00:00:12,630	It’s April 15th, 2025. We’re in the Ed Bosh Froehlich meeting

00:00:28,630	here, Mayor Froelich, here now we will have the head of IT for the city of Mandan Carrie Mitchell lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. 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

00:00:53,730	justice for all. Thank you, Carrie.

00:01:13,100	Uh, under announcements Bismarck and Mandan, and I will read that proclamation. Whereas the cities of Mandan and Bismarck have long been recognized for their strong sense of community, rich heritage, vibrant culture, and fostering an environment where residents and businesses thrive together.

00:01:40,130	And whereas the municipal government for the city of Mandan and city of Bismarck are important components to this growth, providing critical services each day and ensuring the capital. Metro flourishes with new residents, businesses, and opportunities. And Whereas the importance of welcoming people to our communities is recognized as important aspects of strengthening our workforce, expanding the local economy and tax base.

00:02:08,530	Increasing the pool of volunteers and contributing vitally to our communities, whereas the foundation of welcoming and inclusive community begins with a simple gesture, saying hello, which serves as the first step in building. Meaningful connections.

00:02:35,200	Fostering sense of belonging and strengthening our social fabric and Whereas participating in the Where home means more than hello initiative seeks to create opportunities to welcome new residents by engaging residents and business owners to Take an extra step to integrate them into the fabric of our community. Therefore, let it be resolved that I, James Froelich, mayor of the city of Mandan, on behalf of this commission do hereby proclaim May 2025 as Welcome Month in Mandan Bismarck.

00:02:54,000	I urge all citizens of our community to learn more about how they can contribute to a more welcoming community. Take action to join this effort and let every individual who arrives in our community know they are truly home. Now we will have.

00:03:23,030	Shane O’Keefe Gives a brief Uh, overview of Arbor Day proclaiming May 2nd, 2025 is Arbor Day in the city of Mandan Shady. Good evening, Mayors and commissioners. Every day is a time honored tradition that promotes the planting and care of trees. I’m here this evening to present a proclamation recognizing Arbor Day in the city of Mandan.

00:03:44,630	Mandan is a proud is proud to be recognized as Tree City for 49 consecutive years, reflecting our long-standing dedication to planting, nurturing, and celebrating trees. This tradition not only enhances the beauty of our neighborhoods but also strengthens and environmental legacy we pass on to the future generations. This year, Arbor Day will be celebrated on May 2nd with a community event held at 12:30 at Custer Elementary School.

00:04:06,100	We look forward to continuing our commitment to environmental stewardship and community pride through this celebration. With that a respectful respectfully request the commission to adopt a proclamation declaring May 2nd as Arbor Day in the city of Mandan. So done Commissioners, you have the, uh, thank you, Shane. You have the agenda in front of you. You reviewed it.

00:04:33,730	I’ll make a motion to approve the agenda as presented. We brought by Comm Heinsohn is seconded by Comm Braun. Roll call please, Comm Braun Rohr Sjoberg. Mayor Froelich, yes. Move on to agenda item E, the minutes. Consider approval of the following board of City Commission meeting minutes.

00:04:57,270	April 1st, 2025 regular meeting. I move to approve the April 1st, 2025 regular meeting. Second We have motion by Comm Heinsohn is seconded by Comm Sjoberg. Any further discussion? I’m sorry, Comm Braun. Made the motion, Comm Sjoberg made the 2nd. Did I get that right? Thanks for keeping me on my tools.

00:05:24,470	Commissioners Rohr. Yes, Sjoberg, yes, yes, yes, Mayor Froelich. Yes. April 1st, 2025, Board of Equalization of equalization. And that is Comm Braun. Second by Comm Rohr. Any further discussion? Hearing none roll call, please. Comm Sjoberg Ron Sjoberg Sjoberg Ron, yes Sjoberg, Rohr.

00:05:57,100	Mayor Froelich, yes, April 8th, 2025 special meeting, 2025 special meeting minutes.

00:06:13,630	Second Motion by Comm Braun, seconded by Comm on to agenda item F public hearing. Consider his own change from CA commercial to R7 residential for lot 9. Block One developers West Acres 2nd edition, Andrew.

00:06:29,100	Good evening, and Terry Stein for the property in North West Mandan’s developer’s West Subdivision. I have a location map on the screen that calls out the location a little bit better. We’re just kind of on the southwest corner of Thirty-seventh Avenue, northwest.

00:06:44,270	This is the road that extends up to the elementary school, um, and 43rd Street, the frontage road to Old Red Trail. You might be familiar with previous uses on this property, directed was uh operating a warehouse on this property.

00:07:01,370	Uh, the request is to rezone it to the R7 district for it to be used as a residence, um, the future land use plan does support the zoning designation. And the proposed zoning is um Complimentary with adjacent land uses and zoning designation, so, um. Staff is recommending approval of the rezone. This is also taken to the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting at their uh their sorry, at their march meeting.

00:07:23,530	Do you have any questions for me? If not, a motion may be made under resolutions and Ordinances number one.

00:07:34,870	And Andrew, is it required to have a public public hearing is required. Thank you. So any questions for Andrew before we open the public hearing? OK, thank you, Andrew. With that, we will open the public hearing. Any comments? First call for comments. Second call for comments. Third and final call for comments.

00:08:11,870	Hearing none the public hearing is closed, we will move down to resolution and ordinances. Item number one, Andrew. Mayor Commissioners ordinance 1464 is included in the packet and it would be the instrument that would rezone the property from the CA District to R7, recommending approval for the first consideration, it will return at our May 6th meeting for a second.

