00:00:05,630	it’s the 10th of September, it’s 5:15. We’re in the Tom Baker room of the City County building in Bismarck. This will be a board of City commissioners board meeting, but first we’ll start with invocation with chaplain. Wolf Brown, please. Mayor, commissioners, let us pray.

00:00:26,570	Grace’s father, we are grateful for the countless blessings that you shower on us each day. As we embark upon yet another Patriot Day commemorating the events of 9/11 01. We remember the sacrifice of those who died on that fateful day, and since then to defend our nation and protect the freedoms we enjoy.

00:00:45,800	We are grateful for your presence and the precious gift of life, family, liberty, and the freedoms we enjoy in this land. We pray that you continue to protect our nation from those who seek our demise.

00:01:03,300	uphold all in authority, especially the president and Congress of the United States, the governor and legislature of this state and all judges graciously enable them to lead according to your will and for our good. Continue to bless our city and community. We thank you for our emergency workers, police, fire, and EMS along with medical workers and all of our public servants, keep them safe as they carry out their vocation to serve the public good.

00:01:22,500	Plus these leaders, Mayor Schmidt’s, the commission members, and those who serve in support of rules. We pray that matters brought before the commission may be presented and discussed in kindness and respect toward one another in order that decisions would be would seek the best interest of our community and be in accord with your good and gracious will.

00:01:39,270	Thank you for your love for us expressed in Jesus your Son, and our Savior from sin. Keep us in your tender and loving care through Christ our Lord, we pray. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you.

00:02:12,230	We’ll call our meeting in order if we can call roll, please. Comm. Risch Comm. Zenker. Comm. Connelly, Comm. Cleary, Mayor Schmitz here. This time we have public comment on any item that is on the consent agenda or regular agenda item excluding public hearing.

00:02:34,170	So anyone who wish to speak, please come forward, state your name, sign in and tell us which topic. A second call for public comment. 3rd and final call for public comment. Hearing and seeing no further public comment, public comment period is now closed. Commissioners, what are your wishes with regard to the consent agenda, move to approve is presented. Any discussion? He no will call roll. Comm. Zenker. Yes, Comm. Connelly.

00:03:08,870	Yes, Comm. Cleary, Comm. Risch. Mayor Schmitz, yes. First item on the agenda is request to release a landscape easement on lots 1 through 20 block 1 and lots 1 through 17, block 2 of Meadow Ridge. Metal village edition for replat. Lauren. Good evening, Mayor and commissioners.

00:03:42,530	Tootaify Air Land Company LLC is requesting approval to release the current landscape buffer, easement on lots 1 through 20 block 1, and lots 1 through 17, block 2 Meadow Village edition first relat. The property is located in South Bismarck, east of South Washington Street, west of Boston Drive and north of East Burley Avenue.

00:04:04,400	The easement was originally granted with the plot of Meadow Village Edition in 2019 and was rededicated with the plot of Meadow Village edition purse relot in 2022. The project area is a planned unit development. Lots 1 through 30, block 1 on the northern portion of the plot permits single family dwellings, and lots 1 through 39 block 2 on the western side of the plot permits single and two family dwellings. As a.

00:04:30,100	As such a landscape buffer yard, as described in Section 14-03-1110 would no longer be required in the locations that are shown on the plat since the lots adjacent to the north and west of the subdivision are also being developed as single and two family dwellings and are compatible with the adjacent planned unit development lots by city policy

00:04:52,370	release of any easements other than franchises utility easements requires a public hearing with the city commission. Owners of adjacent properties have been notified of this public hearing. Staff have received two public comments in opposition to this request. These were forwarded to the city commission prior to the meeting, uh, as well as included within the agenda.

00:05:13,170	Staff also received one call from a member of the public just asking additional information regarding the project. They didn’t indicate whether they were for or against the project.

