00:00:06,370	OK, it’s 5 o’clock. Uh, we do have a chaplain. Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, we come before you today as we gather for this county commission meeting we ask you for your wisdom, discernment, and guidance in all the matters before us.

00:00:38,970	May your spirit lead everyone in this room to make decisions that are righteous, just, and beneficial to our community. Grant us the grace to serve with integrity and humility, always seeking to prioritize the needs of our citizens.

00:01:01,530	We thank you for the opportunity to serve and for the challenges that lay before us we trust in your guidance and pray that our decisions will reflect your love and your will in your mighty name we pray. Amen. Everybody please stand for the pledge of the Legion. I play States of America in which stand one nation divisible with liberty just for all. Thank you. Yeah.

00:01:43,100	OK, so with that I’ll, I’ll, uh, call the May 10th, uh, May 19th, 2025 meeting of the B Burley County Park Board to order. First item is roll call of members. Comm Hermann, here. Comm Woodcock, Comm Munsen, Comm Bakken, Comm Schwabisher Bain. Here. Chainner. Here. Next is the approval of the agenda, Commissioners move to approve motion to approve the agenda. If any further discussion, see nonculable. Munsen? Yes, Comm Bakke? Yes. Comm Schwab. Yes. Freer Herman? Yes. Comm Bain. Yes.

00:02:15,100	Comm Woodcocks. Yes. Chair Bittner? Yes, motion carries. Next, uh, Comm Munsen, you got a full plate. You got a county or a boat ramp dredging Kimble bottoms, feasibility studies, steel boat ramp improvements and nifel boat ramp. Um, is there gonna be an approval of the agenda or? For the minutes. We did the minutes.

00:02:36,900	I need the approval of the agenda. Move to approve. Second motion is 2nd to approve the meeting minutes. Usually it’s in the same agenda agenda and the minutes. Yeah. OK. Any further discussion, call the roll. Comm Bakke. Comm Schwab. Yes. Comm Herman? Yes. Commission Comm Bain. Yes. Ferer Woodcocks? No. Comm Munsen Chaner throw something in right away. OK.

00:03:05,430	All right, now we’ll move over to Dave Mayor. Thank you, Dave. Chair and Commissioners, good evening. Uh, first on the agenda is the dredging quotes that we had discussed earlier this spring, uh, we open quotes and received. One contractor’s quotes, um. For Kimball Bottoms in the amount of $6000.

00:03:34,100	And knife a boat ramp in the amount of $9750 for dredging those two, different areas. If you remember, we did both of those ramps, I want to say last year, um, a little bit less, uh, in a dollar amount for Kimball, a little bit more in the dollar amount for NFL. Compared to last year.

00:03:54,430	Dave, if I can ask, are we taking out more though from NiFil this time? We are. We are clearing. Square footage wise, I’d probably say double the square footage. I expanded the area quite a bit, uh, quantity wise, not quite double. Um As far as with the volume, what we’re estimating for the volume to be.

00:04:19,500	I would move to approve the low bid for each ramp. So Motion in a 2nd and an echo for approving the urging any further discussion, call over. Schwab. Yes. Who’s your band? Yes. Comm Herman. Yes. Comm Woodcox? Yes. Comm Munsen? Yes. Comm Bakken? Yes. Chaman Bitner. Yes, motion carries. He’s the second item on here. I would love to move.

00:04:44,630	I would move to approve uh to allow misty waters to utilize the same contractor that we’re using for this project for their own project as well. Second OK, motion in a second. approve the use of the contractor, although it’s, it’s not up to us. It was a request of, it was a request of Misty. OK. Yep. Any further discussion, call? Yes. Herman? Yes.

00:05:07,570	Comm Woodcoxck? Yes. Comm Munsen? Yes. Comm Bakke. Comm Schwab? No. Chair Bittner, yes, motion carries. Next item is the Kimball boat, uh Kimball Bottoms feasibility study, uh, if you remember last year and possibly quite uh possibly the year before, the Army Corps of Engineers had reached out, uh, requesting.

00:05:37,100	Some movement on addressing the erosion that’s happening at Kimball at the old parking lot and ramp area, uh, we had reached out to Houston Engineering, and this is a feasibility study from them as to what they are an estimate on a feasibility study from Houston on what they believe it would cost to prepare that feasibility study, come up with

00:05:55,200	a solution and hopefully get us a dollar amount on what it would take to remedy the issues down there. Uh, fellow commissioners now this is an item that I do not have in my 2025 budget. Uh, I’m not quite sure where the costs would come from for this.

00:06:14,470	Uh, I am asking for approval, uh, mostly because this is the 2nd, if not 3rd request from the Corres for us to get this addressed. And it we have not, and so if this is an item you would like me to move to 26 budget, I certainly can, if there’s some money that we can find now to address it.

00:06:30,870	Now, I would prefer to move it forward. Sure do. Who Mhm What, um, Feasibility study will do what? So, so it’ll, it’ll help us determine how much of the old ramp that we need to remove so that we don’t have to keep dredging out. The ramp The new ramp as it sits.

00:06:56,170	So incurred cost year after year. So we would remove the cost annually by doing this. Risk revo. So two questions. One, do we have an estimate on the feasibility study cost and do we have an estimate on, A range of what the scope of the findings of that study, I know that’s a little early, but I’m guessing

00:07:20,030	that there’s probably a ballpark figure that we would be aware of. The feasibility study is $34,800. To get us to that point to figure out how to put this out for bid as to what and how much we have to remove and how we need to fix it, Dave, did they say that wrong? No,

00:07:39,100	Chair Bittner and Commissioners, a couple of things that when I spoke with Michael Gunchon, he was not able to be here to kind of elaborate. So when, when I talked with him, if you remember the core was looking at a few things, um, to the north of the old parking lot, it’s eroding.

00:07:56,270	We’re losing part of the parking lot into the river. They want to stop that erosion, so it’d be bank stabilization. In that neck of the woods. Stop, stop the parking lot from falling in the river clean up as much as we can, uh, and stabilize that area, um. In conversations with Mr. Guns.

00:08:16,670	We’re thinking there’s a sweet spot in there to remove some of the old old boat ramp. To stop the eddie from occurring. To the south of the old ramp that is depositing the sand on the current ramp. And silt And if we get to a point where we’re Dredging every 2nd year, every 3rd year versus every year. That that’s the goal.

00:08:39,600	Hopefully it’s longer, um, if they can if they can, uh, Looking into their crystal ball a little bit better as the engineers and they can figure that out, um, that would be great.

00:08:55,970	But that, those are the couple of things that that the core was looking at the stabilization and, and clean up of the old parking ramp and twofold would be the, the second item would be, uh, taking care of the old ramp. Typical annual cost savings. Uh, right now we’re looking at at least $6000 if, if we have more silt on the ramp, it could be more. Um, I can tell you that historically it’s $5000 just to get the equipment down there.

00:09:16,830	Mr. Chair, Comm. Any, any possibility of core money or. Or uh North Dakota game of fish money or is this all our responsibility? Uh, Chair, uh, Bittner and Commissioners, Comm Woodcock, that’s a very good question. Uh, I don’t know that the Core really has any money to share.

00:09:37,730	Uh, but we could always ask and there might be a possibility for some game and fish money, but. Again, it have to, you have to really fit in their, their wheelhouse for their grant program that they have indicates the feasibility study first. This is actually on Corps of Engineers land. Yeah. Right. It is. Mr. Schwab.

00:10:03,430	Have you explored getting some money from, uh, the garrison diversion. They got lots of Chair Bittner, Comm, Comm Schwab, that is another feasible opportunity to apply for that grant, yes, because you’re going to get. 750,000 from us again this year. That, that is definitely something that we could apply for. We could look at the requirements for that, um.

00:10:27,830	From my recollection, we have never from the Park District applied for a grant to Garrison Diversion Conservancy District for that specific type, but it might fall, fall within there. Well, Commissioners, I would move to approve the feasibility study. Uh, with Houston Engineering for the cost of 30.

00:10:59,400	$4800 if you will allow me to work with Lee to figure out where we can pull that money out of our budget. On the parks or on the Park side. Second, OK Motion in the second to approve. Any further discussion? So you’re, you’re looking for funding that’s only through the. Or part portfolios, yes, no, no, nowhere else. OK, any further questions? So uncul. Comm Hermann. Yes. Comm Woodcock.

00:11:26,130	Yes. Comm Munsen. Yes. Comm Bakken. Yes. Comm Schwab. Yes. Tribe. Yes. Chamanner. Yes, motion carries. Next. Thank you. Uh, the next item on the agenda is the Steel bolt ramp improvements, uh, as part of, um, Comm Munsen’s request for the budget was to include some accessibility funds to improve some of the properties that are

00:11:53,300	Their owned or managed by Burlee County and we brought back the accessibility items that were identified in the A access audit. For Steckel boat ramp. What that is is creating a two accessible parking stalls and accessible walkway in that upper area to the shelter and adding a new vault toilet that is accessible and meets code

00:12:20,500	that would mean removing the old vault toilet that is not accessible. Um That project fits within the budgeted amount that uh that that uh Comm Munsen has, uh, Increase the budget amount to and should be, we should be able to get it built this year.

00:12:41,470	Comm, this is just for information only, um, as Dave said, we, we did have money in our 2025 budget for ADA upgrades. I had authorized Dave to at least start getting the bids so that we were in the process, but for your information, the map is attached as to what we’re looking at doing as far as where the the parking spaces,

00:13:01,670	the, the sidewalk and the vault would be so. I’m hoping by next next part meeting we’ll have all our numbers for us to make a decision there. Whether we move forward or not. So we’ve already looked for bids on this? Yes. Yeah, I’ve asked him to start looking for bids.

00:13:20,830	Chair Bittner and Commissioners, the vault toilet is out for quotes right now, the concrete work we are soliciting. For reaching out. I have not worked with. Because it’s outside of Burley County. I have not worked with anybody up in the Washburn area. I’m.

00:13:40,070	I’m pretty sure there are some concrete contractors up there, so we’re, we’re looking into that to get some, they’re, they’re a lot closer than than the contractors in Bismarck, so we should be able to get some good prices from up in that area, I’m hoping. OK.

00:13:54,670	But again, I wanted you guys to see the map to let you know what we’re looking at, but again, bids will be brought back to this board for approval when they’ve all been put together. All right, last item. The last item is Another uh feasibility study, um. With conversations that the keelboat boat ramp is closing at some point. Um, this summer. We estimate um. The fishing community has reached out to multiple entities and we’re wondering about the idea to.

00:14:30,230	Expand boat ramp access to at NFL. Could we add another ramp? Um Comm Munsen had asked me to check with um Houston Engineering if they could come up with what it might be um for a fee to to entertain that and what we’re looking at is creating a boat ramp.

00:14:50,800	Adding the boat ramp to the south of Nightfall, um, the current knife bolt ramp. Eliminating the campground area, possibly adding the expanding the fish cleaning station, uh, if, if we can because I know there’s a drain field there for that one if we can, if we can add enough room to, to add another uh fish cleaning station there and then creating an accessible. Launch type area.

00:15:13,230	There’s there’s variable variable ways to get somebody with disabilities onto a boat, um. Couple of areas have looked at trying to get them right down to the existing boat ramp, which I think is a troublesome issue because that, especially on the river are our docks.

00:15:30,630	Move up and down, so how do you pick that spot to get somebody in a that may be wheelchair bound onto that dock when the dock is moving up and down the ramp. Uh, another solution is there are um there’s a group out there that creates a platform.

00:15:48,170	That you take somebody up the platform and put them in the boat before they actually put the boat in the water. And that is what I’m hoping that we could incorporate into this, and that could get somebody that is fully wheelchair bound into a onto a uh. A pontoon or somebody that is. able to trans transfer into, say, a fishing boat into a chair in a fishing boat.

00:16:12,170	So there’s the, the platform that I’ve seen and actually it’s, I’ll, I’ll give a plug, uh, the, the organization’s called Wheelchairs and Walleyes and uh they have a phenomenal platform that’s being used in a couple of locations in the state that is just really inspiring.

00:16:30,370	Um, so I think if, if we can incorporate something like that into this bolt ramp, it’d be a great ad for the community. My, my goal is and attached in your packet is uh uh another feasibility study for Houston Engineering, um, I’m going to Again, information for you, I will put that in my 26th budget.

00:16:51,970	I don’t think that’s something that we can run now at this point for that kind of dollars, but I wanted to get this group to start thinking about the possibilities of adding a ramp. An ADA accessible uh facility, um, and then what, what it would mean if we closed that campground up there.

00:17:13,230	At Nael um sheriff might want to weigh in on that one, Cause I know we’ve had a lot of calls up there as well, uh, it’s a, it’s a park we don’t charge for. People move in, people move out. Uh, some people stay there all summer. Um, rotationally. So again, more of a conversation piece that I would like input from everybody here on Thoughts. Comm Bachman.