00:08:40,400	Are there any questions for Andrew? Hearing none, what are your wishes, move to approve the first consideration of ordinance 1464 zone change from CA commercial to our 7 residential for lot 9, block 1, Developers West Acres 2nd edition. Second. We have a motion by Comm Braun, a second by Comm Sjoberg.

00:09:06,200	Any further discussion? Hearing none roll Mayor Froelich, yes. Item number 2. Consider final plat and zone change for lot one from A agriculture to CB.

00:09:20,470	is requesting the final plot of MDU edition and a zone change for a portion of that property to the CB commercial district. We are in North Mandan’s extraterritorial territorial area, excuse me.

00:09:39,000	Uh, this is just down the hill from the Central Dakota Humane Society, uh, just to help you with your bearings. The plat’s about 110 acres, um, and it’s primarily serving to organize a few auditors lots into a cleaner legal description. and facilitate the construction of MDU’s lineman Training Center.

00:10:03,130	Um, I’ll pull up the final plat to show you the site, um, on the far north end of MDU edition is lot one, the 11.28 acre site that would be uh the the kind of formal home of the linemen training center, this facility has been taken through the city’s architecture review as well, um, and they proposed to construct the site on the the property this summer, CB zoning is the best zoning.

00:10:22,870	that the city has for this use without creating entitlements for Uh, for other things that aren’t quite supported by the land use plan. In this area And this item does require a public hearing. We are recommending approval. So we’d recommend opening the public hearing and making a motion under resolutions and ordinances 2.

00:10:42,830	Do you have any questions for me? Any questions for Andrew? OK, with that, we will open the public hearing. Any comments? This is the first call for comments. Second call for comments. 3rd and final call for comments. Hearing none, the public hearing is closed. Commissioner’s move to please move to resolution and ordinances, item number 2.

00:11:24,730	Andrew, Mayor Froelich and Commissioners ordinance 1465 is included in the packet. This is the rezoning of the MDU edition property. We are recommending approval. It will return for a second consideration at the May 6th meeting. Do you have any questions for me? I moved to approve the first consideration of ordinance 1465.

00:11:46,170	The motion by Comm Heinsohn is seconded by Comm Braun. Any further discussion? Hearing no roll call, please, Commissioners Rohr. Yes, Sjoberg. Hi Sharon, Mayor Froelich. Yes. Let’s see. Item number 3, consider variants for Lot 2, block 1. North Prairie subdivision Replat Andrew. Mayor Froelich and Commissioners, this is a request from Jayden Gordon.

00:12:15,000	I’ve got the location map on the screen the property is in uh North Mandan extraterritorial area as well. Uh, this is to the north of the Red Trail Elementary, however, it’s access comes further from the north on kind of an extension of Highland Road turning into Thirty-seventh. Currently, the property is in the cities are 7 District.

00:12:34,730	It was placed into the R7 district at a time where um platted properties were automatically zoned to R7, a process that’s since been repealed. So it’s been in the R7 district for quite some time. The city’s land use plan does recommend, um, urban single family residential on this property.

00:12:58,270	In the future The specific request this evening is to uh make some adjustments to a previously granted variance on this property. The applicant sought the approval to construct a larger accessory building than is allowed by the city code of ordinances.

00:13:18,630	Um, in the R7 district, the total square footage of accessory buildings can’t exceed 75% of the square footage of the house and in this case, the proposed accessory structures would add up to 11,000 square feet with the home being about 6200 square feet. The home has been constructed on the property. And show you that’s what it looks like now.

00:13:43,370	The applicant had previously received approval to construct an 8000 square foot accessory building he’s now seeking to add 3000 square feet of accessory structures in a cold storage structure. Given the growth area that this is located in. We did have some concerns initially about Um, the temporary accommodation of This request and the kind of long term fulfillment of the city’s land use plan.

00:14:06,170	We did arrive at a what we call a ghost plat that would be incorporated into a development agreement. This is on the screen now and working from Call it working from. West to east, so. Our left To our right A 5 acre tract is reserved for future development, with no structures being able to be placed there. A 2. 6 acre tract is the development site.

00:14:28,000	Where the home and the accessory structures can go. 1.6 acres in front of or to the east of the home for uh kind of reserve for future development. As well as the future road corridor. The ghost flat was a part of a previous variance and would just be sort of updated with uh the adjusted request.

00:14:51,370	This item was taken to the planning and zoning Commission at their March meeting, and the board did find. up my minutes here. Based on the statement of hardship that was provided by the applicant that the need for this variance is based on a special circumstance, uh, unique to this parcel and that

00:15:09,100	the hardship is caused by the provisions of the zoning ordinance in this case. Therefore, the recommendation from the planning commission is to. Approve the variance requests contingent upon a development agreement which would be presented at the May 6th meeting. The applicant and the representative are here tonight.

00:15:26,670	If you have any questions for them. I did receive a comment prior to the meeting from a member of the public, um, that, that makes. Seek to provide that as well. However, the staff recommendation is included in the packet. Do you have any questions for me? Mayor Andrew, so does the uh.

00:15:44,400	Shi and Gordon do they own the, the approximately, uh, 9, is it 9

00:15:54,400	so. Yeah, hold it, hold it. If you’re going to talk. Um I would ask you to approach the podium and state your name and address, please.

00:16:20,100	And Comm, I, I, I on Jayden’s behalf, he does own the 10 acres and some more land up there too, but I own, I own over 110 acres in the relative area. Um, I own the adjacent lot that’s 40 acres behind me, which would make that 50 total acres touching, and I own 63 acres, uh, behind Tom Liebel’s land.

00:16:41,400	Right next to the um or uh substation as well. OK, I was just trying to get a picture of the area that you yourself Had control over. Yes, so it would be the 50 acres touching this parcel of land. I 10.

