic. Correct. So it could be a five lane facility tearing up the three lane facility that we haven’t made the final payment to the contractor on just yet. So unlikely. But not not very likely, but we will. Hey, who knows what could happen.

00:39:18,370	Sounds good. Uh, are you looking for any action tonight, or was it more just. If there’s. I guess, consensus on on the criteria that we use. That’s that’s probably fine that I would need at this point in time.

00:39:31,230	Like I’m saying, we’re not needing a commission action. We’re not looking for a vote on the ideas. But if there was another type of criteria that you wanted us to evaluate and include in the first run of this, we just want to know that now. I think that’ll make this process a little faster. I don’t have anything to add. I would concur, yeah.

00:39:45,630	Consensus is that it looks appropriate to us to move forward. Okay. Thank you. Thank you Gabe. All right. Item E is to receive a presentation from Will Satler with Funatix events relating to the second annual Red, white and Boom 4th of July celebration at the MDU Resources Community Bowl. Good evening, Madam Chair.

00:40:11,270	Commissioners. Thank you for having me. My name is Wil Satler. I’m the general manager with Funatix Events. Um, as Madam Chair mentioned, I’m here to provide an update and extend an invite to the community to Bismarck’s Red, white and bloom celebration. The 4th of July celebration.

00:40:25,970	That is crazy to think that Saturday will be one week away from the 4th of July. So, uh, first I just wanted to throw back give kudos where kudos is due to Jason Tomanek.

00:40:42,800	Um, when we, uh, when finance was approached for this event in 2025, there were concerns that it would not be able to continue because of construction at the capital. Uh, he was one of the many people that gathered a group of community members and stakeholders to continue this event, um, for years. And I’m excited to share an update today of what 2026 is shaping up to be.

00:40:56,770	Uh, because if that if the event had died, we would not be here today for an awesome celebration coming up. So, um, uh, the basics, of course. The event is Saturday, July 4th. It’s the 4th of July celebration. It’ll take place at the MDU Resources Community Bowl on the Bismarck State College campus.

00:41:14,270	One call out here is that it won’t actually take place on the turf field at the Community Bowl. It’ll take place on The grass soccer field off to the side there. Um, gates will open at 6:00. Um, and it’ll wrap up roughly around 11:00 after the displays. Uh, what’s new this year? Of course it is. America’s 250th birthday. Uh, so it’s a milestone.

00:41:33,530	We only get to celebrate once. Uh, so we have three headline elements. Uh, we’ll have a drone light show from Sky elements. There will be our traditional, uh, display from J&J fireworks and awesome fireworks display, as well as the special presentation from the Bismarck Mandan Symphony Orchestra, who has been doing this for over 30 years.

00:41:52,330	So we’re excited to have them all back. Uh, from start to finish, there’ll be family programming, uh, local artist Savanna Benz and the Braveheart band will take the stage. Savannah is anticipated to start around 630 7:00.

00:42:08,800	Um, with Braveheart to follow and then the symphony to conclude the action on the stage. Uh, we have about an expanded lineup. I had to scratch up my list because we had two additional food and drink vendors. Join us today. Um, so we have over 14 food and drink vendors that will be on hand to serve the community.

00:42:24,670	And that does not include what also will be open the concession stand inside the bowl. So there’ll be options for everyone there. And complimentary water will be available. ABC Boat Docks is donating this while supplies last, so that’s an awesome addition for this year’s event. Um, the evening is built for families. There’ll be ten interactive inflatables.

00:42:43,470	There’ll be carnival style games, we’ll have creative stations and hands on activities. Uh, something for all ages. That’s what we’re really looking forward to here. Um, we heard the feedback from the community last year. Uh, we’ve added additional viewing screens for viewing the symphony performance and for viewing the displays throughout the night. Um, we’ve coordinated a huge kudos to the Bismarck Police Department.

00:43:02,730	There’ll be additional traffic control this year, which will help smooth and create an easy access or exit for people as they leave the event. That was a big focus for us.