00:17:39,170	So, have you looked into the difference between. The Dock mounted system versus the. The stands, so because I know some of the boat ramps, especially with, uh, keel boat. Probably going away. Um, Waiting line to get in is a little bit long, so how that’s positioned.

00:18:03,870	In the queue for people getting boat access, and the other question I’ve got then is versus, um, So somebody’s already got their boat in the water in a slip, and wants to come up to a doc, so, Um, I’d like a little bit more information on the best route to go with that as far as accessibility. Good point on the slip. Yeah.

00:18:22,430	So, Because then If you’re in a slip, you’re not pulling your boat out to get somebody into your boat. So I did just Logistics more or less. That’s I’ve been trying to figure that out myself, because my brother’s actually the one that brought this to my attention, and then I contacted Comm Munsen about it to see if we could work that into some kind of boat ramps

00:18:40,870	around here because My brother has real difficulties getting in and out of the boat. You know, because he’s he’s Marine Corps disabled, and, um, I think would be real helpful around here. Uh, with regards to whether you’re lifting them in and out at the dock itself, I think that would back things up a lot. Right.

00:18:58,800	So that experience at the Docks. If it is that route, could it be? On an extra dock or something off to the side versus the Dr convenience for the lounge. Or maybe we could.

00:19:25,000	Figure out some Amenable Solution with one of the, One of the slips in this group, you know, this, this group may have some thoughts on that one of the marinas, so one of the concerns we run into when we go back into the ADA compliance and Dave, correct me if I’m wrong, but a boat ramp is at a 12% grade roughly. An ADA requirements are 65.

00:19:46,300	So to get that wheelchair down the ramp to get to the dock to be lifted in down below would be a little, it, it would not follow ADA compliances whatsoever we’re missing a large group of people if somebody already has a boat in the water and wants to take somebody out, right? They’re not able to unless they pull their boat out. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

00:20:02,270	Great point, that’s one I’ve not thought of and so that’s again why this conversation is here is to get input. In case you’re not asking for a decision on the feasibility study at this point informational information only, yep. Mr. Chair. Comm. That map we got in the, in our packet.

00:20:21,970	Was that all the land we owned to the south is that our our southern border? Correct. Or is that, that’s not Coraland, that’s our land. That’s ours. Yep. And who owns the property to the south can, can we, I hate to eliminate that campground, that’s what I’m thinking. I know sheriff might be, might be opposed to that anyway.

00:20:41,770	I’m leaving you any input on that. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. Well this is awfully or to be discussed in closing the camp because the discussion we should have, that’s for sure. Mr. Chair, Commissioners, obviously I wasn’t prepared for this, um, just off the top of my head.

00:21:05,870	Most of our campgrounds like that, like Comm Munsen said, people do tend to set up in them and not move. We don’t get a ton of reports up at Steckel, um, but, you know, it is remote and I, I guess just speaking right now, I’d, I’d hate to see us lose it overall, you know, but if you looked at the day use, I mean, that some,

00:21:26,670	whatever you decide, we’ll work with, but. We don’t get a ton of complaints up there to where you know what, I would consider it a problem area, like say Kimble Bottoms or something like that.

00:21:46,000	Yeah, there’s some kind of, there’s some kind of restriction up in that area because I know I was talking with the Corps and engineers at one point about Trying to utilize more of that. We’ll call it the willow area. Yep. And, and that was before we had the road blocked off because there we had a parking lot and whatnot too, and we were losing all that into the river.

00:22:04,130	So there’s some kind of restrictions up in there, and I’m not sure, I don’t recall exactly what it was because that was probably. 1213 years ago or something. Thanks. Thank you. Thank you, Dave. I mean, I appreciate that that really what I wanted out of this last item was, was communication back and forth and opinions on.

00:22:31,370	The campground versus maybe it should be, maybe it could be there, but smaller or how would we work parking lots in with a new ramp, uh, we’ll have to have area for the ADA if we do that, we’ll have to have area for, if we expand the, the fish clinic station, there’ll be some more amenities up there

00:22:46,700	and so. We have the lot that is outlined in your packet. I just want to point out that I did have some contacts from folks that are concerned about the sandbars in that area, causing an inability to get in and out of the, the place to Comm Wooducks.

00:23:05,530	Is this, the city’s going to close that ramp, but we’ve discussed earlier, Kimble bottoms. A knock the keelbobo. Are they planning on replacing that keel boat ramp with a ramping in any other position, any other, uh. Am I putting you on the spot or Chair Bittner and Comm, uh, Comm Woodcoxox.

00:23:25,470	At this time, I don’t believe the city of Bismarck is planning on doing anything like that? No? OK. Have they had any resistance to closing that ramp? There have been a few calls. OK. Yes. No. What’s, what’s your definition of a few the park district, there have been quite a few calls. I’m not sure how much the city has got. I hope there is.

00:23:46,170	I’ve attended a couple meetings with you where there was some pretty heated conversations over taking it, taking away their boat ramp and I get it, you know, I’m a boater as well. I understand that.

00:24:06,430	The hard part for the park district is they didn’t own the land where K Kit Park is, the city owns it and has the ability to do whatever they wish. Um Some of us might not agree with what their plan is, but They made that decision and so now how do we help? Our residents get into the water, and so that’s where this Proposal is coming from. Thank you very much. Thank you. For sure. That’s it for me. OK.

00:24:36,170	Uh, anybody else have any business for the park board? Seeing none, I will Adjourn the parkboard. Thank you, gentlemen. Thank you. Um, You know, call the May 19th, 2025 meeting of the Burleigh County Commission to order. State on the agenda is roll call members. Comm Munsen, Comm Bakke. Comm Schwab here. Mr. Woodcocks? Here. Comm, uh, Chair Bittner.

00:25:06,130	He But Um, approval of the agenda. Um Anybody have any changes or additions. I’m going to add something under Other business. For a brief discussion about Public comment policy. Move to prove with, uh, your addition. Second, Motion is second to approve of that. Additionally, any further discussion? Kerakaken here, Comm Schwab. Yes, Fisher Woodcock, Comm Munsenner. Yes.

00:25:39,300	Motion carries consideration of May 5th, 2025 meeting minutes and bills. Who had an opportunity to review the bills this month. I did the bills. Mr. Schwab. And there’s some follow up stuff on the builds are good, but I’m wondering about some of them, whether they’re necessary. Uh, I.

00:26:08,770	Moved to approve the bills in minutes though because I checked the minutes. Second, motion to approve the uh bills in the minutes. Any further discussion? Comm Schwab? Yes. Comm Woodcock? Yes. Comm Munsen. Yes. Chrisam Bakken. Yes. Chairmanner. Yes, motion carries. Did you want to have any discussion about that now or is that something you? I’m getting information on it. OK. Sounds good. Consent agenda.

00:26:32,070	There’s abatements, special use permits, and liquor license renewals. Um The Anybody want to pull anything out of the consent agenda for discussion. I noticed there is a liquor license, uh. Renewal for place up on the 83. Yeah, on Sterling. I didn’t see anything wrong with that, the one up at, um, Up north.

00:26:58,770	Any concerns? Po tree, yeah. OK. No. No concerns? Moved to approve. Crossroads. There we go. Yeah. A motion to approve, is there a second? Second motion to second to approve any further discussion? In unculer Wood In unculer Wood Cox? Yes. Comm Munsen? Yes. Comm Bakken? Yes. Comm Schwab? Yes. Chainner. Yes. Motion carries.

00:27:19,130	It’s the time and the place for a public hearing on consideration of Sanford Bond. Um I will open the public hearing. Is there anybody that wishes to, um, First off is the applicant here. They’re on. OK, you’re on online? Welcome. Hi, my name’s Ronnie Martin. I am Bond counsel for Stanford Health.

00:27:52,100	Um, so I’m here representing them, um, and request for the public hearing being held today. OK. You want to provide any additional information? Sure. Um, so we’re here today asking the commissioners to hold this public hearing on behalf of Stanford Health.

00:28:15,570	Stanford is looking to issue tax-exempt bonds through the South Dakota Health and Educational Facilities Authority under the tax code in order for tax exempt bond proceeds to be spent outside of the South Dakota jurisdiction. We need to hold a public hearing in all jurisdictions and where proceeds are expected to be spent. Uh, currently, Stanford is anticipating financing some new projects. within the county, in addition to refinancing some existing debt that was spent in the county.

00:28:36,870	Um, so we’re here today asking for a public hearing to allow residents to provide any comments regarding this plan of finance. Um, the county is not at all liable for any sort of payments on the bonds, um, this is merely a requirement under the tax code in order to provide the flexibility to Stanford in order to proceeds Well, I thank

00:29:05,170	you for the information. This is a public hearing. Does anybody wish to speak on this item? want to explain it to Bosco. Open Bond council can answer that. Right. I, I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear the question.

00:29:30,370	Could someone repeat the question? Charles, can you come up so she can hear you? I identify yourself for the record. And, um, Charles Tuttle, uh, Levin Roster, um, I just wanna know, we’re having a public hearing on something that I don’t think anyone in the room knows what it’s for. Is it for a shelter building or is it for, uh, some facility.

00:29:53,830	What is, what is exactly that you’re asking us to have public comment on. Thank you. Sure, um, so there was a public notice published in the newspaper and it provided a full description of the anticipated use of the.

00:30:15,330	On furcets, um, but a high level summary is they are planning Stanford Health is a health system, so they’re planning on Renovating some of their existing facilities located within Bismarck, within Burleigh County, um, they’re also planning on refinancing some debt that was also used at facilities located within the county.

00:30:40,300	um, so some of the projects include, you know, the remodeling, expansion of certain facilities for gastroententrontology and endoscopy services and the notice included the specific addresses in which some of the proceeds are anticipated to be spent. Does that answer your question? Uh, Charles hello again and Comm. Chair Bittner, um, the The issue I have, obviously, they’re asking for a tax abatement, um. During the measure 4 campaign, Sanford set out emails to every one of its employees to vote no on measure 4.

00:31:10,830	So I don’t support any giving Sanford any tax breaks on anything when they come out and politically oppose a measure that was initiated by the people of North Dakota. Thank you. Mr. Chair, anybody else want to speak or I? Um Are these Mitabons? No, these bonds are being issued through the South Dakota Health and Educational Facility Authority, so they’re not being issued through in North Dakota entity,

00:31:46,530	um, the conduit issuer for these bonds is in South Dakota and um the proceeds are just expected to be spent within counties. So my follow up question, if it’s South Dakota Health Association. Why are we getting it through Burnie County? Yes, good question. So under Section 147 F of the Internal Revenue Code.

00:32:11,630	It’s required in order for tax-exempt bond proceeds to be spent in any jurisdiction that we hold a hearing. So in this case, because Burleigh County is a county that has facilities of Stanford in which they anticipating using some of those. Proceeds to renovate and construct and remodel their existing facilities, um, we need to hold a hearing for approval purposes only.

00:32:33,370	There’s no sort of financial liability to the county, and this is merely in order to check a box for the tax code requirements in order to provide sandford the opportunity to, you know, update their existing facilities within the county. So, these, all these money will be spent in Bernie County. Right. No. No.

00:32:53,770	A, a portion of the proceeds. Sanford. I couldn’t hear the first part. Start over again, please? Sure, so only a portion of the proceeds of this bond issuance will be spent within Burley County.

00:33:16,930	They’re doing a large plan of finance that will be financing facilities in a variety of states including North Dakota, Wisconsin, um, Wyoming, Minnesota, and so only a portion of the series 2025 Bonds are expected to be used within Burling County. Mr. Baker.

00:33:42,370	So basically these are South Dakota funds, South Dakota bonding, but Due to the nature of them being spent across the entire enterprise, all of the affected enterprise locations need to be contact and have the public hearing for meeting the tax code purposes, correct? Yes, that is an accurate summary. Mhm. OK. public hearings. Anybody else wants to speak? Once again, this is a public hearing. 3rd and final call, anybody else wish to speak on this item. Seeing Nano closed the public hearing, Comm, what are your? Move to approve. Second motion to approve.

00:34:12,230	Any further discussion, Comm Schwab. I don’t know why we’re getting involved in out of state bonding here. I mean, if, Good Lord, we’re actually not. It’s just they’re just checking the box. I’ll tell you what, that’s a lot of money. I can’t support something like this. I mean, why aren’t they taking the individual states.

00:34:34,700	You know, I know the money’s coming from South Dakota though. Yeah That’s, this is crazy. Whatever. Any further discussion. uncul. Comm Munsen. Yes. Comm Bakken. Yes, Comm Schwab? No. Mr. Woodcock? No. Chair. No. Mr. Chair Comm Woo. This body is a 2.1 billion, I, I tried to figure out how many zeros were, but it’s a billion.

00:35:12,570	I really question why they’re coming to Bertie County when they, this, this office basin. I, I know they’re, they’re huge in our area and I don’t disagree with that. I’m just saying why it’s, there’s a hidden reason there that I think that, uh, for some reason they’re coming through Burnie Coty.

