00:00:06,430	It’s 5 o’clock. Do we have a chaplain. Right. some. Yeah Could we bow our heads, please? Almighty God. Thank you for this day. Grant us your presence and let your peace rest on us.

00:00:38,570	Lord, we thank you for the opportunity to gather and work for the betterment of our county. We ask for your guidance as we address the important matters before us, Grant us clarity of thought, compassion in our hearts and the strength to make wise and just decisions. Help us to be mindful of the needs of our community and to use our time and resources effectively.

00:00:57,130	We ask for your blessings upon this meeting and upon all those who are present. I pray these things in Jesus’ name. Amen. We stand for the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you.

00:01:26,000	Appreciate that. OK, I’m going to call the, uh, July 7th meeting of the Burley County Park Board to order first item is roll call members. Comm Bakken. Comm Schwab. Here. Comm. Here. Comm Herman. Here. Comm Woodcock. Here. Comm Munsen. Here, Chair Bittner here.

00:01:57,530	Next item is the approval of the agenda. Does anybody have any additions or subtractions. If not, entertain a motion to approve. Move to approved motion to approve any further discussion, call the roll. Comm Schwab. Yes. Mr. Bain. Yes. Mr. Herman? Yes. Miss Woodcocks. Yes. Mr Munsen. Yes. Comm Bakken. Yes. Chair Bitner. Yes, motion carries.

00:02:23,730	Consideration of June 16, 2025 meeting minutes. Move to approve Second motion 2 to approve the meeting minutes. Any further discussion? Ca rule. Comm Bain. Yes. Comm Herman. Yes. Comm Woodcoxox? Yes. Comm Munsen. Yes. Comm Bakke. Yes. Comm Schwab. Yes. Chair Bitner. Yes. Motion carries. Next item 5, Comm Munsen of Nael boat ramp 8DA equipment.

00:02:49,370	Thank you, Chair, um, and tonight we have both Jeff Goss, uh, from Wheelchairs and Walleyes as well as Dave, uh, Mayor from Bismar Parks and Rec, and so we’re going to listen here Dave, or excuse me, Jeff first, uh, about the opportunity that is being presented to Burleigh County.

00:03:12,800	Commissioners, thank you for extending this invitation for me to speak before this commission. I hope you all received a copy of my letter and fully understand what it is that I’m doing here. I’m happy to answer any questions that you may have whenever you require.

00:03:28,800	If I was told one year ago today that I would be speaking to the Burlee County Commission regarding the addition of uh our wheelchair ramp and lift project on the eve before I was flying to Buffalo, New York for a media event and announcing the collaboration for a wheelchair ramp projects on Lake Erie. I would have asked you if you fell and bumped your head.

00:03:43,830	But that’s exactly where we stand today. Quite frankly, our organization is one that should not need to exist. In many respects, I believe that ADA wheelchair ramp projects that we built and donate. Should not even be necessary.

00:04:04,670	I believe that our loved ones with adaptive needs deserve to always be thought of while constructing projects for the general community. Keeping in mind that ADA standards are minimum standards. That does not always translate to the most logical or needed. That being said, I am thankful for this commission.

00:04:24,830	They have made the immediate attempts to remedy any lack of recreational access as soon as they became aware and this was an issue that shows us that this commission is taking time to focus on the whole. of the community. As I stated in my letter, the driving force behind our organization is to create an environment where anyone, regardless of their physical abilities can enjoy access to recreational boating and fishing within our state’s waterways up until recently, Tru access to North Dakota’s

00:04:45,130	lakes and rivers by individuals in wheelchairs was non-existent. When I say non-existent, I mean quite literally there was no ability to safely lift a wheelchair user and their chair in. to a boat. The most recent CDC data, the most recent data from the CDC showed that 12.

00:05:09,200	2% of adults from the ages of 18 to 1664 years old. With having of an age with have what’s called an ambulatory disability. An ambulatory disability refers to the impairment that prevents or impedes walking. That means that of the 599,192 adults in North Dakota. More than 73,000 have reported immobility disability.

00:05:32,170	If we reduce that down to Burlee County itself, that means over 9300 citizens of this county alone have the have an impaired ability to walk, balance or climb independently. Our organization’s mission has, has been to change the national landscape of recreational boating and fishing on our public waterways.

00:05:52,570	In working towards this mission in the last 12 months, wheelchairs and Wali has built and don’t donated three of the most innovative wheelchair ramp and lift structures ever designed, making North Dakota the most inclusive and accessible state in the country for wheelchair users who enjoy the lake, who who enjoy inland lake recreational boating and fish and fishing.

00:06:12,730	In continuing our mission of accessibility and inclusion for our community’s most underrepresented population, my organization seeks to make this area the area that the entire country looks as the capital of North Dakota, the beacon of the national movement towards giving all of our disabled children and paralyzed veterans, elderly loved ones, and mobility impaired family

00:06:32,770	members, and the one thing that they have been denied for far too long independence. We have partnered with multiple local, national, and international companies in order to not only engineer, construct, and donate these projects, but to do it in a manner that is debt-free from the community.

00:06:55,400	Organizations like Superior Was of North Dakota, Verity homes, Ssite works, Mort Sport and Marine Shields, Aqua Creek Pros, Aqua Creek Products, Houston Engineering and P Pauly Steel are just a handful with the mission and desire to bring these these projects to light in our community.

00:07:13,170	And our organization seeks to work hand in hand with the leadership of this county to not just create and donate these projects to this county’s waterways, but to do so in a matter that displays the very best of North Dakota. That’s the love of our fellow neighbor.

00:07:32,400	When we are done, North Dakota will literally be the most wheelchair accessible state for lake and river recreation than any other place on Earth. Thank you again for hearing my, my speech. Thank you. Um So just to kind of fill in a little bit behind the scenes, uh, wheelchairs and Wae has offered to donate their ramp, their accessibility equipment. Burleigh County to be placed at one of our facilities.

00:07:59,100	Uh, roughly, it’s about $150,000 donation. We just need to find a place to put it. Um, our thought in in in looking at talking with Dave with Parks and Rec. We, we really think Nightfall is the right place to do it. Uh, we’ve looked at a few spots.

00:08:17,070	If we work into the existing parking lot, that’s going to take up 4 boat parking spots, and I don’t think we should do that. First of all, let me ask the commission. Anybody have any issues accepting the donation.

00:08:35,770	No, you, you’re aware that I’ve, you and I are in the same boat in the same place. I don’t have any problem with it. So let me, let me make the motion first. I would move that we accept the donation for wheelchairs and walls of the ADA accessible ramp. Second, We have a motion in a second to accept the donation. He further discussion.

00:08:56,000	I just want to say thanks for what you’re doing here. The other discussion. Colerer Herman. Yes. Fisher Woodcock. Yes. Comm Munsen? Yes. Comm Bakken. Yes. Comm Schwab? Yes. Comm Bain? Yes.ermbiner. Yes. Motion carries.

00:09:22,370	The reason is significant to me is, is my brother is, um, is disabled and he saw the one up in the Beulah Bay, and then he brought it to my attention and I really would like to be able to fish with my brother, he’s Marine Corps disabled, and he has a real problem getting in and out of the boat, so I, I appreciate it.

00:09:36,600	You know, we, uh, that’s been, we’ve had stories like that shared from, from all over and I, I One thing I have found is, is the amount of people that, uh, and it, it’s quite honestly, it’s a lot of Paralyzed Veterans, a lot of disabled veterans, um, you’ll allow share a quick story, but I had

00:09:54,670	a, I had a, a gentleman I was leading, uh, on my way to Dell’s Lake, we’re going to build, uh, the project in, in Devil’s Lake and um a gentleman in the UTV was literally driving on the highway and I was pulling our wheelchairs in Walling’s boat, and he stopped me to senex.

00:10:11,870	And he comes to me and he said, you know, 82nd Airborne Ranger, he said, um, I’ve been saved because like I’m disabled from Vietnam. And he said, I have been struggling a lot.

00:10:26,800	And I think that this is something that will work for me to be able to get out, get on the water, enjoy, enjoy time on the water. And he said, but more importantly, I think my brothers would enjoy this as well. And so he said, can I, can I volunteer? Can I do anything? I don’t care what it is, anything, he said, because I will be able to then go take my brother’s.

00:10:44,330	This information and and help them. And um We have, we’re, I am blessed enough to be, to be shared stories of family members.

00:11:00,930	I just got a picture of a, of a, of a grandfather who hasn’t been able to fish for 23 years, and they were able to get him on the boat. I’m, I’m blessed to be able to see stories like that. And, uh, I truly, truly believe that while we are also dealing, you know, with, um, with children and loved ones with, with, um, you know, adaptive needs.

00:11:21,270	I believe that we have an, an older population that quite frankly, doesn’t They don’t want to be a burden. They don’t, they don’t want someone to help them. They want to be able to get in and do it themselves. They want the independence. They want the ability to say I did it.

00:11:34,700	A wheelchair is a piece of equipment, just like a long rifle, just a piece of equipment. They want to be able to climb into the boat themselves, and I truly believe that in today’s day and age with the, with the mental health crisis that we’re having with, with today’s veterans are really truly believe that this is, this is something that, um,

00:11:49,500	hopefully will, will change, we change the national. landscape. But not only that, it will, it will make a statement to the country that we may be a small state, but we’re the leader, we’re on the tip of, of this when it comes to the country. Thank you, Jeff, um.

00:12:10,070	Jeff has brought some of the information we talked about in the last week, um, And this is going to progress pretty quickly if we can pick the site, they would love to do a ribbon cutting the weekend after Labor Day.

