City current Produced by Dakota Media Access. In depth discussion with Bismarck and Man and city officials. Watch on Government Access Channel 602 HD or tune in to Radio Access 102.5 FM. Always local, always current. Welcome to City Current. I'm Tom Gerhart from Dakota Media Access, along with Bismarck City Administrator Jason Tamonic and sun shining. And right off the bat, you reminded me today's a pretty special day in the area. It is a special day if you're a baseball fan. It's opening day for the Bismarck Larks. So congratulations on season 9. Wow, for the larks. So time's, time's flown by. It's hard to believe it's almost June, but state track meet wrapped up and School's out graduation, summer schools already in session back to summer so or welcome to say. Well, coming up on this edition of City Current, multiple topics from last night's city commission meeting, but just a few we'll be talking about include encroachment agreements at the jousting Lemur and Cathedral Church. We'll also talk about the ETA discussion that happened last night. And we'll recap a meeting from earlier this month that talked about amenities at the Bismarck Event Center that include the possibility we want to make sure these that everybody understands it's just kind of potential right now, but potential for a hotel and we'll show you a rendering of, of, uh, design that, uh, just to give people a kickstart I guess in imagining what this conversation starter. It's a, it's a concept. It's an idea. Um, but we'll get there. We'll talk about that in a little bit. That's right. Uh, so let's start with the consent agenda, which was one of the few things last night that the commission was able to zip right through, but I thought there was some interesting topics there including, uh, as you mentioned, um, the encroachment for jousting lemur and for Cathedral Church. So what's happening when people are looking for encroachment, uh. Uh, agreements. So, typically, these agreements are to address what we would consider to be private property, and it's either placed or installed within the public right of way. And what is the public right of way to us? It is the area that is the road, but then in many times also the boulevard and the sidewalk. And so public right of way really translates to public property. It's under the city's responsibility for managing those rights of way. And in the case of an encroachment agreement, we are recognizing that a private business owner is. Placing an object or materials or in this case they want outside seating outside seating and jousting lemur, and in the case of a cathedral church they're looking to install uh devices to heat the sidewalks along the east side of the church along, I believe it's Raymond Street, um, to help with. Uh, just snow removal, and, uh, obviously, for anybody that's been to that area, you'll know that those sidewalks, there's a bit of an incline to them as well. And it just helps make the traveling public a little safer. And so because these private entities are uh utilizing public right of way, there needs to be an agreement between the city and that agency, uh, with an understanding of what is it, why is it here? What is the length of it, in the case of the jousting lemur, and many other businesses downtown. That have outdoor seating It's a seasonal agreement. We, we have this as a policy that the items can be on the public right of way until a specific date, and I want to say it's, um, October 1st or maybe it's October 31st, that sounds right. October 31st sounds right. And then not before, I think it's April 1st annually. And the, the reason there is obviously snow remo, um, but also part of the encroachment agreement process is to review the applications to understand. How the right of way will be preserved because the primary function there is to help pedestrians move back and forth. Now we recognize downtown very ample sidewalks in many cases, and so there is a way to temporarily place seating in some barricades in a lot of cases out there to cordon off those areas. So people do have the opportunity to be outside, enjoy a meal, enjoy a beverage, enjoy the, just the activity of downtown. And so for Uh, a business like Jousting Lemur, great to see that. Great to see them embracing the sidewalk and providing a little more experience for the customers in the case of Cathedral. We understand that if in fact that, uh, there would ever be maintenance to those sidewalks that the city would be responsible for, we now have a document reminding us that there is something else below that concrete surface rather than just the traditional. Class 5 and compacted gravel and things that we would expect to find. So jousting Lemur 2, I read that you need to have 6 ft of clearance for ADA, so they will be putting up, if approved barricades for that outdoor seating, but also, uh, maintaining at least 6 ft of clearance, I guess for lack of a better term for the pedestrian traffic or 8DA compliance exactly. And that's, that's the role from the city staff perspective is to ensure that that 6 ft of clearance is maintained. Obviously, we've got a lot of street signs, street lighting. There's different street furniture, uh, that