00:17:02,930	And it’s on a private road, the only private road on that county road as well. OK OK. Thank you, thank you, Mr. Gordon. Mr. Gordon, K, you got a minute? Yes sir. Um, uh, commissioners, I’m not sure if this is the right.

00:17:25,200	Venueta to ask a question, we, we’ve been having some trouble with um, You said John Highland Acres, you know, as you go to the east and curved onto the paved part, you know, coming off of uh older Trail. Uh, you look in to um. Utilize. Highland Road for like heavy trucks or anything like that? No, sir. So you’d probably head west out of your place, I think is the correct. My, my long term plan is to build a.

00:17:55,670	Um Uh, commercial shop over by Red Trail, um, properties, I have that that land over there and the frontage where they’re building the shop condos. Um, I, I have some trucks there right now, but it’s just for the construction that’s going on at the property. OK. Um So, no, I don’t.

00:18:16,400	We always come in from the backside anyway if we are, if we are hauling any, any industrial equipment there. The reason I ask that, Mr. Gordon, is that, that, uh, I know this might pop up in the future, you know, from the folks that live. Uh, live on the part of the Highland on the on the asphalt.

00:18:33,170	Yes, sir. Yeah, yeah. No, we, we try to stay clear of that area. The other, the other, um, question that I’ve already talked with Chief Bitz about is just so you’re aware that, that, uh, you’re currently in the, the fire district for Mandan Rural Fire and not Mandan City.

00:18:51,770	Yes, I am subject to city code only because of the 2 mile radius. I, I do believe I’m still county. Just so he got, you know, you have some some planning foresight for fire protection, you know. Yes, sir. So, OK, thank you very much for your time. Thank you. Andrew done.

00:19:19,930	Um, Mayor Froelich Comm just a point of clarification in case it is unclear, the 10 acre tract would remain a 10 acre tract for all intents and purposes, the ghost plat is merely an instrument to consolidate development. So this does not create any lots it just. Sort of Focuses it into a An area and protects some extra land.

00:19:44,630	It And with that we will open a public hearing regarding this. First call for comments. Second call for comments. Third and final call for comments. Hearing none the hearing is closed. Commissioners I’ll move to approve the request contingent upon a development agreement.

00:20:22,000	Second We are motioned by Comm non roll call, please. Comm Sjoberg. Yes. Yes, yes, Rohr. Yes, Mayor Froelich, yes. This time we will move on to the consent agenda. Are there any items you want removed from the consent agenda. If none, I would entertain a motion to. Accept the consent agenda and approve it.

00:20:58,200	Moved to approve agenda items 1 through 6. Second The motion by Comm Rohr, seconded by Comm Sjoberg further discussion, hearing none, roll call. Commissioners Sjoberg. Yes.

00:21:21,670	Braun Yes, Rohr, with variance requests for 1207 1st Street Southwest. This is an item we tabled at last. Meeting And I see we have Riley here instead of Jarek, so Riley. Good eveninger Commissioners.

00:21:45,100	Um, so today we have the driveway variance request of 72 ft over the code 36 ft for residential lot and Scott’s here to talk about his project, so I’ll probably just toss it over to him right away and let him kind of explain why he’s requesting a variance. OK, please state your name and address. Uh, Scott Weis and the address in question is 1207 1st Street Southwest. Um, we had to consolidate two lots.

00:22:05,030	To make the building plan work out, so. And we would have It had been left with two separate lots, we still would have had two driveways. So totaling 36 ft each, so what we’re wanting to do is just shrink the north driveway down to 22 ft and have a West driveway at 50 ft because we have doors on both

00:22:25,870	sides of the building. And just figuring that they. If the lots would have been Still split, we would still had two separate driveways anyways, so. Just hoping that we can Have the wider driveway on the west side just so we can traverse through the Uh Gutters to get in with the low profile vehicles, so.

00:22:56,730	Any questions for Scott? Scott, what Bill, what’s, what’s the building on the property? It’s, um, large garage with a small living quarters in it, so there’s uh. 5 doors that face west and two doors that face north.

00:23:18,730	And, uh, so it’s a residence? It’s a, yeah, there’s a small living quarters in there. It’s uh. In one corner of it so that’s why. In order to make it fit on there and. And we had a bunch of rezoning or replatting, I’m sorry to get that. To fit on there the way we wanted it and uh the other thing is.

00:23:38,830	The only Other house in that. Are Is a corner lot and he’s got. Parking up the Up down both sides plus the whole side of First Street. Along the railroad is wide open for parking as well. And we’d still be way back from the intersections with the uh.

00:24:07,270	Driveways So you’re looking at all automobile Scott or do you have some older trucks and cars. put in there? Just some old cars is all. Long wheel base low to the ground. So If you bring that map back, well, you didn’t have a map. I assume you can, you can come in.

00:24:30,670	Uh On the apron, the driveway apron, right? And then You will have concrete and then you can enter any of the 5 bays, right? Yep, so there’s are you asking? That the driveway. Span the five doors. Uh, no, it won’t be covering the entire 5 doors, uh.

00:24:55,470	We would, we’d have enough room to get in there and maneuver into the doors, um. But the the 50 ft would not cover the entire doors, and you, and you’re not bringing any trucks in, just cars, so you don’t need. You have ample space within the property. Outside of the The driveway To maneuver your automobiles.

00:25:17,130	Yes, so if we had that 50 ft, you know, that way we could come in at the angles and and still be in. And our concrete area, then we’d be able to. Move over to the other doors, but the 50 ft would not cover the entire front of all the doors. I guess where I’m going is that if the code is 36.

