March 26, 2025 • 39 mins
Mary Van Sickle talks to Jason Tomanek about the Bismarck City Commission meeting that took place on 3/25/25.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
City Current, produced by Dakoda Media Access in depth discussion
with Bismarck and Mandan city officials. Watch on Government Access
Channel six oh two HD or tune in to Radio
Access one O two point five FM, Always Local, Always Current.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Welcome to City Current. I'm Mary van Sikel, and this
is a Bismarck edition of City Current where we are
talking about the City Commission actions and highlights of their
meeting last night. But it's a special edition as well,
because you can probably tell if you're watching on a screen.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
We have three people at the.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Table and just want to announce our new executive director,
Tom Gerhard is joining us today for the first time.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
Well thanks Mary, I think she's burying the lead though,
right Jason, Well, big news is that after twenty five years,
you are moving on.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
I am I am time to time to, like you say,
move on and find some other adventures.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Not using the word retire, we found we found no
no so I as someone who grew up born in Bismarck.
Thanks for everything you've done for over two decades and
as you'll find out getting to know me. I started
working at ben Community Access TV when I was in
high school and college locally and so I know where
(01:31):
things were when this organization started to where they are now,
and you could.
Speaker 5 (01:36):
Come a long way, baby, I think is the expression.
But yeah, it's twenty five years doing anything is pretty outstanding.
I can say that I subscribe to the idea that
you should leave it better than you found it, and
I think you can absolutely say that about the work
that you've done here. I think it's just been tremendous
Dakota media access for us as an organization for local government.
(01:59):
I say that a lot. It is the way we
demonstrate transparency.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
It is the way that.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
We show who we are. We talk about what we're doing,
We put it all out there, and we wouldn't be
able to do that if it wasn't for this organization,
the work you've put in, the work that this team
is dedicated to, and for that we all need to
say thank you. It is it is just exceptional that
a town this size, bis Mark and Man in this
community has this much access to local government at their fingertips.
(02:26):
And for that, Mary, you should.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Take about oh thank you.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
And you mentioned the team and that is hypercritical here
because we really have a great team of people here
that make it make this work. And you know Tom
mentioned his history. That's why he's such a good fit
because I mean, in high school he's working at Community
Access Television, which is so ironic because here he.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Is, how many years later.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
I won't I won't date you, Tom, but you know
that's kind of crazy that it's kind of come full circle.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
That's why you're super qualified.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
And then obviously you're broadcasting experience and lobbying experience make
you such a good fit. So we're really confident that
we've picked the right person to move forward. And Jason,
you and I have had a relationship.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
For a long time.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
I remember when you started as a planner in the
City Department and you and I was with Bismarck Man
and Development Association, and we were talking constantly about downtown
and some of the advancements down there. And you still
are that's still I think in your heart.
Speaker 5 (03:30):
Yeah, it is and will always be. And that's that
was one of the reasons I was hired was to
focus my efforts on the downtown revitalization. And there was
it wasn't just me, obviously, there was a lot of
people working towards that common goal and still working towards
that goal. Yeah, so it's we could reminisce all day.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Oh I could, we could, but we are here as
always to talk about that City Commission meeting last night
and it wasn't a huge agenda, but there were some
fun things and let Tom kind of take the lead
on this.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Yeah, a couple meetings last night, public Health, right quick
meeting to kick things off, just give us an update
what happened there. Renee kind of got a curve ball
shortly before the mession she started.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
She did. And so our Board of Health is for
anybody that's not quite sure. The Board of Health is
also the City Commission, or the City Commission is the
Board of Health. It's very interchangeable. The Board of Health
meets somewhat regularly throughout the year. Typically it's Renee providing
updates on what the Public Health department is working on.
And last night she had provided an update on their
(04:30):
Community Health Needs Assessment, which is a project they do
about every three years, and as the name describes, it's
looking at what are the areas of public health should
be focusing on over the next two to three years.
It's in many ways a roadmap and a pulse of
where are the services in the community needed. But to
your point, Tom, the curveball that Renee got just with
(04:52):
not even an hour prior to the meeting relates to funding.
That was part of the agenda that she was going
to discuss us last night with the Board of Health,
and it was relating to the community Triage center. And
for people that have been following along with this discussion
of public health, mental health, behavioral health, homelessness, it's all
(05:14):
blended together in this response that was intended to be
the community triage center. The news that Renee got yesterday
just moments before the meeting was that the funding that
was going to be paying for the contract to award
one hundred thousand dollars to the Health Management Associates their
work was going to be the technical support to develop
(05:36):
this community triage center. So this was a very important
first step to move that project forward. And unfortunately, due
to the disruptions at the Washington d C level, that
federal grant dollars that would trickle down through the state
into local public health is no longer available. So that
was a devastating blow for Renee and for the team
(05:58):
of public Health. They put a lot of time in
energy into this community Trioge project. I'm not here to
say that the project is going to cease. I'm here
to say that the funding that we had anticipated is
no longer available, and so we will look at other
avenues and other ways to explore moving forward, pivot. That's
all we can do.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Yeah, that's unfortunate.
Speaker 5 (06:17):
It's still a need in the community, and so much
work has gone to this point. We're not just going
to put it on the shelf. We're going to dig
in and see how we can find a way to
make it still happen.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Well, I would assume that this is a situation that's
hitting many communities past country right now, with a lot
of federal dollars on hold and probably suspended, but hopefully
just a temporary thing that some of these things can
get fleshed out over time.
Speaker 5 (06:42):
But a first hand reminder of how we do live
and die by the federal dollars as well. It's not
just local tax dollars that are going into some of
our departments and programs. It's state money. It's federal money
that ends up being grants for us.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
Okay, so all right.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Well, there was a consent agen a big number of
items on that consent, but nothing was really pulled for discussion.
So we'll jump right into the regular agenda for the evening.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
And one of the.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Things that we just wanted to mention, just kind of
give a heads up to the community is another big
intersection being looked at this summer. New traffic signal lights
and all of that happening at Washington Street.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
And Front Avenue.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
So right, yeah, Bab Shelley, your engineer came forward and
gave a little report in this one.
Speaker 5 (07:30):
Bids were a little higher than anticipated, but due to
some cost savings with other projects, it still fits within
the total construction budget for twenty twenty five. So we
will see a new series of traffic signals Washington in front.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Yeah, we could pop up a map if we could
get that on the screen and kind of show people.
Obviously it's a big intersection here in town. You got
the municipal bar park right there as well, so lots
of activity, but needs a little bit of help.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
As far as the signal they're dated. This will bring
the signals up to the current standards with all the
other controllers and systems within the city. And as we've
learned over the years, sometimes these the poles themselves deteriorate,
they rust out, and they need to be replaced. And
so the new traffic signals that are going in, instead
(08:18):
of them being a material that can rust, it's a
galvanized aluminum and so they don't need to be painted.
There's very little maintenance that goes into them, and the
lifespan is hopefully longer than the original polls that we've
been seeing for generations.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
So this will be accompanied by many road projects this summer,
and we're looking at Front Avenue also standing some of
the street street escape elements all through that area, and
Third Street Street have a big, a big chunk of
work on it.
Speaker 5 (08:49):
Fifth Street as well. You'll see some pedestrian amenities, some
new landscaping, some adjustments to lighting as well.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
So I always like those less static improvements rather than
it's kind of like replacing your furnace in your house.
That's not too exciting, but getting new furniture or whatever
is always a little.
Speaker 5 (09:06):
It's nice to see some improvements, not just know they're
there or they're underground. I mean, we do a lot
of underground improvements, but it's nice when for sure is
a refresh.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Yeah, aesthetics, So yeah, looking forward to that.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Continuing with the agenda. Fourth of July Celebration update, you
came to the podium, There wasn't a lot you could
really say at this point, but it's important just to
let people know it's being worked.