00:35:27,170	once they come to the city of Bismarck where they approached through the city of Bismarck or were they, it still bothers me, I guess. I should have asked that question. Before we voted on it. Bond council, you want to. We on that at all. Absolutely.

00:35:42,530	We actually did originally reach out to the city of Bismarck, and the reason that we ended up coming to the county was because some of the proceeds were not directly within the city limits and in order for us to meet the tax requirements we need to be within the city limits, so we would have had to go to the city of Bismarck and then another.

00:35:59,600	neighboring city, um, so it seemed Most efficient for us to come to the county since all of the addresses were within the county limits of Burle County, um, and so that, that’s why we came, came here. Because Well, moving on. We have an agenda.

00:36:24,300	I’m here addressed to the Commission regarding the petition to the North Dakota governor for the removal of the Burley County Auditor, um. Nobody explained that one to me, so I Sposkowski, can you explain that? Um, it was a, uh, I requested to be on the agenda, and, uh, they did not give me an individual to who is going to present it.

00:36:48,170	Now, I’m, I’m going to challenge this, OK? If there’s nothing provided in the packet. For the residents to read prior to this meeting. Why are we allowing it to be on our agenda. In my understanding that this information needs to be provided. So that’s in the packet, so that it is public record. I would agree with that.

00:37:10,570	And if it’s not here, I would prefer to remove this item. From the agenda until that information could be provided. Is that emotion? That’s motion. It’s kind of clear on here that it’s a petition. I have the petition here to read into Re for the public that provided for for the public that provided for our packet. We have nothing.

00:37:31,470	Right? The residents that read this packet prior to our meeting have nothing. Nor do we. Just like we had with that. Bond that we just heard. It’s in our. It’s all in the packet. Just, I’m just saying this is kind of the season and the place for people to hear things. Didn’t even get a memo. We didn’t get anything.

00:37:59,570	We didn’t get anything in our packet. OK, we’ve had a number of conversations described in a memo that’s not described in this sentence that’s on the agenda. Because if the memo would readd address to the commission regarding the petition of the North Dakota governor for the removal of the Burley County Auditor.

00:38:22,100	Then there’s no necessity to be repetitious. Just the word memo. I, I disagree. If it’s not in our packet, and the information needs to be provided to the residents for them to be able to see it prior to this meeting. Are there any residents in attendance that are offended right now? How about the people on TV.

00:38:41,830	I’m just asking for those that are here we’ll do. Is allow you to have an agenda item for the next meeting and ask that you provide backup documentation for, for that. Is there, is there a reason that we’re so terrified of just hearing what the petition states, because we have hundreds of signatures on this petition.

00:39:06,530	I think that’s representation and by neglecting hearing it today, we’re not collecting the voices of those hundreds of people that we have signatures on. Well I do think that I would have to agree with Comm Munsen that that should be stuff that’s in the agenda pack. Correct. Do I don’t know where this.

00:39:34,430	I don’t know where this is coming from, so I, I did, I looked at it and thought, what is this? Who put this on the agenda who requested it? Mhm The residents. Pardon me? The people did, the petitioners that have petitioned for this, the I like or. People of Burleigh County.

00:39:56,730	The people who’s The petitioners that’s that I’m not, I just want to know where it come from. I. It comes from people that are disappointed in public service and public servants, not knowing what the Constitution actually states. That’s where it comes from.

00:40:13,100	The very First Amendment says that we have a right to redress our grievances, and that’s where this petition is coming from. Comm Schwab. Normally when something this important is on the agenda. And there’s nothing to see, nothing for the public to see. No way. That is not fair. They, they need to see it. We need to see it.

00:40:40,930	This is kind of While we got this, while we got that, but Show it to us. You have more copies of that. Um-hum. that I mean, if he’s got an extra copy, we could. Well, this is, If we’d had this before, I might have considered it. Yeah. But I. Do you have an extra copy. Oh Yeah Requests the who.

00:41:40,870	In in the back room, if you could turn on the what’s this thing called? Elmo? Oh, like Sesame Street, Elmo. Um, we haven’t decided whether we’re going to hear this or not. You did approve the agenda state’s attorney. I would consider that also a conflict of interest. It’s your meeting, you can decide what you want to do with it. Can’t hear.

00:42:07,400	It’s your meeting, you can decide how you want to run it. Considering Robert’s rules and you guys get the agenda while you’re reading it, if you have issues, I’m just gonna start reading. Can everybody hear me OK? Good evening, Chair Commissioners and the people of Burley County.

00:42:42,800	I, I’m Cody Seibel, and I am here speaking on behalf of the committee that drafted this petition. I will stand for questions or defer to another member of our committee, but at this time I intend to read the petition into record.

00:43:01,370	State of North Dakota, County of Burley, and the matter of a petition to request the Burley County State’s Attorney to cease and desist from initiating removal proceedings against the duly elected county auditor, treasurer on behalf of the county commission. We that qualified electors of Burley County petitioners versus Julie Lawyer in the capacity as Burley County State’s Attorney responded. to cease and desist on behalf of the people.

00:43:26,900	The understanding petitioners qualified electors at Burleigh County, North Dakota, hereby petitioned the Burleigh County State’s Attorney, Julie Lawyer to cease and desist, all action initiated on behalf of the Burley County Commission to remove the duly elected county auditor treasurer. Mark Slonskowski. This petition is brought in response to chapter 44-11 of the North Dakota Century Code, which governs the process of the removal of elected officials.

00:43:50,970	Under nurture code’s entry code 44-11-02, a petition for the removal of an elected county official may be brought only by. 150 qualified electors of the county 2, 10% of the qualified electors who voted in the preceding general election for governor in that district or subdivision, whichever is less, or number 3, the county state’s attorney acting independently.

00:44:14,970	The statute does not authorize a county commission to initiate removal proceedings, any such action taken by the commission, even if carried out through the state’s attorney, circumvents the statutory intent and undermines the democratic process and since the state’s attorney has already proceeded on the behalf of Burley County Commission. No one would believe her to be acting independently in the future.

00:44:34,630	The role of the people in electing and when necessary recalling public officials is a cornerstone of representative government. Any attempt to bypass that process by using the county commission as a proxy to remove a duly elected official in fridges on the rights of the electorate and distorts the balance of power outlined in North Dakota law.

00:44:58,230	petitioners further assert that Respondent lawyer has pursued removal efforts based on questionable legal grounds, including Hatch Act claims. Public funds have been used for legal efforts that lack clear voter authorization, dissemination of inaccurate information occurred on at least 2 separate public occasions where respondent lawyer mischaracterized the Burley County Home Rule charter on both occasions, respondent

00:45:22,400	lawyer inaccurately represented the content of the homeor charter implying that it would not grant the county commission authority, it does not actually possess. Her mischaracterization of the Homeor charter misled the public and misrepresented. The actual language of the charter. Such misinformation misled the public and eroded trust in county leadership.

00:45:43,230	The involvement of the King Commission exceeds its lawful authority and disrupts the will of the voters. The Homeland charter ballot measured barely passed, and many voters were unaware of the language buried in the measure that could be interpreted to affect the authority structure between elected officials. I really apologize you guys.

00:46:00,870	I was supposed to be turning this page too many things. Had the public fully understood these implications, it is likely the measure would not have passed. There’s a table in here that lists the results of the Burley County Measure one. In the approved, yes it votes equivalated 15,409, a percentage of 50.99%. The no votes were 14,811 with a percentage of 49.01.

00:46:30,870	That means that the Burley County Measure one passed by a margin of less than 1%, underscoring the lack of public consensus. Therefore, petitioners respectfully demand that Julia Lawyer in her official capacity as Burley County State’s Attorney immediately cease and desist from pursuing or assisting in any removal action against auditor treasurer Mark Sposkowski, that is initiated

00:46:52,500	at the request of or in coordinated with or in coordination with the Burleigh County Commission. Wherefore, the petitioner’s request. That All removal of efforts against the Burleigh County Auditor treasurer be conducted only in strict accordance with provisions of North Dakota Century Code, Chapter 44-11.

00:47:17,030	That’s the Burleigh County state’s attorney uphold the statutory requirement that such actions be initiated solely by the people or the state’s attorney acting independently, not at the behest of the county commission. That the rights of the electorate to choose and if necessary recall their public officials be preserved without interference or circumvention.

00:47:41,030	That the Burleigh County Commission be directed to refrain from initiating or directing any further removal proceedings unless explicitly authorized by state law or initiated through lawful public petition. That an air expenditures of the public funds related to removal proceedings already initiated be publicly disclosed along with justification to ensure transparency and accountability.

00:48:08,970	That any further legal interpretation regarding the authority to remove elected officials under the Homer Charter be publicly reviewed and vetted by an independent legal authority or advisory board. Respectfully submitted and signed by hundreds of qualified Burley County electors which will which will be presented to the North Dakota Attorney General, the North Dakota Governor, and the Burley County State’s Attorney. Thank you for your time. Stannd for questions. Questions, Commissioners. Mr.

00:48:33,900	Chair, Comm, I think what they’re asserting is we’re not doing this legally. I, I’d like to ask our state’s attorney, we’ve been prompted many times that we’re doing this legally and according to the state law, is that, am I assured of that being happened? So, as was stated, there is a petition that can be filed by

00:48:50,500	the state’s attorney or by the public to the Attorney General to launch an investigation to make a recommendation to the governor for removal. And that’s the process we’re doing. Though according to state law, are we doing it under, uh, what did they say? certain North Dakota DCC 44 1102.

00:49:12,870	Are we doing it according to that? Correct. OK, thank you. I’d like to address that issue. You would be if they didn’t ask for approval by the commission. And you asked for, she’s asked for you to have a resolution to do that. So that circumvents what the intent of the 44-112 means. She can independently, but that’s not what’s happening here.

00:49:40,630	We’ve got meeting records to show that. You guys have prompted her to do this. She presented to you as a possibility. She then allowed you guys to make the decision, but you don’t have the authority to make that decision and then a resolution to prompt her to do that. She had done that independently, that would be different.

00:49:58,700	That’s not what’s going on here, and that’s not the process that you folks have followed. You want to respond to that? So it’s been the consensus of this commission that I don’t think you’re.

00:50:26,170	It has been the consensus of this commission that a petition be filed, um, I have to review that to determine if there’s enough there to send it to the governor. I still have, um. Prosecutorial discretion, even though I’m not prosecuting a case as one would typically see that, um, however, in looking at all of the information that’s been provided, I believe there is enough to send a petition to the attorney general to launch an investigation. OK.

00:50:50,770	I guess that answers that. Thank you. Can I just ask again that’s, that is your opinion. Is that, I mean, cause like he just stated, this wasn’t an independent. So you’re giving an authoritative discretionary decision. That wasn’t yours to take in the first place. And we did elect. Mark, we did elect this position.

00:51:14,200	We hold as the voters that we wanted this elected position. And in the home rule charter that we’re. A little bit irritated with is that that right? Has been removed from us by 2027. So we see the writing on the wall as to what this has started. And we don’t want it for protecting one.

00:51:38,100	an individual that we think is absolutely being attacked, that we elected. And number 2, we see the writing on the wall of what’s gonna happen if and when a board controls the money being spent and the approval of where the money being spent of our tax dollars. This was never meant to happen.

00:51:56,770	There are 3 branches of government for a reason. We’re having some Bad incestuary relations here. Thanks for sharing your opinion, Comm Bake. Julie. Just for clarification, is that the Home Rule charter or is it the century code that allows A county commission to Either remove The Elected position of a county auditor treasurer or a combined auditor treasurer or reassign those duties.

00:52:31,600	Is it the home rule charter or is it it is it the century code? It can be both. Um, it depends on how the home rule charter is written. Our home rule charter basically directs people to the century code that allows the, um, commission to redesignate offices and even without a home rule charter, the county commission can redesignate

00:52:51,230	offices, even with a Home Rule charter, the county commission through. ute can redesignate offices as per Century code correct. Thank you. So it’s, it’s My understanding is that it’s not a question of what the Home Rule charter did or didn’t do. The law exists for these kinds of reasons, Mr.

00:53:10,530	Chair, if I can Mr. Munsen, I think, and I’ve heard it out here, and I think you’re right, that’s two different conversations. One, Is the petition to the governor for removal. 2 is the redesignation of that position.

00:53:32,830	What Comm uh Bakke just asked to redesignation of office and duties is our right by the state, by the century the elimination of that position by the century code. No. And. Yeah. I’d have to double check with Julie on that one. That’s correct. That’s what the Century code says removal. Correct. OK. Just like the other 11 counties that have removed the position and hired the position. That’s what gave them the authority to do it.

00:53:57,230	It wasn’t the Home Rule charter, it was the century code let me answer that a little bit. I’m an expert in home world charters. Home world charters supersedes state attorney. So, You don’t have to be an attorney to be an expert. I’ve done more petitions on home world charters than any lawyer you know. OK.