00:25:33,470	So you come in at 36 ft and you now have the, the, the concrete lot in front of the doors. You, you, you don’t have to use the street to maneuver in front of the doors. You have ample space on your property. it, it would be.

00:25:54,530	Constricted at 36 ft to get to the far end doors because we centered the 50 ft. apron on the 5 doors, so that, I mean, obviously the. The center ones are gonna be pretty easy to get into, but the other ones. are, it would be maybe. A quarter of the door Opening.

00:26:14,200	So I mean you, you would have to. Jockey, in order to get in there if it was narrower. Any other questions for Scott? So this, uh, By nice shop, by the way, um.

00:26:43,730	You plan on having a permanent resident there? Uh, my oldest son is planning on moving in there, um, my youngest son lives two houses down from there and I’m 3 houses down from there, so. Uh It’s Kind of Multi-use at this point, but yeah. OK. And like I say, if it was. If it was still this two lots. Then we would have had a 36 and a 36 totaling the 72 ft.

00:27:11,930	So that’s why I was just trying to constrict it down to the Still being a total of 72 ft, so it’s Really Almost the same as if it would have been two separate dwellings put on that. property Thank you, Scott. I’m I’m gonna ask Riley or, or uh. Andrew, have we ever had a circumstance where Somebody has combined two lots.

00:27:42,000	Jordan and then Added up both driveways.

00:27:53,730	Not to my knowledge, uh, I would ask see clarification on the question. Are you asking if The city’s previously. Have we ever because the way of thinking that we combine two lots and therefore you could take 36, 36 and make 72. Because we combine two lots. Or you combine it, make it one lot, and you’re given 36.

00:28:16,000	Mayor Froelich Commissioners, I’m familiar with. One circumstance where this commission was presented as similar situation where. A 3rd driveway was. Sought By a, a property owner and. And I, and I believe it was.

00:28:42,200	It was because of a lot combination that the number of driveways that would have been permitted had reduced and the applicant had cited the previous arrangement of lots would have resulted in more driveways, possibly, so, um. Sort of a different circumstance than this, but. I hope that answers your question. Yeah Kind of that I’m thinking of would be Kids in Motion next to the hopoff custs custom builders. Um, at that time, the applicant thought. Uh, some sort of driveway variants that.

00:29:07,730	Listened allowed Hi Riley, Just as a point of clarification, we do allow for two driveways as per code, the total of those driveways just cannot exceed 36, so they could do 18 and 18 if they wished. As the code states. OK, so So we can approve 2 driveways at 18 ft.

00:29:35,630	Yes, and they can be strategically placed. That he can access. The 5 garage doors. I believe so. And he would have Scott would have maneuverability. Not at 18 ft on both and, you know, we have went around town and looked and there are a lot of Instances where there are multiple driveways spanning much farther than this, and in

00:30:01,670	the newer way newer areas of town. In the uh Lakewood area. There’s a corner lot down there and The one driveway, I believe we measured it was at 58 ft just for one driveway.

00:30:20,870	And that is a corner lot also and it has a second driveway out front measuring about 38 to 36 ft. OK, thank you. American Comm is the point of clarification of that. In the past there wasn’t a driveway limit as to 36 ft. That’s something that has come about. Recently ish.

00:30:40,530	Again, I’ve been here for a year, so I don’t know how recently it was, as long as I’ve been here, it’s been 36. To Mayor Riley, I have a question on. The motions here is a third altern says approve a reduced formula request contingent. What, what is a reduced form of the request, what would that? consist of. Uh, so when we were working with Scott in the beginning, and he had his initial request.

00:31:00,500	Uh, we had offered to work with him and suggest some driveway widths, and he had decided to request a variance instead of doing that, uh, at the engineering department, we are still willing to work with him and present some options.

00:31:14,270	I know Jarek has done some turning movement analysis on the lot, um, but I don’t believe Scott has been presented with that yet. So there’s a Scott Aware of that third alternative. Have there been discussions? Regarding his consensus regarding this one? We presented the options with you can request a variance for 72 ft, or you can work with us and we will help you craft a variance request, and he

00:31:39,000	decided to request the 72 ft. What was his response to the working with you on that last one. Yeah just requested the 72 ft for the variance. In other words, he wants to stay with that. OK. Initially we had requested.

00:31:59,630	Yeah, it was 96 and then 84 and then 72. And I, I don’t recall if there was a reason for dropping that down other than us just saying no. Uh, we dropped dumb because I thought that we could have 2. If you Hold OK, I’m gonna interrupt.

00:32:21,400	We can’t have this, the mics aren’t picking it up, the cameras aren’t picking it up. So if we’re going to have conversations, we got to approach the podium. Oh, just saying that when we were first looking at the way we’re reading it, I thought that the ordinance stated that we could have a 36 ft driveway with a 24 ft spacing and another 36 ft driveway, but that is not on

00:32:43,370	one lots how it’s. So I had read it wrong. So we were actually, we thought we were within our right to be able to do that. But apparently that’s not on one lot, but that’s what the spacing. It is stated in the ordinances as 36 ft driveway, 24 ft, and then you can have another 36 ft driveway.

00:33:02,630	So I think it would be beneficial to work with the engineering department, and he come up both of you a plan that you can agree on. And bring it back to the commission. That’s my opinion.

00:33:26,870	And what would, I don’t know what plan that would be, but I mean, I, I would like to get driveways poured here, I mean, it’s, I mean, I’m trying to figure out what we can do. Right, I’m not an engineer, uh, Riley is, Riley knows the ordinances, um. I would like it to come from the engineering department that they’re in agreement with this.