Speaker 5 (09:29):
One it is and I guess that was the message
last night is where are we and how did we
get here? And what I'd really like to be able
to tell everybody is where we're going. But we need
to finalize a few more things before we can do
the big reveal. But I guess the message I wanted
the commissioners to hear last night is this conversation has
really been going on for about nine months, and it
(09:49):
started last summer as we the city were going through
our process to develop our budgets for twenty twenty five. Historically,
the City of Bismarck has paid for the fireworks display
at the Capitol Grounds. Everything else that you've enjoyed at
the Capitol Grounds has been compliments of the Bismarck Manda
and Symphony Orchestra, and so we certainly want to recognize
all the work that goes into this. It's more than
(10:10):
just simply showing up and performing. There's a symphony of
coordination that goes on to make these things happen. But
in a conversation that I had with the executive director
of bismark man In Symphony Orchestra, Mike Gardner, I reached
out to Mike and said, Hey, are we going to
be budgeting for fireworks in twenty twenty five? And Mike said, well,
(10:33):
you know, we kind of really hadn't planned on going
forward with this event, and in fact, in twenty twenty
four they were really not sure if it was the
right thing to do to fulfill the mission of the symphony.
But thanks to some volunteers and some donations, twenty twenty
four went off without a hitch. But as a citizen
of Bismarck, as a resident here, a person that has
(10:53):
enjoyed countless Fourth of July events at the Capitol Grounds,
I just didn't want to accept the fact that we
might not have something to look forward to in July,
and so I called a few community stakeholders, friends that
we work with a lot, whether it be the Chamber,
the downtown Ers, the Convention of Visitors Bureau, even called
John Bollinger with the Larks and said, hey, does this
(11:17):
sound like something we would want to try and elevate
or something we want to try and preserve in one
way or another, and we've explored a lot of different options. Obviously,
there's construction that's taking place at the Capitol Grounds, which
makes things a little challenging at that location. It's about
all I'm gonna say right now.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
You did mention last night without going into detail, that
maybe updating or diversifying activities if we're able to pull
something off that, you're kind of looking the fresh.
Speaker 6 (11:47):
And we are.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
Yes. I think the term you hear in the restaurant
world and the food world is elevate, bringing something making
it more than just a Bolooney sandwich. I guess you
put Lettus on it, it makes it a deluxe. So we're
looking at more than just that. But we're also looking
at a number of activities that are very family friendly
and something that would cause somebody to spend time prior
(12:08):
to just fireworks. So it's going to be more than
just that. We're certainly not looking to infringe on what
Mandan has. They've got a full slate of activities over
the fourth of July. That's fantastic for them. We're looking
as a compliment to what's going on and you, well.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
Did I hear last night too? That the symphony may remain.
Speaker 5 (12:28):
It is our very intentional hope and work to keep
the symphony as a big part of this annual tradition
and to recognize them as the professional musicians that they are,
but to welcome them as part of this experience, because
I think for many of us it's ubiquitous with the
fourth of July. You the symphony is there?
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Do you have a timeline on when an announcement might
come forward?
Speaker 5 (12:51):
Hopefully in the next couple of weeks. Okay, And when
the announcement is ready, it will be a big announcement.
We're not just going to slip a little press release
out to the local media. We're going to want to
talk about this and really invigorate some excitement and get
people looking forward to a new opportunity.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Well, you're good at through in a party.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Well, you did the anniversary a couple of years ago.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
We did.
Speaker 5 (13:11):
We pulled that off in about six months of planning.
We had the centennial party. So and I should be
should be fair. The city is not looking to take
the lead. This is a number of organizations coming together
for the betterment of the community. I guess because I
started the conversation it, I guess it could be a
city led initiative. But our commitment to this is no
(13:34):
different than it's been in the past. We will continue
to provide the funding for the fireworks and that is
our role. And aside from that, really my job has
been to facilitate conversations with others that can get things
done in town.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
All right, look forward to this announcement, I think.
Speaker 6 (13:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
The key thing is though for everybody listening, that it's
being worked on and yeah soon.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
Yeah, yes, very soon.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Elevate, elevate, elevate.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Well, A big part of the meeting last night had
to do with the new rail bridge. Actually there was
a public comment period at the beginning. You had a
couple of citizens come forward, primarily concerned with the closing
of the trail down on River Road, which again did
occupy a lot of this discussion, but you had principles
from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad come forward and talk
(14:23):
about the timeline where they're at.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
It was a lot of information, it was, and some
nice pictures were shared in the presentation as well. Mike Herzog,
who is the I guess, project manager for BNSF on
this one, shared some very detailed information and some of
the drawings that what we can expect in twenty twenty five,
and what we can expect is very similar to what
(14:46):
we saw in twenty twenty four. They're working on. I
forget the numbers of the piers, but there are peers
that are placed in the water and that is a
very complex system that needs to be done, whether with
the barges and the concrete trucks and the heavy equipment.
There will also be a bit of a restricted area
(15:07):
for boaters for water traffic. Mike had talked about that
last night, as there will be a corridor that is
preserved and through the through the buoys that will be
out in the water. Anybody using the river as a
means of transportation is going to have to be kind
of narrowing their course to get through the construction area.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
So yeah, it's impressive.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
I mean when you talk about it, even the principle
was saying, this is a big project.
Speaker 5 (15:34):
This is a big bridge, big bridge construction, I think
is what he said. And some of the things that
I learned how they are actually accessing the water for
anybody that's driven along nine ninety four and headed west
in Amanda, and you've seen some of the staging along there,
with the barges and the big heavy stuff that's out there,
some of the pictures that might shared last night. He
(15:56):
talked through how you get these vehicles on the barges
and out in to the water and they're able to
pour concrete. And I didn't have my pen ready to
be writing all the volumes of steel and concrete and
materials that are going essentially below water. It's pretty It's yeah,
it's hard to fathom all that stuff in my head.
(16:17):
But yet when I drive by, the changes are evident.
You're seeing things emerging from the water. You're seeing things
on both sides of the shoreline. And I guess what
I took away from the discussion last night. Two things.
Number One, Obviously, there's some frustration with the trail being closed.
That is a very, very popular section of the trail.
As mister Herzog noted, We've got lots of miles of
(16:38):
other trail along the waterfront. But I think for many
people it's a break in their route. If you started
pieing your park and you work your way south and
Commissioner Rish raise the concern with barricades being in place
with the trail being disrupted. It is his concern that
people will ignore the barricades and essentially walk out into
(16:59):
the dry lane and then circumvent the construction area and
then reconvene their trail.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Use.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
It's a narrow road to begin with.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Yeah, there's very little shoulder space there, so potential for
an accident.
Speaker 5 (17:13):
And what we heard in I believe it was August
of last year when BNSF provided a presentation again on
what to expect in the future. They had talked about
working very hard to preserve the trail and keeping it
open when possible. One idea they had explored, and this
was with our city Engineering Department and representatives from the
Park District, was actually causing River Road to become one
(17:35):
lane and then having a temporary traffic signal to meter
that traffic back and forth and using the second lane
as an arterior route for the pedestrian and bike traffic
that would be disrupted by the trail. That was a
concept that we were shown in twenty twenty four. Through
discussions over the winter, it became apparent that it is
(17:57):
just too narrow and there is so much heavy construction
that's going to be going on in that place that
it just made sense to eliminate pedestrians and bicyclists from
that potential conflict zone and allow the heavy equipment to
do what it needs to do for the next couple
of years.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Yeah, we can't make everybody happy, unfortunately in this situation.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
No, but I should say on BNSF's behalf. On multiple
occasions I heard them commit to restoring the trail in
like or better condition, and I have no reason to
believe that that would not be the case. They've been
great partners throughout. They've been very open with the dialogue
of what to expect, what construction will look like. I mean,
(18:36):
it's it's big industry, it's that big, big project.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
And I did hear last night two couple of points
on top of that that they expect to continue with
that trail closure through twenty twenty seven, which is down
the road, but that potentially that it could be open
in winter months, which I know, right some people didn't
want to hear, but potential to reopen it during the
off season. And you mentioned too that the river they're
(19:04):
going to keep part of the river open for traffic.