00:05:30,300	Uh, as a result of all findings in the staff report, City of Bismarck staff find that the release of the landscape offer for easement would not adversely impact the public health, safety and general welfare, and is consistent with the comprehensive plan Bismarck Code of ordinances and relevant state law. Therefore, staff recommends approval to release the current landscape of reavement over lots 1 through 20 block 1, and lots 1 through 17, block 2 Meadow Village edition first relot.

00:05:50,170	Do you have any questions for me at this time? Ms Commission Connelly. With the way it was zoned before and currently, either way it’s uh developable, right? Um, where there would be structures on the plot itself. That is a Comm. Connelly, that is correct. Thank you. Comm. Risch Mr.

00:06:18,900	Mayor, commissioners, yeah, I want the reason the buffer was originally put in place it was because there might have been Apartment buildings, other things other than single family dwellings. Is that, is that the case? Comm. Rich Comm., yes, that is correct. Um, how it is currently written.

00:06:40,300	However, it’s single family or two family dwellings, uh, in those lots, uh, adjacent to the current single and two family dwellings, um, adjacent to the plot. So it would be single family to single family or two family to two family. Yeah, I, I drove down there today and I looked at it and it looked like the thing to do to approve this. Well, we, we still have a public hearing, so.

00:07:00,530	Any other questions? Um, just for clarification, Lauren, um, with one of the uh public comments that was sent in, he had kind of a list of questions for Jenny. Were those all answered for that, um. Person who sent that in. That’s a great question, Comm. Cleary.

00:07:24,500	Mayor commissioners, uh, yes, that was answered by Jenny, um, basically outlining what was written and provided to you today, um, and she went into more detail regarding some of those uh different zoning questions there. OK, sounds good.

00:07:38,630	I just wanted to make sure that even though it was sent in as public comment, it was a lot of questions, so I just wanted to make sure he got answers. Uh, I do believe the consulting the consultant for this project is here in case you have any questions for him as well. Thank you. Comm. Zinker.

00:07:58,770	Mary commissioners, Lauren, I thought you were leaving us for a second, um, so I guess the, the big question before we get into the, uh, the the public hearing is, um, if we’re going to have this change now when it was single family twin homes. Why was it originally brought in as a PUD.

00:08:14,900	If it was gonna be contiguous with that and be residential around there, um, because we just approved this a short time ago, I mean, 2019, 2022, that time time frame when I looked at it, so why so why so why the why the PUD or from what I understood from uh what happened is that our landscape ordinance wasn’t in place, so they had decided to plot it. However, um, the landscaping is not currently within the PUD.

00:08:35,200	They are actually going through a process currently. uh Indicate and provide that ordinance within the actual PUD so they can follow ordinance guidelines. Uh, that is a separate project from this, and that is not really in conjunction with that, but it, it does kind of play into this as well. Thank you. Any other questions? we may have you back.

00:08:59,670	Thank you. All right, this is, uh, the public hearing, so anyone who wishes to speak to this, please come forward and identify yourself, sign in. Hello, good evening, Mayor and Comm.. I’m bringing my laptop because my, uh my phone died and I don’t have my talking points, but yes, my name is Will Hutchins.

00:09:17,170	I’m here representing my client Arthur Goldhammer with Dakota Pioneer Land Company. Uh, thank you to Lauren. That was a great overview. Uh, we really don’t have anything to add other than just to reindicate that this was just an erroneous air that was carried over from the original plot to the the relot.

00:09:32,700	It’s not necessary because when that original that replot occurred that uh zoning change also happened to remove and kind of reconfigure where the multifamily would be located.

00:09:48,170	And moved to a single family to be around the outside edge, and when that happened there was really no need for that landscape easement, but it got carried through erroneously to the final replot that you see today. I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have. Any questions, Comm. Zenker. Comm. Mr. Hutchins. Um, so do you agree with what Lauren stated on the, uh, on why the PUD originally. Uh, originally it wasn’t a PD.