00:33:46,400	I don’t know about the other commissioners you can. Well, usually, Mayor, we do have a strong indication. From, uh, from the staff as to the Chair here just doesn’t have a really strong Um Except to ask that we review the request.

00:34:09,930	And consider consider whether or not It’s a Hardship as we would define it. OK And with that What would you like to do? I would move to deny the request is submitted. But I would encourage both parties to work together and, and come up with another solution for the next commission meeting. Second We have a motion by Comm Heinsohn, a second by Comm Sjoberg.

00:34:43,630	Any further discussion? Hearing none Roll call, please, Comm Braun. No. Rohr Yes, Sjoberg. Heinsohn. Yes, Mayor Froelich. Yes. Is it possible that You could get with engineering and we can get this resolved quickly. We’re Everybody’s happy. Well, if that would have been an option, I would have thought somebody would approach me on it right away.

00:35:14,030	I was told that we couldn’t have two driveways. Then I said, So I, I have no idea. I don’t know if that was an option, why we didn’t go that route to begin with. We were kicking the can farther and farther down the road. And it’s very frustrating. And like I say, There were two separate lots.

00:35:32,370	There’s nobody else in the neighborhood. It’s an old neighborhood. I don’t know, it’s not like we’re trying to open up some huge Can of worms here, it’s two small driveways. So I do not understand what the pushback is. OK. Riley, thank you, Scott. Do you want to speak? Uh, I can if you would like me to.

00:35:58,500	I just stepped up because I thought that might be more questions. Is that we could work out something? Yes, like, as I said, we, when he submitted the initial variance request prior to him doing that, we did offer to work with them at that time, and here we went forward with the 72 ft variance request.

00:36:11,100	OK, so can you come? Can you hold on, hold that I cannot that engineering. No, I’m just, I’m just, I’m just. I just did this, OK, so. Can we come back with something that’s workable. Yes, I believe so. OK. Thank you. Moving on New business. Madison. Growth Fund. Recommendations on business assistance for Memorial Highway during construction.

00:37:00,270	Yeah Being Commissioners, uh, this will be A growth fund recommendation to allocate dollars to the man in progress organization for business assistance for Memorial Highway during the construction. On first start in the East half and then the West half as the years go by.

00:37:19,470	And Matt will present more info on the program once I’m kind of done with the background of this. But of how we got here with the ban and Growth Fund and the assistance is the man and Growth Fund committee met January 21st, 2025 this year, expressing interest in supporting businesses on Memorial Highway during construction.

00:37:41,000	The MPO presented a proposal for business assistance to the Mandan Growth Fund at its February 22nd, 2025 meeting. The proposal included a rewards gift card program that would allow locals to purchase the dig digital gift card. For face value And have 25% of that purchase matched by funds allocated from the Mandan Growth Fund.

00:38:02,730	The program’s funding structure includes $40,000 in the gift card incentive program and $10,000 dedicated to marketing and outreach efforts. The Mandan Progress organization surveyed businesses to see interest in the gift card incentive program and shared the results at the Mandan Growth Fund March 27, 2025, meaning the survey was sent to 130 businesses in the special assessment district for

00:38:24,530	the Memorial Highway Reconstruction project. There were 36 responses for a 28% return rate of the 36 responses over 80% were in favor of the program. The benefits of the benefits for businesses include increased consumer spending during road construction, a seamless ill gift card program system with no added technology requirements, no cost to

00:38:46,000	participate, and no administrative fees for businesses and it creates a stronger local economy by keeping dollars circulated in Mandan. And the recommendation by the Mandan Growth Fund was.

00:39:08,370	They voted 80 with one person absent to recommend approval of the $50,000 to be allocated to the Mandan Progress Organization for a gift card incentive program set as they see fit for businesses in the Memorial Highway construction area. If you have any questions for me right now, um, or else Matt will present more of the program and the details of it. Madison, um, just to clarify a little bit.

00:39:28,470	bit and Matt, maybe you’ll be covering this, you know, you know, in your presentation, but So I, I, I read this in the packet was the uh uncommitted balance of 133,712 is still. I mean, that’s in an account account ready to be spent, so this 500 would be taken from that, right? Mayor Comm Sjoberg, correct. OK, so with this, With this 50.

00:39:58,000	Cover the 2025 East portion of the rebuild. And then you’d come back in 2026 for Maybe what’s left of this first year and more, or is this going to be for the entire memorial Highway project.

00:40:23,170	um, Mayor Comm Sjoberg, the Mandan Growth fund, um, kind of decided that the 50,000 will be the starting point for this, um, and if it goes well and great, um. We can look into the budget to spend more for. We’re gonna have money for the West Half as well, but um.

00:40:44,030	Yeah, we’re going to see how well it goes and whatever is left over, if there’s leftover money that will go into the whole project, but If it goes all great, we will kind of Beer and make this a bigger program than it is to um.

00:41:04,730	And Matt will kind of explain that as well, kind of incorporating the Mandan bucks with it, but So it’s kind of just a, it’s a trial and error right now, um. The 50,000 is for, again, the whole project. That’s the recommendation. And if they are leftover dollars. From the East half, it’ll go into the west and then we’ll allocate more dollars for the West Half as well. OK, thank you.

00:41:23,870	I, I don’t mean to be a doom and gloomsayer here because I, I, I I think it’s an excellent idea and I think our, our small businesses on the strip could use a hand in any way that we can give him a hand, you know, so.

00:41:38,100	Uh, that’s why I just asked for a little bit of clarification there so thank you, Madison. That was a good question. Thank you. Mayor Madison with the, with individual businesses as a matter of uh mechanism and pushing us through, would they have to apply. For a certain amount of uh Funds for their gift cards, how would that be? Be determined Mayor Comm Rohr.