00:12:29,700	At this facility, so this is a project that will go very quickly, um, so the next thing I’m gonna ask the commission to do is allow me as the, the, uh, portfolio holder to finalize the site with Parks and Rec. We know we’re going to need some 2 handicapped. Parking stalls with a sidewalk that goes to this facility, that is going to cost Burley County Comm Burley County some money.

00:12:51,500	That that part of it, that will be ours, um, but the rest. Jeff and his teams got taken care of. So, um, With that, let me make that motion, uh. I would move that we allow the portfolio holder to work with Parks and Rec and uh wheelchairs and walleys to find the right placement for this facil for this equipment out at Nael Boat ramp. Second.

00:13:15,500	No motion to second. Any further discussion? Uh, yeah. With a project like this, because we are going to incur some other costs, uh, as far as some other partnerships or, you know, whether it’s a concrete company or some other opportunities out there that, uh, community involvement would

00:13:32,200	like to be part of this, um, is that part of the discussion of going out and seeing if we can partner with some other donations in kind to offset these costs, yep, absolutely. Mr. Chair. Comm Woodcock. Have you any, had any cooperation or any financial help from Garrison diversion.

00:13:53,970	Have you tried? or anything like that? We actually Garrison diversion, uh, assisted us on the Devil’s Lake Pro, um, they were instrumental in that and, and that leads into uh Comm Munsen’s uh discussion.

00:14:14,270	We actually uh in on that project, the scope expanded quite significantly and we also donated a 5 ft wide by 60 ft long walkway and a 25 by 84 ADA parking facility and um it, it was quite, quite Extensive.

00:14:33,530	And, and, uh, you know, with, so to answer your question, yes, I believe that Comm Munsen and the team will will work with Garrison diversion because I, my understanding is they are enthusiastically behind it, um, and, uh, and then also I, I truly do believe that with this, um, we, we will have the ability. Our biggest problem is timeline, but we will have the ability to uh to find uh donors of, of concrete and flat work.

00:14:54,270	I, I do not foresee a situation where there would be an expense to the to the to the county, um, but, uh, but that is, you know, we are working through a tight, a tight timeline, but um I, I do believe that we will be able to work with Garrison inversion and be able to get all those things donated at no charge.

00:15:09,800	OK, we’re a very conservative group, so I just always want to make sure we’re all on the page that we may have some costs. Because I don’t want to come back later with the bill and say, hey, will you pay this? Especially, especially when we, when we have uh ancillary costs, you know, if we have like trees

00:15:25,930	have to get removed or um some something along those lines, but pretty much everything else that we really try to work, uh, the focus of the really the focus of my organization that I founded was, was this is a uh about a community coming together, um, you know, we, we really focus on grassroots

00:15:42,870	efforts. We focus on, uh, mom and pop. I mean, Pauly Steele, they’re your guys a supplier in Bismarck, those guys have donated to virtually every product that we have. They’re phenomenal, a steel company, um, you know, we really focus on that first on, because I believe that there’s, when there’s community ownership, there’s community pride.

00:15:59,530	They can say, we built this, um, you know, veterans groups, uh, other civic groups, um, so that’s why when, when I, when I talked to Comm Munsen and I’ve talked to other commissioners. I, I pretty much say, look, you give us the space and the access, that’s what we want.

00:16:14,900	That’s what we’re asking for, the space and the access. Let your community build it. And that’s what we’re here for. Richer Swan. I was just going to say, I’m glad you brought up the garrison the version I really go after them because they’re getting $750,000 a year from us.

00:16:32,530	They can pick up Everything you need. Well. And if they don’t want to, have them call me up. The last, the last information that I was, I was relayed was um when they had uh did the Garrison diversion district. Of course, it’s a 75, 25 cost share. They cost share 25%.

00:16:52,970	So it’s, it’s not an enormous amount, but it’s an amount amount nonetheless, um, but, uh, the information that was passed to me was that they were enthusiastically behind it and to make sure that any of their other member counties that were involved in this in this project to make.

00:17:10,600	that they were reached out to, and I believe it’s over a 3, the 3 year grant process. So you have the ability to add other, other projects, um, you know, into it as well. Great. Perfect. Well, Jeff, again from Burley County Commission for me personally, um, I wanna thank you.

00:17:31,800	For your kindness and for your willingness to work with us on this quick project and We’ll get her done. I appreciate it. I want to make sure one other quick thing, when we do the ribbon cutting, um, it’s, there’s an integral part of this entire thing.

00:17:49,970	Um, it’s a really a big focus of ours is, uh, what we do when we do the ribbon cutting, um, that day, um, we have what’s called the Children’s mobility Awareness Day Festival, and um what that festival is, um, is that we try to basically make it to where the entire community, uh, now, obviously we’ve never Do something with the community of 100,000 people before, but we say the entire community.

00:18:08,730	um, we make the entire day a free event for the community. So face painting, bubble guns, free food, hamburgers, hot dogs, everything that you can possibly think of, and we focus it, we tailor it around, uh, children, young adults, paralyzed veterans with adaptive needs.

00:18:31,670	So all of the games, everything that we do is focused around adaptive needs because we believe that quite frankly, they’re forced to adapt to our world every single day. So we can give them one day where where we adapt to theirs.

00:18:49,130	So with this, um, once we do this ribbon cutting, it will be a blowout party like you’ve never seen before, um, where we expect, honestly, we expect thousands of people, and we will feed every single one of them, um, and it will be free to the community as a whole. Thank you very much. We have a motion to the second on the table there, yes. of further discussion. Comm Woodcoxox. Yes. Fisher Munsen. Yes. Comm Bakken? Yes. Comm Schwab. Yes. Comm. Yes.

00:19:12,170	Comm Herman. Yes. Chair Binitner? Yes, Motion carries. Thank you. Have a safe flight. Thank you. You bet. OK. Is there any other business for the Burley County Park Board. We want to bring, um, Travis up to visit about my camping. I think that would be appropriate, yeah. Yeah.

00:19:31,470	Um, right. Um, And he’s here. My name’s Travis Jensen, um, I’m glad you guys are talking about Kniffel tonight. I do know how you guys like your information. I apologize, I didn’t reach out sooner. Here’s a little information on what I, I’d like to discuss tonight. No, it’s all public information.

00:20:01,270	for the one pitcher in the pack, I could take myself to show you guys what the, uh, Site does look like the occubus of it. So my neighbor brought to my attention. That we have a registered sex offender. Living down at Kniful Campground.

00:20:25,330	That’s concerning to me as a resident that lives in the misty water area. Um, so I drove down a week ago to just check it out, see, you know, see if somebody was there, what it looked like. So we’ve had problems for years. Down there. We had a a gentleman that camped down there for most of the winter. He, he basically made it. His, his living area.

00:20:44,930	Um, and I do have in the packet. I couldn’t find the most revised policy, um, for Burley County, but it does say 14 days out of 30. This individual has for his registry. The campground that is his address.

00:21:09,200	And then tonight we’re talking about putting a handicap accessible, something that costs a lot of money that we want to take pride in that we don’t want to see vandalized. In that area. Um, the reason I’m bringing this up is, as many of you know, City of Bismarck has went through, made an ordinance regarding homelessness and camping within the city limits.

00:21:28,870	I don’t want to turn individuals away from, from finding shelter in these areas, but I would ask the county commission. To consider Discussing the issue and how we can as a county. Um Kind of mirror what the city has done.

00:21:52,270	Because unfortunately with the city coming up with their ordinance, it is going to push people out, um, and we do have areas in Burley County. That on the outlying area that are within walking distance of Bismarck. Um, so as a resident, one of my fears is these people are going to overtake these areas. And I have been reassured that these areas are monitored.

00:22:10,030	I would disagree slightly that they are monitored because as I said, as a resident in that area, I did witness somebody camped there for the majority of the winner. They, they made it a permanent residence throughout this last winter. Um, we see the same thing down in like uh Apple Creek Wildlife Management Area. You know, these places used to be family friendly areas.

00:22:31,370	And now you go down there and you see glass needles, condoms. You know, signs that we have less than favor favorable, um, family friendly things going on. Um, so I would ask the Coycom Commission, um, to maybe especially the park board to have that discussion.

00:22:56,530	Of how we could maybe Refine Our ordinances to get out ahead of this. The city of Bismarck’s already had the discussion. Um, they’ve passed it. I, I think Burley County should at least have the discussion to see how we are going to also combat. Some of what’s going on. Like I said, we have a sex offender living up there.

00:23:14,000	I, you know, I see kids riding their bikes fishing. You know, that’s a family friendly area. And to allow Sexual offenders to set up camp and live there. That’s concerning as a as a resident, um. Burleigh County and I’d ask you guys have an in-depth conversation. About that. Appreciate the time. Thank you. OK, you had, you had told me that you were. Working on that.

00:23:41,200	I couldn’t give you an update as far as this individual, uh, we know he set up camp, uh, June 20th. Uh, July 4th would have been his 14 days, uh, as of this morning we did tag his tent that he had 24 hours to Remove his equipment from the facility.

00:24:06,030	Uh, I have notified the sheriff’s department as well to be prepared in case I have asked the state’s attorney to remind us what we can or cannot do with his possessions if he is no longer, if he’s not there, if he hasn’t been back, uh, the last bit of information I have is he hasn’t been there

00:24:20,870	for the last week. So we We may or may not be able to contact him, but the state’s attorney lawyer will let us know in the morning what we can do with his possessions if he’s not there, um, and the sheriff’s department has been Has has

00:24:34,070	said that they would help any way we need, OK? So, keep me informed. I do appreciate uh. Travis’s um Letting me know that this is that he, you know, this is the situation out there, so. Just keep me informed. OK. OK, Comm Schwan. I would like to know.

