00:00:06,000	In the, let’s see, we’re in Mandan in the Ed Bosch Frelich Me room. This will be the Bismarck Mannon and Policy Board uh, meeting, but first, before we start, we’ll have Pledge of allegiance. to the flag.

00:00:38,800	Of the event of America to the Republic for Begistan one nation, their God, invisible. All right, if we can call the meeting in order by calling roll, please. Mayor Berglund here Comm Zachmeyer Mayor Freelich here. Comm Schwab and Chair Schmitz here. first item on our agenda is public comment. The public comment, it would be restricted to the current agenda or a prior policy board agenda excluding the public hearings.

00:01:17,100	Is there anyone who wished to speak A second call for public comment. 3rd and final call for public comment. Public comment period is now closed. OK. Oh, well, we’ll keep trying to, we’ll try to move on. Next item is minutes.

00:01:55,530	Are there any changes to the minutes from July 15th or if not, I would entertain a motion to approve. I’ll make that motion to approve. Any discussion He none will call roll Mayor Berglund Yes Mayor Frelick, yes Comm Schwab and Chair Schmitz, yes. Next to item 5, the 2025 to 2028 TIP amendments. Steven. thank you, Chair Exhibits A and B in your packet.

00:02:31,270	Provide details about two proposed amendments to our current 25 to 28 transportation improvement program. So the First Amendment is Exhibit A in your packet. It increases the cost estimates associated with phase 3 of the fiscal year 25 Mandan Memorial Highway Reconstruction project as provided to us by NDDOT.

00:02:56,900	and the Second Amendment exhibit B adds a new project to the program in 25 for the preliminary engineering, uh, for a future fiscal year 29 project planned for drainage improvements at Mandan’s 1806 6th Avenue Railroad Underpass.

00:03:24,170	Uh, so both these projects are being advertised for the required fifteen-day public comment period and a public hearing will be held for these at 10:00 a.m. in the Blackstead Room of the City County building in Bismarck on August 20th, since we were not able to get them advertised in time to hold the public hearing at yesterday’s TAC meeting.

00:03:47,100	So today we would be requesting the board approve the amendment’s conditionally based on no substantive comments being received during the remainder of the comet period. and tact did recommend approval um conditionally as I stated yesterday. Uh, are there any questions? on these? Any questions for Stephen Members, what are your wishes with regard to the request. Make the motion to approve Conditionally, conditionally.

00:04:25,530	I would second that Do we have any discussion He none will call Raw Mayor Berglund Yes. Mayor Frelick, yes. Comm Schwab and Chair Schmititz Yes Next item 6 is the 2025 to 2028 TI Amendment. uh, exhibit C, go ahead, Stephen. Thank you, Mayor.

00:05:00,230	Yes, um, staying on the same topic, uh, but had to treat them as separate items, exhibit C in your packet provides details about another proposed amendment. This adds a new project to fiscal year 25 for microservicing on County Road 139A in Morton County. Uh, from 175 ft west of Crown Butte Lake Trail, about 6 miles east to 2ourth Avenue on the outskirts of Mandan.

00:05:21,600	The project has two PCN numbers and we’ll draw on two federal funding sources, uh, one to account for the urban portion of the project and one to account for the rural portion.

00:05:38,730	So we received word of this amendment several days after the first two in your packet, but NNDDOT expressed the same need to get this approved in August to expedite the projects. moving forward for funding. So we are again advertising the amendment for the required 15-day public comment period, and the public hearing will be held at 10:00 a.m. in the Blackstead Room in Bismarck on August 25th.

00:06:01,630	So, we are again requesting, uh, conditional approval of this amendment based on no substantial comments being received and tac recommended approval yesterday. Any questions Any questions? What are your wishes, Paul board members? I’ll make a motion to for conditional approval. Do we have any discussion He then we’ll call roll Mayor Berglund Yes Mayor Frelich. Yes, Comm Schwab Yes. and Chair Schmitz Yes Next item 6 is the 2026 to 2027.