00:54:13,130	Well, that’s, what, are you an attorney? That has nothing to do with whether I’m an expert in home rule charters. OK. Just go ahead. Home rule charter supersedes state law so long as they are not in conflict with state law. You’ll agree with me. You folks have changed the home rule charter as of 2022.

00:54:34,700	You have to wait for Marx’s term in order to take and apply those things that you just stated, Mr. Bachmann. OK, you can’t apply those things till his term is up.

00:54:54,500	And I understand why you’re trying to remove them so that you can take that election of 2022 and start using it to separate the, the two positions because Mark was elected with both position positions together that can’t be changed until his term is up. That’s the problem that you guys have, and that’s what you’re trying to do.

00:55:14,830	Now we can go out and get 47 or I think it’s 60, 60, 78 00 signatures, and we can change the home rule charter back to the way the people want it and that’s probably what we’re gonna have to do with what’s going on in this. Last few months, it’s just been a disgrace.

00:55:31,900	And I just saw you folks spend $17 million and didn’t even know how you’re gonna finance it, and you talk about Mark and his financial issues. So that’s what the home rule charter does. It does supersede state law, and you, you can’t apply the 22 election till Mar. Term is up. Uh, would you agree with that? Miss Liar. I say anything inaccurate there? There can’t be a change in the job until the term is up. That’s correct.

00:55:56,670	So we understand that. That wasn’t there wasn’t a need for that’s not what we’re talking about. I’d like to clarify too. Um, we’re talking about preliminary plans and resolutions and things like that that I think the last I heard we’re kind of looking at essentially leaving the auditor’s office elected.

00:56:17,300	We’re talking about changing duties because of the financial problems. Um you can’t leave it elected because you’ve already put in the. We’re not going anywhere with this. No. Um, I’d like to clarify something as well because um.

00:56:38,800	Julie, you stated that in the North Dakota Century code that the commission has a right to remove uh duly elected official, and can you state where you found that? Cause I don’t believe the North Dakota Central Code actually allows for a commission to remove an elected official. They were talking about the office and the word is elimination. is what’s in century code and that’s under the Home Rule charter.

00:56:53,430	I don’t have the exact site if you’d like the exact site, I can look it up real quick, but you stated that there was an elimination and the removal and elimination of office is not the same thing as removal of an elected. No, yeah, they’re separate, the word, but he was talking about the elimination of the office. And that’s how I understood it.

00:57:14,470	You know, the office is not being eliminated. Thank you. Any other questions? No. Anybody? Questions? No, no questions. Thank you. OK, so, Next is, uh, item number 8, and that’s under me, um, is the consideration of submitting a petition to the governor to remove auditor, treasurer Sloniskowski.

00:57:49,630	And then a discussion on transfer of duties from auditor treasurer. And That’s it for item 8. Um At our previous meeting, we discussed The petition to remove the governor and um I ask that all commissioners be given an opportunity to provide input on that.

00:58:21,130	And I trust that all commissioners had that opportunity to provide input to this state’s attorney? Looks like you have, so state’s attorney lawyer, um. Any input Um, as I had indicated, um, to some of you after the meeting, um, I had a couple of trials within the last couple of weeks, and so I didn’t have an opportunity to um to get a draft in prior to the publishing of the um Meeting packet, so I did have one, I

00:58:46,770	did do a draft that I sent to you that, um, I emailed, um, this afternoon that I would request that you just review and then discuss at your next meeting. OK. I think um That would be appropriate since it was not in the agenda packet and we went around on that. Good.

00:59:08,230	So, we’ll move that item to the agenda I’d like a vote on that, please. We postponed in another 2 weeks. Is that a motion. You have to vote on whether or not, whatever, whatever you prefer. I to move this item to, sorry, I would move that we uh. Put item 8A on the next agenda. For discussion.

00:59:35,400	Motion is your second motion is 2nd to move this to the next meeting. Any further discussion? Mr. Chair. Mr. Wood. Uh, we’ve kicked this can down the road for a year now, and I just think that if we have a change another word in this petition, we’re gonna have to go back and wait for two weeks and discuss whether, uh, it’s getting

00:59:51,600	beyond, We’ve got a, we’ve got to turn the page and move forward for the citizens of Verde County. Um, that’s, that’s, and I, and that doesn’t make any difference what side you’re on. I think we kicked this down the road so many times that we’ve got to move on and we got the petition.

01:00:08,000	It was very little change from the previous one except one I want to recommend with the amount of money that Bernie County has lost. The taxpayers have lost.

01:00:22,830	I think we should have an estimate in there, and there’s no estimate, just says a large amount of money has been lost, and I think we should put a number in that. But that’s, that’s neither here nor there. I just don’t think we can continue to, to uh kick this down the road. Hate to overuse that statement, but that’s what we’re doing. We’ve been at this for how long? A year? OK.

01:00:42,670	And every day, see, Every day seemed like we find some, something else, so, but that hasn’t done nothing to do with this petition. Yeah. Well, Mr. Chair, if I can, Comm, my reason for moving it down 2 weeks, it wasn’t in the packet. It should be in the packet for the for the public to see prior to us making action.

01:01:00,900	And being that we uh just got the email today. I Like for their time to review it, yep. Yeah. Any other discussion? Comm Bakken. Yes. Comm Schwab? No. Comm Woodcock? No. Comm Munsen, Chair Bitner? No. Well, she fails. I do agree, um. Certainly But I’ve been a little too close to the drafting and, and those communications.

01:01:32,870	So, I understand it pretty completely. Um, there is information that um we’ve been talking about that. Um, the public doesn’t know. I was going to try to find one of those e-mails.

01:02:15,600	Why are you looking that up? I would consider, uh, having a special meeting like 2 days from now or uh and, and get this information out, the petition out and let people look at it. Cause I want to move it along. I don’t want to wait for another two weeks. OK. um Now, special meeting won’t take very long and the public is available and That’s a reasonable, that’s a reasonable alternative. Yeah. Yeah Just a thought.

01:02:42,770	We’re going to have meetings and meetings until election time. I’m getting kind of sick and tired of this whole deal. Um Chair I do have a problem with Getting something like this with Just, it’s on the agenda and no Information packet. So we can’t hardly do anything today. OK, so what we’ll do is we’ll schedule a.

01:03:07,600	Who put this on the agenda, by the way? Chair I address the Commission, please. Hang on a minute. Um You’re interested in a special meeting. I’m interested in it, yes. I mean we have a special meeting sometime this week. To consider the petition that we’re Concerned about? 10 days. For a special meeting? No. Um, I guess we can ask that question.

01:03:35,670	The State’s attorney, but I think that we can call special meeting on it on a real short notice. We have many times. There isn’t any statutory requirement as to a specific amount of days that a notice has to go out for a special meeting. OK. I was er a second. Thinking about Wednesday, Commissioners.

01:04:00,170	Is there a second? Second, motion of the 2nd for the special meeting. After this Anyway, special meeting. Any further discussion needed Wednesday morning, Wednesday morning. Oh yeah. All right. we’ll consider the time. Any further discussion? just work something to. You want something to add to this discussion.

01:04:41,670	I just wanted to address some of the issues that were brought up in the email from Julie, um, one of them was stating that I was uh harassing HR about a leak to Rob Port. Regarding an investigation into my office, um, I think that it would be prudent. To have those emails. Public So that people could see really what happened with that email.

01:05:05,800	And, um, there was an issue I saw. I addressed it in an appropriate manner, I believe. I addressed it with my state’s attorney and the HR director, and, um, it’s a serious issue, I believe, and um I do not see it as, as uh harassment or as a um Uh, disrespectful, the way in which I addressed that, as well as

01:05:26,700	another issue that was brought up in there is that I um filed a complaint. Against the HR director. It’s a different issue. Regarding the addition of two elected officials onto my hiring panel when hiring an elected, uh, my election coordinator.

01:05:50,700	Uh, I think that is a major issue when it is brought up against somebody that they submit a um grievance against the department head. Uh, I do not believe that that is something that is illegal or is something that should be even considered in this listing of things, uh, but like I said, when it comes to the, the first item there, I think it would be,

01:06:08,930	I think it would be honest to bring that to the public’s attention and the emails that those are in regards to, as far as the leaking of that information. Thank you. I Maybe I’ll motion a second to schedule a special commission meeting and further discussion. See uncul rule. Comm Schwab. Yes, Comm Woodcox. Yes.

01:06:36,030	Comm Munsen. Yes. Comm Bakken. Yes. Chair Bitner. Yes, motion carries. OK. So, further on Wednesday. No, we have a set time. Um, anybody have a particular preference on time. I’m thinking, uh. Well, for my purposes, 10 or after is fine.

01:07:07,500	Yeah, I have an 11 with the veteran service officer and a new in Missouri Valley complex, so. 9:30, 10 would be fine with me. I’m wide open. Mr. Ban. Good. Um, how long do you think we’re going to need to run? or OK. Yeah, 10 would be fine. But This is what It’s all right with me. Is this room available? That’s something I have to verify it’s the city. OK. OK.

01:07:39,570	So we’ll tentatively set it for 10 o’clock Wednesday morning contingent on the room being available. How about, how about. If it’s not available. How about 5 o’clock on Wednesday. 5 o’clock. There won’t be any public appearing anyway. It’s not a public hearing. Uh, there might be a Conflict City planning and zoning commission meeting. That’s possible.

01:08:10,000	I don’t know the schedule for that. Who’s got the schedule of the Baker room anyway. Is that available now. Hm We’ll have that answered here in a minute. There was a um. A uh vision fund committee at 4 p.m. that was canceled. Tuesday Is there a planning meeting on that day? I do not.

01:08:47,900	Nope, not according to the city’s website. OK. I prefer 5 o’clock. OK. I’d be OK with that. Where’s yours. I historic preservation at three. Human relations at 4. Mar City Commission special meeting notice, Wednesday, May 21st at 5:15. Is that here? Does it say? Yeah, it’s like.

01:09:31,700	I would assume it would be here if it’s a city meeting. Yeah, so they’re. They’re hooked up three through whenever the city gets done. There is nothing available in the morning. Or there is available in the morning according to the schedule. About the first floor conference room. OK, this is First floor conference room is typically available, it’s relatively available at least.

01:10:16,030	Although I don’t see the schedule right here. OK you want to tentatively plan it for 5 o’clock in the 1st floor conference room, provided that’s available. And you’ll probably check that schedule and get back to us, right? Yeah, 5 o’clock? 5:00. Wednesday The first floor conference room. Depending on the schedule. Commission is OK. All right. OK.

01:10:48,570	Um, discussion on transfer of duties from auditor treasurer is the next thing. At our last meeting, the state’s attorney explained to us that we can Trans duties. From The Auditor to other departments. Is that correct? Um, that is correct, but you have to do that through a redesignation. As we’ve discussed.

01:11:14,270	There is no way to do that otherwise, unless you rewrite the home rule charter. That’s another option. But again, none of that can take place until after the current term is completed. OK. there’s confirmation on that, we’ll move on. So, I’m sorry, I didn’t get the whole gist of it.

01:11:34,430	We can’t do it at all unless we do what? You can change the duties of the auditor through the redesignation of offices procedure that you’re pursuing at this time, you can also rewrite the home rule charter to outline different duties of offices, but none of that could take effect until the current term is over until a new term begins. What if I might. Continue.

01:11:54,770	What if the auditor request or is it agreeable with moving something. Would that be a it make any difference? The Century code doesn’t allow for any exceptions. So even if he were agreeable to that, it could not um take effect until this term is over.

01:12:14,100	Well, we considered moving the if I might continue we consider moving the finance problems over to the to our finance director, and they agreed they could take it and, and I think Mark was considering it before. I don’t know whether that’s still available or still true, so we can’t do that at all, even if everybody agrees to it.

01:12:32,100	You can’t take the duties away as the current auditor treasurer, he can designate someone to do those duties on his behalf, but he’s still responsible for them. OK, well, I should read a couple of highlights out of this email then.

01:12:56,170	So you get a little, get a little bit better understanding of why we’re Doing that is in this case of the auditor treasurer contributes at least a -1, if not a -2 FTEs and that’s full-time employees. Not only does he not provide the kind of work product or output one would expect at his level, but he creates additional problems on an ongoing basis due to his incompetence of estimated a cost of at least $5 million to Bur County’s opinion. Goodness.

01:13:20,200	Uh, this Guy is a CPA. That’s not, we can’t allow that. This Guy is a CPA, Charles and, you know, if you want to speak, we’ll let you come up to the mic. No, no, no. But I’m going to keep on going.

01:13:36,900	You know, you guys should be sued for the defamation that you’ve caused, Mark, and in this county, you just keep coming up with things, and I saw you guys spend $17 million on a building, and then you didn’t even know how it was gonna be financed. Well, we have cash laying around. Well, we could use a bond. Well, bonds are high.