00:24:55,930	that we’re on this topic. If he’s in a camper down there, that’s not an address. I thought They were supposed to have addresses. I don’t know. Talking about sex offender registration. Yeah, or the sheriff could, Jump on that one. Not a physical location.

00:25:18,270	So, there is, um, specific instructions for homeless people when they have to register as sex offenders, and they can register as a van down by the river, if that’s what they have and that’s where they’re at.

00:25:33,870	Um, the thing is they have to be specific about where the location is, and they have to come in every 3 days to the law enforcement agency to re-register or reconfirm that they are still at that location. And if they move from that location to a different location, they have to register that new location, but that’s what the loss. regarding homeless sex offenders. This Guy been complying? Mr.

00:25:54,130	Chair, Commissioners, I’m actually in touch with our, uh, sex offender deputy that handles this. And waiting on a reply from him. Uh, this is the first we heard of it at least at my level today. Um, I do, he did register. I’m trying to get the details on what’s going on up there.

00:26:16,100	Um, unfortunately, we had, uh, quite the day at the courthouse with computers crashing, power going out, transformers blowing up. Uh, I did talk to Comm Bittner. We closed the courthouse at 2 o’clock. Uh, it, it’s been a day. I know all about that. You wouldn’t even let me in jail. You should have called all the employees went home and I stayed, so.

00:26:37,400	Comm Kelly, just, um, Sheriff, uh, What is the typical protocol of what we’ve got on the books right now as far as, cause After the 14 days, and if somebody’s not there, you tag the material at what point is it removed because.

00:27:00,330	We either consider it abandoned or discarded and or garbage at that point, so what does that look like from a, who’s got to go pick that stuff up. You know, and so probably, uh, Mr. Chair, Commissioners, um, obviously this is an issue we work very closely with Dave, with Bismarck, Parksson Rak on, uh, last week we had a situation at uh Sibley Park, uh, where basically the owner of the camper went to jail.

00:27:19,900	Uh, it’s coming up on the 4th and we’re trying to work this out. Ultimately, we just towed the vehicle. Um, or the camper. So I would say at some point it becomes abandoned property, you know, and that’d be a question we’d work with our legal advisor on Julie, um, you know, typically we would take

00:27:39,870	possession of that stuff, maintain it, uh, you know, provided it’s safe to take, um, maintain it for a period of time until it’s determined to abandoned, then we’d either sell it or dispose of it.

00:27:57,530	Well, my question actually relates a little bit more to, you know, Like a tent and cleaning up the site, it’s not really the, the job of law enforcement. You guys are busy doing other things to, to clean up and abandoned site, basically, and with what may or may not be there from a safety perspective, that, that was kind of what I was getting to is, do we have a protocol in place for For

00:28:17,200	reclamating a site like that that was abandoned, you know, Mr. Chair, Commissioners, um, and maybe Dave and the park service has dealt with this more with the city park side, uh, you know, we don’t have this happen a lot, um, surprisingly, you know, uh, to kind of reference back to what

00:28:35,500	Travis has said. This is an issue we’ve dealt with, um, my 35 years in the department is these recreational areas have problems and, and it is the constant battle.

00:28:57,770	Between a a great recreation area that families can go and enjoy and the uh desire of people to go down there and break the law, you know, Kimba Bottoms, the Desert area, that’s, that is a prime example, um, you know, so, um, yeah, sometimes we just got to make it work, you know, and I know it’s, um, I always joke when you don’t know who else to call, call law enforcement, we’ll figure it out, but, um, you know, fortunately, we, we

00:29:17,130	figure our way out through these things, um, like I said, that camper was probably one of the biggest deals we’ve dealt with recently. But in the end you want to make sure that, you know, you make the best decision, so I, I don’t anticipate a lot of problems with this camp site, you know,

00:29:35,730	but it is a, it’s a, to kind of get back to Comm Schwab. There is a surprising amount of obviously homeless people when you deal with the sex offenders because they I sometimes have difficulty getting a job, uh, have difficulty, you know.

00:29:56,500	Maintaining a normal life, and a lot of people would say, rightfully so, but one of the dilemmas of society. I just see it happening more and more often and, and given the city’s new policies, I, I can see that we’re gonna have some more issues as well, so I.

00:30:11,500	You know, whatever we need to do to get ahead of that. And Mr. Chair, Comm, one thing I’d say real quick is, you know, my understanding of that city ordinance is they can’t be camping in public areas on public property.

00:30:30,730	You know, so really they still are going to be able to go to campgrounds if they comply with the rules of the park and so we’ll still have those 14 day issues. Can we shorten that time? And the reason I ask is, Once something gets started like this. It attracts more and more and more. Who came up with the 14 day limit. Mr.

00:30:58,400	Chair, Commissioners, I think that’s just been the park rule, you know, I think even nationwide, like you look at national parks, you can stay 14 days, I believe, state parks, I think you can stay 14 days.

00:31:15,670	So just kind of uh been a rule where, you know, some people go on a vacation or, or traveling and so again, You know, what we deal with all the time is you have a good intended rule or law, and then you have, you know, the law breakers that pushed the issue.

00:31:39,270	OK Comm Munsen and I think as Travis has asked us to do the ordinance that we will review um has that time limit in it and we certainly can change if it’s our ordinance, we can change that date, so it’ll be something we will, we will review in the, in the future. Mr.

00:31:58,400	Chair, Commissioners, I would just say that I, I personally wouldn’t oppose you lowering that, um, because I don’t think we see, I would say we probably have more problems than good. It’s not like, you know, somebody going to Fort Lincoln and staying 14 days and then go to another state, you know, these are free camping areas. Uh, we run into the same thing at the desert, um.

00:32:19,600	You know, the uh Apple Creek Gam Management Area many years ago, they gaming fish put up a fence, um, to try and make it more of a day use area and, uh, for the most part, that has worked out. Um, we went through a period of time where they kept cutting the fence, and we told them just keep putting it back up. They’ll get tired. And they did eventually, so knock on wood Mr.

00:32:39,800	Chair. Comm Woodcock, in defense of your deputies. I, I’d go to the boat ramps every couple of weeks. I’ll drive through all of them at one time or another, and I was down at night and I saw his tent and there was nobody around, but I did see a deputy sheriffful and I visited with him briefly and

00:32:56,430	away we went, so there was people down there at least when I was there. Mr. Chair, Comm, thanks, Comm Woodcock, and I can attest that is those recreation areas are probably the most highly patrolled areas in our county just because of the issues we have. OK. Thanks for all that. Thank you. Thank you.

00:33:21,000	The discussion on that? Any other business. I’ll Adjourn. Dave’s Dave wants to talk. Oh I’ve never gone to. Oh, you’re looking like a post there, you know Chair Bittner and Commissioners, I just wanted to give an update for uh for all the boat ramps since we last met, uh, the, uh, dredging was completed at both Kimball.

00:33:45,000	And uh at uh Neel. Popular topic tonight, uh, also since we last met, there were a couple of storms that rolled through the county, so I, I wanted to uh update the. To update the commission on where we stand as far as cleanup and what, what we did incur at the boat ramps.

00:34:03,800	Mainly minor things just to, you know, a few larger trees that had come down or some large limbs off of some bra off of some trees. No, no, uh, structures were damaged because there aren’t a ton of structures on the, on the boat ramps themselves at all, but, uh, just everything’s been cleaned up, everything’s been

00:34:19,970	taken care of, and everybody’s ready to recreate again at those locations. I, I guess as far as the previous topic, um, our staff does go out and, uh, monitors when we do have new campers at every one of the boat ramps, they know it, so we

00:34:36,800	know when the 14 days does come and when it does go and we do post we do post those notifications to the campers that it is time to move on when that does happen.

00:34:50,330	I just wanted to make sure you’re aware, and I do know that for uh Comm Woodcock’s comment that I do know that our staff does see the sheriff’s department out there doing the same thing, so. They, they do monitor them as well.

00:35:01,930	They do know the dates and I, I know our staff does talk with the deputies every once in a while and say, you got this state, you know, I missed this one, did he come in this date or that date, and so they do share information. Comm Schwab. I, I’m wondering about this situation down there with, with this fellow.

00:35:21,970	Do you think that there should be some people in the county working in the park board, working together in a different set of rules, so You know, Chair Bittner Commissioners, uh, Comm Schwab, I don’t know that I’m the right person to answer that question. It might be you would be the one that would be cleaning up the mess. Well, it, it, well, it depends on what your question is, sir.

00:35:40,530	Um, as far as cleanup is concerned, uh, the Park District, our staff have dealt with unauthorized camping. Uh, in Park District property, and when that happens, we do follow the same procedures. We do tag them, give an opportunity for them to move on, collect their, their materials and move on. If they do not come and collect their materials, we do. pick it up.

00:36:01,130	And keep it for a reasonable amount of time, which is what the century Code states. It’s basically unclaimed property, um, we keep it for a reasonable amount of time if, if somebody comes and gets it and can identify it, they can, they can take it with them, um.

00:36:17,570	I think in this case we have never had to deal with that on county at the county boat ramps, um, up to this point, it’s been a, a camper or a vehicle where they can move along on their own in this case, our staff could probably do the same thing. We do follow, you know, we’re pretty cautious.

00:36:36,530	We make sure that there aren’t things that could explode or, you know, stick us or anything like that to make sure that our staff is safe. But we, I think we would feel safe. collecting a tent and and making it available.

00:36:53,930	I don’t think that the Park District, Bismarck Park District should Keep it, I think it should be, you know, if we could go to the county impound to be maintained and it is since it was found on county property. I think that would be the appropriate thing to do.