00:06:44,370	unified planning work program. Kim. Thank you, Mayor Schmitz. Can everybody hear me all right? Move a little closer to the mic. All right, try this.

00:07:12,700	How, how am I coming in now? I’m good, but Comm Schwab, can you hear? OK, I’ll try to speak very clearly Uh, today, I’ll be bringing you the final 2026, 2027 UPWP for your consideration for final adoption by resolution. We find that in our packet, as exhibit D on page 17. So I will share screen at this time? There you go.

00:07:35,600	Uh, this is the two-year work program and budget for the Bismarck Mandan MPO and the studies that are contained in this were thoroughly vetted through the jurisdictions and then through tac and policy board, we first introduced and discussed these studies at the May meetings of the boards, and then the draft studies and the budget details were presented in the draft UPWP in July.

00:07:54,270	Uh, at that meeting in July, the policy board did approve the draft UPWP to be forwarded to North Dakota DOT FTA, and Federal Highway for their 30 day review period. concluding that 30-day review period, we received no comments or additional corrections or additions from FTA or federal highway.

00:08:24,700	However, we did see two comments that were received from North Dakota DOT, very minor in nature. uh, their comments were to combine North Dakota PL funds and FTA funds into one total for federal CPG and I will show you uh, those comments actually have been changed in the document, and I provided you all handouts with those changes highlighted on your sheets, but for our

00:08:46,800	viewing public, those at home, I’ll just jump to those pages here. There you go. Um, the changes were made in the funding source table, uh, right now you can see that there is a federal CPG for 2026 in a total of amount of $682,993 in change comprising 85.4% of the federal funds uh.

00:09:23,470	that was changed, uh, as the previous document had listed that as North Dakota PL funds and then FTA funds. So at North Dakota, DOT’s request, we just combined those.

00:09:49,000	None of the funding totals have changed, um, just the source to indicate one source and then in the 2027 table on, on the following page, the same combination was included so that we are listing our 2027 federal funds as federal CPG in a total amount of $695,723.

00:10:15,970	Again, um, none of the totals for that year change just the way that they are, are listed, uh, in addition, on this 20 27 funding source table, uh, the 2025 redistribution that you are seeing on your handout and here on the screen, previously indicated that it was a 2024 redistribution, so that needed to be um updated to accurately represent that it would be 2025. So those are the only changes to the UPWP document since you’ve seen it and approved it in July.

00:10:36,000	Um, today, I, I really don’t want to belabor, uh, the content of the document, but I would be happy to stand for any questions and provide any answers that you might be looking for. Otherwise, staff would be looking for a motion to approve by resolution of adoption.

00:10:59,100	uh, which tac did recommend yesterday, considering the two changes that were indicated by North Dakota DOT. And in addition, if the policy board does approve the UPWP document today. The Self-certification on page 9 of this document would be updated with a current dated self-certification document, um it’s still certifies the same 10 requirements as the document shown in, in this draft, uh, it

00:11:23,730	would just be updated with the approved document from May of 2025. Questions Any questions Go ahead, Comm. Can you explain question is authorized. Action. don’t agree with that I’m sorry, on page 5 of the document. No. Let me just try to see what we’re, we’re looking at here. It’s on the resolution of adoption, I believe, Kim. OK.

00:12:07,870	Page 19. Well, yeah, right here’s your page number, you on the page the same thing. I believe And number 5 where it reads the executive director. No Thank you for the question, uh, Comm Schwab, and if I could explain that for just a moment, um, what that is referring to is uh administrative modifications to the UPWP.

00:12:46,870	On to the UPWP. So, um, there are processes that are outlined in this document to provide for amendments to the document, and they do, uh, invoke thresholds for amendments to occur if changes, I have a monetary amount that is below a given threshold which is usually 10% of the federal funding that is

00:13:18,330	um uh indicated in the document for that year. If there would be any project changes or additions, we can, we can orchestrate that through an administrative modification with without having going through a full blown amendment, and that’s all detailed in this document.