01:13:52,770	This is exactly the conversation that went on afterwards. After you spent it. And then you said, well, we, I about the Bank of North Dakota. Nobody’s even checked into it. That has been checked into, you know. Well, yeah, but you should have done that before you accepted the bids.

01:14:07,400	You talk about Mark not being responsible, that’s not responsible to go ahead and accept $17 million in bids and you haven’t even checked out that financing. That’s what I’m talking about. Everybody makes mistakes and you guys definitely aren’t perfect. What does it take to run for, what does it take to run for county Comm.

01:14:27,370	I think some of these people should step up and, and, and you want your opinion in there. We can go on forever and ever, I guess, but OK, so here, in a nutshell, um, we’re talking about the benefit of doing this, um, so we know that we would gain at least 1 or 2 FTEs by doing this move.

01:14:47,300	Um And probably eliminates some of that $5 million in financial losses to the citizens of Bur County. paying them. This is information that’s provided by the Burle County Finance Director. to So that’s, that’s pretty much so to summarize this email under the reorganization, we gained back the negative 2 FTEs caused by auditor Swanskowski.

01:15:20,300	Another half to 1 FTE from finance departments internal audit function, a potential for one FTE from improving procedures with the possible need to use one FTE to clean up years of neglect so conservatively, the net gain of 2.5 full-time employee position. s That’s the kind of things that we’re dealing with folks, you know, we’re looking at Um You know, where there’s, there’s been comments where the auditor’s office needs more staff.

01:15:41,730	There’s very few, if anybody that um can agree with that at this point because um because of the problems that we see going on in that office. And that is the office that’s single-handedly handles all the finances, and we’ve come to find out that um the total is approximately At least it says.

01:16:01,970	estimated a cost of at least $5 million to Purley County directly. So, I think it’s. No, the, the audit is being done at this point, and I’ll ask you to refrain like, you know. Um So, we’re gonna move forward. Discussion on preliminary resolution for the redesignation of auditor treasurer. There were some changes to that.

01:16:33,070	State’s Attorney Well that outer and the same. Category for the that should be in with the special meeting probably. Um, it is, and, um, as I indicated, I didn’t have an opportunity to get um the plan put together, but I did that, sent it out to everyone for review, but I would request that that be

01:16:52,700	tabled again until that’s part of the packet. OK. So I think we’ll include that with the um, uh, I 8 A And item 9 for the agenda for the special meeting. Agree with that. Yes, that’s fine. OK. OK, so moving on, Burley County Extension agent Kelsey Decker to NDSU Burley County Extension. We. Good evening, Commissioners.

01:17:26,830	I’m gonna pass out quickly, just our schedule of events for the 4H Achievement days. Mr. Chair, while she’s doing this, comment to the crowd that are here. We got an item a couple of ways down. Don’t leave now, don’t leave, just hang in there for another 20 minutes. Please.

01:17:52,970	So, Commissioners, I’m just here tonight to one formally invite you to our Burley County 4H Achievement Days. As you can see, um, we have those set for Monday, July 7th through Thursday, July 10th, and I just like last year I’m coming to ask for blessing from the commissioners on some office closures during that week, so we can effectively run our achievement days.

01:18:13,770	So this year we’re looking for um the blessing of closing our office in the afternoon on Monday. June 7th and Tuesday, June 8th. Hoping to get an office closure for Wednesday and Thursday all day, and then we would reopen on Friday to the public.

01:18:35,100	So you can kind of see the events laid out and well I guess I’m asking for those office closures. Is that your motion? I don’t think I could make a motion. I’m asking for a blessing like I did last year from you guys portfolio. I give the young lady what she wants because we do it all the time anyway. I understand what they’re doing. I would be in in a second.

01:18:54,370	Yeah, uh, to do what she’s asking. Any further discussion? rule. Here’s your Woodcocks. Yes, Mr. Munsen. Yes. Comm Bakken. Yes. Comm Schwab. Yeah, that’s Bitner. Yes, motion carries. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioners, and we will make sure to advertise that appropriately ahead of time as well. So thank you. Thank you.

01:19:16,770	Uh, Sheriff Lieben, DOT safety traffic Safety Grant. Good evening, Mr. Chair, Commissioners, um, this is a repeat of the same grant, uh, we got another addendum to it. Um, we approved or you approved the original grant, then I came back with the equipment addendum.

01:19:42,170	Now I’m coming back, uh, the estate had funds left over to redesignate, uh, they chose us for an additional $2000 in funding for impaired driving enforcement. We do have the funding in our budget to cover that, the initial upfront costs and we get reimbursed for it.

01:20:07,030	So I would ask, uh, your permission to accept that addendum and, uh, and then it would need to be signed by Chair Bittner electronically and audit Esposkowski. Moved to approve. I get most of the second to approve any further discussion, see noncal.res your monthsson? Yes. Comm Bakke? Yes. Comm Schwab? Yes. Mr. Woodcocks. Yes. Chair Ber. Yes, motion carries. Thank you.

01:20:32,070	Oh County engineer Hall, developer waiver requests in township mileage certification in front of you or in front of me, I guess. OK, go ahead. Good evening, Commissioners. The first item I have on the agenda is a pavement waiver request under the current pavement policy developers, owners of property that are desiring to have their property platted, are required to pay particular roles, uh, section line roads, um, and or internal roads within their

01:20:56,100	proposed subdivision, uh, from time to time, these are small subdivisions that are put together and individual asked for a waiver to this policy. We have a, uh, request to do such a thing in Apple Creek Township, uh, the cruise subdivision, uh, it’s a two lot subdivision that’s going to be put together.

01:21:16,000	Under the pavement, uh, policy, they would be required to pave about 4. 3 quarter of a roadway. Um, the pavement policy, if you do grant a waiver, uh, Does allow the county board to approve the plat.

01:21:38,230	However, it does still require at some point in the future, the, the property owner will share in the cost of the construction and paving of that particular roadway. There’s a map in your packet that shows location, and there’s a proposed resolution which I would recommend. to approve 2. Motion is second to approve the capable waiver request to further discussions? Ca. Comm Bakke. Yes. Comm Schwab. Yes. Comm Woodcock. Yes. Comm Munsen, Chair Bitner. Yes. Motion carries.

01:22:06,630	The next item I have is, uh, every year the county board is required by the state of North Dakota to certify the number of township roadway miles, uh, within the county.

01:22:25,230	Uh, the list of miles are, um, uh, in the board letter in your packet, a detailed list is also put together, um, what this In a form that is, I think I did, yeah, I did include that in the packet too. Uh, so you have that information. Uh, this, uh, particular form is required that the county chair sign off on that. So the board letter in your package is just stating that the county sheriff should go ahead and sign that packet.

01:22:41,870	I’d recommend approval. Commissioners. Question. Will we approved. Motion second to any further discussion? So none, Comm Schwab. Yes, Comm Woodcock. Yes, Comm Munsen, Comm Bakkeerner. Yes, motion carries. Thank you. Stay here a minute, Marcus. Uh Did everybody get that notice on that. We close that bridge. South McKenzie.

01:23:16,570	And somebody When And took all the barricades down. Now we re-barricaded it. So Closing a bridge, I know people don’t like. But, and we’re never going to know if we saved the life that we’re going to know we’re not. We don’t lose one.

01:23:41,170	So the thing about it is we did close that road and who’s ever taken them barricades down very careful. And I just Make a statement on that because Right now we won’t lose a life. So the road is closed for a good reason. That’s correct. So, thank you.

01:24:03,570	No, Marcus, could you just expound a little bit on Why it’s important because with all this rain we’ve had, I can imagine the problem with that bridge has been extremely exacerbated. Yeah, Comm, that particular uh bridge is the area of real concern is the piling that we have on that, and whenever you get super saturated soils in a situation, especially around abutments and stuff like that. You can get some weird things going on.

01:24:22,300	So, um, it is important that bridge stays closed that our signage stays up and the, the public, and I, I do know it’s an inconvenience to them, but we are trying. To protect them the best we can, so thank you, Marcus. Hm Thank you. Yeah, I’m 13 Coy facilities Director Hook bids for the boiler replacement and heating upgrade. Welcome us.

01:24:49,030	Even Commissioners, Chair Bittner, uh, in your packet, I believe it’s page 105 and 106. They did the bid opening for the Boiler project that was initiated last year. Uh, we had two. T2 be openings. And the bid was, uh, came in with Corval uh construction. $720,000.

01:25:10,930	We would need to get that approved to move forward with that. OK Of course, the initiation of this project predates me, so I have some limited knowledge on it, but I’ve got uh. Blake from for Engineering here if there are any questions about the project. Comm, do you have any questions about the project? This is a continuation of the boiler replacement.

01:25:33,800	We started, I think we’re halfway through it. Already, uh, the money was in the budget, um, for this. And I see no reason to move. No reason to not move forward. Yeah It’s for the courthouse. Yeah, it’s boilers for the courthouse. Will be approved, please? Second, motion is second to approve the courthouse boiler bids.

01:26:02,130	Any further discussion? Comm Woodoxx. Yes, Comm Munsen. Yes, Comm Bakke. Comm Schwab. Sharan Bittner. Yes. Motion carries. Thank you. Thank you. OK, uh, County HR director. Fier health insurance review. Health insurance. Evening, Chair Bittner Commissioners. Um, I do have the health insurance review that I go through every year.

01:26:36,700	Um, we have a self-funded insurance plan for Burley County, um, and we keep track of our claims and our premiums. So I have. In your package, you have the sheet and it’s probably in the back. Of my information because you have the memo up front. Where I can go through the costs that are involved with our health insurance plan.

01:26:53,370	Because we are self self funded, we We pay our own claims and we pay administrative fees and we reinsure ourselves with stop loss insurance for the high dollar claims. So we keep all of that. And that’s pretty much what section one is. That’s our cost. So our health insurance. Payments Went from 3.

01:27:18,570	almost 5 million in 2019, which was the first year of our self-insured plan. All the way to 4.7. In 2024. And then our RX payments, pharmacy payments were at 797, almost 800,000 in 2019. And now they’re 1.7. And claims And then our blue card.

01:27:46,630	That is the fee that we pay when we go outside of North Dakota and, and we, one of our employees has to have services, medical services outside of North Dakota because it’s part of the Blue Network. It’s called Blue Cart, so we get charged fees for that. Um, our stop loss credits are what we get for our high dollar claims. Our stop loss is at a $6,060,000 aggregate.

01:28:12,830	Pervent And so once they get past that $60,000 then we are reinsured, so we get the credits we get uh file a claim with our stop loss insurer and then we get the credits back for. But the, but the pain. Excuse me, but the claims cost above that 60,000. And then we also pay the stop loss premiums, and those have gone up.

01:28:31,530	And that’s in section 2. So we have our stop loss premium totals are Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Dakota administrative fees because Blue Cross and Blue Shield in North Dakota is our third party administrator.

01:28:49,630	They administrate our claims for us and for that they charge a fee and also different programs and they also help us with some of our regulations. That are required Um, pakori fees, that’s the research fee that is was assigned by the Affordable Care Act, Self-insured plants have to pay this research fee and it’s so much per head, and so we’ve been paying that from 2020. To 2024.

01:29:12,630	We’ll have to continue to pay that unless they decide they’re, they’re gonna eliminate that. I have no indication that they will. So our total premiums and fees for 2024 was 7.3 million. Our total plan costs after the adjustment was 4.8 million. And then the third is what our contributions are.

01:29:36,330	So we have employer contributions that go in employee contributions, we have COBRA contributions, and that’s the consolidated omni. Budget reconciliation Act that allows employees that quit with our, with Burleig County to carry on their health insurance for 18 months at the regular plan cost so it’s not subsidized by the county at all.

01:29:55,970	So we do have COBRA, not a lot, but we do have some CObra fees in there and then our total premiums collected are 7.4. And if you go into the profit loss, so what, what do we carry over per year? You can see last year we carried 93,000 over. Which is good because in 2020, One in 2022, we were negative.

01:30:18,770	And I’d always said that we always thought with health insurance that during the pandemic, Our claims would be busted. We would have so many claims that it would bust the, the insurance plans. That’s the opposite happened. We had people that didn’t go get their elective surgeries, stayed away from the hospitals, didn’t want any part of it.

01:30:38,000	And so you can see that in 2021 and 2022, especially the claims went back up and they actually went back up with a vengeance because people were now since they put out those knee replacement surgeries, hip replacement surgeries, they were going in to have those done. So we do have the ongoing reserves of 772,000, so 773,000.

01:30:59,030	Now, when this plan was first put in place, um, as a precautionary safety net. The com the commission decided or or moved that they would. Provide the plan with $3.2 million. We call this loan on the health insurance committee, but it wasn’t a loan. It was the safety net. In case the plan went in the negative.

