00:00:00,000	Yep. Okay. Roll call please. Mayor Berglund Commissioner Tokach. Yes. Commissioner Bakken. Mayor. Schmitz. Here. And vice chair Mayor Froelich. Here. We’ll move on to public comment. Are there any public comments? If not, we’ll move on to the consent agenda. Entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda. So moved. Moved to approve as presented. Motion by Commissioner Tokach.

00:00:54,870	Second by Mayor Schmitz. Roll call please. Any further discussion? None. Roll call please. Commissioner Tokach. Yes. Mayor. Schmitz. Yes. Yes. And vice chair. Mayor Froelich. Yes. We’ll move on to the regular agenda. Attack addendum amendment for Mandan signalized intersection data collection. Kim. Thank you very much. Chair Mayor Froelich.

00:01:28,600	Members of the board. Uh, exhibit RC in your packet beginning on page 19, is the attack amendment to the Mandan signalized Intersection data collection addendum. Uh, let me. I’m sorry, I’m not sharing screen. Actually. There we go. Uh, this is, uh, an addendum or an amendment to a current addendum that we have with attack.

00:02:06,000	Our current addendum includes traffic data collection and inclusion on the attack traffic analysis tool for up to five signalized intersections in Mandan. Currently. Now, with the nearing completion of the Memorial Highway reconstruction project, and also to provide the most robust and accurate collection of data possible for our 2027 update to the travel demand model, we are proposing

00:02:28,000	to add three additional Mandan signalized intersections to this project. Through this particular amendment, the total project cost of this amendment to add those three intersections is $9,828. The MPO would be paying the 80% federal amount of 78, 62, 40, and the city of Mandan would provide the 20% local match of $1,965.60.

00:03:01,530	If approved, this project is set to begin immediately with the setup and the calibration of the three additional locations, and it would conclude with the, um. The project at, at or before December 31st, uh, so that we would be able to build that out prior to the close of the year.

00:03:21,870	However, the benefits from having this on a tax traffic data analysis tool are lasting so that enables our jurisdictions and other entities around the state to, uh, to access that data that has been collected and to access analysis of the data on an ongoing basis. Um, Mandan indicated that this was a very beneficial project for them.

00:03:50,070	Yesterday at the TAC meeting, this project is included as part of the overall traffic data collection and analysis project that is in the UPW. Uh, it was uh, administratively added to the UPW last month, and TAC did recommend approval of this project.

00:04:15,330	Staff is requesting approval for the amendment to the addendum for the three additional Mandan locations, and I would be happy to answer any questions should there be any. Any questions for Kim? If not, what are your wishes? Commissioners? Mr. chairman, I move to approve the, uh, attack Addendum Amendment as presented. Motion by Commissioner Tokach. Do we have a second? Second. Second. By mayor Schmitz. Any further discussion? Hearing none. Roll call please. Commissioner Tokach. Yes. Mayor. Schmitz. Yes. Yes.

00:04:55,800	And vice chair Mayor Froelich. Yes. Move on to the 2027 2028 Unified Planning Work Program. Final adoption. Kim. Thank you. Chair Mayor Froelich members of the board. Uh, the draft 2027 2028 PWP was introduced to and approved as a draft by TAC and Policy Board in June.

00:05:19,830	Since then, North Dakota Dot has provided comments in addition to those that were received by TAC in June. All the comments have been received, addressed and have resulted in some changes to the draft document, which I will detail for you here today. Changes included textual modifications to provide clarity.

00:05:42,700	Clarity, along with either the addition of new tables within program areas or providing additional information in existing tables within the document. None of the revisions were of a significant enough nature to alter the intent that was conveyed by the original draft document, nor were funding totals or cost share breakdowns modified at all. Uh, actually, I think that you’ll find the revisions pretty helpful.

00:06:05,130	Making the information in the document clearer and more easily understandable. So we’ll go through a few of those right now, uh, beginning on page four of the document, you can see we have the meetings tables and the dates of the TAC meetings that don’t adhere to the standard third Monday of the

00:06:21,270	month have been bolded. So you’ll see January, February, and then January and June of 2028 have been bolded. Just to call them out a little bit. Um. Further on page seven. Uh. We have a revenue funding source table that was existing.

00:06:50,730	We’ve just modified that to include a total revenues at the very bottom for both years 2027 and 2028. Moving on to page nine of the document we’re at, uh, details the Up amendment guidance. This is based on the CFR, and we have added number nine and number ten as Code of Federal Regulation citations.

00:07:19,900	Um, in events that do require prior prior approval of our federal or passed through entities. And on the following page, we provided an additional paragraph at the very top of the page. Uh, it talks about amendments and the process that will be followed in providing amendment and notification. Uh, and when they do become approved. On page 12, we do have a table that was existing.