00:41:57,630	Now we’ll kind of explain that a little bit more, but There will be kind of a set price set. You’re allowed to. put it in the gift card so someone can’t put in, you know,, $20,000 for a car or anything at a car shop.

00:42:15,200	Um, they’ll be, there’ll be a set amount that will not exceed more than. So much. But you’ll have to filter out who’s interested and who’s not interested so you can find your, your base of people or businesses that would be interested and go from there. Yes, correct.

00:42:30,630	um, and that’s kind of what they did with the survey. We also had, you know, the open house, the public input meeting last Wednesday at the Midway Lanes and We, uh, Matt and I were there to talk about the program and we got a lot of good feedback from the businesses as well, so it’s kind of just spreading awareness at this point, but We

00:42:47,770	hope to get all the businesses on the tier 1 and tier 2 special assessment district of Memorial Highway. OK. Another question. With that Matt, would you like to present the program, please? All right. Thank you, Mayor for Commissioners, um. it up there. There it is, OK. Um, yes, so as Madison.

00:43:18,300	Said this is the memorial Highway gift card program that we had presented to the Mandan Growth Fund, just to clarify some of her answers, um, to Comm Sjoberg with the, the gift card program, it would apply to all businesses within the tier one tier tier 2 assessment district the entire time, so

00:43:34,200	it’s not, it wouldn’t just be East half, West half, the program would apply to all businesses, um, throughout the, the time period that we have funding for this. Um Oh, that’s right, OK.

00:43:58,900	So really how the digital gift card program works is that it goes to the consumer first, um, so the consumer buys a gift card through the digital gift card program. There’ll be in increments of, of $25 increments of $25.50 75 and 100. Um, when you buy the gift card, you would get a bonus, what we call bonus card, uh, which would match the percentage that we can set, so we can set.

00:44:18,670	Um, various percentages based on the rewards that we want to, um, right now from the Growth fund, the, the recommendation was to start with 25%. So for an example, if you bought a $100 digital gift card, you would get a $25 bonus card.

00:44:38,900	The bonus card is separate from the digital gift card, and so what would happen, the bonus card is the growth fund dollars that are being allocated the 40,000 that’s being allocated to this program, the digital gift card is the dollars that the consumer puts. on as they buy the digital gift card.

00:44:54,370	So for the businesses in this district, they do not have to buy any gift card or put any funding upfront. This is no different than buying a gift card at any major retailer establishment and handing it out as a gift or using it, um, for your own personal purchases. The Original gift card does not expire.

00:45:13,630	The bonus card can be set to expire, and those funds can be put back into the program. And so we can set the, the bonus card to expire at the end of the year, at the end of the project, um, it didn’t so it protects those funds from being kind of tied up in a. Non-expirational status versus a normal gift card through um, through federal law can’t.

00:45:34,130	We can’t expire that particular gift card. So the $100 that the consumer buys is theirs like any other gift card, the bonus card we can regulate, um, a little bit more, um, which is what is unique about this program and allows us to track those funds and, and hold those funds for um this, uh, the incentive part of this program.

00:45:53,630	Um, the digital gift card link would link from VisitMandan.com. We use social media, that kind of stuff to get it out there and get it to the consumer. Um This slide here just shows kind of a little bit more about that. Consumer card as they buy it and then the bonus card that comes separate.

00:46:12,300	And it’s a digital gift card, so it comes via email, it also comes via text message as well. These particular cards run, um, through Mastercard and the, um, the business has to enter these cards through any of their credit card processing systems, but they get entered like a manual credit card.

00:46:32,000	Um, so as long as businesses can, can do a manual credit card via their POS systems, um, these would process no different than any other credit card. Um, the consumer then once they’ve bought the gift card, can decide where to spend this. So they’re not specific to a business.

00:46:50,800	So if you were buying a gift card and you wanted to go to any of the restaurant establishments, um, on the Memorial Highway, you wouldn’t have to buy a car specific for that.

00:47:08,400	These, this card would be specific to the, uh, assessment one and assessment 2 district and those businesses that register with the program and are tied into the system. Um, so businesses, businesses will register through us, um, then we will work with them to get their POS systems, um, active with the um with the digital gift card program.

00:47:31,800	Um, so again, they can buy one gift card and they can use it at multiple places within the, the set parameters that we put in place. Um, like I said, when consumers go to the business, they use it just like a regular credit card, um, either it can be manually entered, um, the, the current provider of this EFT is working on a tap to play tap to pay

00:47:50,400	program, which will be coming out. We, um, we’ve been told, um, this summer sometime and so that will be another way of using this digital gift card is via tap to pay, which does open it up for more consumers than that have systems that allow tap to pay from your mobile device.

00:48:11,370	Um, just to reiterate what it, um, the more memorial gift card program does not cost the business to enroll. Uh, it operates like a rewards program on the consumer side. Um, it does not require Or sorry, it does not operate like a rewards program, and it does not require the business to offer any discounts.

00:48:30,000	So it’s strictly a gift card, a pre-gift card program. What it does is it requires, um, a visit from the MPO office from our team to meet with them and get their POS system connected, um, And then we just use this program to bring more dollars into the enrolled businesses, and then the only fee that does come

00:48:49,470	with it is, is the normal. Credit card processing fees that businesses would pay. And that’s kind of the, kind of the gist of the program, um, if funded, um, we plan to roll it out sometime in June. Uh, we need about a month’s time to really meet with the businesses and get them signed up.

00:49:09,470	We had a lot of um good feedback from both the survey and the open house that we attended at Midway Lanes. I can take any questions if you have any. Boy oh boy, I just I think I learned how to speak some Japanese or something. Uh, tapped the players way above my.