00:43:20,270	Um, as well as the other many partners that we’ve worked with across the city, whether it’s Bismarck Fire Department, metro Area ambulance, uh, I even got to give a shout out to Gary Stocker to the emergency planner. Uh, we had an incredible meeting getting prepared for this event with all the different stakeholders that will help continue to keep this event safe.

00:43:35,700	Um, and one thing that was mentioned is that they were very thankful for everyone to get back together. I know they meet regularly, but to bring people together for this event is really what we’re aiming to do. And that was awesome. Um, the one one final thing I wanted to send this is not really a Funatix event. This is a community event.

00:43:50,400	There are many different stakeholders between the city of Bismarck, Burleigh County, Bismarck Parks and Recreation, the Bismarck Mandan CVB, the Bismarck Chamber Foundation, Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation, and many more that I failed to mention in 2025, we had over 8000 people join us on campus for this event, and we’re planning to have that, if not more, for an awesome celebration.

00:44:10,600	The best way to learn more? We have frequently asked questions on the website that’s beise.com. The number for th. Uh, or you can check out the Facebook page or Facebook event at Bismarck.

00:44:27,000	Red, white and boom! I do know we are working with Bismarck City Communications officials to get some additional information out on on platforms here in the coming days. So ultimately, I want to say thank you to the city and to this commission for standing behind this event. Um, and I’d be happy to answer any questions you guys might have. Any questions for Will. Commissioner Risch.

00:44:40,430	I just want to add that in great will. And I loved it last year and I the only issue bit was leaving with the traffic. And I’m glad you’re working on that. But for anybody that’s watching it, this is free. You don’t have to pay anything. It’s completely free.

00:44:55,670	So thank you for your work on this, and I really look forward to attending. Thank you Commissioner Yeah, I appreciate all the efforts that have gone into this. I sat in on a couple of the initial meetings when we were the conversation of moving it from the Capitol.

00:45:08,770	It’s been such a long standing of event that wasn’t going to be able to take place anymore. And I feel like last year, you know, the first go around at a new facility is always like you learn a lot of things.

00:45:19,500	And I feel like we learned a lot of things, and I just think it’s only going to be better this year. And it was already great last year, so I’m excited. All right. Thanks for good. Thank you. Will. Yeah thank you thank you, thank you.. All right. Item five is commissioner sendoff that I believe Jason has something. Good evening, chair Cleary. Mayor. Commissioners, let me get a bit of a.

00:45:49,800	Visual recollection of the last eight plus years. I got really excited when we got here. The room was full, and I thought, oh, they’re all here to hear my jokes. But then everybody left. So now I guess we’re just gonna have to do this one straight.

00:46:04,330	So, um, I need to start out by just saying, Commissioner Zenker, you’ve been here eight years, Commissioner Cleary, for years on behalf of the organization, on behalf of the community, the citizens here, we thank you for your time. We also need to be very mindful of the, uh, the commitments your families have offered as well.

00:46:21,370	We know that there are sporting events, family activities, a variety of things that occur on Tuesday nights, and sometimes your role here has to take your priorities. So we we need to recognize that your friends and family, uh, gave up some things along the way as well. And I think that’s important to to recognize that it’s more than just two meetings a month.

00:46:37,330	There’s a lot that goes on in this organization. We ask a lot of you for for your time and for your leadership and expertise and for that we need to say thank you. But if I can, I’d like to maybe just do a little a little bit of a walkthrough of a timeline.

00:46:51,730	What we’ve accomplished over the last eight years and four years, we’ve been busy, no doubt about it. And I think it’s it’s kind of interesting that we just ended our regular agenda. Talking about a half cent sales tax extension. Uh, we started in 2018, Commissioner Zenker with a half cent sales tax extension.

00:47:08,500	And I think it’s also worth noting that Commissioner Zenker, who has been here for eight years, has held the engineering portfolio that entire time. And I talked with Gabe this morning. Um, most of what Gabe said, I can’t repeat publicly, but he did say some nice things as well.

00:47:24,930	And, uh, I joke, of course, but, uh, I think it’s an important distinction to note that you held the engineering portfolio for that entire period of time, because there are some very significant accomplishments and projects that we’ve we’ve worked on as an organization. And, uh, in addition to 2018, half cent sales tax, we quickly drifted into water rates in 2019.