01:31:19,830	Because it usually happens in the 2nd year of a plan if they don’t have that safety net, they go into the negative and it, the plan gets in trouble and then you have to ask the commission, we need funds. So to alleviate that, They A lot of the 3.2 million.

01:31:38,500	Um, our health insurance committee that’s made up of our employees, some of our employees. Has treated that like a loan and so we have made 3 $500,000 payments back to the general fund because we have not needed that. 3.2. So we have 1.7. So I do have. Going back to my memo. Um, the health insurance committee met last week. And Because we want to keep our plant healthy.

01:32:10,370	We did come up with a recommendation for a health insurance increase. For 2026 and we came up with an 8% increase because that seems to be keeping up with the claims. Um, because we had an 8% increase last year, and we did have some left over. So we’re looking at an 8% increase this year. And we were also.

01:32:34,900	Wanting to request that we in 2026, do a $700,000 payments from that. 3.2 million or 1.7 million that is in the account and we also ask that. The 1 million that remains in that account gets transferred over to the health health insurance account itself so that we can collect the interest off of

01:32:58,430	that what has been going on is. Our our Interest that we Earn on that health insurance account, all of it has been going into back to the general fund, which is fine for the funds that were loaned that 3.2%. But All of the interest includes employee contributions and employer contributions, and that’s a violation of ERISA.

01:33:23,530	And the employee benefit Security Act because we cannot profit. From employee contributions to a health insurance plan. It could disqualify our plan, so we have to segregate that. So we have issues trying to segregate the interest from the 1.

01:33:46,000	7 and the interest from the employee contributions that are in the account because those employee contributions hit the account, they go into the account and then when claims come, They’re, they’re taken out, but The, the contributions can stay in there for 3 to 4 months and the claims will come after that. So there’s interest that’s earned that is actually earned off to the employee contributions and we cannot have that.

01:34:05,700	So that is why the health insurance committee recommended an 8% increase for 2026. Um, the $700,000 payment. For 2026 into the general fund and then the request to transfer that remaining $1 million into the health insurance account so that we can account for the interest the correct way.

01:34:29,370	So I do have a motion on the back of my memo if you choose to do that, um. It’s up to you. The Health Insurance committee is just an advisory committee. We don’t make any. And emotions um or any final decisions, we can just advise. On what we think would be best to do. The Comm has to make the motion on what they want to do. OK. Thank you, pal.

01:34:52,870	Commissioners, you have a suggested motion in front of you. Moved to approve the motion that has been in our printed in our document. Um Second, Can you go ahead and read that though just for the sake of those that are at home that aren’t, uh, privy to our document.

01:35:10,870	The motion is, if there is an agreement, let’s see. There’s an agreement with the above recommendations, the motion would be for the commission to approve an 8% health insurance premium increase. For the 2026 plan year, also approved the transfer of $700,000 from the health insurance appropriation loan account back into the general fund and transfer the remaining balance of $1 million into the health insurance plan.

01:35:38,600	Directly to add to the plan reserves for clarification of record keeping for interest earned on the plan reserves. OK. All right. Any further questions? Um. So, Pam, the, um, Accrued interest on the $1 million. Does that go back into the plan or how are those funds it’s going back into the general fund.

01:36:04,330	So the plan does not get that interest that’s that’ll stay at 1 million as a reserve. Safety net what will happen is that 1 million will just transfer into the health insurance plan, and then it’ll help build the reserves with its interests. Thank you. Any further discussions. Comm Munsen. Yes. Comm Bakke. Yes. Comm Schwab. Yes.

01:36:28,170	Comm, uh, Woodcock. Yes. Cha beer. Yes, moly. Yeah. Thank you. OK. Next finance director Jacobs. And 15, you got the primary residence credit updates and investment and bank documentation.

01:36:57,170	Cha Bittner and Commissioners, um, Yeah, just a, a couple quick updates here, uh, so the, the PRC, uh, primary residence C credit, um, We’ve talked about that a little bit here. So, couple of issues to address, um. So there’s 22 parts to the PRC. There’s the real estate, real property side, and then the mobile home side. Um, so that’s why if you refer to the packet, I have, uh, I think 2 schedules.

01:37:23,230	And they’re, they’re so, uh, So titled Real Estate and Mobile and actually they’re titled Exceptions to the PRC Report. So in the first case, we have some differences that arose, uh, between when our reporting was submitted to the tax department in December, so we tell the tax department who qualifies for the PRC in our county, um. And then In This year in March.

01:37:44,600	Uh, we received the money for those parcels from the treasury. So during that time period, if you can imagine that, you know,, 34 months, um, stuff happens, um, so on the real estate side, if you have people who applied for abatements in that time period.

01:38:06,970	Um, the, the following, you know, scenario might arise, so in December, someone gets credited with a $500 PRC, uh. But between December and March, they apply for, let’s say a Homestead credit and their taxable, uh, the tax burden is reduced to zero. So they get approved for 500 in the end and in the intervening months, it’s reduced to 0. The county receives $500 from the tax department.

01:38:29,930	So we now have, have an exception, so we just have some extra money from the tax department that we will return to the tax department. And so that I think has already happened on the real estate side, so that’s the real estate. So on the mobile home side we had some, some differences as well.

01:38:49,700	These were mostly due to, um, either confusion on our end or certainly a failure to apply the tax department guidance, and so, um, so the following scenario came up. Um And, and was asked and answered, uh, of the tax department. If somebody, a mobile homeowner owes $500 in property taxes. But they pay before the 5% discount date.

01:39:11,700	So therefore they only pay 475. Should they get the 500 full $500 credit, or should they get 475. So the, the tax department said to give him the full 500. Many county auditors disagreed with that, um.

01:39:34,600	I don’t know how other counties handle this specifically, but Burley sent the mobile homeowners, the, the PRC net of a 5% discount. So in the example above, we sent the 475 instead of the 500. So we ended up with, as you can see in the packet, a long list of exceptions, um.

01:39:56,530	And so that will require a 2nd check run to remit the balance to the mobile homeowners so they’re the 5% uh balance back to the mobile homeowners. I, it does seem questionable that taxpayers are receiving more than they actually paid for property taxes.

01:40:19,900	Um, rather than simply reducing the tax burden to zero, as in the case of other tax credits like the Homestead C credit, um, Maybe that was an oversight when the law was passed, but nevertheless, the tax department’s guidance was, was consistent to just give them the, the full amount. So I’ll pause um there that that’s what I have on the PRC update. I can pause for any questions. Commissioners, any questions on the Mr. Chair, this was the $500 residential credit that everybody who applied for got.

01:40:46,230	And so then when the state sent us the 10 point whatever million that people have applied for, we split it up according to us, the city, the count or the What is it, the school district and the park district, right? And we were supposed to send them that amount, right? Correct.

01:41:05,530	Am I correct? Whose responsibility was doing that? What does that come under that under your office or? Um, well, under, under the century code, it’s responsibility of the county auditor treasurer.

01:41:26,870	Was that done timely? Have we finished it? Is it all done or what? Well, I, I’m, I, I, I’m a little confused about the, the timing on the real estate versus the mobile home, um, the mobile homes we have to issue a second check on that may have been done. Um Already But I’m not sure where that. Actual time frame if, if it only applies to, to the real estate. This the thing is, is that mobile homes. Uh, everybody’s getting their, their, uh, PRC based on the 2024 year.

01:41:53,900	OK, but, but the difference is that for a real estate, Um, they get, they get a credit, so it comes off the top. Um, but mobile because real estate you pay in arrears.

01:42:12,130	Mobile home you pay at the beginning of the year for the next year, so mobile home people are, are actually this year in tax year 2025, but they’re getting the PRC for tax year 2024, which means they already paid in, they’re getting cash back. You’re real estate, you just get a credit. So you just pay less. So that’s where the timing, I don’t know if there’s a timing difference or not.

01:42:30,100	I would, I don’t think it says any maybe state’s attorney might, um, Might have some input on that. I don’t think that the actual law distinguishes between real estate and mobile home. So I would imagine that perhaps we’re, we’re Later on the mobile home. Because of this issue, that makes that makes sense with this project, I think we’re close, um.

01:42:52,630	The one thing we have left is we are remitting the interest. That we earned during the late period. On that 10.7 million we are, we are remitting that to all the taxing districts. So that is like this week. Going out the door. So, if I might continue, so we received, when did we receive the 10.

01:43:16,770	7 million March 28 March 28th, and it was supposed to be done within a two week period, right? 4. Correct. 144, uh, 14 days, yeah, OK. So here we are, another month later, still working on it, correct? Or other counties having that problem, or are we just, are we the only ones? I couldn’t say.

01:43:34,770	I don’t see any more chatter coming through the, you know, through the email groups, so they’re not talking about it that I’m seeing whether they’re finished or not, I couldn’t say. OK. Thank you.

01:44:06,300	Uh So the second uh item is uh is about investment, um, documentation and So the, the, the investment, um, issues that we’ve been having that are improving in, in terms of investing, uh, cash as stuff matures. So that is improving and or investing cash as it’s deposited like in the case of sales tax, um, we’re also working on closing some underperforming accounts. Um, that is.

01:44:35,130	Ongoing, maybe even, maybe even Dan, the one that I’m thinking of, um, however, as we’re doing these things, we’re not also ensuring that the transactions are journaled into the general ledger as they’re made. So Just to take us back a little ways, uh, in December of 2024 during an investment committee meeting. The finance department presented an investment checklist.

01:45:03,430	Uh, to the committee and recommended that that the county adopt this checklist as part of the investment procedures and that checklist is in the packet, uh, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s a list of things to do, uh, documentation to, to attach, um, each time an investment is made. The last question on the checklist is, is a copy of the adjusting journal entry attached.

01:45:25,300	And so at the meeting that I just mentioned, uh, auditor treasurer Swanskowski declined to adopt the use of the investment checklist developed by the finance department. So what’s happening presently is that, you know, we’ll call the bank and we’ll transfer cash, but we won’t then go to the journal and make the, the transfer in the books, uh, or.

01:45:49,470	In another example, an investment will mature, and we will reinvest. Either with the same entity or a different entity, but will not always make sure those Entries make it into the accounting ledger.

01:46:10,300	Um, and so this is not to say that, you know, the auditor treasurer needs to draft the journal entries himself, but someone in the chain of command needs to, you know, ensure that the transaction is journaled into the ledger in a timely fashion. Recently we’ve spent, uh, you know, some time rewriting our investment accounts in the general ledger so that we can better track investment performance among our individual investment accounts.

01:46:33,630	If you recall, uh, in the past we have recorded all of our investments in one account, which is investments. This could be 56 different entities all in one general ledger account and we’ve also recorded all of our interest in one account, interest, interest revenue. And so that that made it impossible to know how one account was performing or underperforming. It’s all rolled up.

01:46:58,770	And so what we’ve done is we’ve gone and, you know, broken this out. So that we have Wells Fargo investments, Wells Fargo interest, you know, Bank of North Dakota Investments, Bank of North Dakota interest, and so then you can run a report from your ledger and see, you know, how, what kind of interest you’re earning on these different

01:47:17,070	accounts, and you could quickly see if something’s underperforming, uh, and investigate it and, you know, address it. If it’s all rolled up, we have, we would have no idea if something’s not invested, for example, uh, at least just looking at, looking at the ledger. So this, you know, not.

01:47:37,700	Preparing these journal entries is making it really difficult to um You know, to to see this project through, I guess, um, this project of, of breaking out the accounts.

01:48:04,900	So we’re also at risk of losing track of investments and uh this already happened in December with a The losing of the losing track of investments already happened in December with a CD from Ber did you want to go ahead, go ahead. Uh, this already happened in December with a CD from Brevera Bank, uh, the CD matured December 13th. And the county had set it to automatically renew.

01:48:25,900	So I think if you look in the packet, you will see a, uh, I should be a cover sheet from Uh, one of these CDs. And there are a variety of options that you can choose when you set up a CD, um, You know, some of them are just, you know, Confirming the type of um Interest rate fixed versus variable.

01:48:50,330	Are you referring to the See deposit receipt from the 15th with Brevera. That’s correct, yeah. Yeah. And so, you know, you can You can say that they automatically renewable, right? Or single maturity, not automatically renewable. So there’s a, there’s some check the box options. These are just simple things that we could do to prevent this from happening.

01:49:14,330	Um, we can also, you know, request that interest is paid every month, so that every month we get a statement which would let us know where, where these CDs are, but, so, so what happened is that automatically renew was checked and uh that’s what happened.

01:49:36,170	The CD renewed and so basically at the end of the year, When we’re preparing the books for audit, I’m looking at the investment listing and I see that this investment has matured. And so it’s not on our investment listing that we send to the state auditor’s office, $680,000. But in fact it had renewed and so it was actually an investment that was on the books at year end, it just wasn’t on our tracking sheet.