00:13:37,530	So what number 5 is referring to is in the case, if the criteria is met for an administrative modification, there is no need to bring that before the policy board for their approval according to the document, the administrative modification is performed, and then we bring that information to the policy board, North Dakota DOT, Federal Highway and FTA for informational purposes.

00:14:08,530	Amendments are completely different story that involves a process by which we take everything to the tac and policy board Those are usually for more significant changes to the UPWP document. Does that make sense? No.

00:14:33,170	Would you like me to go to the amendment page in the document and that might explain it better. With due respect, I, I’ve seen too many times where things are shuffled off and the bureaucrats and division departments. and nothing gets done and it doesn’t get done right and then it just gets bigger and bigger. I can’t support it.

00:14:56,170	But I’ve seen it both in the city, the county. and now I see it here. So I think we have to be careful that we as a board are serving as a board and not a micromanagement. And we can’t be micromanaging.

00:15:16,330	So we have, we have, we hire competent people to perform duties, and that’s what that’s what we do as, as a board we’re a board, more of a board of directors giving policy and guidance. If they violate the policy, we have the opportunity to take action. at that point in time I, I understand what you’re saying. I don’t like micromanaging either.

00:15:41,470	but you still have to, I personally still have to manage my portfolios and I don’t like this. It just doesn’t coincide with uh paper management that I no disrespect to anybody, but I, I can support it. Just for further clarification, I did, um advance the document to the UPWP amendment guidance, that is outlined within the document. This is nothing new.

00:16:09,730	This year, uh, this, this is the same UPWP amendment slash administrative modification guidance that has been in previous documents, um, and I will let you know that as allowed by the two CFR 200.308C4.

00:16:40,170	federal, uh, code of, of, uh, regulations, uh, FHWA and FTA may establish a cost threshold for UPWP amendments and under adoption of this UPWP and consistent with the MPO’s historic practices, no amendment will be required if there is a cost change of 10% of the annual UPWP budget or less than 10% of the annual UPW budget. This applies to changes in project costs if funds are transferred within a task or if funds are transferred between tasks. So it’s very, very specific.

00:17:00,600	This is very prescriptive as far as when amendments are required and when administrative modifications can be pursued. you have to. if, if any changes if they’re over 10% of the annual budget absolutely. So OK, well, you move on. I mean, it’s no use for you and me go back and forth.

00:17:28,100	So I, I will ask, what are the wishes of the policy board. or did we have a motion in a second? We did not, right? I didn’t think so. I’m quite satisfied and I will make a motion to approve. and I will second Do you have any further discussion? I note Comm Schwab’s disagreement, and I think it’s on the record, so.

00:17:54,370	any other discussion hearing on we call roll Mayor Berglund, yes. Mayor Freelich, yes Comm Schwab, no and Cheer Schmitz, yes. Next item 8 is the Bismarck Man and MPO public policy. or public comment policy.

00:18:28,470	um, which was exhibit E in our packet um Do you want to go through that at all, Kim? I mean, I think, I, I think I attempted to cover it basically as we did our I was going to share the document. Thank you very much, Mayor Schmitz. I was going to share the document, but my notes say that I’m supposed to have that document on page 46, and it’s not there.

00:18:42,470	So I’m not really sure I’m in my online version, I’m jumping from the UPWP to the staff report for a study, and I seem to be missing um I seem to be missing that policy, um.

00:19:03,730	why don’t we go ahead and I, I can just give you an overview of the policy. I think that’s adequate. All right, so, uh, the public comment policy was developed at the request of this policy board in response to a change in the North Dakota Century Code regarding the provisions of public comment opportunities at regular meetings of certain political subdivisions.

00:19:25,230	So this policy outlines the reason for the policy. It provides the policy statement. It does provide the scope of the policy and the North Dakota Centric code definition by which the policy is a requirement of the MPO.

00:19:45,370	It does, um, state in North Dakota entry Code under the definition of public entity, definition C, organization, or agencies supported in whole or in part by public funds or expending public funds are expected to adhere to this public comment, um, provision in the North Dakota Century Code, and of course that accurately describes the MPO.