00:10:08,470	It was actually uh zoned as an RM 15 or 30, I believe. And so during the replot is when they got rezoned to the I was mistaken. OK, thank you, sir. No problem. Anyone else have questions? Thanks. Thank you. In this public hearing, anyone who who wishes to speak, please come forward. A 2nd call for public comment. A 3rd and final call for public comment.

00:10:38,500	and seeing no further public comment, public comment period is now closed. Commissioners, what are your wishes or do you have further questions? Moved to approve is presented. I Is there any discussion. Harry Nunn will call roll. Mr. Connelly, Comm. Cleary, Comm. Risch. Comm. Zenker. Mayor Schmitz, yes. Next item is Bismarck Event Center amenity. Development RFP and Jason.

00:11:15,100	Good evening, Mayor and Comm.. Give me just a second here. Sorts of stuff going on here. Um, Can I close your presentation, Laura? There we go. I don’t know if that’s any better or not pardon me, messing with technology, um. Mayor and commissioners back on July 9th. Mr.

00:11:52,570	Risch, that would have been your first meeting as a Comm.. Um, I was here in front of you with a number of um. Kind of decision points and next steps looking at the Bismarck event center, and one of those bullets on that discussion that evening talked about kind of this option to be bold and this idea of looking at.

00:12:11,700	Uh, some of the space that we have at the event center today and trying to determine if there’s a higher and better use of that land and um the item on the agenda tonight addresses that particular conversation.

00:12:30,000	And the intent of the request for proposals in the draft that was included in the agenda and there’s a, a slightly revised version that I printed in front of you and I’ll maybe go through some of those uh paragraphs in just a moment here, but the purpose of this request for proposals is to try and decide or determine if there’s a qualified developer or a team of developers that would like to uh bring some amenities to the event center that aren’t

00:12:48,630	currently there today and of course what we have today, uh within the event center we’ve got Obviously, the exhibit hall, which is the large vendor spaces, the 100,000 square foot of, you know, multi-purpose space. We’ve got the arena.

00:13:07,400	And we’ve got the Balmahews, which is a little uh downtown, a little distance from the event center itself, but uh there’s, there’s some missing pieces within the event center and for those of you that have been following the conversation over the years, uh, there’s kind of a, a sweet spot, some space in the middle, a ballroom space sometimes people would would refer to it as um.

00:13:23,830	The purpose of this RFP is to see if there is an interested. Party, a private development group that would be Willing to propose some type of an event or some type of an amenity on this approximately 70,000 square feet. The area that we’re talking about. Is the northeast quadrant of the intersection of Fifth and Boland.

00:13:43,870	It is the main. Surface parking area directly adjacent to the exhibit hall and the arena. Uh, we’re not talking about the two large surface lots that are on the south side of Bowen we’re specifically talking about the area that is on the entire block of the event center itself.

00:14:00,270	And so if I could maybe just kind of walk you through a couple of the components uh in the, in the document, the draft that you have in front of you, um, page 4, it talks about the purpose for the request.

00:14:19,070	It says the purpose of creating, constructing and operating complimentary amenities to the existing features and facilities offered by the event center, uh, this development opportunity is seeking supporting services intended to enhance the user and customer experiences at the Bismarck Event Center. The proposal should not seek to duplicate existing services offered.

00:14:41,430	or offerings provided by the Bismarck Event Center, but rather take advantage of the existing facility, its location, uh, within walking distance to our vibrant downtown, and obviously a book ended on the south by Kirkwood Mall. So it’s kind of the, the, you know, if you’re a developer reading something like this, you’re looking for some of these key paragraphs, these key statements to kind of give some insight into the vision of what we’re trying to do here.

00:14:56,800	If you drift further down the page, uh, under the overview section. It’s talking about seeking a qualified developer that will assemble and lead a team of consultants and secondary developers in the ownership creation, implementation, and the operation of a facility that may include lodging, conference and meeting rooms, ballroom, off-street parking, banquet facilities, commercial kitchen and food production

00:15:20,970	space, or other services and amenities intended to complement the existing offerings and facilities. Excuse me, owned by the city of Bismarck and operated as the Bismarck Event Center. I had to close out that paragraph.