01:49:57,030	So right off the bat, I’m thinking, well, great. You know, we’ve sent the books off for audit and now we’ve got a $680,000 difference between our investment listing and um And, and what’s actually in the general ledger, um, And so in this case, we, we either didn’t receive the notification or we didn’t react to the notification, um, So what, what

01:50:22,170	ended up happening is when this, when this thing automatically renewed, it It somehow was allowed to renew or somehow renewed or defaulted to to renew at 0.3%. Um Which was probably I understand that that happens.

01:50:47,230	I mean, that’s not so strange when a CD uh is allowed to renew, but it it it it renewed at 0.3% in prevailing rates are over 4% and so fortunately, um, the bank alerted us to this in February when we contacted them about a different CD and they were very good. They were able to adjust, I think it was Brevera, the interest rate from 0.3% to 4.

01:51:09,200	10 and then they backdated the interest for us. So that was, you know, uh. Uh That was pretty nice of them. I mean, they didn’t have to do that, but um, So that’s kind of where we’re at on the investment side. I mean, some things are, are improving and but this documentation issues is, uh, persisting. Mr. Chair, um.

01:51:38,970	So the $680,000 renewed automatically in the middle of December and it renewed at 0.3% rather than. 4.5 or 5, what we were getting before. That is, yeah, that is my understanding.

01:51:56,030	OK, and that sat there for 3 months until February, and the bank calls us and say, hey, you got a CD that you renewed at 0.3%. It should be at 4 or whatever they gave us, 4.1. They, out of the goodness of their heart, they back needed the interest, so we got paid for that 3 month period, but they, and then we renewed, we reinvested it at 4.

01:52:13,370	1, the prevailing rate, is that I, I do have the addendum in the packet. was 0.3, but it was actually 4.25 was the new rate. The new rate. And yes, my understanding is that they, they backdated it at the rate of 40s all the time and they’re renewed, aren’t we? Are we supposed to be looking at that and renewing them and at the current rate and we might want

01:52:29,700	to move them to another institution if we got too much money in 11 account we move them to another, is that right? Yeah, so, um, Maya, my understanding is that even if it’s set to automatically renew, we still get a notice and so we should use that, yeah, we should use that notice period

01:52:48,430	of, hey, your CD’s maturing in X days, we should use that period to rate shop, and we, we do, we have been doing that, um, that’s, that’s one of the other, uh, improvements over the last couple of months as we have been getting bids and the, it’s been working for us, um, just

01:53:06,630	as an example, we were set to move some money out of uh one bank and then Asked if they could match, and they said yes, and so we didn’t have to move the money, so it, you know, which is convenient.

01:53:26,330	And the General Journals, you’ve talked about it, we changed that policy at all, or are we still still not entering them in the general Journal. The, the, I don’t understand that process, but you know the CPA’s, it’s, it’s your accounting ledger. I mean, it’s, it’s, you know, I, I invested $10 on this day. We’re not, we’re not seeing the journal entries come through.

01:53:47,900	We’re not, um, we’re not, you know, Having discussions about journal entries, uh, we’re not always aware of when investments are made, um. You know, we will take the bank statements and, and try to piece together, you know, what, what has transpired where we don’t have journal entries, um, but that was sort of the idea with the checklist was, you know, to attach the journal

01:54:09,200	entry at the time that we make the entry, um. So it’s there and then also so somebody else can review it, you know, and, and say, yes, this makes sense, this is the right journal entry to make.

01:54:27,170	Yes, it’s for the right amount of money, you’ve got the supporting documentation here, um, I concur and let’s post it type of thing. So are we losing investments? If we, if we don’t put them in the in the journal, we don’t even know they exist. They’re, they’re floating up. It’s tough. Yeah, it’s not advisable to it. It’s not advisable, that’s for sure. Thank you. bad news.

01:54:58,700	Anything else you want to add on there? Does it take action by us to make that change? My understanding is that uh that the investments are uh the domain of the auditor treasurer. So I don’t know what action, I mean. I guess I don’t know. I, OK. Excellent.

01:55:36,500	Uh, Chaman Bittman, may I address the commission, please? Yes. So, uh, just a kind of an update to build off of uh Lee Lee’s position on, yes, I, um, I actually noticed the, the automatic renewal of those funds in in that particular bank and I called them and I said, hey, what’s going on with this investment? They told me

01:55:53,730	what was happening and then I was able to negotiate that day, go ahead and Observe and re attach that percentage interest rate backdating it back to when it would have automatically renewed. So, um, that’s something that I, that I, I, um, was able to find and communicate with that bank in order to correct that issue.

01:56:13,430	Um, that being said, So typically when Do you just automatically check the box for automatic renewal, or how does that process work? And is that a conversation to have beforehand or not with the bank about what’s the default interest rate if it automatically renews. That’s probably something that could be negotiated in uh future investments.

01:56:36,470	Um, the, the, uh, cure right now to that issue has been, um, I communicated this with the, with the finance director office, um, that I in fact started an entire new folder for our investments. With each and every investment, I file, um, every single quote that I received.

01:56:59,130	For checked automatic renewed with, like, so you get the notification about a renewal or, and that’s something like I said, that’s something I can negotiate with the banks in, uh, in future investments. Um, but for right now, our, our tracking. Has been, I, uh.

01:57:15,930	I go ahead and document the the quotes that I received from at least 2 banks, if not more. I try to get more if I can. And then also any discussion that was had on that particular investment. So for instance, if there’s an investment with CENCO, uh, funds. I, I reached out to Mike Danfelser from Missouri Valley Complex.

01:57:32,470	I reached out to uh Comm Munnsen, make sure that what he makes, make sure we can meet his liquidity needs as well as um any other individuals that might be involved in that, in particular. investment. Then once that investment is made.

01:57:54,830	Um, then I actually also document and file the uh receipt of that particular investment if you saw an example of that in the packet. So that’s something that I, we’ve been tracking very well. And I know, I make sure that the finance director, he knows where that, those files are kept.

01:58:13,500	In fact, they’re kept over his folder to make sure that he has full access to all that information, um, and then also, um, just recently, we, uh, we’ve been making some big changes in our our investments. And I was actually able to go down the list of our approved depositories and add a bank into our investment portfolio that wasn’t originally in our bank, in our investment portfolio because they were able to offer investment, an investment in interest rate that was better than anybody

01:58:31,100	else that we were able to find. So I was able to go out, track those down. I had to call several banks in order to find something like that, but I was able to go ahead and secure that, uh, a much better interest rate than, than, um, some of the other banks were

01:58:41,630	able to provide. So yeah, um, can we improve? Absolutely. We always looking to improve our, our policies and procedures and how we do things, uh, but just to let you know, as, as Lee also said, it is improving our processes, are improving and our records keeping is getting substantially better. Mr. Chair.

01:59:01,600	Comm Comm Comm Howdonskowski and, and apologize, I’m not your portfolio holder, so I don’t track this very well, but. This first email. Basically says that Brandy, who at the time was the assistant. Didn’t document this purchase. From 5 years ago, right? 4.5 years ago. Any likelihood we have more out there that are not documented. Um, not at this time.

01:59:28,800	Um, we, I’ve been, uh, looking a lot over the investments, making sure that we have everything in line. Uh, we have a relatively, uh, We, we get a lot of turnover in our investment as in maturities, and so we get to look, relook at those funds relatively often, and I’ve been able to look at a lot of those

01:59:47,730	different ones to make sure that they are accounted for and that the documentation is, is improving, especially as we move forward. Makes me nervous when I see this. Me too. No documentation was on something that was done in 2020.

02:00:06,830	Well, that brings up the ledger entries too, why can’t we get that reclimated with the finance department and make sure that A month or so ago, I know auditor Sposzkowski gave us a list of all investments that we knew about. But then I see this, this one we didn’t know about, so now I question. We did know about it. OK. We, that was included in there. OK.

02:00:22,200	We, uh, I knew about that one. OK. Thank you. with regards to the question about journal entries, what, what, uh, What are you doing about that? Um, well, uh, that’s something that we can definitely improve if, if, uh, Lee wants us to, uh, that’s not something that he’s brought up to us in the recent

02:00:43,730	future, at least, as I said, if we can go ahead and continue to improve our, our procedures and policies. I’ll definitely be talking to staff about that tomorrow. Mr. Chair, but it was the recommendation of the investment committee that you do that and it didn’t happen.

02:01:03,930	Is that correct? That, that checklist was a recommendation about the journal entries. Um, I have to go back in the minutes and look at that. I can’t answer that offhand. Um, but like I said, that is a part of that checklist that, that, uh, the uh finance director did recommend.

02:01:23,100	Um, my concern with approving it right off the bat was I wanted to start making changes in incrementally. I didn’t want to dive into something and have the commission vote on something that ended up not working as well as we were hoping it would, so once we go ahead and improve our policies, procedures, and we find something that works, then we can present. The quality product to the commission.

02:01:38,570	But it was an accounting procedure that was recommended to you and you, you declined to do it. That’s my point. Now you’re saying you’re gonna look into it. Is that what I, what, what I declined to bring bring before the commission immediately was that checklist. Was pardon the whole entire checklist that checklist as it stood.

02:01:59,370	Should we have an investment committee if they’re making recommendations and they don’t happen. Does that make sense? Why do we even have one? Right. Well, I, we, we had a recent, uh, Maybe Lee can uh Provide a little information on that, but we had a recent investment committee meeting where we determined the decision of the committee was

02:02:17,500	to invest. A certain amount of money at, at a certain period of time and then a certain amount of money and whatever that ends up being for another period of time, and then a 3rd chunk of money and the, the goal was to have those.

02:02:35,600	Um, mature at different rates, and then my understanding is that that’s not what happened with the money, everything to say about that. Um, to my understanding of the commission of the committee, that is what happened. I was able to sue to not only uh diversify the, the amount that we were discussing.

02:02:51,200	I was able to split that up into a couple different banks, so we weren’t so heavy into one. And also, um, make sure that they, they are maturing at similar times. However, they are, they are in two different banks at very good interest rates based on the quotes that I was able to get at the time.

02:03:08,230	Also, um, I was able to go ahead and invest in another institution that we’re in, uh, per my understanding of the investment committee’s actions. So, uh. As far as I know. Um, I was able to and have been able to go ahead and fulfill the wishes of that committee. That’s not the way I understood it.

02:03:36,600	Lee, do you have anything to add on that? Bittner and Commissioners, my recollection of the meeting, uh, and, and, uh, Comm Bakke is, is on the investment committee as well was we had discussed doing, uh, I believe 10 million for 12 months, 10 million for less than 12 months,,,, 989, 10, something like that. Let’s just say 9 and that we had discussed taking our ARPA.

02:04:00,030	funds and investing that for 3 months because we typically um reimburse ourselves on a quarterly basis. And then there was another small chunk of 3 or 4 million, uh, that I think we, we had to to discussed investing with a broker dealer at I don’t know that we, that we gave a firm uh time limit

02:04:22,030	there, but I think what actually transpired is we had 10 for 1210 for 12, and then ARPA for 6 rather than 3. And so the risk with doing um having everything mature at 12 months is if rates go up. In 6 months.

02:04:47,130	Now we don’t have an opportunity to reinvest for another 6 months versus if we have some stuff maturing in 9 months and rates go up in 6 months, then we can have an opportunity to reinvest. In 3 months at that point.

02:05:11,500	So that’s the, the logic behind sort of staggering our maturities is so that we can protect ourselves from rates falling because we’re locked in at Higher rates and we can also capitalize on rates going up because we know we’ll have something maturing.

02:05:29,170	You know, basically every Oh, I’d say all the time, but we don’t want that because that’s a, a, a nightmare to manage, but certainly, you know, every, every 3 months or so we would see something maturing, but this is again going back to recommendations, um, that, that weren’t adopted, we talked about uh setting up an investment mix, and that would, that would. tell us How much do we want invested at 3 months.

02:05:54,770	How much do we want to invest it at 6 months and that’s, that’s another recommendation that was not adopted, but, uh, but Cha Bittner in this particular case, um, As I said, I, I recalled 12, 9, and 3, and what happened was 1212 and 6. Excellent. Well, that’s, um, kind of interesting cause when I reinvested there ARPA funds. Pass director Lee was standing right there and Not at his consent.

02:06:20,970	So kind of interesting that He didn’t agree with it at the moment, why he didn’t say so, I don’t know, but I specifically invited him into my office. As I, as we were looking at those investments to make sure that he approved of what’s going on with that particular one, so if you disagreed at the moment, maybe

02:06:35,770	he should have said so. Thanks for your input. Thank you. OK, it’s down to agenda item 16, that would be auditor, treasurer Slonskowski, a 3 items Missouri Valley complex P purchase inquiry Budget Committee discussion and parking lot transfer update. Oh, gives them back.

02:07:14,900	So, um, Chair and Commissioners, uh, I received, uh, few different emails from a broker company, expressing some interest in purchasing a part of the Missouri Valley Co complex, um, This is a here a few months ago.