00:37:06,870	I think, I think we would be fine if we get to that point where it does need to be collected and And removed, we can work with the sheriff’s department to do that. OK, all right, thanks. Thank you. Thank you. You. OK, one more time, any other business for the for the kind of park board. I’m going to Adjourn the park board. Thank you, gentlemen. Thank you.

00:37:25,000	Um So I’ll call the July 7th, 2025 meeting of the Burley County Commission to order the first item of business is roll calls. But we boarded Yeah, I have to, I have, I have to convene the meeting first, yeah. Um The first item is roll call members. Trisher Munsen. Comm Bakken here, Schwab. Here, here’s your Woodcocks.

00:37:56,570	Here, Chair Bittner. Here. OK, then, um, we want to add, uh, make a change. At the request of the portfolio holder, we want to move the county wheat board up, um. Instead of being at the end, we want to put them.

00:38:17,270	Uh I put them right after the consent agenda. And then I would like to add an item. At the request of somebody in the audience for a discussion about Crescent Manor. Um, it, it goes under the Burley County Housing Authority, and lately I’ve been getting some calls about some problems down there.

00:38:43,130	And um we’ll, we’ll hear a little bit about that. So, I’d like to put that right after, uh, the Wheat Board. And anybody else have any concerns or changes or? That because the public hearing might drag on. Item number 7. Is a citizen that um Ask to to present information to the Commission, and I would like to move him up.

00:39:17,200	Under right after the Wheat board also. That’ll work for you guys try to accommodate that. So unless there’s any other changes that entertain a motion to approve the agenda. Move to approve. Second motion is 2 to approve the agenda. Any further discussion? Call the rule. Uh, Comm Macken. Yes. Comm Schwab? Yes. Woodcox. Yes. Comm Munsen.

00:39:40,030	Yes. Channer. Yes. Motion carries. OK Our dollars. Consideration of the June 16, 2025 meeting minutes and Bills, Commissioners, I reviewed the bills and found them to be in order and would entertain a motion to approve. OK. Motion in the second to approve any further discussion, the rule. Comm Schwab? Yes. Comm Woodcock.

00:40:07,270	Yes, Comm Munsen. Yes. Comm Bakke. Yes. Chair Bitner. Yes, motion carries. Next is a consent agenda, Commissioners don’t pull anything off of there for discussion, any um Items like special use permits, anything like that? Moved to Peru in its entirety. Second, motion the second to approve the consent agenda. Any further discussion, see unnecul.

00:40:31,470	Comm Woodox. Yes. Comm Munsen. Yes. Comm Bakke? Yes. Comm Schwab. Yes. Chair Bitner. Yes, motion carries. I’ll temporarily Adjourn the Burley County Commission and turn that over to the weed board, the Chair Bakken. Uh I’d like to call to order the, uh, Burlee County we board. Please call the roll. Comm Woodcocks. Here.

00:40:57,930	Comm Munsen here, Comm Bakken, I’m sorry, Comm Schwab. Here. Comm Bitner. Here, Chair Bakken. Here, uh, approval of agenda. motion to approve. Motion second. Uh, call any discussion? Call the role play. Christian Munsen. Yes. Comm Bittner. Yes. Comm Schwab. Yes. Mr. Woodcock. Yes. Chair Wake. Yes, motion carried, uh, next item up, consideration of the May 5th, 2025 Wheboard minutes.

00:41:28,400	Moor pro Second, motion 2nd. Any discussion? You call roll please, Comm Bittner. Comm Schwab. Yes. Comm Woodcocks. Yes. Comm Munsen, Chair Bitner. Bucket Chair yes. I realize that’s a tough one, you know. Next up, uh, an update from our weed officer Johnson.

00:41:51,400	Wheat Board members, the chair of Bakke, uh, I just figured I’d stop in, um, let you guys know what’s been going on. Uh, the last time I was here was, I believe it was the beginning of May. Beginning of May, uh, been real busy.

00:42:06,870	We’ve been out, uh, as of last, well, from last year to this year, it’s a whole different wheel. Um, we didn’t even have sprayers out at this time last year. We have moved out to, uh, between 27 to 30 of the townships are already covered. Um, we had a few rainy days, a few windy days, um, but it’s been working real well.

00:42:30,330	Um, We’ve had I’ve received 40 contracted spraying applications for private landowners, we’re getting those covered very well. Um, the people that have had theirs already sprayed and whatnot, no, no, uh, disturbances, no nothing. Everything’s just going real fine with that.

00:42:50,100	And um and then uh there was 8 weeks, uh, well, actually it was 9 weeks, um, of distributing chemical and a regular, uh, Thursday from 11 to 1 started May 1st through June 26th. Around 50 people came and and picked up chemical for self-application. They’re real happy with what’s going on there.

00:43:08,100	I’ve been out and inspected some of those, um, and the, the, the people that are picking it up, they’re being honest straight up. I mean, they’re putting down the putting down a good run of chemical and and taking care of the weed infantation. Um, and then, uh, the one thing I, I’ve been trying real hard.

00:43:26,400	Sometimes they move a little too fast, but, um, I’ve been letting the township officers know at least the, the, the road supervisors, weed officers slash or the superintendents or the, or the, the heads on the townships to let them know that we’re in the, in the areas, you know, within a couple of days.

00:43:45,070	So that they’re aware of it, they can tell neighbors whatever for safety reasons and if they want to put flags out to, you know, specifically show where some uh more in interest, you know, areas are and our, our sprayers are able to see them better. Um, Then, uh, Um, June was the beginning or the end of May, um, we’re uh brought, it was brought up by, uh, our, chemical distributors, um, that we purchased from.

00:44:12,370	That chemical prices were jumping up to 40 jumped up 68 bucks, comes from across the pond. So that’s up, but everything else is also going up in that 5 to 8%, um, so the purchase date would had to be done by June 16th.

00:44:35,270	I purchased chemical before that, so we’re set up, I know we’ve got plenty for this year and it might run into next year, but we’re gonna use it. Um, so, I feel real good. We saved a lot of money there. Um, we’ve been running 3 sprayer trucks on the average when we’re out on the, on the roadways.

00:44:51,830	Um, the NDDOT roads, um, have been all covered. Um, and what I’ve inspected on these rightaways or, or these um NDDOT roads. We’re getting very good coverage. Are we missing a little bit? You’re going to, but I mean, for the most part, we’re doing a heck of a job.

00:45:08,400	I mean this, the contractors doing a real good job. Um, and with the 3 spray trucks, go back there. Um, we have two spray sink, uh, units, androids. So one is running with the book, like the, the old form, but we are logging everything and it’s all, it’s all. good to go. Um, we’re not missing out on anything there.

00:45:29,200	Um, and then in the areas in these townships like Sir mine, Ryberg mine, or the other Iber wine as we’re going through these townships, we are covering our our gravel pits.

00:45:46,200	Um, we were in to get a couple of them done a little earlier because there was gonna be some receding in areas and stuff, so we wanted the weed control under, you know, under control before we went in for the county highway department went in and reseeded and reclaimed that land on that on certain ones. Um, the complaints have been a minimal. But They haven’t started flowering out yet.

00:46:06,730	So, people start seeing color pretty darn soon, especially in the thistles, um, the Spurge is a little harder to find now because of all the sweet clover, um, but now, now and such, so our, our, our road crews, our sprays are taking a little bit longer, but you got to do what you gotta do in order to get, get the job done

00:46:19,930	correctly. Um, then on, uh, July 1st, um, I was able to, and I, I, I took off to uh Lake China down to the Boy Scout camp down there. They had a brown and black beetle collection.

00:46:39,130	I was able to bring back, um, 4 bags of, of Beatles back and I put them in certain infested areas of surge, um, mainly up in that Hogue Island area is where I’d like to go because there’s been a lot of concerns with it there.

00:46:55,270	And with the trees being the way they are, it’s hard to get a good chemical basis down, so we’re going to get those buggers working on the, the, the root systems and also up there I put some uh uh red-headed boars, bores horse spurs and they’re, um, the, the, the, the buds off the plant. They’re, they’re above ground eaters, the black and brown ones are for underground.

00:47:13,400	So we’re getting a little bit going on there, um, because of the infestation of spurs in that area. I think it’s by getting this started, it’s going to make a new place where we can go up.

00:47:30,930	net and, and start transmitting and transporting these, these beetles in uh to other other properties to, uh, work, work a better area, so, um, but that’s, that’s what I have here for you guys tonight. So, uh, is there any questions? Uh, Darren, has there been any, uh, issues with the weathers. I know we’ve had some interesting weather as far as having to do any respraying or washouts of chemical? No, no.

00:47:49,070	Um, if, if there’s, if there’s rain in the forecast, I mean, me and Chris, we talk, uh, quite often. I mean, if it’s looking like we’re gonna get rain within, you know, 10 hours or 8 hours. It’s like, well, we better hold off, but generally before you get the rain, you get the wind.

00:48:04,200	So the wind is going to deter it from, from us being out there anyway, but yeah, we’re doing. They’re doing well. So it hasn’t thrown the schedules off too bad as far as starting then? No, no. It, you know, you get up in the Wilton area, you know, up, up in that area.

00:48:17,900	I mean, there’s, there’s towers there for a reason. So you got to pick your day if it doesn’t look like there’s much wind, you go there first and get going so. Perfect. Thank you. Yeah. Uh, Comm Schwab. Uh, Darren, this is about a little over a year you’ve been on the job now.

00:48:32,900	Um-hum. And, uh, We have a new We have a new website. We got records that are being kept. We’re saving money. And We’re getting To the point where The question is, seems to be running around. Have you been getting all the support that you need from staff.