00:15:39,770	It says the development plan must strive to create a project that integrates high quality design and site planning while outlining the role of the developer, its team, secondary developers, and the role of the city of Bismarck, redevelopment of the site as a complementary and supportive facility providing services and amenities not currently offered by the Bismarck Event Center, um, must be finalized within 3 years of the purchase.

00:15:59,170	So this is an area that we’re looking for some direction from you as well. Um, what is a comfortable amount of time? Obviously a project of this scope and magnitude isn’t going to just come together overnight. Um, so some of the direction that I’m seeking from you today is not just the timeline.

00:16:15,200	Uh, within this proposal as it would go out on the street. But then also what would be a comfortable amount of time that we would anticipate this project to be needing in order to be successful, um, in other words, how long would it take to plan, design, construct, implement, and operate.

00:16:36,170	Uh, if you go through on page 7, it talks about the objectives of the project, the city is seeking to work with the developer and team of consultants, as we’ve mentioned, um. Seeking in the development of trans transformative project that will enhance the existing features of the event center. And enable the community to to continue.

00:17:04,000	Attracting musical events, conventions, and conferences, stage performances, sporting activities, comedians, and family friendly entertainment for the for decades to come. So what we’re trying to get here, what I’m trying to help you understand is, is our vision, uh, when I say our, uh, Amanda Yellow and I spent and Doug Weil spent a good bit of time um.

00:17:19,470	Working through this and coming up with ideas and I know Amanda got some feedback from some of her team as well. So I guess if, if none of this, if this isn’t clear, if, if we’re not being. Descriptive enough if you’re not picking up what we’re trying to. Uh, put down here, then we, we need some more time to continue to work through this.

00:17:37,500	Um, by no means is this ready to hit the street. We’ve got some work to do. I’d like to work with the community development staff, uh, this property is currently in the downtown core zoning district, so there are some unique, um, Features that go along with that zoning district.

00:17:54,670	I’d like to make sure that what’s in this proposal is an accurate reflection of what’s in our zoning code and what the expectations would be as far as. Uh, design components. Setbacks, lot coverage, those are very important things when we’re talking about essentially an infill project, a pretty limited footprint, uh, for this type of operation. Um, schedule of process, um.

00:18:18,570	Bottom of page 7 where it talks about the proposal request and selection process, um, I’ll just read this better part of the paragraph and, and this was a suggestion that I think has a lot of merit. An advisory committee composed of individuals representing community organizations or stakeholders with an affiliation or working relationship to the Bismarck Event Center would be assembled for this project.

00:18:39,830	The purpose and the role of the advisory committee would be to review and score each of the proposals based on the evaluation criteria identified in the request. Interviews with the advisory committee may be necessary to determine the most qualified developer and the highest and best use of the identified area in the request.

00:18:58,570	Additionally, the advisory committee will provide a recommendation to the Board of City commissioners informing the commission on the most qualified development teams whose proposals should be, and I wrote interviewed here, but I think the word should be, should be considered by the city commission. A final decision will be made by the Board of City commissioners.

00:19:16,300	In other words, I think a a group of stakeholders that. Interact with the events and understand the value and what it means for the community could be assembled to vet hopefully many, many proposals, but then come back with a recommendation to say these are the 2 or 3 most qualified development teams that we as the advisory committee believe you, the commission should be

00:19:37,100	interviewing and working to. Ultimately decide if one project is chosen over another. Other than that, um, evaluation criteria, you know, this is a key component of every RFP, starting on page 9.