I hope we have a map of that too, and
the section of the orange illustrates that. And so just
while we're talking about trail closure, I think it doesn't
hurt to emphasize that water traffic will.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Well, it's a congested area, it's a very area.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
There's a lot of activity here, and I think it
just heads up to if you haven't noticed already, people
who own boats, I would assume last summer they should
have been exposed to this.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
It's going to get a little tighter.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
So the riverboat, kayakers, recreationalists, watercraft of all sorts are
going to have to squeeze between the piers that are
in place today with the existing bridge. And on this
graphic it looks pretty wide. But having been their firsthand,
I can tell you that it, Yeah, it's not as
wide as it as it really looks in some cases.
(19:56):
So I guess, just to your point, Mary, for anybody
that is on the water this summer, be careful, be slow,
be safe.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
I would assume put up a no wake zone in
this passageway.
Speaker 5 (20:09):
I would imagine. I believe they had some markers out
last year as well, some movies and things and kind
of on the book end, I believe I heard mister
Herzog say they've got a four hundred foot corridor that
they're working within, and that's their right of way, that's
their area to occupy, and so that is likely going
to be the width of that corridor underneath the existing
bridge today.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
One other thing I heard last night too that I
think is worth mentioning is last year, late in the year,
they realized they had to go twenty four seventh essentially
good point, and they mentioned Michael mentioned last night that
they're probably going to start off going twenty four to seven.
So for citizens and residents, worth mentioning that that is
around the clock construction will begin.
Speaker 5 (20:50):
Pile driving and earth hauling and just activity in general.
Speaker 6 (20:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
So if you're a fan of big construction, this is
your projects, This will be your summer.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
They should have some viewing decks out there, you know,
people up in the line chairs just watching the action.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
Yeah, well, not a bad view from the community bowl area.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
Yeah, you can get Paara binoculars out as you can.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
See so shifting gears. You're up at the Capitol. I'm
sure frequently during the session, I think you mentioned off
camera that you're keeping your eye on thirty some bills
and narrows as the session goes on, and we've got
what a month or so ago, But what are you
keeping your eye on currently?
Speaker 5 (21:31):
A handful of bills house built ten twenty is, I
guess just in sequence order. That's probably one of the
first ones that we're looking at. That is the bill
that contains the budget for the Water Resource District, but
more importantly for the Bismarck community, it is also the
bill that would contain some of the funding necessary to
complete the South Bismark Flood Control Project. And we've talked
about this on the program a number of times. This
(21:54):
project is a result of FEMA coming in and remapping
the Missouri River Corridor system and identifying new areas of
South Bismarck that are prone to flooding due to river activity.
For us, we've been working with state leaders for quite
some time to help them understand what our project looks like,
what the timeline would be, what those estimates of cost are,
(22:18):
and very grateful for the state leadership for the time
that they've dedicated to this and the information they've shared.
For myself and for Gabeeshell, our city engineer. It's really
our first time through the legislative process, just being new
to my position, and my predecessor did a great job
of managing a lot of this independently. And I said,
(22:38):
you know what, Gang, if you've got information, you're going
to come with me. You're going to testify. You're going
to be there too. And Gabe has and everyone in
the organization has stepped up and willingly done their part.
Kudos to Gabe has continued attention to this one and
communications with state leadership to make sure that we are
still at the table as this bill works its way through.
(23:00):
The next one that's probably a big one for us
and for most probably every city government in the state
of North Kota's House Bill eleven seventy six, this has
kind of been coined the Leadership Bill. This is the
property tax bill that would put a three percent cap
on municipal budgets. A three percent cap meaning cities can
collect no more than three percent on their general fund
(23:23):
year over year. It has a lot of community leaders
like myself concerned. I can say that Bismarck is probably
positioned a little better than some of the small towns
because we have a variety of revenue sources, and primarily
one of them is sales tax. We'll be looking at
that as a means to backfill or offset or continue
(23:44):
to sustain some of the programs that we might see
a change in. And you know, I've heard other cities
talk about a change in services. One community out on
the eastern side of North Dkota indicated a bunch of
their work is just general fun, including their roads and streets,
and instead of plowing streets at three inches, they might
(24:06):
wait until six inches to plow their streets because they
just simply won't have the means to do it as
often or as frequently as previously.
Speaker 6 (24:15):
And so.
Speaker 5 (24:17):
I'm not trying to say that as a threat. I'm
just trying to say that as communities are going to
have to look at what are those essential services that
we need to continue to provide, and how do we
do that as efficiently as we can. So eleven seventy
six is certainly one. I think one other one that
I mentioned last night, this one I believe it's gotten
quite a bit of attention statewide, is Senate Bill twenty
three oh seven. This is the bill that addresses explicit
(24:42):
material in public libraries and in public school libraries. The
bill would create a process for a library patron if
they have a concern with a particular book or the
content of a book, they can ask for that book
to be reviewed. This bill would cause a committee to
be established to do the review of that book, and
(25:03):
it doesn't specify who the committee would be. It just
says that it would need to be reviewed. If the
first committee reviews the book and determines that it is
appropriate to remain on the shelves where it is, and
that patron is not satisfied, the patron can peel that
decision to the state's attorney. Then the county state's attorney
(25:24):
would have to engage in a review of that book
as well and then make a determination. And there actually
is language in the bill that could cause the state's
attorney to enforce a penalty on the library that is
responsible for that book.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
Is it your understanding that each community would have a
committee or would there be a committee for the state
and then local states attorneys.
Speaker 5 (25:46):
Would Not being an attorney and not speaking directly to
the bill sponsor, I guess the way I read it,
every library would have to have its own committee, and
that committee would be the first response to the patron's
request and then the second response would be that of
the state's attorney. So the testimony on that, if you
(26:07):
looked at the submitted testimony, it was about six to
one in opposition of the bill. The committee voted twelve
to one to recommend d pass on the bill, So
it was a little contrary to the volume of testimony
that was there, but that one was referred to the Senate.
I'm sorry the House Appropriations Committee because it does have
(26:27):
a fiscal note tied to it, and so it will
be up to Appropriations to determine if they can work
that into the budget going forward. I don't know if
that has an outcome on or a determination on the
outcome of the bill, but that is at least the
next step for now.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
All right, So those are the highlights from the report
last night. We'll move off the agenda. We'll talk about
something super serious and want to talk about chickens.
Speaker 5 (26:51):
Chickens.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Yeah, he was talking about chickens, and I think Commissioner
Risch brought it up at the end of the meeting
that there is a survey out there. There is we're
running that graphic on our system as well, and who
popped it up there.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
Thank you, Quinn. There's a survey.
Speaker 5 (27:06):
It's a short survey. It's just a few questions, and
one of the questions is what came first, the chicken
or the egg. But in all seriousness, this is a
community conversation. This is a topic that it is brought
forward again because there are people that are interested in
keeping backyard chickens. And personally, I don't have an opinion
(27:30):
one way or the other. I can tell you I
have no interest in being a chicken rancher. I like
getting my chicken and eggs the old fashioned way by
going to the grocery store. But for many people there
is a lot of value in seeing where your food comes.
It becomes an educational piece, it becomes just an opportunity
to rely on yourself for some things. And where we
are with the survey, we'll see what kind of response
(27:53):
we get. Obviously, that information will be shared with the
Planning Commission, which will take this task on first. City
can Mission will have the final say in this, but
the process will be to like any other ordnance change
zoning ordinance change. The staff will develop a draft of
the ordinance and then bring into the Planning Commission where
(28:14):
there will be a public hearing. The Planning Commission's role
is to hold the hearing, formulate a recommendation, provide that
recommendation a City Commission, and then the City Commission will
have final action on this one somewhere in the probably
next three four months, maybe a little longer.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
I think it should be mentioned too that the ETA
is people who live in their ETA are allowed.
Speaker 5 (28:35):
To have backyard to if you're outside city limits in
the rural areas of Burley County, it's already a permitted use.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
Yeah, as a city amandant Chris Well, they've had it
for a number of years, so yeah, it's not an
unusual request, So it'll be interesting to see what happens.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
Another thing we wanted to touch on the Ottawa Street reconstruction, which,
as you pointed out, as an old section of Highway
eighty eighty three. My skyzone plant perfect in that area
where do things stand.
Speaker 5 (29:06):
So we held a public input meeting earlier this week
and it was primarily for the folks along the Autawa
Street corridor. For anybody that's not familiar with Attawa Street.