we are responsible for and making sure that, uh, a pedestrian or someone, uh, with a device can safely and adequately move through that corridor. That's our, that's our focus. And we have a couple of photos from the cathedral area that we can show folks to give an idea. So the outline of the red is the proposed area of heated sidewalk, which is right in front of Cathedral Church. And then you can see the area of transition and here's a little closer street view look. And I think one of the issues they brought up, if you see the area that says, uh, where the joint is that that was a tripping hazard, and I think there was maybe an injury within the last year so they wanna. I guess, uh, yeah, heated sidewalk in North Dakota sounds like a pretty nice thing in the winter. Yeah, I think the drawing that you showed earlier showed about 110 ft north to south, and then the width of the sidewalk there is So, uh, a significant project, uh, but commission approved about 10 ft. everything as presented last night, no questions asked. So, uh, both groups can move forward with their plans. Also, we wanted to talk about a poll sign that Railway Credit Union. is looking to put up, and we have an image of that too, but again, just to provide a little more context, this is something that a business just can't go out and do. There's a little bit more to it. Correct. And in an encroachment agreement like this, oftentimes with a sign, uh, there could be a portion of the sign's foundation that is extending into a utility easement, or in this case, a stormwater and drainage easement. Uh, sometimes we'll actually see an encroachment agreement if the sign is placed close to the property line, but it extends over the property line in, in a vertical case. So, um, again, here, a, a new business coming together uh with their plans for a new office space, a new bank, and Obviously, new signage comes with that. So, here again, no concerns from the commission, just another process to identify that we know there's something here, and both sides have an understanding of what the expectations are going forward. Another item from the consent agenda, again, all the consent agenda agenda items uh were uh sent through, but just wanted to remind people about the block party on 4th. There will be a street closure on September 6th, and the top of your screen. Shows 4th Street and to the uh left and right of your screen. Those would be the barricades with some food trucks and things, but, uh, this also again went through the consent agenda, so can, can move forward. Yup. So here again, need commission approval to close And so we see this, uh, several times throughout the year, uh, the street. most commonly with street fair. We'll have this process, but in this case, the business owners along 4th Street, have gotten together again and our Providing an opportunity for the community to come out and have a good time. Uh, food trucks will be involved. I think I saw somewhere that there might be a dunk tank and some other activities for kids. All right. So the, the date on that one again, I believe was September 6th from 3:30 to 7:30. 4th Street between Rosser Avenue and Avenue A downtown. Well, among the many uh items on that map, I do see dunk tank. To the, uh, in the parking lot, uh, just north of, uh, the Mojo big rig, uh, building with glass and craft cates, so. Now that, uh, I'm not interested in participating in the tank just for the record. I should note also that the proceeds raised here will be donated to the out of darkness, out of the darkness, uh, suicide awareness, and thanks to Andrea Burst and her neighbors at 4th Street for championing this and leading the effort. Good point. Good point. On the regular agenda, also, uh, sailed through, but public hearing on also. Our nails and sold studio looking for complimentary alcohol licenses. We've seen a number of these licenses, uh, since they became available. This was in response to a lot of businesses that were providing complimentary alcoholic beverages to their customers with the service, and you would find this in a salon or a spa, occasionally jewelry stores and other similar uh similar. Places of business. Um, here again, we've got two newer businesses in the community that are just looking to provide a complimentary alcoholic beverage, and that's really all this license allows them to do. It becomes, it's not mandatory by any means to have these licenses, but if, if, uh, you are currently providing cocktails without one, we would encourage you to give us a call at 355-1300. Uh, the process is, it's not too cumbersome, it's just a couple of city commission meetings. Of course, there's an application fee. And then there is an annual renewal fee once the license has been approved. So, if you have any questions, feel free to stop by the office, uh, or you can look up some of the information on our website as well. Bismarck Events Center operating model was on the regular agenda last night and uh. I guess we ultimately it was decided that the commission needed a little bit more time to look at some resources that uh made it into the. Pack it a little bit uh late due to the holiday and some other factors so