00:20:03,900	this is, uh, There are 8 items there, those would be the components that you would be able to use to hold one project up against another. Uh, when we talk about the evaluation criteria because this is such a unique opportunity we’re talking about not just the qualifications of the team or their understanding of the project or their approach to the project, which are very common things and how we evaluate consultants, but if you look at number 5, it talks

00:20:20,330	about public benefit. Uh, the proposed public public benefit including but not limited to the enhanced quality of life for area residents, the bolstering of local economy through enhanced facilities and services, which increases local sales tax and sales and use tax collections and increased occupancy for hotels, resulting in larger collections of the local lodging and restaurant

00:20:42,630	taxes and also talks about the level of investment. I mean, obviously we’re looking for. Uh A very dynamic, a very uh landmark type project here. This isn’t just a. Uh, you know, uh, another. Run of the mill. Project here.

00:21:03,630	This is something that the community, uh, I believe would support and it would work to support a lot of other aspects and features and businesses within the community as well. So If you have questions, I, I hope you do. I’d be happy to try and answer them. Amanda Yellow is here as well if you have questions of her, um, looking for a little direction and um.

00:21:23,770	Just know that again, we’re, we’ve got some work to do on this, but I wanted to uh kind of see if there’s consensus here. Is this what you had in mind when we talked originally back in July, my way off track, do we need to retool this or are we pretty close and if there’s consensus

00:21:39,000	on any of that, I think I’d be a good listener for that one. Commission Conly What’s the value of that property? Uh, mayor and Comm., the value of the property, I don’t know that we have a determined value because it has never been officially assessed.

00:22:01,130	Now if we were to uh work with our assessing division, we could probably get some comparables of what a like sized appropriately zoned parcel would be worth, um, but that, uh, that’s not a, an answer that I would have for you tonight. OK. And Um, Mayor and commissioners, if there’s any way um within the RFP, um. No No talk of incentives or anything.

00:22:30,530	Um, Can it be done without it? Is that a question for me? No, that’s basically throw it out there and see what we get mayor and Comm., Comm. Connelly, you’re, you’re you’re right, there was no necessary mention of incentives in this particular document. However, I, I think the commission.

00:22:56,200	Might need to be prepared for a proposal that would include a variety of incentives. I’m not suggesting it’s an absolute thing, but. There may be need for some discussion on that depending on the type of proposals that come through the door, um, Renaissance zone is certainly something that we have on the table as a potential option.

00:23:15,430	I’m not saying that anything is a guarantee, but there may be other unique approaches to this particular project that we’ve not seen before, or maybe it’s things that we have seen, I guess I would encourage each of you to uh. Have an open mind and and just see what the proposals look like if they come in the door. Other, go ahead, Comm.. Mr. Mayor, Comm.

00:23:35,200	Jason, so this will be privately owned, privately operated. It’s something that we envision would. Play well with the civic center? Is that the idea? The Mayor and Comm. Comm.

00:23:53,270	Ris in a nutshell, yeah, that, that is the idea that this could be privately owned and operated and it would be completely complimentary to what’s already going on at the event center as a department of the city. That’s, that’s the, it, it could very well be, yes, that’s I mean to to cut it down to the brass tacks, a hotel would be a wonderful amenity to have at that location.

00:24:10,470	Obviously we’ve got some parking there as well, and then we’ve got kind of that missing middle-sized uh facilities for conferences or what have you. We’ve got the very large exhibit hall spaces. We’ve got a number of meeting rooms within the exhibit hall, but if you’re looking for the full offering of of sizes and functionality there is a.

00:24:30,930	in the middle that isn’t currently provided for in the community. Of the thoughts. Go ahead, Comm. Mayor Comm. Jason. So as for the time frame, I don’t know if we can really put a bookend on it, so to speak, because we don’t know what the vision is. Right? I mean, if you have. I’ll just throw some random stuff out there.

00:24:57,000	Nobody write this down like this is gospel, OK? So, um, We, someone comes up with an idea of hey, we’re going to leave the parking there, we’re going to build the structure above it so we can maintain that parking.

00:25:13,400	Um, there could be something that that uh digs it down, I wouldn’t dig too far cause there’s a groundwater issue in there, you know, for underground parking type of thing. I don’t know. Um, how this all would tie together if they want to connect the two buildings, um, I’m sure that’s a legal issue that we don’t want to dive into today or whatever, um, so I don’t, I don’t think we can put bookends

00:25:33,130	on it. We gotta, we gotta see what the ideas are. Um, I, I, I don’t mind this. This is, this is good. It’s always great to ask questions. I just remind the commission that and staff that we have contracts for previous.