02:07:35,230	I told him that the, uh, to my knowledge at the time, the commission was not In favor of selling any property at the time, and then so he emailed me here recently since the last commission meeting and asked me about it some more. I responded to him, I tell, I told him, well, there’s a couple different things we can do.

02:07:50,800	You can submit an offer and I can present that to the commission or I can just ask the commission to see if there is an appetite at all for that, either way, it still has to go to to um open to the open market for open bids or on, on, on real estate. Um, and be opened up to any and all buyers.

02:08:08,000	So I told him I would present it to the commission, see what your thoughts are that way I can give him a definitive answer. Comm Bobkin. Um, More of the Inquiring about as far as acreage. It was a, a certain portion of it. I, I don’t know if they specify the exact acreage. I don’t recall this board having a conversation about the willingness or lack of willingness to sell the property. So for the future.

02:08:39,200	I don’t think you should be telling folks that the commission is not interested in selling land or whatever when we haven’t had a chance to discuss it, try to Trying to make it so that, um, they can, you know, people, wherever they are, can bring those things to the commission. So I think Um I think that’s pretty important.

02:08:59,500	Mhm. That’s what I’m doing now. Mr. Chair. Comm. So several months ago, you got an interest from somebody who wanted to buy some land. Did you talk to your portfolio holder to see whether there was any interest or what his opinion was? Did you contact him at that time? I did not. Thank you.

02:09:17,700	We’ve, we’ve had this conversation when I saw the agenda on Wednesday or Thursday, we, I, I talked to Mark, um, and I expressed my concern that I would have liked to have been brought into this conversation early so that he and I could have had a conversation to prepare the board, um, at this point, my

02:09:36,830	motion would be to deny the request at this point until there is more information. I would like to deny the request completely, but I wanna at least here. Push the button. Yeah. I’ve Long-standing Um, That’s that property belongs to the people of Burleigh County. And needs to be utilized by the people of Bernie Burley County.

02:10:03,600	Um, I, I’m not in favor of selling that unless. There would be some. Ridiculous offer that would put the county in a position to go acquire the same acreage or more at a lesser rate in a location that may be more amenable for the county residents.

02:10:27,630	So in that regard, I wouldn’t be opposed to entertaining an offer, but for me, it’s more of a land swap than anything else, if we can go out and find some similar property that we could develop for the benefit of Burleigh County, but just giving up land for the sake of partialing off something for Development in the terms of commercial space.

02:10:46,330	I am not in favor of a data center. Yeah, well, the, the, It doesn’t matter what. It’s, it’s hard for me to separate that, but I, I am separating that. It doesn’t matter what it is.

02:11:04,570	I still am in favor of retaining acreage for the benefit of Burleigh County because we haven’t had a county fair forever. We have agriculture interests that we need to address. We have multiple things that we could utilize that facility for and need to. We need some property for it. So if somebody wants to overpay for a parcel of land that we have that we can utilize to buy at a cheaper rate.

02:11:25,230	I’m in favor of looking at the business opportunity there, but just for the sake of selling off property, I am not in favor of because that belongs to the residents of Burleigh County. We’ve had a good year of. Growth In activity at that facility and.

02:11:47,670	Then we have to look at our, uh, are we displacing buckstop Junction, which is by default, our heritage. Right. And out there, it’s like I, there’s a lot to look at and Something would have to be able to pay for all of that to take place. Not opposed to entertaining an offer, but Better be a hell of an offer.

02:12:05,770	Mhm Well I can tell you in my personal experience, um, it’s not unusual for large companies to do that sort of thing where you do a land swap. We’ve been involved in a, in a few of those, my, my family.

02:12:28,900	Primarily mom and my aunt And the trust and the whole thing that um We’ve, we’ve um done land transfers where Coal gasification plant wanted this particular land and they bought us land elsewhere. Comparables and so it’s not unheard of at all. I think that in order to even entertain the thing, we’d have to have some. Something on the table too because honestly, if we had an opportunity to get out of the ETA and be able to develop something as we see fit.

02:12:46,430	I, I would be. In favor of that. You know, and I, I do know from working through some of the planning and zoning process, you know, one of the concerns with these Data centers is kind of the proximity to a house.

02:13:05,630	Well, that, that happens to be one location in Burleigh County where it’s actually quite a distance to most homes. It’s it’s prime real estate because of its location, but Now you’re looking at Are there concerns with power for the jail because what’s gonna happen if there’s um some sort of a, a brownout because of power consumption and there’s a lot to look at.

02:13:29,630	There’s I just, I, I’m not opposed to entertaining options, but there’s a lot to look at and there’s a lot to think through. Next. So you move forward with consensus or do you want to make that a motion? I, I. I, I would be in favor of, of hearing what somebody has to say about it.

02:13:52,700	So if I think we’re fine with the consensus on that. Yeah, I think I’d like to hear more. If you want to bring something forward as long as it’s done, as long as it’s done in the proper manner, that’d be fine with me. I Me, I hate this.

02:14:09,700	I, I do not like the portfolio system as it is because If it’s done right, it works. If it isn’t done right, you’ve got problems, and this time it was not done right, it wasn’t, we’re getting something 3 or 4 months later, whatever it might be and whether we want to consider it or not, but that’s not the way to run an operation, the portfolio system.

02:14:26,930	OK, so if you want to return or if they want to return with some kind of proposals or something. I’ll consider that at some later date. Next, budget committee discussion.

02:14:44,630	Um, yeah, so I just wanted to see what dates might work for you guys, uh, typically we look to the middle to end of June to have a budget committee, um, so I’m just basically asking, do you want to have a budget committee? Who do you, what members you want to have on, what members do you want to have on the budget committee and then what date should I look at, uh, trying to, uh, lock down the room for it.

02:15:02,530	Um I think one of the things you want to be aware of Commissioners is if we’re um appointing members of that board that’ll, that’ll make it a kind of a public meeting issue, you know. Yeah, we’ve always had 2 on before, right? Um-hum.

02:15:23,370	But the question is whether we’re appointing them as the commission, so they’re a board under the commission or committee. I’m saying I think we have some volunteers from the budget committee. I, I think, um. I think certainly the budget committee would be, you know, probably involve the auditor, um. Probably the um HR director and probably the finance director. And then commissioners that may want to be on that. volunteers for the commission.

02:15:59,100	everybody got really, really, I’ll serve on it, and I’ve done it. Say I’ve done it too, and I, it was enjoyable. Several times. So, So volunteers, so. That essentially could become the committee. Does it doesn’t happen as far as I’m concerned, in my particular position won’t burn me up with that. Somebody else wants to take it.

02:16:24,800	I do think it’s very important that we keep the the budget committee alive. I’ve, I’m not, I don’t want that to disappear cause, um, The budget process is really long, strenuous, and very, very important. And when we have the last couple ones that were off by 3 or 4 million.

02:16:42,170	We don’t want that to happen again. We just can’t have that happen and overtax the popu overtax Bertie County. Got to be accurate. Well, I think for continuity’s sake, just because you guys are aware of some of the pitfalls that You ran through, I think you guys would be good.

02:17:04,400	Good for it this time, just, uh, as we’re Getting back to normalcy. Yep. Could So I’m sorry. So just to make sure I’ve got it right, the auditor, the HR director, the finance director, Comm Woodcoxx, and Comm Munsen. Is that correct? Yup.

02:17:30,430	So should we review the process we’re doing now, all of the department heads are supposed to review their budget from last year and make adjustments to that and bring it forward to the budget committee. Is that correct? Well, they, yeah, Portfolio portfolio holder first, then, then, of course, the Budget Committee. I only request auditonskowski is that we Stack a few more on each day instead of having it drawn out for 3 or 4 days. I can do that.

02:17:50,830	I think we can definitely do this a lot faster than last year. I would have been sufficient last year. Yeah, I don’t think there was a need for even 2 days, let alone. And I’ll also add relevant page numbers. Thank you. Good. It talks about page numbers, when we get our agenda.

02:18:13,800	What’s wrong with putting uh like a liquor license renewal, page 48. Or, uh, discussion of transfer duties page 24. I’m, I’m seeing Tom. Julie noted yes. Yep. Good. Thank you. Thank you. OK, next parking lot transfer update.

02:18:35,570	So yeah, this is just, uh, an update on the, uh, last meeting’s discussion and I discussed it with uh finance Director Jacobs, and he can, uh, correct me if he has, uh, different thoughts, but, uh, basically. Neither of us see the benefit of keeping that parking lot fund or that specials fund open.

02:18:57,000	So what I would recommend that we do is we take the funds from that specials account, transfer that over to the parking lot fund to make it whole, transfer the balance of it into the general fund reserves and and and uh delete both of those uh funds. Uh, that would clean it up, makes exactly what it was intended to be in the first place, um, and then we can go ahead and move forward. If that is agreeable between you and the finance director, I’m good.

02:19:19,230	Yeah. Mhm I don’t foresee any pitfalls with that. No. So, And that’s cleaning up something. Um, yeah, Taylor Schmidt, Deputy Finance Director. Yeah, that is basically what we talked about. We have that specials fund.

02:19:44,070	We’ve we’ve actually switched accounting softwares a decade ago and there hasn’t really been any activity in it since we’ve just been carrying over this balance, I think we used to use it for specials, but we’ve also historically like the Provident building paid property taxes out of the Provident Fund, and so that’s something we could do going forward, but yeah, definitely need to, the parking lot fund was voted to be closed last year, um, with that memo

02:19:59,430	that that I had attached last meeting, so that should definitely be a. rest with that. That’ll fix that transfer, um, one other thing I did notice, which was odd was that that specialist one did have a budget for 23 and 24, so I don’t, I don’t know what, why the decision was made to use

02:20:12,300	the parking lot fund at all. Um, and that was just going to be funded by a general fund transfer. So in this way at least it saves transferring any money out of that general fund reserves, and we can use those reserves that have been sitting in that specialist fund for a decade plus.

02:20:25,500	Moved to prove that. 2 motion 2nd to approve of any further discussion. All wrong. Trisha Schwab. Kirs Woodcock. Comm Munsen. Comm Bakken, Chair Bittner. Yes, motion carries. And then um once uh I didn’t put this on the agenda because I didn’t receive it in time. This is just an FYI.

02:20:45,830	I received notification that there was a uh a resignation on the Burleigh County Housing Authority. So we’re gonna be opening that up for applicants for that auxiliary board. OK. So we’re down to other business. The only other thing I had, um, was there some discussion about public comment policy. And I don’t know if anybody got e-mails on that or, or any, OK.

02:21:11,500	Um Hm figures. Oh I got that one. your surgeon. There Good question, good. OK, um, The rough, rough draft here was, uh, Um Burley County welcomes public comment at our regularly scheduled meetings, a public comment period will be provided before the consent agenda and regular agenda to discuss items not listed on the agenda.

02:22:45,630	Public comment is available during each agenda item. Meaning that the public can comment at any time on those particular agenda items, but the whole point of this policy is to allow for public comment on issues that are not on the agenda. Right So the public comment.

02:23:06,770	Must be pertinent to Burleigh County may not interfere with the orderly conduct of the regular meeting may not be defamatory, abusive, harassing, or unlawful. may be prohibited if in an alternative procedure exists to bring that particular type of public comment before the entity, the public comment includes comma It may be prohibited if the public comment includes confidential or exempt information or the public comment is otherwise prohibited

02:23:35,030	by law, and the only other recommendation here, and that’s what we should discuss is a whether there’s going to be a time limit per speaker or per session.

02:23:56,030	So that go on a regular agenda for next, I wanna, I wanna put that on there, on the, on the next agenda for the next regular meeting, but, but the consideration is Is there a time limit that’s reasonable on that? Total time limit you’re talking about, or time limit for one person or for the whole, you know, per, per person. So we did that on, on the city side, and it’s basically, it’s other business, but for public comment at the front side, um.

02:24:17,700	I kind of went around and around with our city attorney at the time on limiting somebody that’s adding New pertinent information. I, I don’t like doing that unless it starts getting repetitive and you get a bunch of people coming up saying the same thing.

02:24:35,370	I, I, I would say that would be the caveat to any sort of a time limit. Yeah, I think we can be adjustable. I think the time limit with possible exceptions is fine. Yeah. I mean, it’s not like, um, You know, sometimes you do want people to continue because they have a a a large presentation we’re here to listen.

02:24:54,830	That’s our job. Yeah. I, I don’t think we have a time limit. Unless it’s repetitive, then the chair should be able to move on. Move on. OK, well, think about that and put in any comments to the State’s attorney. I think, because we’re going to put that on the agenda for the next regular commission meeting.

02:25:17,730	OK, and I’ll, I’ll be in communication with you to see, to make sure it’s exactly how you want it to be for now. Here I’ll, I’ll forward the, For the draft, and it says here that The state’s attorney had reviewed it, so. And You should have it. Thank you. OK, any other business for the good of