00:20:03,100	So, um, as part of the North Dakota Century Code provisions, uh, we are to establish a policy for public comment. Uh, this policy also provides the procedures for implementing the policy and its enforcement. So, um, probably what I really need to go into here for you is the procedures of the policy. I’m pretty straightforward.

00:20:24,500	It will be the first item that is non-procedural on each of our agendas for the TA, policy board, and the Bismarck Mandan MPO ikeped subcommittee. Uh, the whole idea is to provide public comments, um, and any individual wishing to do so on a non-public hearing item on the current agenda or the previous month’s agenda may do

00:20:46,900	so. They do need to sign in a speaker’s, uh, sign-in sheet, which we will always have up at the podium. Um, in addition, in at future meetings if this policy is adopted, we will not only have it on our website for the public to view, but we will

00:21:02,270	have copies of the policy at each meeting so the public is aware of their, uh their responsibility and obligations. Um Each individual that wants to speak will be allotted up to 5 minutes to speak.

00:21:22,530	The time may be extended at the discretion of the chair, the individual will be notified when the time has expired. An individual may not yield their time to another individual. The meeting time dedicated to the public comment agenda item will be limited to 30 minutes total time regardless of how many individuals have signed the speaker sheet and wished to speak.

00:21:41,800	The initial 30 minutes may be extended at the discretion of the chair, but each speaker will continue to be limited to only 5 minutes to speak. All comments must address an item of either the current agenda or the agenda of one preceding meeting.

00:22:01,000	Comments must pertain to the public entity holding the meeting, so somebody can’t come to our policy board meeting and, uh, provide public comments about something that doesn’t involve MPO, um, activities or programs. and comments may not be defamatory, abusive, or unlawful. They may not include information that’s exempt or confidential under North Dakota Open Records law, and they may not interfere with the orderly conduct of the meeting.

00:22:25,100	Uh, should you, as a policy board approve this policy. This will be signed into effect. You did notice that we opened today’s meeting with, uh, the public comment opportunity.

00:22:44,330	That is because although we haven’t adopted a policy formally, the North Dakota Century Code, uh, did indicate that the law became effective August 1. And so we included that on our agenda to be compliant with North Dakota’s Century code. Any questions that you might have for me? Any comments, questions What are the wishes of the policy board Well, if I could, Mayor, uh, when the City of Lincoln adopted their policy.

00:23:07,730	We removed the 30, uh, minute limitation to allow for others, you know, regardless of how many people, you know, still need to have their voices heard, so I don’t know if that’s something that the So, so what we put in at the discretion of the chair.

00:23:28,470	we can always extend it So I can tell you that at the city of Bismarck Commission means if we have a lot of people who have it and they want to speak, we’re not going to limit it to 30 minutes unless it’s kind of repetitive the same comment time after time.

00:23:47,270	There’s the, the chairs, I mean, I don’t know if anybody, if anybody even had to chair the meeting. other than me, I don’t see any of us trying to limit that other than to try to be cordial. That’s good to hear and I don’t expect it to be a real issue for this meeting anyway.

00:24:07,700	Maybe it should be Well, I would make a motion to approve. I’ll second it Do we have any further discussion Hearing and will call roll Mayor Berglund, yes. Mayor Frelick, yes Comm Schwab Yes and Chair Schmitz. Yes. Next item 9, 2025 safety policy study is Luke online? Yes, I am, Chair Schmitz, can you hear me? I can, yes. All right, great.

00:24:43,370	I’ll provide a quick update here on the uh safety policy study. I wanna give a big thank you to your local technical staff, uh, for providing feedbacks on our uh eye injury network data um, we are currently working on refining a few memos and findings uh that we discussed at our, our June steering committee meeting, um.

00:25:09,500	we’ve sent recently a technical memo to uh local technical staff in the steering committee regarding uh uh a key component of the safety policy study, which is, uh, which includes a leadership commitment and goal setting in in specifically that’s related to setting a vision zero goal for the region.