00:25:54,330	Um, the east side of, of the event center, uh, for architect and construction manager for some things that are really needed within the building itself and we can’t lose sight of that, um, still while moving forward with whatever ideas may come come about, so Comm.

00:26:12,030	, I know we haven’t lost, in fact, I know Amanda and some of the staff is already working on some of those components of those things that are out there out there in that, that project on the east side, but it’s, you know, how can we be a little bold to try to enhance What can go on at the event center, knowing we’re like we’re going down an avenue we haven’t gone down.

00:26:26,800	And I kind of agree with you, Comm.. I’m not sure we can put up. Timeline of when it would be finished because they may come to us with. Something that says, yeah, that’s great. Now we know we need 7 years instead of 3 years. Yeah, and, and Mayor, I, I agree with that.

00:26:44,900	I mean, obviously it with my construction background, what sounds really good on paper, you know, when you get that two dimensional drawing it’s like, oh yeah, we can build this and X amount of, yeah, sometimes Mother Nature gets in the way, uh, critical path items don’t make it in time, those types of things.

00:27:01,330	So for us to put a bookend on it, I think would hamper, uh, maybe some of the ideas. Maybe we can ask them to give us kind of their vision of a timeline. Well, if they’re bringing a project like this, they should have that vision, yeah. Part of the RFP rather than put a bookend around the timeline. I would concur, Comm.

00:27:15,630	, I was going to suggest something similar that maybe the timeline becomes like a part of the request that you build that in um one of those bullet points that you’re asking them of when they’re describing their project that that they tell us what their ideal timeline is, because I think two Comm.

00:27:33,300	Zener’s point, depending on what the project is, it could vary immensely, so, um, I think we could just put that in there and ask them. To tell us what the timeline for their project looks like, cause I think they’ll have varying answers because of the projects will vary, so. Otherwise, I thought that For the most part, it looks good. I, I think that.

00:27:54,030	With the hope that we’re gonna have multiple things coming through the shoot for it, it would be nice to have that advisory group kind of go over.

00:28:12,800	What, what looks like most possible and best case scenario and then just bring the best ones to us versus having to go through all of them, um, so I like that piece of it too. Go here, Comm.. And one more thing, Mayor Commissioners Jason, I think the other thing is, is, is don’t look for the perfect question, right? Keep it a little bit open so that we don’t become a roadblock ourselves. In my opinion, I mean, what we don’t know.

00:28:33,700	To be honest, we don’t even really know what we’re asking other than, hey, who’s got some ideas that we might want to consider, and that’s really that’s the question in my opinion. It might be really simple, um, but it’s reality. So Thank you. And and I had mentioned that early on to Jason too.

00:28:50,630	I thought we needed to be as that’s why it’s somewhat vague in the whole proposal a request is. Didn’t put strings around it because we don’t know what’s gonna come. Somebody come with a great idea and. We don’t even know what it is. Yeah. I guess mayor and Comm.

00:29:10,900	, your thoughts on how long you would prefer this proposal to be available, uh, thinking, you know, we’re almost to the 4th quarter now and. Having a team pull something. Development proposal like this together isn’t going to happen just simply overnight and so I guess.

00:29:32,030	Recognizing staff’s gonna take some time to finish this up, make sure it’s 100% before we push it out on the website. Wondering your thoughts on a. End of the year delivery for proposals is that realizing obviously first of the year, things are gonna get really busy again, but. Is that an adequate amount of time or is that too much time? I guess I’m looking for a little direction on your thoughts there.

00:29:54,700	Just because of what’s on the table with the measures during November, I would actually look towards maybe the first part of next year just because that might change the conversation a lot.