00:49:00,000	I get the support when I ask for it, you bet. Yeah, I, I mean no problem with it? Yeah. No, I don’t have a problem. No. I mean, when I, when I have a question, I, I consult you or I, I consult the people that I need to, and yeah, I mean, it’s, it’s been, it’s

00:49:13,870	been going and being that you’re out of the highway department, they’re helpful, right? Oh, yeah, absolutely. OK. That’s put some rumors to a bed here. Any other questions for our wheat officer? Good job. Very good job. Yeah. Yeah.

00:49:35,370	Thank you, thanks for uh taking an apartment and Make it your own and getting a handle on it and getting the right. I’m not saying I’m perfect, but I’m trying. Yeah, but we’re getting you, much appreciated. All right. Thank you, gentlemen. Thank you.

00:49:49,670	Uh, any other business for the Wheat board? Here you know, the next surgery scheduled commission meeting will be July 21st. Uh, we’ll have a board, uh. Um, future date and with that, this meeting is Adjourned. Chair who reconvened the Burley County Commission. Next is uh Crescent Manor. Conversation. About Crescent Man. Not quite sure where to start today.

00:50:25,130	I’ve had a few people down at the Crescent Manor give me a call saying they’re having some problems down there. It started out 3 or 4 months back, uh, with bedbugs in the facility. You want to identify yourself for the record, Charles Feith. They’re uh They weren’t really spraying or doing anything, taking care of it.

00:50:44,070	They’re getting pretty bad, finally I went to a few places to health and welfare and We we up the chain and Down at the office right there next to Crescent, uh, they wouldn’t talk to me because I’m not living there and privacy issues require them not to talk to me.

00:51:00,130	So I went up to the weed board or not yeah we you did to me. So, unfortunately, the email came you came with that name on it too. I was, I’ve talked to the. Really kind of housing found out who was on that sent everybody emails, get no response from anybody.

00:51:21,530	So I find out it’s just your catheter’s on I’ll go talk to her. Get no response. I talked to her and she just questions me to death. I don’t get anything done. So I can’t figure out if They just Nobody’s working and it can’t get done.

00:51:37,530	The next morning, though, they, they did start to spray, so evidently I shook enough trees that they, they don’t like me. Is, is this in Bismarck? Yes, it is. It’s right down on by. 2nd Street. It’s that tall white building. You got to talk to the city about that. We cannot spray in town. They tell me that they’re, they’re wrong.

00:51:57,200	I can tell you that. That’s one of the things we’re looking for right now and find out. Yeah. And talk to Chair before. The Housing Board says that this board appoints them.

00:52:20,370	And I can’t, and I, I’m not sure if that’s 100% right, but if we do appoint them from this board, then We’ve got to figure out why those people there aren’t doing their job and why they’re not making the housing people at the facility do their job. Somewhere it’s falling apart all over and nobody seems to know who’s in charge or why or what can be done? I want to know what the chain of command is up to.

00:52:37,470	I realize HUD’s involved in this too, which creates a whole new problem, but somewhere along the line somebody’s got to be in charge that we can contact. I I understand what you’re saying. But you have to remember that the Wheat board can only do rightaways and gland.

00:52:56,470	So you know, we would be the wrong city, city should be on top of this. I think we got lost here. This is housing and authority. I just said it wrong because I’m just listening to him. I thought you were talking about weeds around it. Well, we can’t if you want to go back to that.

00:53:07,970	I’ve got a couple of things on that too, if you want to. One, when are we going to get a real wheat board again? This is a temporary board. We have one. You got everybody appointed again, new, new board pardon me.

00:53:23,270	The 5 that resigned, we got new people for that? 5 people from the Wheat Board resigned last year. Have those people all going to depend on when Darren has the time. He used to we get it going. But there was a whole board that was supposed to be in the, we had a full board that didn’t do anything. Unfortunately.

00:53:43,130	That should have been a red flag too, but let’s get back to the Crescent Manor if we can. They are bed bugs and nothing to do with weed work. They have bedbugs near the can’t can’t figure out where the chain of command is for that. I don’t know.

00:53:58,530	Do we know, We’re going to look into that and see who’s Where the chain is, I will probably get a hold of the senators and ask them if they know anything about it and fight that battle, which has been going on for 2 or 3 months. The people there and a couple who told me that they’re afraid for their housing status there that if they Keep making problems are going to be pushed out of there.

00:54:14,200	Well, whoever’s in that area who’s got authority to tell them they’re going to get thrown out if they complain about things not being done right, that needs to be looked into. One of the rooms I’m talking with people there. Temperature in the room is. 85, 90 degrees this time of year. That needs to be looked into.

00:54:30,570	If there’s some problems on there. I don’t know if this board’s going to have Oversight into any of that at all. But If it does, then we need to do something with it. If it doesn’t, then you need to let me know who that is, and I will go make sure they do it.

00:54:46,000	Somehow or another, those people down there don’t have the facilities to take care of this themselves, don’t have the wherewithal to come up here and argue with it. When they did spray the one room last week.

00:54:59,400	They told the gel, the people down there, Sheryl goes here, I know that you got to be out of your room for 3 hours. Spray company shows up, says, No, you got to be out of your room for 3 for 24 hours, go find yourself a hotel. In that facility they do not have the ability on a 15 minute notice to go out and find a hotel.

00:55:14,900	Money or capability any other way. They spent the night in their cars. Somebody’s dropping the ball massively along the line here and I don’t know where it’s at, and I’m trying to find it. If we have authority in this board. And we need to figure out what can be done.

00:55:34,170	To make the housing board do their job to make the housing people down there do their job, and it just keeps going. Somewhere along the line, it’s not happening properly. For some reason, I’m, they’re all coming and talking to me about it. So I get elected to be their spokesman for this Mr. Chair. Comm.

00:55:56,930	We probably got a portfolio holder that handles that. We don’t. No. Nobody does public housing? Huh. The report to the county Comm quarterly. Yeah. What quarter are you talking about? I’ve never been, I’ve never seen a report from, from them. That’s my problem. Every, every time I go someplace, I hit another stone wall. I don’t know where to go anymore.

00:56:20,000	You point me in the right direction, and I’ll be on their doorstep. What have we rode division out there that we don’t even know about. No, the, the simple fact is they call it Burleigh County Housing Authority, but it has nothing to do with The authority of Burleigh County. It actually runs out of the city. State-run, isn’t it? Yeah, ish. the city.

00:56:42,930	Well, like I mentioned before the meeting, um, the auditor is gonna provide me with names and contact phone numbers and whatnot, and I’ll see what more I can find out for you. And A side note on that. I called all, well, I didn’t call them. I looked them up online. They have email addresses.

00:57:03,430	I emailed all 5 of the housing authority board. Three of them came back as There’s no such email address. If you put that on your web page, this is how you get a hold of us, and they should be able to be gotten a hold of by that method. If they don’t, there’s something wrong.

00:57:18,230	I’ve had some problems getting a hold of this board by emails. And We’re going to have to start making phone calls, I guess, but I want somewhere along the line that if you get emails on any of the boards.

00:57:34,670	By people that are told by the web pages, your own web pages, how to get a hold of you, that somebody actually responds to those emails. And it, it’s been difficult. I’ve tried a long time. I, and. I’ve tried, well, that’s why we were popped up in my mind. I’ve tried a long time to get a hold of, of your board.

00:57:53,400	The people there with this now too and Somewhere along the line somebody has to be. Available to be talked to and it’s not. Easy to find him. And I’ve made several phone calls before, and those phone calls.

00:58:15,300	Fallen answer machines that never get responded to either, and several of them told me that we’ve changed our number, you know, that can’t do that. answer Well, we’re going to look at the record, see whose numbers are available, and we’ll we’ll know more soon. Thank you. If you can, you can get back a hold of if you find something, I’ll.

00:58:31,270	Go rattle on another cage for a while, get out of your, out of it. I just need a path to follow. And right now this is the top as far as I’ve got, and it doesn’t seem like it’s 100% right either. The manages.

00:58:51,570	A great deal of that, so I would, uh, Uh, reach out to the mayor, reach out to the city administrator and go down that path. I think, yeah. I, I would start with Jason. I would start with Jason Demonic, the city administrator, yeah. if he knows, yeah, OK, thank you. Thank you. So what, what involvement do they have down there, do you know? Just briefly.

00:59:15,770	So like with Edmonton Place and stuff, a lot of it is permitted with the, on the city side, uh, it works very closely. That was one of the Many meetings I had with them as mayor, so it, it falls under the city, the city of appoints. A lot of that board and 1. One, yeah.

00:59:40,670	OK, that’s pretty much managed by the city. OK, well, that’s good information to know. We’ll know more tomorrow. at least over the next couple of days. OK, next, um, we put Mr. Ressler, Larry with a fireworks discussion. Is he here? Thanks for your time. Thanks for talking to me over the phone the other day. You’re welcome.

01:00:09,530	I live up in Harvest Grove and basically, I go to bed early because I get up early. I drive school bus and I train people to drive school bus. So I go to bed early. And I get up at about 4 in the morning to get ready to go to work.

01:00:27,670	Well, if you have kids and parents shooting fireworks off after 10 o’clock. Up to maybe 12:30 to 1 o’clock. Getting any sleep is basically, Impossible. And I know up in my area there’s been quite a bit of that going on because they start selling them on the twenty-seventh, if I remember right.

01:00:50,670	And then they can shoot them off till the 5th. My one thing is. I called Burleig County deputies, and they say there’s no noise ordinance in place. So basically for me. They can shoot them all night long and I won’t get any sleep.