00:07:59,930	This is the MTP goals table. And we’ve just provided some headings on this, um, to kind of provide some clarification as to what some of those numbers mean and, and what the X’s mean under the numbers. Moving on to page 14.

00:08:18,070	We’re now getting into the task categories or the program areas of the UPW. And you’ll see in task 100 administration, we’ve got a couple of tables at the bottom that we’ve added. Uh, these are for 2027 and 2028.

00:08:43,670	Uh, basically these tables, uh, show the total federal and local funding amounts, um, as a breakdown, if we actually I skipped over a couple of other things. There were three changes on this particular page up at the very top in the paragraph that’s titled purpose. Uh, we did add some language to provide clarification.

00:09:05,600	It says that this task uses transportation performance management processes and follows performance based planning and programming practices that was existing text, but we also added cost estimates within this task include only the salaries, wages and benefits paid to staff for their time spent administering the activities identified within. We wanted to make it clear that the costs that are estimated for task 100 are for salaries, benefits and wages only and not the costs of um, uh, exercising the activities.

00:09:30,670	Um, and additionally, under proposed work, we also stated that the following tables provide cost estimates for total staff time allocated to activities such as those related to MPO core products and documents, transportation studies, data collection, vendor procurement, transit, and general administration activities requiring staff engagement and time. Uh, we’ll jump ahead a few pages here.

00:09:58,470	Moving on to task 200 are program area 200 of the UPnP, which includes all of our projects and studies. For the two years. You can see that on the tables and the following three pages, we have added, uh, project identification numbers for each of the product or projects that is listed in these tables.

00:10:23,000	Uh, this was to assist, um, in providing a bit of clarification in our reporting to North Dakota Dot, and also to assist North Dakota Dot with their tracking of our projects. Um. Let’s see. I’m sorry, I’m scrolling down a little bit here. Following in the task 300 program area, we have two new tables.

00:10:55,630	Again, uh, these tables were added to show the total federal and local funding amounts for each specific activity or expenditure category within the 300 program areas. Those tables have been provided for both 2027 and 2028. Uh.

00:11:28,070	In the appendix, we have some text that has been added regarding, uh, expectations from consultants and other firms that are interested in providing services to the MPO. Uh, we are notifying them within our UPW, uh, that they need to prepare all final deliverables to be wcaG or website content Accessibility guidelines compliant. And then we do detail that throughout the paragraph in how that can be achieved and tested.

00:11:50,600	And moving into our final changes, we will be looking at our budget tables for 2027 and 2028. Um, the same changes were made to each of these tables. Uh, the both years have been revised to include identifier numbers for all the activities or projects within each task area.

00:12:15,800	So we brought those project ID numbers over and put them into our budget tables for easy identification. Um, also, the tables have been updated. Uh, just some semantics here. Putting dollar signs in areas where, uh, the numbers indicated dollar amounts or funding amounts.

00:12:38,670	Uh, and we also added some shaded rows between the tasks to help delineate one task from another. Uh, overall, the table of content would be updated to reflect all the proper pages. If this document were approved today.

00:12:57,870	Um, and additionally, the cover will be changed to reflect that it is a final document rather than draft and the footer of the document would be updated to reflect the adoption date of August 2026. Now, this is a document that does rise to the level of being adopted by resolution for its approval. And it did recommend yesterday that the Policy Board adopt by resolution the 2027 2028 UPW as presented.

00:13:23,130	But I would be happy to stand for any questions or comments on the document. Any questions for Kim? If not, what are your wishes? Mr. chairman, I moved to approve the final adoption of the 2027 2028 Unified Planning Work Program. Uh, as exhibited or as presented. Excuse me, including exhibit R through D. Second, second. Motion by Commissioner Tokach. Second by mayor Schmitz.

00:14:10,930	Any further discussion? Hearing none. Roll call please. Commissioner Tokach. Yes. Mayor. Schmitz. Yes. And vice chair Mayor Froelich. Yes. We’ll move on to item number nine, the 2026 Fringe Area Road Master plan. Joel. Good afternoon.

00:14:36,530	Can you all hear me? Okay, I just want to make sure, since I’m the first person outside of staff that audio is working. Okay. Very good. I’m going to go ahead and share a very brief update with everyone today.

00:14:56,800	Uh, mostly to let you know that the plan draft, uh, both a document and a map of the network that is really the kind of heart of this fringe area road master plan, um, are both available for public comment right now. We started a public review period yesterday and have both a draft report available on a on a website that has hosted other project materials and will be linked through the MPOs website.