that'll be pushed to the next meeting but uh what we heard was, uh, the idea of an authority board kind of starting the conversation last night and I guess there are kind of two things to look at with, uh, the event center on one side we're talking about amenities on the other side we're talking about operations. And in the case of the authority board, that would be more on the operational side. And so the, the purpose of an authority board is to function as the fiduciary, in other words, helping to build the budget and uh drive the department uh moving forward. We have a similar model with an authority in the case of our downtown parking structures. We have the Bismarck Parking Authority, and their charge is to Manage and operate the public parking facilities downtown and, and by manage and operate, that also means take care of the maintenance that comes along with these projects. We have uh one particular building, the arcade parking structure that also has tenant space. We have some retail and office tenants in there, so they provide services to those businesses and, and work through the leasing when those uh spaces come open. So the idea of having an authority isn't, isn't unfamiliar to us. It really becomes more of the uh hands-on group that helps guide the operations and that it prevents or doesn't prevent, but it, it keeps the city commission from having to get into the daily operational features of those things. Having an authority for the Bismarck Event Center is a new concept, but I think it's one that seems to gain some attention and, and there seems to be some consensus around that at the table. Uh, from the commissioners, composing those individuals, making sure that the right Professionals from the community, the right people that are part of that operation, are on the ground floor, working to make sure that that it moves forward and it has the guidance that it needs. I should mention, uh, Fargo Dome, of course, we we're not unfamiliar with them. They've been operating with the Fargo Dome Authority since its conception in the late 1980s. And so lots of different models of how that could work. So the, the consultants shared some information about that. Um, but to your point, yes, the, the commission received the information quite late, and, and I was commissioner's anchor that remarked that given the Um, the information that is there. There's a big decision that needs to be made moving forward, and everybody needed more time, and I can appreciate that and understand that. So, on June 10th, this will be back on the agenda. At that point, it would be the commission's opportunity to make a direction, make a decision in a direction on how to move forward. If they require more information, by all means, we'll continue to do our best to provide that to them, and we'll look forward to whatever decisions are made after that. Also talking about public transit last night. I know there was a transportation steering committee, I believe May 13th and the recommendation that came out of that meeting, the recommendation was to expand transit services. So, uh, commission didn't take any action last night on this issue but did provide some guidance, I guess, for, uh, Deidre from. Uh, Transit to kind of move forward with this plan to potentially expand services, correct. And so this is a result of the citizen election that was held in November, an additional 0.5 cent sales tax, uh, with a portion of that half cent going to public transportation. And so the transportation steering committee has met several times over the last few months and came back with a recommendation to Uh, increase funding up to $1.1 million to be spent, uh, to increase, uh, service times, as well as routes, and then open up, uh, services to the general public on Sundays as well. So that was part of the discussion. I think what got a little more attention at the table last night was also the the discussion of how to offset the potential revenue shortfall in 2025. And what I believe the uh general consensus at the table was is that once that point in time is known that there will be a budget shortfall, there would need to be a budget amendment for 2025. Most likely utilizing the sales tax dollars that began collecting in April 1st of this year. And so there would be funds accrued at this point, at the point at the end of 2025 to potentially cover that loss or that shortfall in operating expenses. So again, we have two items on the table. One is the revenue shortfall, budget shortfall for 2025. And the other side of it is looking down the road to expand services and how to pay for that. Correct. The Bismarck ETA discussion drew several folks to the podium for during public comment period, and Commissioner Conley had asked for a discussion on the ETA and his, uh, idea, I believe, was to bring the Bismarck City Commission and the Burley County Commission together for a discussion for a public input meeting. Correct. And in the end, ultimately the commission voted against that on a split vote, uh, not to call for that joint meeting, but you're right, we, we heard from about a dozen people at the onset of the meeting. Um, many of them encouraged the commission to request