00:49:34,000	Understanding So for an old Guy like me, you know, could we come down to the MPO office and buy physically in person one of these things. This would not be a physical card.

00:49:51,370	We could, um, walk you through the process and be able to, um, print off the, the digital card that you could have, but it’s not a physical card, like if you go to a, a, a major box retailer and, and you buy a cart off the shelf and put funds on it. Um, this is, it’s a, it’s a digital program, but there is some, you know, physical aspects to it.

00:50:07,000	So you do get an email and you can certainly print that email off and it would have the, the digital gift card and the, the qualifying numbers that you would need to process it. On that Email Would They’re, I mean, how, how, how would we citizens know which stores I’ve signed up for this.

00:50:32,800	So on the digital platforms website would be a, um, there’s actually a, a, um, a map, like a Google Maps of of business listings. And so when you go to the site to actually make that digital gift card purchase.

00:50:52,100	It lists all the businesses that currently accept that digital gift card, um, in that area and it maps it out for you. I’m actually gives their contact information, phone number, address, and that kind of stuff as well. Cool. Thank you. Any other questions for Matt? Mayor and Matt, um, A business would not have to be an MPO member to take part of the program though, right? Correct, yep. Thank you.

00:51:19,130	So if approved tonight, how quickly can you roll this out? We are hoping to roll this out hopefully by Memorial Day weekend. Any more questions for Matt? Thank you, Commissioners. I’ll moved to prove the $50,000 be allocated to the MPO for a gift card incentive program set as they see fit for businesses in the memorial Highway construction area.

00:51:51,730	Second Motion by Comm Sjoberg is seconded by Comm Heinsohn. Any further discussion? Mayor, just one. Matt, do you have the, uh, resources of staff to analysts? Uh, Comm Rohr, yes, yes, we do. OK, thank you. OK Roll call, please. Commissioner’s Rohr. Yes, Sjoberg, yes, yes, yes, Mayor Froelich. Yes. Under new business, item number 2.

00:52:25,000	consider building blocks action plan. 3rd Street, Southeast Study. Andrew, Mayor Froelich and Commissioners, uh, this plans referred to as a lot of different things, but the 3rd Street study building blocks plan both work, so I included both in the packet.

00:52:42,470	For a brief background on this, uh, the city’s had a relationship with the EPA Region 8 for quite some time now, going on 5 years. Um, we’ve received an assessment grant from them for a community-wide Braunfield assessments in May of 2021 and have Uh, spent about the entire grant and taken advantage of a lot of different technical assistance opportunities that

00:52:58,270	have stemmed from it, including a study of the building that we’re in right now, um, and, and 3rd Street corridor as well. Uh, the building blocks for sustainable communities program runs through EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities and as a technical assistance offering to Braunfield assessment communities valued at about $100,000 that was provided to

00:53:19,370	Mandan at no cost locally, so this added on to the 3. $100,000 Braunfield grant planning assistance that That uh Contributed quite a bit. We selected the 3rd Street corridor.

00:53:39,100	Because it felt like a part of Mandan that hadn’t been focused on in quite some time, 3rd Street runs from the Memorial Highway at the East End, uh, from the McDonald’s restaurant all the way over to Highway 6. It’s over 2 miles long.

00:53:56,900	It’s fully developed and it has a lot of different varying land uses alongside of it, including Braunfield properties, properties where we have concern about housing condition, transportation issues, environmental health and safety and other things in that. Wheelhouse, um, I believe you’re all familiar with land use planning, but we had a steering committee. We had neighborhood engagement.

00:54:13,830	Mayor Froelich and Comm Sjoberg, I believe you did participate in our two-day workshop back in October, so thank you for that, um, we did have the consultants in town for that that meeting and and a lot of different meetings prior to and after that. That were represented a representative of different agencies and populations in the city. So a couple key actions that came from this that I just wanted to run through, um.

00:54:31,930	prior to asking for your acceptance, uh, they, they kind of span for different areas. So one of them is in the realm of attainable housing options. Um, we know that there are concerns with outside ownership of manufactured housing courts, for example, uh, with, um, housing quality and condition as well.

00:54:56,470	These are concerns that we’ve observed and, and heard as well, so there are actions called out. Related to kind of auditing and inventorying the neighborhood a little bit better, making sure that we have accurate and adequate databases of management and ownership and the different agreements and things that, uh, that kind of trickle down into these neighborhoods, um, in the realm

00:55:16,630	of Multimodal transportation, uh, some recommendations are as minor as do a walk on it and find out issues with sidewalks and curb ramps, that’s already been done. So that’s just one action that’s already been completed. Another one is to map an inventory areas where we do not have sidewalks.

00:55:36,000	This commission was presented a grant application to fill a sidewalk gap in this area, for example. So the city is committed to kind of fulfilling some of these goals as well.

00:55:53,770	In the realm of community development and character, I believe library director Sandstrom is exploring some of the actions related to this, um, ways that the bookmobile could be more present or other resources and social services could be more present in the corridor. Um, community members would like to see a community center or a place for an emergency shelter, and those are actions that we’ve been recommended to, uh, lean into a little bit.

00:56:12,370	Some things like the utility box art, uh, naming the neighborhoods and placing signage that creates a little bit more identity or or attainable things that the city can implement as we’re able to.

00:56:31,000	In the realm of community health, um, there are a lot of different topics around food insecurity, environmental health and safety, and I’m pleased to inform you that we do have a group of students from the University of Virginia.