00:25:35,600	and that uh would would be, you know, the the ultimate goal is to eliminate uh severe crashes in the Bismarck-Mandan region. And that includes fatalities and life-changing or incapacitating injuries on your regional roads. Um, with that, you know, in that memo we described two options for setting that, that goal of Vision Zero.

00:26:03,970	uh, the first is, uh, to set a target date or achieving zero and the second option uh is a percent reduction of uh severe crashes by a specific date. And the steering committee is looking more closely at that second option of uh identifying a percent reduction in severe crashes by uh 2050.

00:26:32,630	to line with the MTP and uh and we’ll be discussing that more at our September steering steering committee meeting. So there’ll be more to come on that.

00:26:55,370	Um I do want to provide the heads up here that that that uh goal, um, includes a leadership commitment and that would be included in a in a formal action uh of the safety policy study before the end of the year, uh, for example, through resolution is one way to do that. Um, we are preparing for our next steering committee meeting. There will be a lot of great, uh, coordination and hands on, uh, involvement at that meeting.

00:27:18,630	We are going to discuss our public engagement summary today we met with a few more focus groups just update this group about uh those meetings we met with the off highway vehicle state coordinator uh at uh North Dakota, uh, the state of North Dakota. the OHV coordinator.

00:27:39,470	We also met with a group uh from the North Dakota Motor Carriers Association, uh, some of the local freight providers. and then we are continuing to coordinate with Abate, which is a nonprofit, uh, motorcycle organization. We haven’t locked down the date with them yet, but we are working on that, um.

00:28:01,330	we are moving forward with the deep dive analysis of the high injury network as a reminder that is the the portions of your um your streets that have the highest density of severe crashes, so we’re diving in, uh, to those locations and identifying some characteristics associated with those roadways and intersections that may include configuration or number of lanes, uh, traffic control, uh,

00:28:25,370	traffic volume and then adjacent land use as well will be included in that and the idea is to identify some of those, um, you know, key characteristics that are sticking out as uh you know, creating dangerous um dangerous situations or more severe crashes, and then that will be used to prioritize potential safety projects in the future,

00:28:49,430	but also to identify other or um locations of like kind across uh the region um so that we’re working on that right now and then uh we will be using the results of our grass trend summary, uh, which I presented to uh to you all a few months

00:29:11,270	ago and then that high injury network analysis we’ll be using the results of that, um, to put together a tool kit of strategies both uh engineering countermeasures, things that you could build, um, infrastructure as well as non-engine er ing countermeasures, um, things related to, for example, policy, education, enforcement, uh,

00:29:35,170	things of that nature. I think that is the uh the the update and uh I’d be happy to take any questions or um, have uh Director Ripple, um, clarify anything. Are there any questions Thank you, Luke Thank you. Thank you all. OK, sorry.

00:30:08,370	Next item is item 10, the 2025 ITS RA RA update and is I’m sorry if I pronounced the name wrong, Sharid or Sharad. Sherry Jad, I’m sorry, was not available to be with us this afternoon, so thank you, Chair Schmitz. I’ll go ahead and take the update for him. My my There I’m coming in. OK.

00:30:28,100	Uh, the ITS Regional architecture update includes a system inventory which has been um undergoing an ongoing update, uh, we met with our small stakeholders groups early in uh March and April, early May time frame, uh, and the information that we gathered from them is what has been used now to uh create this systems inventory update.

00:30:53,270	There is a table that was included in your packet. It is exhibit G on page 51. Uh, it, it’s a pretty lengthy table and it does indicate the different systems that are involved and the stakeholders um for each of the elements within the system. Most of those have been identified. There are just a few that are remaining that are shown in the table.