00:30:16,530	Commissioners, do you have any thoughts on when we should target to Post this, I guess would be the other side of that if, if you’re comfortable waiting till the first part of 25, how long would you feel is necessary to leave it available for people to jump at and. Come up with a concept. Comm. Zinger, I, um, Mayor Comm.

00:30:37,000	Jason, I think posting it is, um, in the next 30 days would be fine, right? Because that would take us to October or get us to the 4th quarter. I don’t think we need to have anything do, you know, once you get to that Thanksgiving and I’m speaking from my construction hat here.

00:30:51,230	Anytime you get to that Thanksgiving thing to the end of the year, you just, it’s like kind of all mumbled up in Christmas and those types of things for us to review. I would think, uh, to, to Comm. Connelly’s point about what may happen in November if we’re reviewing this, the end of February, beginning of March, I think would be sufficient, um, a little sooner might be OK, depends on mid to late January deliverable from the proposers

00:31:16,670	correct yep, and then give the time for the committee to review it another couple of weeks or a month or whatever and then maybe it’s closer to the early. Part of February, but that’s just me thinking out loud. I, I kind of concur.

00:31:30,900	I, I figured it’s gonna be 60 to 90 days from the time the RFP got out that we could expect them to come back this because it is a big. Concept conceptual thought process here. Any other thoughts? Yeah. OK, Jason, you’re good? I heard plenty of consensus and I’ve got some direction.

00:31:50,500	I guess the only question I have, do you have any desire to see this once it’s done? Or do you, are you comfortable with staff making the final changes based on what we’re at primarily is the substantive changes would involve dates and deadlines and there’s a, you might have seen on one of the pages there’s a blue highlighted piece.

00:32:06,630	Um, Amanda was working on the square footage is the range of square footages for the rooms to help the groups better understand what is existing in place. So that’s some minor little detail work there. I don’t need to see it again. OK, I think you could handle it, Jason. OK, great. Thank you for your time.

00:32:28,370	Next item C consider a request for approval to enter into an agreement with US SiteWorks for the purchase of borrowed dirt from the landfill. Steve, Good evening, Mayor and commissioners. Um, we were recently approached by a company by the name of US SiteWorks.

00:32:51,030	They were looking to purchase some borrowed dirt for a project that they have over Mandan. Um, I believe they’re constructing a ball diamond over there and um. They’re, they’re looking for approximately up to about 5000 cubic yards of dirt. Um, the summer with the um recent expansion of the landfill, we have an overabundance of, um, the sandy soil that they’re actually looking for for their project over Mandam. And so, um.

00:33:18,200	When they reached out, um, I had kind of left it in their ballpark to um. Come and look at the dirt to see first of all, is it gonna work for you? Um, and second, um, make me an offer of. What you think this dirt would be worth.

00:33:38,970	Uh, they came back and they had offered me 50 cents a yard for the dirt. And um. I kind of countered them and I said, well, we recently sold some for the exit 161.

00:33:58,170	Uh, project here in Bismarck and that contractor had given us $1 a cubic yard and so they said that they’d be willing to do the $1 a cubic yard for the soil as well, and so with that, um, I said I’d bring it to the commission look for approval, um, to, um, sell them up to 5000 cubic yards of this sandy soil, uh, for their project over Mandate. Comm. questions. I had moved to approve. Second, Any discussion I just got one question for Mr.

00:34:26,030	Solway. Was that a pun? Did you intend that pun? Left it in their ballpark. I’ll leave it at that, Mr. Zinker. But All right. Uh All right, we have a 1st and a 2nd. And no other discussion we’ll call roll. Comm. Cleary? Yes, Comm. Risch. Comm. Zenker. Comm. Connelly, Mayor Schmitz, yes.

00:34:56,470	Next item the consider a request from Bismarck Airport to receive funds and award bids and approved grant funds from the FAA and approved project for Taxi We see north. Greg. All right, I’ll give you a little more details on this thing. Um, the airport’s been working on this project for a number of years.