00:15:17,670	But we also have a viewable dynamic map that allows users to look at that map and get some information on a particular link of the fringe area road network, and leave a comment there, and I’ll show those both in a second. We’ve got them up live now, so I’ll pull them up on screen.

00:15:34,870	But just to give a quick update of where we are with this, um, this was starting, um, actually got started yesterday and we have this set up, like I said, to give more information on the roadway network specifically so people can comment directly on this map, but they can also view the draft report document, which is linked right next to it on the project website.

00:15:51,400	And there’s a simple survey based tool to capture comments on that as well. So we’re going to have that running for a month and we’ll give some more specific dates here at the end of this update. A couple of things from a thematic standpoint that came from our last coordination with the steering committee that really helped to kind of refine the overall direction of the plan.

00:16:08,930	Um, this plan has been kind of evolving, as we’ve shared with you in these updates and has been really focused on trying to keep the network updated with current, uh, current roads that have happened through recent development, but also come back to some questions about bigger process and regional priorities.

00:16:31,030	Uh, so one of those was, you know, starting to take a look at, um, just how far out this network prescribes new streets to be added with development and the types of streets and whether or not we needed to have arterials, which tend to have a much greater right of way, dedication, um, spaced as frequently as they were in the

00:16:48,000	plan. But the steering committee feedback and consensus was generally, yes, let’s keep that, because it gives us a lot more flexibility. We haven’t been getting, you know, enough pressure from the development community to see a great need to change this. Everyone seems to understand it and it’s working.

00:17:04,530	So, um, let’s, let’s keep what we’ve got because it’s working well, not only to give us space to grow in the future, if we do need to make, um, roadway capacity enhancements later on, but also to work with what we have today when we’re dealing with some challenges.

00:17:20,470	If you’ve got more space within your right of way, you can take on engineering solutions to challenges of terrain or other physical features that are a lot harder to fit within right of way. So having more is better. We’re kind of reverting to that and some other feedback that we got.

00:17:35,700	Uh, that was also actually shared in this group with the policy board last month, was that we want to try to keep this process for the MPO. Having a voice in, um, transportation impacts on, on land development with the member jurisdictions. We want to keep that process as simple as possible and not add too much time to it.

00:17:55,330	So we took that to heart and a series of kind of process steps that we had proposed that all member jurisdictions could use uniformly. You know, we’ve kind of streamlined those and trimmed those down to where this will fit within the existing kind of timelines. It was always the intent to to do that and not add more time.

00:18:10,670	We’ve made a few little, uh, you know, refinements here and there to, to reduce that. The biggest of those is that if the MPO is commenting and the Technical Advisory Committee wants to point out some specific concerns with the development, uh, the policy board would be able to hear

00:18:27,830	that and comment on it as well in the same month. We don’t have to add another month to the process. So this will really be staff in the member jurisdictions working together to come up with some items for the policy board to review.

00:18:44,200	At the same time, the TAC is and really work out any, you know, big decision points. That’s not the point of doing this. It’s really to make sure that the region is thinking together as a region.

00:19:01,530	And if development is, um, bringing some questions or new challenges to any of the network roads that might serve the overall region that we are thinking about those together and not making too many individual decisions. And then the overall public comment period, it’s going to be running through September 16th. We give 30 days as per the standard with MPO documents. Um, we will be, uh, documenting any of the comments that we get and how those comments were addressed.

00:19:21,330	If there’s any changes that need to be made to the plan, and then we’ll be distributing these materials again to the TAC and Policy Board, as well as the member jurisdictions.

00:19:36,530	We’re going through a cycle of presenting this to the member jurisdictions and getting them to vote on it and adopt this plan before this comes back to the MPO, TAC and Policy Board in the October meetings. So with that, I’m happy to answer any questions. I will really quickly, uh, just show you the going to wait for my screen to adjust here, but I’ll show you the the website, which is up here.

00:19:58,100	So this is the project website that provides links to viewing the draft plan, commenting on the draft plan, and then the interactive comment map that’s here. Um, I’ll show you in a little bit more zoomed in detail. So this is giving you the full fringe area road master plan network.

00:20:17,970	Um, it’s symbolizing the network by whether something exists today or if it’s still a planned and unbuilt road. So this is tracking with development that’s happened and trying to show everything is up to date as possible with with where subdivisions have been added.

00:20:35,330	But if you click on anything, you get a little bit of information about what that road is, where it came from, if it’s being retained from the last farm, P if it’s something that was developed in this one. We’ve also kind of merged together. The Bismarck major streets plan.

00:20:52,930	So anything basically within the city of Bismarck or its ETA would tell you this is a corridor that originated in the major streets plan that’s going to be under Bismarck’s jurisdiction to, um, you know, to to review for development and any impacts on development or adding new streets.