00:47:45,170	That was no small feat. Uh, we adopted a fleet plan in 2019, and we brushed off our strategic plan in 2019, and we converted Main Avenue from four lanes to three. So it was a busy year. In 2019.

00:48:04,900	I need to also mention we had a little discussion about 717 North Mandan Street in 2019, and that may or may not have caused Commissioner Cleary to want to get involved in local government. Um, of course, 2020 we didn’t welcome, but we dealt with a global pandemic and at the same time we refreshed our logo, our website, our communications efforts, and I think we are a better organization today because of the work that we did

00:48:25,670	collectively in 2020. Um, in 2021, again, with Commissioner Zenker help, we welcomed our first roundabout in Bismarck at 19th and 43rd Avenue, and that was something that Gabe had noted this morning that without your leadership and willingness to listen to all sides, we may not have those traffic improvement devices throughout our community.

00:48:47,600	So, um, 2019, 2021, sorry, was the first year we started talking about roundabouts in 2022. Who could forget? We celebrated 150 years with our sesquicentennial. We embarked on the new construction of public health and the expansion at Public Works. We also spent a little bit of time talking about the Highland Acres Historic District and its sidewalks.

00:49:07,800	Um, Gabe assured me that that conversation isn’t over yet either. We could always come back and revisit that in the future. Um, we started talking about riverfront development in 2022, and for those of you that have driven along River road lately, you have seen that we are well on our way to a brand new community space as well.

00:49:24,400	And so for your vision and your willingness to, uh, create a new public opportunity for engaging and enhancing the riverfront, we we’re very grateful for that as well.

00:49:44,830	Uh, speaking of the river, in 2022, we welcomed a new FEMA floodplain map, which kicked off a number of conversations, including one that we are continuing to have today with the South Bismarck Flood Control Project. Um, 2023. We cut the ribbon at Public Health and at Public Works for the additions there. We also welcomed a flock of bird scooters in 2023. Another engineering portfolio component. I think today they’re still here. Most people seem to find them as a good means of alternative transportation or recreation.

00:50:08,170	Uh, in 2024, you saw some new faces in the administration department, and some of you were part of the process that both Doug Wiles and I went through to earn the positions that we have today.

00:50:23,600	As your administrator and assistant administrator, we also say goodbye to a historic water tower in 2024. Um, and then we moved into garbage for 2025, where we got rid of extras. That was a pretty lively discussion. Um, and we created the bulk item collection. Uh, also in 2025, we began the land development code rewrite.

00:50:45,130	And for all of you, you remember very recently that that land development code was adopted and is talked about earlier. It will be implemented in October of this year. Uh, that was a generational project for this organization, no doubt about it. And we know that you were a big part of that as well. I have to mention chickens.

00:51:05,830	Um, twice we went through the chicken process and both times, um, I guess we decided not to have chickens. So I felt the need to mention that, um, again, Commissioner Zenker, in 2025, you helped us with a strategic plan. And as will just mentioned, we started the first ever 4th of July celebration at the MDU Resources Community Bowl.

00:51:23,530	And this year, the commission has chose to invest in that, um, celebration again. And for that, I think many of us are grateful. And and the community will appreciate that, whether they realize you were part of that or not. Uh, also in 2026, we said goodbye to a good chunk of the ETA.

00:51:41,530	Uh, that has been a discussion that has been long, uh, long, uh, much long had for many, many of us over the years. Um, 20, 26, as we as I mentioned earlier, the voter approved half cent sales tax extension. So that will keep us very active in that discussion as we go forward.

00:52:03,400	And and the commission behind you works to implement the recommendations and the goals of that as well. Uh, we didn’t get it all done. Obviously, we still have plenty of work to do. And the street utility fee is something that we will likely talk about with our new commission. We will continue to work on the Community triage center.

00:52:20,500	The expansion at the airport, police department headquarters, fire station six, and one that we probably didn’t share with you yet, but I’ll let the cat out of the bag. We’re looking at how to better renovate this building. As Burleigh County exits this property in 2027, so that’ll be a project that we’ll pick up on, um, in the future.