You're right, Tom, it's probably the biggest landmark would be
Plant Perfect or sky Zone. For a lot of people,
it's a road that parallels Highway eighty three, and for us,
it's what we would consider a rural section, meaning it's
(29:29):
just got a ditch, it doesn't have curbon gutter, it
doesn't have a sidewalk, doesn't have a lot of lighting.
There's not a lot of traffic control opportunity there, and
so it's time to improve the road. Our engineering staff
has been meeting with the property owners along that corridor
to help them better understand what it looks like, what
the future will be, what the expense might be for
(29:49):
that particular area. But this is a project that we
were looking at for this year's construction. I think for
anybody that's been anywhere near Plant Perfect around Mother's Day,
they would agree that this road can be very congested,
it's a little precarious, it can be yeah, So not
suggesting that this is going to solve all the problems
that happened seasonally in those areas. Obviously in the wintertime,
(30:10):
sky Zone is a very popular place as well, But
it's it's time for us to urbanize the street and
make it look like the rest of the rest of
the roads in the area.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
And there's been there is I think would be sad
to say too additional development along that corridor two, which
has made it even busier.
Speaker 5 (30:27):
You're absolutely right. We've seen some new office buildings showing up.
There's a salon that's in the area. There's a strip
mall with some chiropractic and other services there. So it's
it's time ye.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Yeah, and that's this summer. It's my understanding that's going
to happen. So again, get ready for road construction. Of course,
we're in pothole season right now. There's a number of
those that purine all over there.
Speaker 5 (30:51):
I guess if there's one good thing about having a
fairly dry winter, it's that it doesn't cause a lot
of potholes, because really one of the biggest reasons we
end up with potholes is the days the snow melts
and then it freezes at night, and that freeze thaw
cycle will really blow out those cracks. Without any moisture
on the ground, we're really just dealing now with the
(31:12):
frost heaving out of the ground. So I'd still take
snow over.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
Well, we do need moisture for sure.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
So last item on our notes is this strategic planning process.
We did get a notice from your office as well
as you mentioning last night during the meeting that there's
going to be a special City Commission meeting on April twenty.
Speaker 5 (31:34):
Ninth, right, And the reason for the special meeting on
the twenty ninth is because on April twenty second are
the second meeting for the City Commission. Bismarck City Commission.
In April, there'll be two very important reports coming forward,
and one of the reports will be coming from local
architect Jeff Yueble and his design team. They have been
(31:56):
looking at evaluating and developing apple improvements project list for
the Bismarck Event Center. Bismarck Event Center was first opened
in nineteen sixty nine. Humble to say, we actually do
have some infrastructure in that building that is original to
the building, and we have a number of needs within
the building that just simply need to be addressed. And
(32:17):
it's cosmetic things but also not as not as forward
facing things between HVAC and the control systems. There's just
work that needs to be done. So Jeff and his
team have been evaluating the facility, meeting with the staff
better understanding where we're good, where we're not so good,
and he will be coming forward with a capital improvements
(32:38):
project list that should drive us for the next three
to five, maybe even eight years worth of projects to
really invest in that space and bring it online with
what it needs to be doing. The other project that
we'll be seeing on the twenty second of April will
be a report from the consultants that we're hired to
do the operations and management study for the Bismarck Event Center,
(32:59):
and that group is known as j LL Jones Lang Lasal.
Their recommendations will give us give the commission a variety
of choices to be making how do we best want
to manage and operate this facility going forward. It's a
lot of information to take in on one night, but
it's even more information to expect them to be able
(33:20):
to comprehend and just make an informed decision that day.
So what we've done is we have set aside a
special meeting on April twenty ninth. FI point fifteen will
be a public meeting, just like all of them. It's
my understanding you guys have agreed to carry the meeting
live as well. Thank you for that. The meeting on
the twenty ninth will be a workshop for the commissioners
to tear into all the reporting and all the recommendations
(33:41):
and the information they receive from the uble group and
from the JLL consultants. It is my hope that the
commissioners will build consensus and formulate some direction on how
we're going to move forward and bring the events center
up to what it needs to be for the twenty
twenty five and the years going forward, and prioritize, absolutely,
identify there's I'm sure a lot of them there are
(34:04):
identifying the priority projects, identifying the funding sources, identifying what
is the best composition for operations and management for this facility.
This is this is a big deal for things, This
is this is a huge thing right now, and so
we are very much looking forward to those reports in April,
and I am excited to see this commission really dig
(34:24):
into this topic and decide how are we going to
go forward, how are we going to shine this place
up and make it look its greatest Jason.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
Will this also incorporate the other RFP that you had
out for a hotel conference center adjacent to the facility.
Speaker 5 (34:40):
There has been some internal discussion about that. We did
receive one proposal from that Amenity's RFP. That group has
not yet come forward with. We have not asked them
to provide their presentation, but that's still a topic that
the nayor and I are discussing and trying to determine.
It might be an awful lot for one meeting to
have all three of those converge, but at the same
(35:02):
time to even mention it is totally appropriate because these
all fit together in such a such an intricate way.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
So it's in the back of the mind as these
other two big reports come forward, I would assume. So, yeah,
that's a lot. So looking forward to.
Speaker 5 (35:19):
That definitely, what's going to happen.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
Excited for it, absolutely, Yeah, long time coming.
Speaker 4 (35:23):
So with that, there are a lot of ways that
people can watch or listen to these upcoming meetings, so
we want to make sure everybody has a chance to
our apps.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Yes, got a little graphic we can put up again
about our apps. We've got apps coming out of our ears.
We've got apps for government access, community access, and radio access.
Speaker 3 (35:44):
So and they're working.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
We've got a couple tweaks that we're still working on,
but you know, they're great. It's because our radio operation
is little power. It's nice to pull up that radio
app when you're moving a little bit of a distance
away from the city.
Speaker 5 (36:01):
So you can listen to all your favorite Bismark insights
in history, hot dish. These are your neighbors on long
car rides.
Speaker 6 (36:09):
Worry about it.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
It's great.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
Yeah yeah, well thanks Jason, thanks for being here today.
We're going to wrap up this program and this is
the last time you and I will be sitting probably
at this table. That's unless you invite me back. I'm
not quite suah, but you know, it's been it's been
quite an adventure.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
What we three hundred plus programs.
Speaker 5 (36:28):
And city Current since twenty seventeen, I think is what
we when we started with h mister Neubauer as well.
So I just I want to say thanks to you
because this program has helped me do my job better
because it keeps me and it keeps me informed, but
it keeps me engaged and aware because I can't just
sit through a city Commission meeting and wait for the
(36:50):
time to pass. You I know that we are going
to be talking about these things the next day, and
so it helps me think about how does this impact
the community, What are we doing here, what messages do
we want to share? And I just I'm so grateful
that you have given us this vessel to share information.
And I know Tom's going to do a great job
going forward and probably some new ideas. It happens all
(37:12):
the time with me, sure, and I'm glad to know
that the program will still go on. I'm sad to
say that we'll see you in other ways somewhere, but
proud to be a part of this, and thank you
so much.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
And it's been thank you, and it's been such a
great adventure for us as well, giving us really good content.
You know, we call them the grocery store Nielsen's because
we don't have any way to cage some of our viewership.
But you know, we're walking through the grocery store, I'm
at the Why or some and somebody will say, I
love that city current, that's really great.
Speaker 5 (37:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
So the intention was always to find those items on
the agenda that the commissioners are talking about that really
impact the community. So I hope we've done that. But
I know Tom will make a lot of good changes
too along with you.
Speaker 5 (38:02):
So well it'll be his show. Yes, just a guest, that's.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
Right, Okay, and thank you for tuning in to this
edition of City Current.