a meeting with Burley County and, and supported that idea. Um, ultimately, uh, the commission chose not to move down that path, but we did hear some, some questions from the commissioners also. Asking specifically, you know, what were their uh exact concerns or what were the direct concerns of those individuals. And we also had uh commissioner. As Anker clarify a few things from staff as well. There were comments made about, uh, the Bismarck Police Department having jurisdiction within the ETA, and the Commissioner Zener had requested Chief Drejevich to understand what is that mutual agreement that we have with Burley County and recognizing Bismarck is part of Burley County, so the Burley County Sheriff's Department has jurisdiction throughout the county, but where, where is the line for the city of Bismarck Police and. Chief Drevich. Inform the commission that there are times when our officers do leave city limits, whether it be in pursuit or whether it be part of a case that they're working, uh, but oftentimes, if they are outside city limits, they will make sure that the Burley County Sheriff's Department is aware of their activities. So there's very much mutual communication going on between the two departments. Um, Gabe Shell was asked some questions about uh projects in and around the, uh, the ETA from a city engineering perspective. And then, of course, our community development director, Ben Erith, uh, which his department kind of gets the brunt of this conversation because it is the planning division and the building inspections divisions that are operating in the extraterritorial area. And so, um, uh, a lot of, a lot of discussion, a a lot of comments, uh, ultimately, um, it was shared that at the Bismarck Burley combined commissions meeting, which I am a part of, the mayor is a part of. Uh, Burley County representation includes auditors Ponskowski and, uh, County Commissioner Steve Bakan. Uh, we are scheduled to meet monthly. We meet in the Tom Baker room. Your group provides that meeting on this program or on this platform, and the purpose of that is to have these conversations between the two organizations, between the city and the county, and it was noted that, um, in the recent past we've had these discussions involving the staff both from the city of Bismarck side. And from the county side whether or not. The, the jurisdictional boundaries of the ETA should change. And the last time that conversation was had, all parties agreed that things are good the way they are. Um, going forward. I think there was an understanding that that that type of conversation would happen every couple of years. We're obviously due for that conversation again, so I would expect that this won't be the last time we'll be talking about the ETA. I don't know when it will be next, but I am certain that it will happen again in the not too distant future. Some other items uh that we wanted to talk about and switching gears, the public library's Color our world summer reading challenge is uh May 28th through July 27th. Cool community thing. You win some prizes, read some books, earn rewards, a chance for prizes. Yes, if you, if you like to read, and summer reading challenge is your thing, get after it. It starts today. And what a day to just sit outside and open up a good book. We wanted to recap the May 21st, uh, special board of City commissioners meeting, uh, and we've mentioned Bismarck Event Center amenities earlier and that special meeting was really interesting earlier this month. Uh, the idea of a hotel was brought up and we have that image and again this is just uh a rendering of an idea, I think a concept to give people. Uh, just, uh, some idea of what could be and, and the question I had for you yesterday just for clarification is where exactly may might this hotel be? and because there is some open area around the civic center, but this would be essentially attached right uh to the west entrance. In that, which is now a parking lot, it's a parking lot for about 100 cars today. It's one of the few parking lots you have to pay for parking, but, uh, you're absolutely right. This, this is purely a concept. This is purely to be able to have a discussion about the size, the shape. What could it be? And the purpose of the special meeting on the 21st was to give the commissioners and the team proposing this project an opportunity to number one have the team give their presentation, but number 2, have the commissioners start to visualize and understand what it, what it could take, what it could look like, uh, what the ask might be. And in the end, uh, the commissioners were asked by the proposed development team to enter into a memorandum of understanding and MOU for a period of maybe 12 to 18 months that would give the development team the opportunity to work very intentionally on this project, recognizing there's a lot of time and energy and resources that go into development of something like this. That team would like the understanding that those efforts would be spent in good, in good faith. There is a $0 ask of the city. There is no, no cash expectation at this time. They're simply looking for the opportunity to design and work