01:01:11,770	So, the only thing I’m, I’m not against fireworks. I just want to maybe have something that will please everybody to where, OK, on the, you can shoot them to 10 o’clock. On the 27th, 28th, 29th, and whatever, up till the 3rd.

01:01:38,130	Up to 10, but on the 4th you can shoot them till whenever on the 5th, you shoot them till 10, then it’s over with, or maybe just adopt what Bismarck has and just have no fireworks, but I’m not against people that are Doing it the right way, it’s a few that do it the wrong way. Well, the other night I got up, it was like 10:30. I went over to where these kids were shooting fireworks.

01:01:59,070	And they said, could you please stop? And they looked at me and like, no, we can shoot it. We’re out of town. OK, that’s fine, but I said I have to get up early and then basically the one kid just gave me the. 10 year old kid said F off.

01:02:17,300	The parents were sitting in the driveway and they started laughing. If they don’t have any respect for anybody, and I’m sure these Ladies and gentlemen might have had the same type of stuff in their areas, but If you could just put a noise or up and for the like.

01:02:38,030	To the 4th, they shoot them all the time and then end it or just basically have no fireworks. So I’m not sure where you guys want to go with it. It’s, I know it’s, I hate complaining about it, but there’s other people, like last night, we went across the street for a birthday party for the little kid, the people next door came home from camping.

01:02:55,570	The one kid who’s graduated, uh, this year, jumped out of his vehicle, pulled out a mortar. Shot that off in the. You get two big loud cannon noises. And that’s on the 6th.

01:03:15,470	So they’re just do what they want when they want, and I don’t know if you guys can, I don’t know if there’s a way to fix it or whatever, but maybe a noise ordinance or just, just say, you know, if you guys want to screw around like this, we’ll just end it and then there will be no. Fireworks for anybody.

01:03:35,170	Like I said, I’m not against fireworks, but if there’s anything you guys have an idea on, I don’t know. Same as like I, when I talked to you, Mr. Bittner, you had the motorcycle kids up in Harvest Grove last year were just a nightmare, and they finally got that fixed, so then it was the same kids that were shooting the fireworks.

01:03:54,270	That makes sense. And then the parents were in the driveway laughing. Yeah. Hard to understand, isn’t it? Yeah OK, well, I thank you for coming in and letting us know about that.

01:04:13,600	I’m, I’m sure that we’re going to have some additional discussions over time and give you guys a chance to think about that. OK. We’ll get input from the sheriff and the state’s attorney and we’ll we starting on? And the same, Mr. Chair, we may want to ask Mitch uh to come up.

01:04:33,800	I’m not sure, but we were working on an ordinance last year, uh, the, uh, fireworks industry came together and asked us to hold for one season. They want to spend some time educating their. Their customers uh to try to eliminate some of the issues that were Mr. Ressler is having, and so we gave them that year, uh, this year to try and so it’s probably time for Mitch to go back to work on his ordinance.

01:04:56,200	OK, thanks for your time. You bet. All right. Thank you. Yeah, Kelly, you want to weigh in on that. S M Mitcher, yeah. Mr. Chair, Commissioners, uh, Comm Munsen is right. Last year, excuse me. There was a resident kinda that wanted to get something moving forward.

01:05:20,000	We had a meeting, uh, with Mitch was there, uh, I can’t remember, I think you two commissioners were there, uh, the sheriff’s department, and we did have members from the fireworks community. Um, the gentleman is right. Uh, there is no noise ordinance under state law. The only noise ordinance is the disorderly conduct statute that says makes unreasonable noise.

01:05:45,330	Um, unreasonable noise is a ambiguous law and basically, uh, the way we treat it. is we look and say, you know, what does the majority of the public, um, accept or agree with. And so, you know, this year, July 4th was on a Friday. Um, that makes it a little easier to allow fireworks to go a little later.

01:06:04,130	Uh, the problem we run into in trying to be reasonable with the public and allow both sides to, uh, you know, have, A good weekend or a good holiday, the problem is, is it doesn’t get dark in North Dakota till late at night.

01:06:21,770	And so, it’s not like they can be shooting them off at 7, 80 in the evening. Uh, I will say this, uh, in response to what Comm Munsen said, um, ultimately, the sheriff’s department did the brochure this year. Uh, we put together made home. Worked on it. Uh, we put together a, uh, colorful brochure.

01:06:45,670	It was posted to our Facebook page, um, we also worked with the fireworks industry locally, and we thought instead of them sponsoring it, because then we’d have competition, they’d all want their logo on there. We just thought we would sponsor it as long as they’d be willing to hand it out.

01:07:06,170	Uh, the good thing was they did, um, I personally actually, uh, received some feedback. on it, um, and even the fireworks industry understands that there can be problems with this. The one thing I will say is we did not, we had probably the low, lowest complaints we’ve had.

01:07:27,030	I think this morning when we reviewed reports, uh, there were 6 reports of injury or excuse me, 6 reports including 1 injury, uh, there was a fireworks trailer that caught on fire. But overall, the noise complaints were very, very very low.

01:07:49,400	Um, obviously not, non-existent, um, you know, cause it is a contentious issue, but, um, short of, uh, I, I think it would be good to get some meetings together again and ultimately decide which way to go, but for the record, it was probably our best year in the department. Kelly, um, one of the things that comes up every year is ETA.

01:08:09,470	And just for the record, can you tell people how that functions because people think just outside the city limits, but they’re in the ETA and the law enforcement works very differently in that area. Mr. Chair, Comm, complicated. That’s. That’s what I’ll say about the EPA, and I’ve spoke with Comm Munsen on this.

01:08:28,670	Technically, the city, um, you know, we get, we’re in a bind because the city can have their zoning ordinances out there, um, and ultimately it’s up to them to enforce those zoning ordinances, um, because we can’t enforce their ordinances. And so, again, we worked through it. It’s kind of like the camper stuff I told you about.

01:08:46,800	We try to find that common, around and be reasonable, um, but the EPA, even though they’re under the city for zoning ordinance, um, people can still have fireworks cause it’s in the county and, uh, sometimes it gets very complicated because you’ll have a chunk of county land that wasn’t annexed into the city

01:09:06,700	and they’ll figure it out and put a fireworks stand on it. And so, um, yeah, very complicated when it comes to enforcing um or what. be allowed and what can’t. Typically what we would do.

01:09:27,700	is in the event somebody, you know, is shooting fireworks, let’s say it’s But that’s the other part of the law. The law doesn’t say when you can shoot fireworks. It just says when they can be sold. Um, so the, the stringent interpretation would mean they can never be fired off, but I don’t think that was what the intent was.

01:09:46,600	So then you have the liberal interpretation that basically says they can be fired off at any time, um, and so we uh, we work with the public and, and try and Keep that happy ground or happy middle ground, um, what we would do in a situation under that disorderly conduct is if just like if you have a

01:10:05,900	loud stereo playing at 3 in the morning. Everyone would agree that’s unreasonable. Um, somebody playing a loud stereo at 10:30 at night on a Friday night, um, probably not as unreasonable and so you try to figure out where’s that compromise for everybody.

01:10:25,370	Well, that’s one of the discussions I hope we’re gonna have when we meet with the city on some ETA discussions because that’s one of the things that, uh, needs to be on the list as well. So thank you. You’re welcome. Thank you. Sure.

01:10:36,830	Mitch, do you want to add anything to that? Oh, No, but we may want to, if we, we do continue these talks with the, the fireworks industry here. It, they were good talks and they, you know, the complaints are down. Hopefully they stay down.

01:10:54,930	Uh, but we made consider some joint jurisdictional ordinance with the city on this because the harvest Grove is in the city limits, but it’s right next to the, you know, county borderline, so we may want to consider some joint jurisdictional ors. OK. Sounds good. Thanks, Mitch. Mr. We I just, uh, you probably saw me typing there a little bit, um.

01:11:17,400	I just sent you some information that Comm Bakke provided while we were sitting here about, um, um, the person to contact. And he gave the phone number and an email address for you. Just to make sure you’re aware of that.

01:11:40,370	OK, that gets us up to a public hearing on resolution and plan for separating elective office of Burleigh County Auditor Treasurer to elective office of Auditor and appointed Office of Treasurer. An amended plan for the change in duties of the auditor. Um, I’ll open a public hearing. Um Anybody wish to speak on this item. Come on up and identify yourself for the record. Thank you for having this hearing.

01:12:11,570	My name is Reuben Larson. And I’m kind of a stranger to everybody near. I don’t think anybody knows me and I don’t know any of you guys. Um, And I don’t even know the people in the audience. OK. Um, But anyway I appreciate what you guys are, are doing.

01:12:28,330	I know we have a tough job. I’ve sat In a chair similar to where you’re sitting right now. Uh, and I know that. And I assume that like me, when I was in the past.

01:12:46,570	That the reason you’re sitting there is because you have a desire in your heart to do what’s right. For the county that you have a desire in your heart to do what’s right for the county, uh, because I know that’s when I ran for the city council up in Grand Forks, North Dakota many years ago and got elected.

01:13:01,570	I ran on the theory that I wanted to do what was right for what, for the city. And when I got up there, got elected and went up the city hall, uh, somebody told me that I get a paycheck.

01:13:15,500	I said, what? I get paid for doing this? I thought we had to do it, I thought we did it for free because we wanted to do it, you know. So I assume that’s what you guys want too is to just do what’s right. And I know this.

01:13:34,030	Uh, sponskowski issue is a divisive and, and we can lose our, lose our cool on this, but I want to address the issue of, of whether or not you should split the office up or keep it the way it is. Um And you can’t discuss whether or not you keep it the way it is or split it up without looking at what’s happened in the past. And I realize you have a difficult decision and it was your duty.