Speaker 6 (38:13):
For more information on what was discussed in this episode
of City Current, visit Bismarckend dot gov or call seven
zero one three five five one three zero zero. If
you have suggestions, comments, or issues you would like addressed
in future episodes, contact us at info at free tv
dot org. This program airs on Government Access Channel two
(38:34):
and six oh two in HD or on Radio Access
one oh two point five FM. It's also available as
a podcast on Radioaccess dot org and as a video
viewing link at free tv dot org. Thanks for tuning
in to this edition of City Current.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
Did make me
City Current, produced by Dakoda Media Access in depth discussion
with Bismarck and Mandan city officials. Watch on Government Access
Channel six oh two HD or tune in to Radio
Access one O two point five FM, Always Local, Always Current.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Welcome to City Current. I'm Mary van Sikel, and this
is a Bismarck edition of City Current where we are
talking about the City Commission actions and highlights of their
meeting last night. But it's a special edition as well,
because you can probably tell if you're watching on a screen.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
We have three people at the.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Table and just want to announce our new executive director,
Tom Gerhard is joining us today for the first time.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
Well thanks Mary, I think she's burying the lead though,
right Jason, Well, big news is that after twenty five years,
you are moving on.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
I am I am time to time to, like you say,
move on and find some other adventures.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Not using the word retire, we found we found no
no so I as someone who grew up born in Bismarck.
Thanks for everything you've done for over two decades and
as you'll find out getting to know me. I started
working at ben Community Access TV when I was in
high school and college locally and so I know where
(01:31):
things were when this organization started to where they are now,
and you could.
Speaker 5 (01:36):
Come a long way, baby, I think is the expression.
But yeah, it's twenty five years doing anything is pretty outstanding.
I can say that I subscribe to the idea that
you should leave it better than you found it, and
I think you can absolutely say that about the work
that you've done here. I think it's just been tremendous
Dakota media access for us as an organization for local government.
(01:59):
I say that a lot. It is the way we
demonstrate transparency.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
It is the way that.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
We show who we are. We talk about what we're doing,
We put it all out there, and we wouldn't be
able to do that if it wasn't for this organization,
the work you've put in, the work that this team
is dedicated to, and for that we all need to
say thank you. It is it is just exceptional that
a town this size, bis Mark and Man in this
community has this much access to local government at their fingertips.
(02:26):
And for that, Mary, you should.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Take about oh thank you.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
And you mentioned the team and that is hypercritical here
because we really have a great team of people here
that make it make this work. And you know Tom
mentioned his history. That's why he's such a good fit
because I mean, in high school he's working at Community
Access Television, which is so ironic because here he.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Is, how many years later.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
I won't I won't date you, Tom, but you know
that's kind of crazy that it's kind of come full circle.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
That's why you're super qualified.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
And then obviously you're broadcasting experience and lobbying experience make
you such a good fit. So we're really confident that
we've picked the right person to move forward. And Jason,
you and I have had a relationship.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
For a long time.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
I remember when you started as a planner in the
City Department and you and I was with Bismarck Man
and Development Association, and we were talking constantly about downtown
and some of the advancements down there. And you still
are that's still I think in your heart.
Speaker 5 (03:30):
Yeah, it is and will always be. And that's that
was one of the reasons I was hired was to
focus my efforts on the downtown revitalization. And there was
it wasn't just me, obviously, there was a lot of
people working towards that common goal and still working towards
that goal. Yeah, so it's we could reminisce all day.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Oh I could, we could, but we are here as
always to talk about that City Commission meeting last night
and it wasn't a huge agenda, but there were some
fun things and let Tom kind of take the lead
on this.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Yeah, a couple meetings last night, public Health, right quick
meeting to kick things off, just give us an update
what happened there. Renee kind of got a curve ball
shortly before the mession she started.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
She did. And so our Board of Health is for
anybody that's not quite sure. The Board of Health is
also the City Commission, or the City Commission is the
Board of Health. It's very interchangeable. The Board of Health
meets somewhat regularly throughout the year. Typically it's Renee providing
updates on what the Public Health department is working on.
And last night she had provided an update on their
(04:30):
Community Health Needs Assessment, which is a project they do
about every three years, and as the name describes, it's
looking at what are the areas of public health should
be focusing on over the next two to three years.
It's in many ways a roadmap and a pulse of
where are the services in the community needed. But to
your point, Tom, the curveball that Renee got just with
(04:52):
not even an hour prior to the meeting relates to funding.
That was part of the agenda that she was going
to discuss us last night with the Board of Health,
and it was relating to the community Triage center. And
for people that have been following along with this discussion
of public health, mental health, behavioral health, homelessness, it's all
(05:14):
blended together in this response that was intended to be
the community triage center. The news that Renee got yesterday
just moments before the meeting was that the funding that
was going to be paying for the contract to award
one hundred thousand dollars to the Health Management Associates their
work was going to be the technical support to develop
(05:36):
this community triage center. So this was a very important
first step to move that project forward. And unfortunately, due
to the disruptions at the Washington d C level, that
federal grant dollars that would trickle down through the state
into local public health is no longer available. So that
was a devastating blow for Renee and for the team
(05:58):
of public Health. They put a lot of time in
energy into this community Trioge project. I'm not here to
say that the project is going to cease. I'm here
to say that the funding that we had anticipated is
no longer available, and so we will look at other
avenues and other ways to explore moving forward, pivot. That's
all we can do.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Yeah, that's unfortunate.
Speaker 5 (06:17):
It's still a need in the community, and so much
work has gone to this point. We're not just going
to put it on the shelf. We're going to dig
in and see how we can find a way to
make it still happen.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Well, I would assume that this is a situation that's
hitting many communities past country right now, with a lot
of federal dollars on hold and probably suspended, but hopefully
just a temporary thing that some of these things can
get fleshed out over time.
Speaker 5 (06:42):
But a first hand reminder of how we do live
and die by the federal dollars as well. It's not
just local tax dollars that are going into some of
our departments and programs. It's state money. It's federal money
that ends up being grants for us.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
Okay, so all right.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Well, there was a consent agen a big number of
items on that consent, but nothing was really pulled for discussion.
So we'll jump right into the regular agenda for the evening.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
And one of the.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Things that we just wanted to mention, just kind of
give a heads up to the community is another big
intersection being looked at this summer. New traffic signal lights
and all of that happening at Washington Street.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
And Front Avenue.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
So right, yeah, Bab Shelley, your engineer came forward and
gave a little report in this one.
Speaker 5 (07:30):
Bids were a little higher than anticipated, but due to
some cost savings with other projects, it still fits within
the total construction budget for twenty twenty five. So we
will see a new series of traffic signals Washington in front.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Yeah, we could pop up a map if we could
get that on the screen and kind of show people.
Obviously it's a big intersection here in town. You got
the municipal bar park right there as well, so lots
of activity, but needs a little bit of help.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
As far as the signal they're dated. This will bring
the signals up to the current standards with all the
other controllers and systems within the city. And as we've
learned over the years, sometimes these the poles themselves deteriorate,
they rust out, and they need to be replaced. And
so the new traffic signals that are going in, instead
(08:18):
of them being a material that can rust, it's a
galvanized aluminum and so they don't need to be painted.
There's very little maintenance that goes into them, and the
lifespan is hopefully longer than the original polls that we've
been seeing for generations.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
So this will be accompanied by many road projects this summer,
and we're looking at Front Avenue also standing some of
the street street escape elements all through that area, and
Third Street Street have a big, a big chunk of
work on it.
Speaker 5 (08:49):
Fifth Street as well. You'll see some pedestrian amenities, some
new landscaping, some adjustments to lighting as well.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
So I always like those less static improvements rather than
it's kind of like replacing your furnace in your house.
That's not too exciting, but getting new furniture or whatever
is always a little.
Speaker 5 (09:06):
It's nice to see some improvements, not just know they're
there or they're underground. I mean, we do a lot
of underground improvements, but it's nice when for sure is
a refresh.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Yeah, aesthetics, So yeah, looking forward to that.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Continuing with the agenda. Fourth of July Celebration update, you
came to the podium, There wasn't a lot you could
really say at this point, but it's important just to
let people know it's being worked.