00:35:20,830	Uh, it mainly involves rebuilding about 1800 lineal feed of stretch attacks way up in the northern part of the airfield. Uh, plus an intersection, uh, intersection C3 as well as a micro seal of the northernmost portion of the taxway and intersection C1 and C2 and this is right off of our main runway. This is our main parallel taxiway.

00:35:46,030	Um, it also includes a couple of tax we intersections, uh, to the general aviation ramp or realigning some of those intersections to to serve the um uh general aviation community a little bit better. Um, The airport pledged its 2024 entitlement funds which were about $2.4 million towards this project.

00:36:11,200	And then requested discretionary funds for the remainder of the of the cost for the project from the FAA. Uh, this summer, FA suggested that we bid the project. Uh, thinking that there may be some discretionary funds available for the project towards the end of the fiscal year.

00:36:30,870	And you know, right where we’re at right now, then in the last couple of days an announcement was made uh granting Bismarck Airport 9, a little over $9.8 million for the 90% share of the eligible work uh in the project. Um, I have to say there is approximately $2.3 million of ineligible work included in the project, um, The FAA is only funding, uh, the cost for a 50 ft wide taxiway.

00:36:55,970	And currently the tax weighs 75 ft wide, but they’re only funding a 50 ft width. Uh, and that’s the bigger part of the ineligible work. Uh, all the remaining portions of the taxway Charlie, which is over 7000 ft, including all the five intersections, well, 6 actually with uh Delta.

00:37:17,830	Uh, are still at the width of 75 ft, so with the encouragement of the North Dakota Air and eyes Commission, um, the airport staff, along with our consulting engineer determined that it was best uh are in the best interests of the airport to rebuild the section, this section of tax way back to the 75 ft wide, uh,

00:37:36,870	width. Uh, we weren’t going to have some hourglass shaped 50 ft wide section of that taxiway up there. Um, and, uh, Aaron Is commission uh supported us on that, um, and we we anticipate that they’re going to help fund some of the those ineligible costs, uh, when we put in our grant request in 2025, uh, to

00:38:01,670	the aeronautics Commission. So what we have in front of us today, we had a bid opening, um, on July 8th. Uh, and 2 bids were received for the general construction, one from Northern Improvement, one from Strata.

00:38:24,170	Northern was the apparent little bitter, uh, they, uh, bid for all the highlighted portions of the bid tab that was in your packets. Because we aren’t awarding every single um division and schedule that we put out on the bed and it’s based upon uh the funding that came in and.

00:38:43,400	Because we had to break this up into a number we had to have about 3 different uh sizes of project because we didn’t know how much money the the feds were gonna be able to come up with on the discretionary dollars, but.

00:39:05,630	The, the package that you have in front of you is all the highlighted portions under the uh uh bid tab, uh, and that totals out on the northern Improvement side that’s a little bit for the general construction of $10,279,7712.20 and it’s about 3.4% below the engineer’s estimate. And then 2 bids were received on the electrical side, uh, one from Edling Electric, one from Strata. Uh, Edling was the apparent little bitter on the electrical. Uh, and again, it’s only the highlighted portions of the bid tab uh for Edling at $780,571.

00:39:35,570	70 and their bid was 17.4% below the engineer’s estimate, so the bids were good. Um, and we have 3 recommendations for you tonight 3 for 3 actions. One is to accept the FA grant offer of $90,814,070. The second one is receiving uh the bids and awarding to the two, the apparent low bidders, Northern Improvement and Ed Edling Electric.

00:39:59,030	And then 3 is approving the project budget that was included in the packet. Ministers do you have questions? Yeah, we’re happy to answer any questions. The engineers here too if you want to get down in the weeds. What are your wishes, Comm.? Moved to approve is presented. So I got Is there any discussion? Here and then we’ll call roll. Comm.

00:40:27,530	Risch, yes. Comm. Zenker. Yes, Comm. Connelly, Comm. Cleary, yes, Mayor Schmitz. Yes, thank you. Do we have any other business tonight? He and done, we stand