01:13:50,070	To, you know, help supervise the other officers, uh, you, you know, if there’s a problem. And um But I just have some questions to ask you, so that’s to help you, hopefully make the right decision, um. Was he given any training when he was after he was elected office.

01:14:13,600	Do you know? We, we believe that he took advantage of some training. So the issue is whether or not he was given training. I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but when the people voted. For you guys and for other elected offices.

01:14:35,570	They vote for people that they know, may not know what to do in certain situations. OK? And I know you people have made mistakes in your past life and even sitting. And even while sitting on the commission, uh. Uh, excuse me, um, I was kind of delinquent here and not turning my phone off, um.

01:15:03,370	But, um Yes But anyway, um, sorry about that. Um, But anyway, um, The statute requires, I don’t know if you’re aware of this, I’m assuming you don’t because I never saw, I read every newspaper article and I read every email that was on the internet about this issue here. OK, about his incompetency or alleged incompetency. OK.

01:15:25,630	And the picture I got when I read the emails, or actually the picture I got when I read the newspaper stories. was he was in a learning process. And he tried his best to do, and he tried to solve all the problems and the picture I got was eventually the problems were resolved.

01:15:46,070	Except maybe one, you know, investing the money, but that was back during a period when Some banks were charging people to have a checking account. You know, you heard those stories back, you know, uh, when the interest rates are so low, the government was just printing the money and giving it to the bank so they could

01:16:01,930	try to loan it out at zero interest. So some banks started to charge people just to have a checking account. So interest rates were so low that you couldn’t do anything about it. But anyway, in, in North Dakota’s century old title 11 chapter 10, section 28. 1110, 28.

01:16:22,800	It talks about newly elected or appointed county officials in training and within one year of assuming office, an individual who is elected or appointed to the Office of County Comm Auditor, Clerk of District Court, recorder, treasurer shall attend training based upon a curriculum specified to specific to that office and approved by the statewide

01:16:39,870	association for that office. So what I’m trying to say here is, There may have been problems in the artist’s office, but there was also problems. with this county Commission.

01:17:00,270	That the job wasn’t done right because it was expected that the people were elected and that maybe they would need certain training, OK? I’m just, you know, Saying that there’s fault on both sides of the issue. Um And secondly, a big issue was made about him filing a lawsuit. Did you, I don’t know if you’re aware of it, but the auditor has the authority to file a lawsuit.

01:17:23,200	Except that he can do it only with the Coy. uh commission’s approval, but suing, he can only sue the county treasurer. And that’s an Arcocentrico 114 title 11 chapter 14 verse 18.

01:17:44,530	So the coronary artery does have the authority to sue, but getting to his particular case, and I believe that you folks were in error on this. When you attacked him for making that lawsuit, and then you made that as one of your complaints in the um In the um petition for removal. You argue that. He did not get your permission before you file the lawsuit.

01:18:08,530	Well, first of all, you as the Conic Commission, don’t have the authority to delegate your power to sue. To somebody else. That’s not there. It just isn’t there. You can make arguments, and I know that arguments were made. That’s the That you, that the Commission could sue. But that’s not what the statute says.

01:18:32,570	The statute is plain and clear, and that’s all you, all you’re doing and, and we’re doing was legislating, making, writing new legislation to fit your agenda. I felt that Mr. Sposkowski was unfairly and, and wronged by attacking him in his lawsuit. Cause he doesn’t need your permission.

01:18:59,870	Basically, your argument is because his injury is perceived injury was caused because he used a county auditor and knows his official capacity that therefore he has to sue in his official capacity. Well what your argument really is.

01:19:18,070	is saying that if you as a conic mission make a decision which adversely affects some employee in the county or a group of employees that they have to sue you in your, their, their official capacity as an employee, which doesn’t make sense. You as individuals have the right to sue the county. If you’ve been wronged by the county, even though you’re a member of the county commission. An employee of the county has the right to sue the county. If he’s been injured or being injured by the county. OK.

01:19:38,170	Otherwise, you’re saying that no employee could sue. The Even though the county did them wrong. You know, I don’t know if this county’s ever been sued, but counties have been sued in the past, you know, across the state. So, I just feel like you’ve been, you were, you, you, you, you, you. Did wrong OK.

01:20:01,600	But anyway The question I have is, have all the issues with the auditor’s office, been resolved. In other words, is the auditor doing his job now. Because that goes to the issue of whether or not you should change the auditor’s office. Doesn’t make sense to be spending a lot of money. Now Mr.

01:20:25,800	Broncosi is gonna be mad at me for saying this. He doesn’t know me and I don’t know him. I two of us have never met.

01:20:37,930	Yeah But he’s probably happy that you’re going to do what you’re doing because they can sit there in his office and twiddle his thumbs all day cause he’s got no work to do. Because, as I understand it, you, in order to split the office up and do what you want to do, what you propose that you want to do. You’re gonna go from 7 employees.

01:20:58,200	To, to approximately, it depends on which sheet I look at. 11 or 12 employees to do the same job that 7 employees are doing. With the auditor’s office, the treasurer’s office, and the tax assessor or the whatever you call tax board or whatever it is, um. Tax equalization director. OK. Well, let me, let me speak to that in a moment.

01:21:18,570	OK. Um, I don’t know where you’re getting those numbers from. I don’t know how you’re putting that together because my understanding is that we don’t need any additional staff to do this. Well, according to what’s on the computer for today’s agenda. I just print it off today.

01:21:33,730	I just decided to do this today. Actually, last time I was thinking about it. OK, well, my understanding is that there’s no change in staffing required. We’ll rearrange some things, but we’re not looking at adding staff. Well, that’s what happened on your, on your computer. You, you want, you need 3, either 3 or 4, depending on which sheet I read.

01:21:54,270	Employees for the county auditor. Off the treasurer, you need 5. And then the Office of attack equalization, you need 3. This is page 024 of your agenda. If you look at on the computer, on your agenda meeting minutes for tonight. This is what I.

01:22:16,330	Well, regardless of what that says, I’m not aware of us adding any staff. But when I read past your past commission meetings and also the newspaper articles, um, he was always talking about that you’re going to need more employees by splitting everything up.

01:22:35,970	I don’t, I don’t see that as being the case, sir I don’t know where, I don’t, I don’t know how you come to that conclusion from that information. I think that you’re Um The I guess all I can say is we’re not adding any staff by doing this. Yeah, OK. Well, this was on the, um. That’s fine, but it’s OK. We’re not adding any staff.

01:22:54,600	But will he be doing it in the future? Is there a possible I don’t, I don’t know what the future holds, Comm Woods. When we, if we were to split these two up, we’re, if you look at the total employees that we’ve got now in those 3 or 4 offices and combine them, say they’re 15,

01:23:08,300	there will be no more than 15 when we’re done. They may be moved to one department to another, but they’re still gonna be the same number of employees. We, we won’t be adding any additional employees in those four departments that were concerned. Yeah, I hear you say you had 15 now? I don’t.

01:23:24,200	It might be 14. It might be 16. I’m just saying the total number of the, the auditor, the. Tax equalization, the treasurer, the election worker. If you take all those departments right now, throw them together, say there’s 15, say there’s 20, whatever that might be, I don’t know exactly.

01:23:43,730	It’s listed in there, but After we’re done, if we do anything, there will be no more than that original number. OK. They just be it might be. See that’s why I’m up here, cause I was left with the impression that there are 7 people in the auditor’s office right now. You got to understand the whole. You got to add the whole report.

01:23:58,730	You’re looking at one phrase. There will be more in one department, but they’d be less in another to balance that out. Well, this is page 024 025. Well, sir, yeah. We’re not adding staff. OK. Well, then, I guess I made a fool out of myself. No, I wouldn’t say that. I wouldn’t say that. OK.

01:24:20,070	I think that was your understanding, but I’m here to to tell you we’re not adding stuff, so that’s. But I did get this off your computer, off the agendas. It’s all there if you read the whole. Add it all up. Well, I read, I read every word of every document on that.

01:24:37,130	It was like, I appreciate you doing that and being thorough. Thanks. Yeah. OK, well, sorry about that then. I read the same thing I’d like to know how many actual employees there are right now. How many Um, you know, we’re not going to have conversations from the, from the, uh, chairs. You need to come to the microphone and give your name, and, and speak.

01:25:03,330	How many, how many employees are, she wants me to. She wants me to ask how many employees are in the auditor’s office right now. OK. As the auditor. He’s right there. Yeah. And my auditor’s office, I mean auditor, treasurer, and the tax equalization, all three departments.

01:25:26,930	Currently there are 7 employees in the auditor treasurer office currently employed and budgeted for, and there are 4 employees in the tax equalization office. That’s OK OK, because everything I read was 7 in the auditor’s office, which included all three. But sorry it’s my fault. OK. Thank you gentlemen. Thank you.

01:25:53,300	So, I’m going to correct that. Mr. Schwab. Um-hum. Add one more because the auditor, I don’t think he’s counting himself. That’s including myself. That, OK. OK, cause my, my questions tonight were kind of similar. Um, I was looking at the documentation online and all of a sudden the taxi equalization is included.

01:26:19,300	Is the tax equalization under the ardor, the treasury for the record, please. Pat Langenfeler, thanks, Pat uh resident of Burley County. OK. Cause my questions are kind of similar. When I was looking through the documentation for tonight’s meeting. The taxi equalization is also listed there previously that hasn’t been in discussion. Or at least not To my knowledge, it hasn’t been.