Speaker 5 (09:29):
One it is and I guess that was the message
last night is where are we and how did we
get here? And what I'd really like to be able
to tell everybody is where we're going. But we need
to finalize a few more things before we can do
the big reveal. But I guess the message I wanted
the commissioners to hear last night is this conversation has
really been going on for about nine months, and it
(09:49):
started last summer as we the city were going through
our process to develop our budgets for twenty twenty five. Historically,
the City of Bismarck has paid for the fireworks display
at the Capitol Grounds. Everything else that you've enjoyed at
the Capitol Grounds has been compliments of the Bismarck Manda
and Symphony Orchestra, and so we certainly want to recognize
all the work that goes into this. It's more than
(10:10):
just simply showing up and performing. There's a symphony of
coordination that goes on to make these things happen. But
in a conversation that I had with the executive director
of bismark man In Symphony Orchestra, Mike Gardner, I reached
out to Mike and said, Hey, are we going to
be budgeting for fireworks in twenty twenty five? And Mike said, well,
(10:33):
you know, we kind of really hadn't planned on going
forward with this event, and in fact, in twenty twenty
four they were really not sure if it was the
right thing to do to fulfill the mission of the symphony.
But thanks to some volunteers and some donations, twenty twenty
four went off without a hitch. But as a citizen
of Bismarck, as a resident here, a person that has
(10:53):
enjoyed countless Fourth of July events at the Capitol Grounds,
I just didn't want to accept the fact that we
might not have something to look forward to in July,
and so I called a few community stakeholders, friends that
we work with a lot, whether it be the Chamber,
the downtown Ers, the Convention of Visitors Bureau, even called
John Bollinger with the Larks and said, hey, does this
(11:17):
sound like something we would want to try and elevate
or something we want to try and preserve in one
way or another, and we've explored a lot of different options. Obviously,
there's construction that's taking place at the Capitol Grounds, which
makes things a little challenging at that location. It's about
all I'm gonna say right now.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
You did mention last night without going into detail, that
maybe updating or diversifying activities if we're able to pull
something off that, you're kind of looking the fresh.
Speaker 6 (11:47):
And we are.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
Yes. I think the term you hear in the restaurant
world and the food world is elevate, bringing something making
it more than just a Bolooney sandwich. I guess you
put Lettus on it, it makes it a deluxe. So we're
looking at more than just that. But we're also looking
at a number of activities that are very family friendly
and something that would cause somebody to spend time prior
(12:08):
to just fireworks. So it's going to be more than
just that. We're certainly not looking to infringe on what
Mandan has. They've got a full slate of activities over
the fourth of July. That's fantastic for them. We're looking
as a compliment to what's going on and you, well.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
Did I hear last night too? That the symphony may remain.
Speaker 5 (12:28):
It is our very intentional hope and work to keep
the symphony as a big part of this annual tradition
and to recognize them as the professional musicians that they are,
but to welcome them as part of this experience, because
I think for many of us it's ubiquitous with the
fourth of July. You the symphony is there?
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Do you have a timeline on when an announcement might
come forward?
Speaker 5 (12:51):
Hopefully in the next couple of weeks. Okay, And when
the announcement is ready, it will be a big announcement.
We're not just going to slip a little press release
out to the local media. We're going to want to
talk about this and really invigorate some excitement and get
people looking forward to a new opportunity.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Well, you're good at through in a party.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Well, you did the anniversary a couple of years ago.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
We did.
Speaker 5 (13:11):
We pulled that off in about six months of planning.
We had the centennial party. So and I should be
should be fair. The city is not looking to take
the lead. This is a number of organizations coming together
for the betterment of the community. I guess because I
started the conversation it, I guess it could be a
city led initiative. But our commitment to this is no
(13:34):
different than it's been in the past. We will continue
to provide the funding for the fireworks and that is
our role. And aside from that, really my job has
been to facilitate conversations with others that can get things
done in town.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
All right, look forward to this announcement, I think.
Speaker 6 (13:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
The key thing is though for everybody listening, that it's
being worked on and yeah soon.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
Yeah, yes, very soon.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Elevate, elevate, elevate.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Well, A big part of the meeting last night had
to do with the new rail bridge. Actually there was
a public comment period at the beginning. You had a
couple of citizens come forward, primarily concerned with the closing
of the trail down on River Road, which again did
occupy a lot of this discussion, but you had principles
from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad come forward and talk
(14:23):
about the timeline where they're at.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
It was a lot of information, it was, and some
nice pictures were shared in the presentation as well. Mike Herzog,
who is the I guess, project manager for BNSF on
this one, shared some very detailed information and some of
the drawings that what we can expect in twenty twenty five,
and what we can expect is very similar to what
(14:46):
we saw in twenty twenty four. They're working on. I
forget the numbers of the piers, but there are peers
that are placed in the water and that is a
very complex system that needs to be done, whether with
the barges and the concrete trucks and the heavy equipment.
There will also be a bit of a restricted area
(15:07):
for boaters for water traffic. Mike had talked about that
last night, as there will be a corridor that is
preserved and through the through the buoys that will be
out in the water. Anybody using the river as a
means of transportation is going to have to be kind
of narrowing their course to get through the construction area.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
So yeah, it's impressive.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
I mean when you talk about it, even the principle
was saying, this is a big project.
Speaker 5 (15:34):
This is a big bridge, big bridge construction, I think
is what he said. And some of the things that
I learned how they are actually accessing the water for
anybody that's driven along nine ninety four and headed west
in Amanda, and you've seen some of the staging along there,
with the barges and the big heavy stuff that's out there,
some of the pictures that might shared last night. He
(15:56):
talked through how you get these vehicles on the barges
and out in to the water and they're able to
pour concrete. And I didn't have my pen ready to
be writing all the volumes of steel and concrete and
materials that are going essentially below water. It's pretty It's yeah,
it's hard to fathom all that stuff in my head.
(16:17):
But yet when I drive by, the changes are evident.
You're seeing things emerging from the water. You're seeing things
on both sides of the shoreline. And I guess what
I took away from the discussion last night. Two things.
Number One, Obviously, there's some frustration with the trail being closed.
That is a very, very popular section of the trail.
As mister Herzog noted, We've got lots of miles of
(16:38):
other trail along the waterfront. But I think for many
people it's a break in their route. If you started
pieing your park and you work your way south and
Commissioner Rish raise the concern with barricades being in place
with the trail being disrupted. It is his concern that
people will ignore the barricades and essentially walk out into
(16:59):
the dry lane and then circumvent the construction area and
then reconvene their trail.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Use.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
It's a narrow road to begin with.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Yeah, there's very little shoulder space there, so potential for
an accident.
Speaker 5 (17:13):
And what we heard in I believe it was August
of last year when BNSF provided a presentation again on
what to expect in the future. They had talked about
working very hard to preserve the trail and keeping it
open when possible. One idea they had explored, and this
was with our city Engineering Department and representatives from the
Park District, was actually causing River Road to become one
(17:35):
lane and then having a temporary traffic signal to meter
that traffic back and forth and using the second lane
as an arterior route for the pedestrian and bike traffic
that would be disrupted by the trail. That was a
concept that we were shown in twenty twenty four. Through
discussions over the winter, it became apparent that it is
(17:57):
just too narrow and there is so much heavy construction
that's going to be going on in that place that
it just made sense to eliminate pedestrians and bicyclists from
that potential conflict zone and allow the heavy equipment to
do what it needs to do for the next couple
of years.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Yeah, we can't make everybody happy, unfortunately in this situation.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
No, but I should say on BNSF's behalf. On multiple
occasions I heard them commit to restoring the trail in
like or better condition, and I have no reason to
believe that that would not be the case. They've been
great partners throughout. They've been very open with the dialogue
of what to expect, what construction will look like. I mean,
(18:36):
it's it's big industry, it's that big, big project.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
And I did hear last night two couple of points
on top of that that they expect to continue with
that trail closure through twenty twenty seven, which is down
the road, but that potentially that it could be open
in winter months, which I know, right some people didn't
want to hear, but potential to reopen it during the
off season. And you mentioned too that the river they're
(19:04):
going to keep part of the river open for traffic.
I hope we have a map of that too, and
the section of the orange illustrates that. And so just
while we're talking about trail closure, I think it doesn't
hurt to emphasize that water traffic will.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Well, it's a congested area, it's a very area.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
There's a lot of activity here, and I think it
just heads up to if you haven't noticed already, people
who own boats, I would assume last summer they should
have been exposed to this.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
It's going to get a little tighter.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
So the riverboat, kayakers, recreationalists, watercraft of all sorts are
going to have to squeeze between the piers that are
in place today with the existing bridge. And on this
graphic it looks pretty wide. But having been their firsthand,
I can tell you that it, Yeah, it's not as
wide as it as it really looks in some cases.