00:52:36,530	So I guess with all of that, it’s it’s a pretty sizable task. And now I realize I’ve left your items at my table. Hold on. So.

00:53:00,170	In addition to the lovely city of Bismarck hockey jerseys that you, uh, took with you last week, we also have, uh, a plaque for each of you, and you can put this in your showcase or your, uh, time capsule or whatever it says or whatever you got.

00:53:17,270	But it says in this case, I’ll just read Commissioner Zenker, it says, presented to Commissioner Greg Zenker, Bismarck City Commission, thank you for your hard work and outstanding dedication to the city of Bismarck. 2018 through 2026. Commissioner Cleary years, of course, would say 2022 through 2026, and it would have your name instead of Commissioner Zenker. So we will give these to you as you depart us. Um, I certainly need to give you time to offer any remarks that you might wish to bestow upon us.

00:53:35,870	But on behalf of the organization, on behalf of all the staff, on behalf of the the citizens in this community, I just want to say thank you to both of you for your time.

00:53:50,800	We know it’s not easy to put your neck out there and run for something, and not every decision you make is popular or unanimous. And so, um, just a word of gratitude for both of you and best of luck as you go forward and do your thing. So I have both of your cell phone numbers. You have mine. So I trust that we will keep in communication.

00:54:07,330	And with that, I would get away from the podium and offer an opportunity for both of you to share your thoughts. I guess I don’t have much to say other than I just would like to say thank you to all the staff that I’ve gotten to work with over the last four years.

00:54:24,400	I got to participate in quite a few, uh, hiring processes for directors and watch kind of a shift in leadership at the city that I think has left us in a really great position.

00:54:42,900	Um, I think it’s really easy to sit in this chair and have, um, some level of imposter syndrome where you question decisions that you’re making. And I think that I’ve always felt confident in the choices that we’ve made for our community. And a lot of that comes back to the support that I’ve had from staff, uh, educating me, helping me through the process of being able to make those decisions and feel good about them.

00:54:58,900	So I’m just very thankful for the staff I’ve gotten to work with over the last four years. You hear it from the Citizens Academy every time they’re here, but, uh, our organization is so fortunate to have such great leaders and staff members, and I just would like to echo that on my way out.

00:55:15,670	So thank you for all of your time that you put in. I wrote some stuff down because I knew I’d forget some stuff. So obviously I just want everybody to take a look at those first pictures.

00:55:31,170	I had way less gray hair than I do today, so it has nothing to do with my wife. And 30 years. It’s almost 31 years of marriage. It really has stuff to do with the city. No, I’m kidding. Um, um, I do as I go out. Um, I do want to express gratitude to the citizens of Bismarck.

00:55:47,470	It’s not easy, you know, just to be a little bit tough today. I’m all in kind of guy. But it’s game time. It’s game time. And that’s the way I roll. Um, it’s. It’s tough to get elected the first time.

00:56:03,830	And I was lucky enough to get elected both times that I ran. So I’m very, very fortunate. Um, I want to thank my fellow commissioners and mayors. Um, I’ll miss our our conversations. Obviously, we don’t talk about city stuff when we’re having those conversations, right.

00:56:21,470	It’s just back and forth, and I’m 100% sure you’re going to miss my dad. One liners that I give you, because it’s really important that you get the knowledge that I had. Right. Um, city staff, you’re fantastic.

00:56:41,330	Um, it’s really hard to make a large city like this run every day, and it’s super hard when when things get a little crazy, right? There’s been a couple of times we’ve walked out of these meetings a little bit later, and all of a sudden there’s three and a half or 4 or 5in of rain that comes and water’s running where it’s not supposed to, you know? So I appreciate those times when

00:56:53,730	it’s chaotic and and city staff gets after it. Um, to the portfolios that I have held over the past eight years. Um, you found out what it’s like to be on the Z team. I’m a hands on kind of guy with a with a quadruple A personality. Um, I don’t have a lot of patience.

00:57:09,500	My family can attest to that. Um, but I had to learn some patience just because of how government works, you know? So, um, I’m sure. I’m sure I tested your patience with the amount of questions that I had for you. Or the challenges that I made you endure.