00:21:09,170	But we’re trying to give that, um, sort of background so that people understand why Bismarck is here as well, when this is really supposed to be looking at the fringe area overall. Another thing I want to point out is that where we’ve had some changes to the plan from, um, from amendments that local, local jurisdictions have approved, we note those as well.

00:21:25,730	So we’re not just showing what’s built and what’s still unbuilt and planned. We’re also showing previous farm P links that have been removed from the plan because of a change. Or, you know, a land use decision and giving some information on that so that somebody viewing this map could see right away.

00:21:40,730	Okay, I get it. This is removed. It’s because of a past decision. It’s been moved and superseded somewhere else. And we’re leaving that kind of paper trail of how the plan evolved. So I’m happy to take any questions from you. Um, our update next week. Next month. I’m sorry.

00:21:57,070	We’ll be very brief because we’ll just be finishing up the comment period then. So, uh, staff will give a quick update then, and then we’ll look forward to being in front of you again in October. Uh, with the, um, the support of the member jurisdictions as we’ve gone through the presentation cycles to them. Any questions for Joel? None. Thank you. Joel. All right. Thank you.

00:22:25,830	Move on to transit development plan. Aaron. Good afternoon. I just have a brief verbal update for you all today on the transit development plan. So the Transit development plan, or TDP, is well underway at this point, and we’re excited to be holding the first steering committee meeting tomorrow afternoon.

00:22:51,070	Actually, uh, and just as a refresher, the steering committee will include representatives from the MPO and transit local jurisdictions, uh, state and federal partners, community organizations, and then transit riders as well.

00:23:08,830	And the ultimate goal over the course of the four meetings that we’ll have with the steering committee is really just to help guide the planning process, and tomorrow will be focused on reviewing some of the existing conditions analysis, and then providing some feedback on the engagement plan, and then really diving into issues and opportunities. Discussion.

00:23:31,000	In addition to that, we’re currently completing the existing conditions assessment and some of the early findings from that are showing strong post-pandemic recovery. With 2025 ridership levels exceeding, um, pre-pandemic levels and overall system productivity continues to improve. Um system wide and early data from the April 2026 service changes, which I know Deidra has provided updates on, as well as showing some strong ridership gains compared to that same period last year.

00:23:55,530	From May to April or, um, April to May, same time period. Uh, our assessment will also include a demographic review and understanding of areas where there might be a higher transit need throughout the region.

00:24:18,400	Um, and this is based on several factors like poverty levels, households that don’t have vehicles, uh, population density, senior youth populations. And, um, we’ll be reviewing that in comparison to the existing transit network to see how well those groups and areas are being served today. Um, and on that note, I’ll just note that a more detailed existing conditions update will be provided at a future board meeting.

00:24:37,130	Uh, once we kind of wrap up that process and provide the reports for that. Uh, so over the coming months, we’ll continue focusing on identifying issues and opportunities, conducting some of our stakeholder and public engagement this fall.

00:24:59,600	Um, hosting a on hand or hands on planning workshop, uh, with the steering committee and a few others to really help shape future transit recommendations and explore some different scenarios as we look at the future transit network. Uh, we do anticipate bringing service concepts and engagement results back to the board, uh, for discussion early next year. And that’ll be in addition to the monthly updates that we have just on general progress updates as the project continues. With that, I’ll take any questions. Any questions for Aaron.

00:25:25,200	Hearing none. Thank you Aaron. Thank you. We’ll move on to traffic data collection and analysis. Kim. Mayor.. The traffic data Collection and analysis project was presented last month as an RFP to the board.

00:25:57,200	It was released in July, and the deadline for proposals for that particular project were due last Friday, August 14th at 4 p.m.. The Traffic Data collection project is not to exceed $37,000. Project, which will include collection at up to 40 locations within Bismarck and um, uh, Outer Bismarck in Burleigh County, uh, and also traffic data collection to include volumes at all locations.

00:26:26,600	Some locations will include pedestrian counts and also turn movements when appropriate. And all of this information will be analyzed and compiled for use in our 2027 Travel Demand Model update that will occur early in 2027.

00:26:50,900	So this project will begin as soon as, um, a consultant is selected and it will conclude by about December 31st of this year. So that we have all of that data available and ready to use in early 27. Uh, again, with the deadline on Friday, we received six responsive proposals, which, um, far exceeded what we were actually expecting.

00:27:11,470	So that kind of puts us into a cutdown scenario where we typically interview 3 to 5 firms. Um, and so our selection committee will be undergoing the qualifications based selection process to provide a cut down. And then we’ll proceed with interviews between August 31st and September 3rd. So this time next month, we’ll have more information for you on a consultant. Thank you.

00:27:38,130	Kim, there is no other business in front of the board. And with that, we are