(19:56):
So I guess, just to your point, Mary, for anybody
that is on the water this summer, be careful, be slow,
be safe.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
I would assume put up a no wake zone in
this passageway.
Speaker 5 (20:09):
I would imagine. I believe they had some markers out
last year as well, some movies and things and kind
of on the book end, I believe I heard mister
Herzog say they've got a four hundred foot corridor that
they're working within, and that's their right of way, that's
their area to occupy, and so that is likely going
to be the width of that corridor underneath the existing
bridge today.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
One other thing I heard last night too that I
think is worth mentioning is last year, late in the year,
they realized they had to go twenty four seventh essentially
good point, and they mentioned Michael mentioned last night that
they're probably going to start off going twenty four to seven.
So for citizens and residents, worth mentioning that that is
around the clock construction will begin.
Speaker 5 (20:50):
Pile driving and earth hauling and just activity in general.
Speaker 6 (20:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
So if you're a fan of big construction, this is
your projects, This will be your summer.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
They should have some viewing decks out there, you know,
people up in the line chairs just watching the action.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
Yeah, well, not a bad view from the community bowl area.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
Yeah, you can get Paara binoculars out as you can.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
See so shifting gears. You're up at the Capitol. I'm
sure frequently during the session, I think you mentioned off
camera that you're keeping your eye on thirty some bills
and narrows as the session goes on, and we've got
what a month or so ago, But what are you
keeping your eye on currently?
Speaker 5 (21:31):
A handful of bills house built ten twenty is, I
guess just in sequence order. That's probably one of the
first ones that we're looking at. That is the bill
that contains the budget for the Water Resource District, but
more importantly for the Bismarck community, it is also the
bill that would contain some of the funding necessary to
complete the South Bismark Flood Control Project. And we've talked
about this on the program a number of times. This
(21:54):
project is a result of FEMA coming in and remapping
the Missouri River Corridor system and identifying new areas of
South Bismarck that are prone to flooding due to river activity.
For us, we've been working with state leaders for quite
some time to help them understand what our project looks like,
what the timeline would be, what those estimates of cost are,
(22:18):
and very grateful for the state leadership for the time
that they've dedicated to this and the information they've shared.
For myself and for Gabeeshell, our city engineer. It's really
our first time through the legislative process, just being new
to my position, and my predecessor did a great job
of managing a lot of this independently. And I said,
(22:38):
you know what, Gang, if you've got information, you're going
to come with me. You're going to testify. You're going
to be there too. And Gabe has and everyone in
the organization has stepped up and willingly done their part.
Kudos to Gabe has continued attention to this one and
communications with state leadership to make sure that we are
still at the table as this bill works its way through.
(23:00):
The next one that's probably a big one for us
and for most probably every city government in the state
of North Kota's House Bill eleven seventy six, this has
kind of been coined the Leadership Bill. This is the
property tax bill that would put a three percent cap
on municipal budgets. A three percent cap meaning cities can
collect no more than three percent on their general fund
(23:23):
year over year. It has a lot of community leaders
like myself concerned. I can say that Bismarck is probably
positioned a little better than some of the small towns
because we have a variety of revenue sources, and primarily
one of them is sales tax. We'll be looking at
that as a means to backfill or offset or continue
(23:44):
to sustain some of the programs that we might see
a change in. And you know, I've heard other cities
talk about a change in services. One community out on
the eastern side of North Dkota indicated a bunch of
their work is just general fun, including their roads and streets,
and instead of plowing streets at three inches, they might
(24:06):
wait until six inches to plow their streets because they
just simply won't have the means to do it as
often or as frequently as previously.
Speaker 6 (24:15):
And so.
Speaker 5 (24:17):
I'm not trying to say that as a threat. I'm
just trying to say that as communities are going to
have to look at what are those essential services that
we need to continue to provide, and how do we
do that as efficiently as we can. So eleven seventy
six is certainly one. I think one other one that
I mentioned last night, this one I believe it's gotten
quite a bit of attention statewide, is Senate Bill twenty
three oh seven. This is the bill that addresses explicit
(24:42):
material in public libraries and in public school libraries. The
bill would create a process for a library patron if
they have a concern with a particular book or the
content of a book, they can ask for that book
to be reviewed. This bill would cause a committee to
be established to do the review of that book, and
(25:03):
it doesn't specify who the committee would be. It just
says that it would need to be reviewed. If the
first committee reviews the book and determines that it is
appropriate to remain on the shelves where it is, and
that patron is not satisfied, the patron can peel that
decision to the state's attorney. Then the county state's attorney
(25:24):
would have to engage in a review of that book
as well and then make a determination. And there actually
is language in the bill that could cause the state's
attorney to enforce a penalty on the library that is
responsible for that book.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
Is it your understanding that each community would have a
committee or would there be a committee for the state
and then local states attorneys.
Speaker 5 (25:46):
Would Not being an attorney and not speaking directly to
the bill sponsor, I guess the way I read it,
every library would have to have its own committee, and
that committee would be the first response to the patron's
request and then the second response would be that of
the state's attorney. So the testimony on that, if you
(26:07):
looked at the submitted testimony, it was about six to
one in opposition of the bill. The committee voted twelve
to one to recommend d pass on the bill, So
it was a little contrary to the volume of testimony
that was there, but that one was referred to the Senate.
I'm sorry the House Appropriations Committee because it does have
(26:27):
a fiscal note tied to it, and so it will
be up to Appropriations to determine if they can work
that into the budget going forward. I don't know if
that has an outcome on or a determination on the
outcome of the bill, but that is at least the
next step for now.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
All right, So those are the highlights from the report
last night. We'll move off the agenda. We'll talk about
something super serious and want to talk about chickens.
Speaker 5 (26:51):
Chickens.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Yeah, he was talking about chickens, and I think Commissioner
Risch brought it up at the end of the meeting
that there is a survey out there. There is we're
running that graphic on our system as well, and who
popped it up there.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
Thank you, Quinn. There's a survey.
Speaker 5 (27:06):
It's a short survey. It's just a few questions, and
one of the questions is what came first, the chicken
or the egg. But in all seriousness, this is a
community conversation. This is a topic that it is brought
forward again because there are people that are interested in
keeping backyard chickens. And personally, I don't have an opinion
(27:30):
one way or the other. I can tell you I
have no interest in being a chicken rancher. I like
getting my chicken and eggs the old fashioned way by
going to the grocery store. But for many people there
is a lot of value in seeing where your food comes.
It becomes an educational piece, it becomes just an opportunity
to rely on yourself for some things. And where we
are with the survey, we'll see what kind of response
(27:53):
we get. Obviously, that information will be shared with the
Planning Commission, which will take this task on first. City
can Mission will have the final say in this, but
the process will be to like any other ordnance change
zoning ordinance change. The staff will develop a draft of
the ordinance and then bring into the Planning Commission where
(28:14):
there will be a public hearing. The Planning Commission's role
is to hold the hearing, formulate a recommendation, provide that
recommendation a City Commission, and then the City Commission will
have final action on this one somewhere in the probably
next three four months, maybe a little longer.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
I think it should be mentioned too that the ETA
is people who live in their ETA are allowed.
Speaker 5 (28:35):
To have backyard to if you're outside city limits in
the rural areas of Burley County, it's already a permitted use.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
Yeah, as a city amandant Chris Well, they've had it
for a number of years, so yeah, it's not an
unusual request, So it'll be interesting to see what happens.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
Another thing we wanted to touch on the Ottawa Street reconstruction, which,
as you pointed out, as an old section of Highway
eighty eighty three. My skyzone plant perfect in that area
where do things stand.
Speaker 5 (29:06):
So we held a public input meeting earlier this week
and it was primarily for the folks along the Autawa
Street corridor. For anybody that's not familiar with Attawa Street.