00:56:47,000	It’s, and I can explain why they’re from there, the, the consultant is an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia whose students have to do a capstone project and they selected Mandan to study, so the students are doing a food insecurity plan for the city, and they’re also preparing a, a plan that. Could, uh, could be implemented to turn the old Heart River Channel, which is currently stormwater conveyance into more of a functional wetland that provides for stormwater conveyance as well. So a little bit more of a habitat place versus something that we’re mowing all the time.

00:57:07,370	Um So a lot of different actions, but however, for us to kind of continue to act on these we do eventually need to have the board’s acceptance, so I guess on behalf of the city and the project team, I am requesting this board’s acceptance of the building blocks plan.

00:57:22,170	Do you have any questions for me? Any questions for Andrew? Andrew, I think part of that, uh, deal was, and I, I can’t remember who. Created or completed a study, but um, I think our community is light on affordable housing. And daycare options. And And By continuing this study, we may be. Perhaps at least.

00:57:51,200	As of today Maybe not tomorrow, but today, um, have the options of applying for a wider, uh, base of grants. Would that be fair to say, Mayor Froelich Comm Sjoberg, that is correct. There are a variety of grants that are available.

00:58:13,770	We’re in a kind of a changing evolving funding environment at the moment, however, we do believe that this is a priority at local, state, and national levels. This plan does recommend a structure for us to collaborate with the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency and other partners to explore how affordable housing can be created, can be retrofitted, can be preserved, for example, so we’re trying to take a kind

00:58:33,830	of a Multi-pronged approach to that. OK, thank you. Any further questions for Andrew? Thank you, Andrew. Commissioners, I move to accept the building blocks action plan. 2nd. Motion by Comm Henon, seconded by Comm Sjoberg. Any further discussion? Hearing none roll call, please. Sjoberg Braun Sjoberg, yes, Rohr Sjoberg yes, Rohr.

00:59:05,530	Yes, yes. Item number 3 under new business legislative updates, Mister Neubauer. Mayor Commissioners, again, kind of a broken record. Uh, House Bill 1176, I think went through the Senate and has gone back to the house and we’ll end up being in a conference committee because I think there’s some changes

00:59:26,230	made on the property tax, um, cap limits and those type of things. So that will, again, it’s moving, um, the one bill that we had hoped to move forward on wastewater, um, collection systems and treatment plants, House Bill 1577 was kind of what they call hoghod or gutted.

00:59:46,500	Last week and turned kind of into a study resolution. We did reach out to all of our friends on the Senate Appropriations Committee and asked that they restore the funding and even if they Um, I think they need to study the long term sustainability of a funding option, um, that they still include I think they had

01:00:05,230	$25 million. In that bill um for wastewater help, um, that has not happened. Um, again, the bill will need to go through the Senate and back to the house and um reach some conference committee agreements before it moves. Takes its final step forward or backwards, however you want.

01:00:31,830	View that Disappointed, um, again, we know that study resolution sometimes get picked for study and sometimes they don’t after the legislative session is done, um, and again, so we would, this is the way this bill ends up we would encourage them to continue to work to find a sustainable funding, um, opportunities for wastewater collection and treatment plants throughout North Dakota. We know there’s, I think the.

01:00:50,930	State Water Commission or the State Department of Water Resources, um, intended use plan has roughly $1.5 billion worth of wastewater collection and treatment plants, um, assistance that’s. Um Already In the, in the works or in the hopper, um, providing some grant funding to help those, um, projects along we could certainly be appreciated, so.

01:01:15,000	That’s kind of it for today. Any questions for Mr. Neubauer? Thank you. Thank you, Jim. Item number 4 under new business discovery properties. LLC application for property tax exemption for improvements to commercial. Residential buildings, North Dakota Century Code. 57-02.2 Kimberly. Good evening, Mayor and Commissioners.

01:01:48,630	Tonight, Discovery Properties LLC is applying for the three-year property tax exemption for remodeling the structure located at 1702 East Main Street in Mandan. The exemption would be applied to the value added due to the remodeling, which includes the installation of fire suppression system, fire panel, alarm, and fence. Um, the new owners are planning to open a new daycare facility.

01:02:10,530	Um, as you remember from the January 7th meeting, this is the property that you to prove a conditional special use permit and the fire sprinkler assistance. Um, the applicants, Steve and Ashley are also here. If we have any questions, this is the property that’s located right over by, um, Culvers to the West.

01:02:28,300	So if you have any questions for any of us? Any questions for Kimberly? So that’s uh excuse me, sorry, that would be over a 3-year period that would amount to a total. Um, tax exemption roughly. $1400 in adding that up right or not. Mayor and Comm Sjoberg, that’s a good estimate, correct. And then The applicants would have to.

01:03:07,130	Install Whatever current code allows for an ADA automatic door on their own time. Did I read that right? Mayor and Comm Sjoberg, yes, that is one of the conditions and that. Door is already there. OK OK. Any further questions? If not, thank you, Kimberly.

01:03:42,370	Fisher I moved to approve the application for property tax exemption for improvements to commercial and residential buildings, North Dakota Century code 57-02.2 located at 1702 East Main Street. Second Motion by Comm Sjoberg, second by Comm Heinsohn. Any further discussion, hearing none. Roll call please Commission Rohr. Yes, Sjoberg Mayor Froelich. Yes. That concludes our meeting, uh, future meeting dates for the board of City Commissioners. April 22, 2025 at 5:30 p.m.

01:04:17,630	Special meeting, long range financial planning. May 6, 2025 at 5:30. PM regular meeting May 20th, 2025 at 5:30. Regular meeting And June 3rd, 2025 at 5:30 regular meeting. With that enjoy the holy week. Happy Easter. Be kind to your