00:31:18,330	Uh, while most of our small group stakeholders meetings were held early. We do have a couple more that we will be catching up on again. Uh, we will be scheduling a, a small group meeting with our communication slash IT personnel, um, for the region, and then we will resume with um finalizing the

00:31:39,270	inventory so that the service packages and functional requirements can be reviewed by, uh, about the October time frame. In addition, those service packages will be aligned with MPO planning goals and objectives as have been outlined in the Arrive 2050 MTP.

00:32:00,530	So the update to the ITS is on budget and it is on schedule for a December 2025 completion. Any questions rega regarding the ITS regional architecture or the update. Any questions for Kim OK, thank you Item 11, the 2025 monitoring monitoring program, a report update. Steven. Thank you, Chair. Just really quick update for you guys today.

00:32:30,900	The MPO and its consultant are continuing to work on the draft monitoring Report document. Um, so just, uh, a lot of the work is upcoming through, uh, August, September, October, uh, and we are remain on track to complete the project by the end of the year, but not much of substance to report this month. Uh, any questions? Doesn’t look like it.

00:32:51,800	Thank you. Next is the fringe area roadmaster plan. update, Steven Again, very quickly for you guys, the deadline, we uh, we sent out a request for proposals for the fringe area Road master plan update, uh, the deadline for those.

00:33:15,870	This was August 8th, and we received 4 proposals on the project, which we are excited about The proposing firms for this project were KLJ, SRF HDR, and Bolton and Mank. Uh, so the selection committee for this will be conducting interviews with proposing consultants in early September, and we expect to bring the top ranked consultant back to the boards at your September meetings.

00:33:38,870	Are there any questions Any questions? OK, thank you Next item 13, tip administrative modification, Steven. Thank you, Chair. Give me just one moment. I will share a screen with you. Let me see OK. So this is exhibit I, uh, in your packets. So the um this month we processed 12 administrative modifications to the current tip.

00:34:12,370	So this is because NDDOT contacted us and requested we move these projects, 6 from fiscal year 27 and six from fiscal year 26 into the current funding year in case additional 25 funds come available because of the August redistribution that takes place at the end of the federal fiscal year.

00:34:33,270	So basically this is a DOT’s way of preparing for, in case there’s extra federal dollars available for some of these projects that are ready to go. Uh, they need to be in the tip in the current year in order for that to be possible.

00:34:49,900	So, um, most of these projects, if not all of them, will likely be moved back to fiscal year 26 and 27 in the near future, and in fact they’re still going to be included in your draft tip next month for 26 to 29.

00:35:09,000	Uh, but again, this is a preemptive move just in case, um, the projects include two Bismarck safety projects a widening project on Washington Street and Urban Grants Project in downtown Bismarck for Bismarck microsurfacing projects and 3 concrete pavement repair projects in Bismarck and then one mill and overlay project in Mand Dan. and the details are in the packet for those. Are there any questions? There’s no, no questions it looks like.

00:35:30,870	And there’s no action at this point? No. Just information for you guys. Uh, item 14. Any other business? I have one myself. So just wanted to give the board an update.

00:35:54,430	We solicited for the fiscal year 26, uh, recreational trails program, uh, earlier this year and received two applications, one for a cottonwoods Park Trail rehab in Bismarck and one for a 66th Street Southeast pathway extension in Lincoln. So the North Dakota Parks and Recreation District has announced their awards for the RTP program for next year, uh, 5 out of the 20 applications they received statewide were funded, including the city of Lincoln’s project.

00:36:15,430	So we’re very excited, uh, for Lincoln, and that will project will be included in our draft tip next month. Any other business Kim? Thank you, Mayor. I just want to share a little information on behalf of North Dakota DOT.

00:36:39,800	They announced just the other day that they are seeking public comment on their 2026 to 2029 State Transportation improvement programs. So, um, they do have a public comment period that is open from August 15th to September 15, 2025. And if anybody is interested in taking a look at the draft step. It is located online at DOT.n.

00:37:01,100	gov and you can click on construction and planning, and then transportation plans and programs, um, take a look at their step and provide any comments that you might desire. Thank you. And thank you, Kim, for promoting that. Any other uh business? Harry Nunar