00:57:25,670	But, um, on the bright side is we all got through it, and we’re better for it today. This is really going to get tough here, Gabe. Big fella, eight years. I really don’t know if you took it.

00:57:42,870	If you had the short straw or if you just took one for the team for eight years. So I had to write this stuff down because I had to just babbled through it.

00:57:55,900	I will I will miss our our days and conversations that we had when we had our big topics like, how are we going to get some of these stuff done when that when that half cent sales tax first was passed and it was accelerated and we had to we had to do interviews and get the project going. And 43rd was the first one that got done. Um, it was fantastic. And again, that was, that was approved by the citizens.

00:58:14,530	And the citizens trusted us the second time to get it done. That half cent sales tax has been one of the proudest things that I’ve been accomplished through through my eight years. Finally, to my wife, stand up, stand up.

00:58:34,800	This is a lady who held our family together for eight years when I wasn’t at home, supper was always ready for you. It’d be a text day. I didn’t want to make supper. So pick something up. Which is okay. It’s not a big deal. Sometimes it would be in a. It would be in a the oven. Those types of things. She held it all together for eight years.

00:58:50,400	She did some things she probably didn’t want to do, but she always supported me. Um, last year was 30 years of marriage and we couldn’t go on a vacation because it’s commission stuff and those types of things.

00:59:06,800	So, um, the first thing that happened when I told her I’m not running and she scheduled a 30 year anniversary trip on her 31st year. It’s all about timing. Sometimes. So finally, I’m going to leave you with two thoughts. One, I’m not leaving the city of Bismarck, and don’t be surprised if I’m on the other side of that podium.

00:59:25,830	Okay? And if you ever get in trouble, if you’re ever wondering what you should do, what decision you should make, it’s WW g d what would Greg do? Okay? And that will get you out of a lot of trouble. So with that, I’m sorry, I was a little teary eyed. I’m a little soft at 54. Um, but thank you. Thank you to everybody in this room.

00:59:46,330	Everybody that I asked a question to, um, the citizens who would call me and trust me, citizens who would call and yell at me. Those are all things that go with the job. I did it to my best of my ability. And, um, I look forward to leaving you guys here. So thank you.

01:00:12,970	Can I say something? Yes, absolutely. I just want to say thank both you, Commissioner Cleary and Commissioner Zenker for your public service and for teaching me a lot of things. I worked with you on finance. You taught me so many things about zoning and engineering projects and all of that. Even if you did vote wrong on a chicken thing.

01:00:31,130	But. um, this is a big loss. This is our most experienced team that’s leaving now, so. But we’ve got a couple of good or new commissioners coming in, but it’s it’s it’s a lot to know. And you guys help me along the way and you’ve easily amused.

01:00:48,270	I get you to chuckle once in a while. So anyway, all the thanks again and all the best as you proceed forward and whatever life brings you. Thank you, Commissioner Resch. We would like to also thank both Commissioner Cleary and Zenker. Um, Commissioner Zenker and I go back a long ways.

01:01:05,330	Uh, he coached my kids, and so I know, I know his passion. And I really do appreciate it. And, Commissioner Cleary, you and my son were in the same class, so I appreciate everything you both have brought to the city of Bismarck.

01:01:23,200	And as Commissioner, you both have mentioned, it’s not easy to put your name out there on the ballot. And it’s we’ve been rewarded by your by your service as a city. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Yes. Commissioner Conaway.

01:01:42,670	I’d also like to echo the thoughts of everybody as far as thanking you both for running and, um, it’s an interesting path to lead. Um, but a huge thanks to Commissioner Zenker. You were the one that appointed that approved or made the motion to appoint me, and it was a touch and go thing.

01:02:00,870	It was a two two tie for a long time, and you stuck to your guns and I’ll, I’ll, I’ll hold you in high regard for that. And we don’t always agree. And we’re passionate about that. But, um, I appreciate it. And, um, thank you both for what you’ve done. Thank you. Thank you. I think we can move on to other business.

01:02:22,200	If anyone has anything else we need to discuss. Not hearing anything from the mayor. So I believe we