You're right, Tom, it's probably the biggest landmark would be
Plant Perfect or sky Zone. For a lot of people,
it's a road that parallels Highway eighty three, and for us,
it's what we would consider a rural section, meaning it's
(29:29):
just got a ditch, it doesn't have curbon gutter, it
doesn't have a sidewalk, doesn't have a lot of lighting.
There's not a lot of traffic control opportunity there, and
so it's time to improve the road. Our engineering staff
has been meeting with the property owners along that corridor
to help them better understand what it looks like, what
the future will be, what the expense might be for
(29:49):
that particular area. But this is a project that we
were looking at for this year's construction. I think for
anybody that's been anywhere near Plant Perfect around Mother's Day,
they would agree that this road can be very congested,
it's a little precarious, it can be yeah, So not
suggesting that this is going to solve all the problems
that happened seasonally in those areas. Obviously in the wintertime,
(30:10):
sky Zone is a very popular place as well, But
it's it's time for us to urbanize the street and
make it look like the rest of the rest of
the roads in the area.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
And there's been there is I think would be sad
to say too additional development along that corridor two, which
has made it even busier.
Speaker 5 (30:27):
You're absolutely right. We've seen some new office buildings showing up.
There's a salon that's in the area. There's a strip
mall with some chiropractic and other services there. So it's
it's time ye.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Yeah, and that's this summer. It's my understanding that's going
to happen. So again, get ready for road construction. Of course,
we're in pothole season right now. There's a number of
those that purine all over there.
Speaker 5 (30:51):
I guess if there's one good thing about having a
fairly dry winter, it's that it doesn't cause a lot
of potholes, because really one of the biggest reasons we
end up with potholes is the days the snow melts
and then it freezes at night, and that freeze thaw
cycle will really blow out those cracks. Without any moisture
on the ground, we're really just dealing now with the
(31:12):
frost heaving out of the ground. So I'd still take
snow over.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
Well, we do need moisture for sure.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
So last item on our notes is this strategic planning process.
We did get a notice from your office as well
as you mentioning last night during the meeting that there's
going to be a special City Commission meeting on April twenty.
Speaker 5 (31:34):
Ninth, right, And the reason for the special meeting on
the twenty ninth is because on April twenty second are
the second meeting for the City Commission. Bismarck City Commission.
In April, there'll be two very important reports coming forward,
and one of the reports will be coming from local
architect Jeff Yueble and his design team. They have been
(31:56):
looking at evaluating and developing apple improvements project list for
the Bismarck Event Center. Bismarck Event Center was first opened
in nineteen sixty nine. Humble to say, we actually do
have some infrastructure in that building that is original to
the building, and we have a number of needs within
the building that just simply need to be addressed. And
(32:17):
it's cosmetic things but also not as not as forward
facing things between HVAC and the control systems. There's just
work that needs to be done. So Jeff and his
team have been evaluating the facility, meeting with the staff
better understanding where we're good, where we're not so good,
and he will be coming forward with a capital improvements
(32:38):
project list that should drive us for the next three
to five, maybe even eight years worth of projects to
really invest in that space and bring it online with
what it needs to be doing. The other project that
we'll be seeing on the twenty second of April will
be a report from the consultants that we're hired to
do the operations and management study for the Bismarck Event Center,
(32:59):
and that group is known as j LL Jones Lang Lasal.
Their recommendations will give us give the commission a variety
of choices to be making how do we best want
to manage and operate this facility going forward. It's a
lot of information to take in on one night, but
it's even more information to expect them to be able
(33:20):
to comprehend and just make an informed decision that day.
So what we've done is we have set aside a
special meeting on April twenty ninth. FI point fifteen will
be a public meeting, just like all of them. It's
my understanding you guys have agreed to carry the meeting
live as well. Thank you for that. The meeting on
the twenty ninth will be a workshop for the commissioners
to tear into all the reporting and all the recommendations
(33:41):
and the information they receive from the uble group and
from the JLL consultants. It is my hope that the
commissioners will build consensus and formulate some direction on how
we're going to move forward and bring the events center
up to what it needs to be for the twenty
twenty five and the years going forward, and prioritize, absolutely,
identify there's I'm sure a lot of them there are
(34:04):
identifying the priority projects, identifying the funding sources, identifying what
is the best composition for operations and management for this facility.
This is this is a big deal for things, This
is this is a huge thing right now, and so
we are very much looking forward to those reports in April,
and I am excited to see this commission really dig
(34:24):
into this topic and decide how are we going to
go forward, how are we going to shine this place
up and make it look its greatest Jason.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
Will this also incorporate the other RFP that you had
out for a hotel conference center adjacent to the facility.
Speaker 5 (34:40):
There has been some internal discussion about that. We did
receive one proposal from that Amenity's RFP. That group has
not yet come forward with. We have not asked them
to provide their presentation, but that's still a topic that
the nayor and I are discussing and trying to determine.
It might be an awful lot for one meeting to
have all three of those converge, but at the same
(35:02):
time to even mention it is totally appropriate because these
all fit together in such a such an intricate way.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
So it's in the back of the mind as these
other two big reports come forward, I would assume. So, yeah,
that's a lot. So looking forward to.
Speaker 5 (35:19):
That definitely, what's going to happen.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
Excited for it, absolutely, Yeah, long time coming.
Speaker 4 (35:23):
So with that, there are a lot of ways that
people can watch or listen to these upcoming meetings, so
we want to make sure everybody has a chance to
our apps.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Yes, got a little graphic we can put up again
about our apps. We've got apps coming out of our ears.
We've got apps for government access, community access, and radio access.
Speaker 3 (35:44):
So and they're working.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
We've got a couple tweaks that we're still working on,
but you know, they're great. It's because our radio operation
is little power. It's nice to pull up that radio
app when you're moving a little bit of a distance
away from the city.
Speaker 5 (36:01):
So you can listen to all your favorite Bismark insights
in history, hot dish. These are your neighbors on long
car rides.
Speaker 6 (36:09):
Worry about it.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
It's great.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
Yeah yeah, well thanks Jason, thanks for being here today.
We're going to wrap up this program and this is
the last time you and I will be sitting probably
at this table. That's unless you invite me back. I'm
not quite suah, but you know, it's been it's been
quite an adventure.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
What we three hundred plus programs.
Speaker 5 (36:28):
And city Current since twenty seventeen, I think is what
we when we started with h mister Neubauer as well.
So I just I want to say thanks to you
because this program has helped me do my job better
because it keeps me and it keeps me informed, but
it keeps me engaged and aware because I can't just
sit through a city Commission meeting and wait for the
(36:50):
time to pass. You I know that we are going
to be talking about these things the next day, and
so it helps me think about how does this impact
the community, What are we doing here, what messages do
we want to share? And I just I'm so grateful
that you have given us this vessel to share information.
And I know Tom's going to do a great job
going forward and probably some new ideas. It happens all
(37:12):
the time with me, sure, and I'm glad to know
that the program will still go on. I'm sad to
say that we'll see you in other ways somewhere, but
proud to be a part of this, and thank you
so much.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
And it's been thank you, and it's been such a
great adventure for us as well, giving us really good content.
You know, we call them the grocery store Nielsen's because
we don't have any way to cage some of our viewership.
But you know, we're walking through the grocery store, I'm
at the Why or some and somebody will say, I
love that city current, that's really great.
Speaker 5 (37:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
So the intention was always to find those items on
the agenda that the commissioners are talking about that really
impact the community. So I hope we've done that. But
I know Tom will make a lot of good changes
too along with you.
Speaker 5 (38:02):
So well it'll be his show. Yes, just a guest, that's.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
Right, Okay, and thank you for tuning in to this
edition of City Current.
Speaker 6 (38:13):
For more information on what was discussed in this episode
of City Current, visit Bismarckend dot gov or call seven
zero one three five five one three zero zero. If
you have suggestions, comments, or issues you would like addressed
in future episodes, contact us at info at free tv
dot org. This program airs on Government Access Channel two
(38:34):
and six oh two in HD or on Radio Access
one oh two point five FM. It's also available as
a podcast on Radioaccess dot org and as a video
viewing link at free tv dot org. Thanks for tuning
in to this edition of City Current.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
Did make me
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