through the pre-construction phases for the next 12 to 18 months. To further develop this concept into something that could be realized. And, and in the end, there were 4 different potential concepts that were really considered. I think the one that probably resonates most directly with the commissioners right now was the first concept, and that would be this site would be that of a hotel, along with some supporting uh ballrooms or larger conference rooms that are different and more adaptable than the spaces inside the event center, which offers tens of thousands of square feet of meeting room space. This would fit in between some of those larger room sizes. So where we are today, the commission tasked our legal department with researching whether or not the information that they received on the 21st is sufficient to enter into that memorandum of understanding with this development team to move forward with confidence and hand in hand recognizing that there's a lot of work that needs to be done. And it's gonna take some time, but if the commission is confident that this group has the ability to pull a project together. And that seems to be the consensus at the table, and that's the way we will move forward. And like with everything, there's a lot of gray area, but one thing that seems certain to me is, uh, it's difficult for Bismarck to compete with places like Fargo and Grand Forks and maybe some other regional cities that don't have a hotel connected with a convention space to, to draw in larger groups for meetings and things like that, right? And the convention. Uh, Industry is a very important one when it comes to tourism, and we've talked about this a lot, and I, I'll say it again. The value for us as a community for hosting a convention is tremendous because it brings a captive audience to our community. They have to stay in a hotel. They'll be dining in restaurants, they'll be entertaining. They'll hopefully be shopping and doing a number of things that have them have a wonderful experience in Bismarck, but also. It infuses our economy because they're bringing their resources, their dollars to Bismarck, and leaving them here at these places, at the service industries, at these restaurants, at the hotels, whatever the case might be. So the tourism industry is very competitive and it is very important for us, when we have a facility like this, to be able to energize it and activate it in those ways because it brings people to Bismarck that might not otherwise have a reason to be here. So that is a uh a very important feature. Now us as residents, does a conference mean the same? Not necessarily, because it, we as residents, we're looking for those fun and engaging and active things that are going on inside the Bismarck event center as well. I think that was a, a comment that, uh, Commissioner Sinker remarked in the proposal is that he was expecting the wow factor, I think was his term, and I can appreciate that. And I think one of the remarks back was, this is more of a conference hotel, this may not be a, a family-based hotel. Maybe it ends up being a bit of both because I think that comment resonates with a lot of people that As families in Bismarck, as families with children that are in sports and activities, we travel all over the place. We see these things in different areas and we come home and we want those experiences in Bismarck as well. And I think that to, to commissioner anchor's comment about the wow factor, I think the project team understood that and took it to heart and, and that will help drive how they approach this project in the future. I think Commissioner clearly also made an interesting comment that the wow factor to her may be. Of what you know, where she's at in life, maybe more like the Jasper in Fargo, which doesn't have the water park that the Canada Inn has in. In Grand Forks. So I think the wow factor, there's a lot, I think for this group to think about now, given a little bit of direction and perhaps making this more than than a conference center. Yeah, it'll be an exciting project, but obviously step one, we've got to work our way through the legal process to make sure that we, as the city of Bismarck are doing everything according to entry code and, and the expectations of, of the citizens and of the law. We will come back with that information hopefully at the next commission meeting in June and decide where we go from there. Yeah, like a lot of things, stay tuned, right? Well, thanks for joining us on this edition of City Current. You too. You can download our apps if, uh, you wanna take this program or all the other things we have to offer on Dakota Media Access, so you can find us wherever you are, whenever you can. For more information on what was discussed in this episode of City Current, visit Bismarck ND.gov or call 701-355-1300. If you have suggestions, comments, or issues you would like addressed in future episodes, contact us at info@retv.org. This program airs on government Access Channel 2 and 602 in HD or on Radio Access 102.5 FM. It's also available as a podcast on Radio Access.org and as a video viewing link at freeTv.org. Thanks for tuning in to this edition of City Current.