01:26:43,770	So who does the tax equalization fall under? Uh, tax equalization is, is kind of in the organization chart under the Auditor’s office. And it has its own director, the tax equalization director. Is under the Auditor’s office at this point who hires and appoints the director for the tax equalization office.

01:27:07,870	I think that would be the County HR in conjunction with the Burley County Commission. Because we, we actually appoint the directors. And you said there’s 3 in that department? There’s a director plus the 3 employees, yeah. So. The current Treasurer auditor has 7. Is that correct? That’s what he said, yeah. Tax equalization is 3 and 4, 4.4.

01:27:39,770	That’s what I keep saying, OK for 7, that’s 11. Where are the other staff? There no there’s other other staff. There’s also 2 in the finance department, but that’s a different department. Right. OK. Because when, when I started looking at it, I was a little confused how the tax equalization.

01:28:04,270	All of a sudden got into the reorganization plans. So Are they currently under the auditor? Yes. Yeah. They, and they’ll be removed into a separate department or no, they’re going to stay the same department. They’re just not going to be Under that plan, they won’t be under this auditor. This auditor, OK.

01:28:28,830	They’ll be under the treasurer or who will they be under? Um You know, I, I haven’t looked at the job descriptions. Yeah, I think we might, out of that office, but separately. They’ll be independent and they’ll be under the commission. So you’ll have checks and balances. OK.

01:28:49,100	So Comm Munsen. So based uh the information was in your package, stay back on page 24. So the Office of the auditor will be separated from the auditor and treasurer office. The treasure, so the automobile on his own, will be its own department, the treasurer will be the own department.

01:29:12,700	The county administrator, if the county board chooses to add that department would be on its own and so would the tax equalization department, be it separate department. with a separate department as well. OK.

01:29:38,200	So, that’ll be listed to the, uh, added to the officers that are listed in the appointment in the Um, Home Rule charter then or? How will that director be addressed? I think, I think that director would be appointed the same way all department heads are appointed. The way all departments, so it’d be just a department head and removed from the auditor’s office. Hiring process.

01:30:01,130	Chair, but the point we got to remember is we’re not gonna add any more employees than we presently have. That’s the point. Your intent is to not. OK. Well, in tent is a tent. I mean, I. What we’re looking out now, we have made that decision. There will be no additional employees than there is today. Hm OK. Everybody else. Yeah. Yep, Charles Vi again.

01:30:34,900	I understand though that we want to split this and we want to appoint them. Why don’t we let the public vote for them. Burleigh County residents say who they want in these positions. Oh, that’s a real good point.

01:30:53,470	We’re still we’re still, that’s kind of where we’re at, we changed this preliminary resolution to where the Office of County Auditor is going to stay an elected office, and the treasurer also should be then if it’s have him elected also. No, the, the treasurer office will become an appointed office. because the simple fact is we have to have competent financial management for Burleigh County. We don’t have that right now.

01:31:12,800	That shouldn’t be that to say that you can’t run unless you’re competent, have them check it at that level, and then we get to pick which one we like. Century does not allow that. Yeah, that’s, that’s not the point, but still elect them and stay. No, we, we tried that.

01:31:28,930	Constituents, well, my understanding they used to be split before when we put them together not too long back, but for some reason, now we’re going to split them what they want them appointed. And we talked about appointed a little while ago and we’re having. Difficulties understanding Who were appointing and who oversees them.

01:31:46,870	And now we want to appoint another one and There’s going to be some more issues about who’s oversees that first and then also. Right. So if we let the public elect them, we don’t have that issue. While we have that issue today. You know, we, we have Burleigh County citizens have lost millions of dollars, sir.

01:32:06,630	Uh, like he was saying that what might have been a learning curve or something else too, but OK, so I don’t think I want, how much I do it either. How much money should we lose before we take action. That’s, that’s not even the question over here. I said elected over appointed that it was the only issue I brought up.

01:32:22,970	The rest of it we’re not going to deal with that the auditor is going to stay elected and maybe the treasurer also could be elected if you split them. I don’t I don’t know what the benefit our goal since the state law doesn’t allow us to put Qualifications on an elected position.

01:32:42,930	We need that to be appointed so that we can ensure for Burleigh County citizens that you have a qualified person handling the size of the finances that Burley County has.

01:33:03,370	We’re talking hundreds of Hundreds of millions of dollars a year ago through Burleigh County for all the taxing entities, all the everybody, it, it’s, it, it needs somebody who at the very minimum is like a CPA.

01:33:17,600	So if he had, I would, Well, the Attorney General, I think when he ran, he had to be a Law, I don’t think you could just poke the garbage collector in for that either, so there are some ways of putting standards to who does run. I tried that with the state legislature this year. Apparently, they didn’t have time to work it into a bill during this session, so we, we tried that route also. We get them both elected maybe. something But the public decide who they who gets the job.

01:33:34,770	Well, the public will get to decide who’s going to be the auditor. Yeah, other one too. Thanks. Josie Milbert Burle County. Let’s make everything clear here. You wanted this to be a pointed position. And, of course, we all showed up and said no.

01:33:58,300	So now you’re just gonna gut the office, so it’ll be an appointed position because nobody’s gonna run for it. You know that, I know that. Let’s just be honest about it. That’s what you’re doing. No. And that’s, that’s the plan. So I don’t, I don’t think I can agree with that, Josie.

01:34:16,700	I don’t know why we would, uh, who’s going to run for Burleigh County Auditor do an election. For 400 to $50,000 a year. Who are you gonna get? Well, Commissioners here run for this office for a whole lot less than that. Way. This is a full time job. This isn’t know which leads me into the county administrator.

01:34:38,870	Let’s talk about the. Actually, an elected official only has to work. What is it? 88. I just. 8 hours a month. The Coney auditor is elected to a full-time position. He doesn’t have we don’t need to go into all that.

01:34:59,700	But what you want to talk about is the county administrator that you want to charge us more tax money for it. I’m looking at 5 county administrators right here that were elected. So what that says is that either you can’t do the job because we’ve grown government so much that we can’t handle the position. Or you shouldn’t ran for it in the first place.

01:35:20,500	So that’s what you’re doing and everybody can see it. And you’re wasting a lot of our time and our money. doing this stuff. And the $5 million was $5 million on investments. If I had that crystal ball back there. Assuredly wouldn’t be working for the county. Mhm You can make a lot more money elsewhere, so. That’s what’s going on here.

01:35:39,730	And it just needed to be said, so. Appreciate the time. That’s exactly the point. We need somebody in there that handles our finances that knows what they’re doing. If they, if they see 5 investment opportunities with 4 different institutions.

01:35:57,800	At least you can call the bank and say, I’m going to get 4% here, 4.5% here, 5, 5.5. What are you gonna pick? The 4? No, you’re gonna pick the 5.5. That takes knowledge and education. It takes you, you, you’ve got to have some, some knowledge of, of investments of of all kinds and we haven’t had that, and you talk about learning curve.

01:36:15,500	Well, he had, um, I, I, I get so frustrated and how, how do you, you talked about electing a dog catcher, well, you can elect a dogcatcher on current law. I didn’t see anything about electing a dogcatcher. Uh. OK. A garbage, garbage collector. I’m sorry, you said garbage collector.

01:36:32,770	I didn’t say anything about a garbage collector either. OK. All right. Well, the point is we need, the point is, and I, and we need a qualified person in there that right from the chute, right from the beginning, knows what they’re doing because they make investment decisions daily, I mean daily, and it’s millions

01:36:49,270	of dollars of money that is your money, not our money, it’s your money. And if they’re not properly done, the taxpayers lose money. It’s, that’s the only thing you got to remember. Why, why would we have somebody in there that doesn’t do the job properly. Again, you’re gutting the position.

01:37:05,900	Nobody’s in around for, it’s gonna be appointed was what you wanted in the original. It needed to be said. Because that’s what’s happening. OK. Thank you. I appreciate you sharing your opinion, but that’s not what we’re after here. We’re after sound financial management from Burley County.

01:37:24,700	Well, anybody that’s been watching the county commission since certain commissioners have been on here, and that’s been the goal since day one, hasn’t it? You’ve been working on this a long time. So And thank you for the time. I appreciate your accusations, keep my mouth Good evening. My name is Trina Schweitzer. I’m of Burley County resident.

01:37:52,600	I have a couple of questions myself. First of all, I want to thank you guys for your stance on the CO2 pipeline. That was amazing what you guys did, our own township adopted a lot of the ordinances that you put in place, and I thank you for your fight. It was great.

01:38:11,800	Um, my concerns tonight is, if you split the two, the auditor and the treasurer. Who will keep you guys accountable. Who will take that position then? Because right now the auditor. When we all came to you and said we don’t want you to make the auditor’s office, um, appointed.

01:38:35,870	A lot of us said it was about accountability. So if you split them, Who then keeps you accountable? The electorate Yeah, um, you know, I, I think you might have a mistaken impression that the auditor keeps the Commission accountable. That’s not his job. His job is is laid out in Century code and it has nothing to do.

01:39:07,870	With, with accountability of the commission. I’m not sure where you get that. So, on all the finances and the The bills that have to be looked at and signed off on and all that kind of stuff.

01:39:28,700	He, there’s no accountability between the two of a lot of, there’s a lot of accountability, as a matter of fact, I just reviewed the bills prior to this meeting, and every, every month a different Comm, uh, reviews the bills. And so it’s a, it’s a system that’s set up a minimum of 3 people signed for 3 or possibly even 4 now that I think about it, signed for each individual bill. In the county.

01:39:48,900	So there’s a serious multi-layer, um. Look at every single bill that crosses Burleigh County’s desks so that, uh, So that everybody is accountable. Literally, so nothing, uh, Nothing with any of that will change. The accountability is going to be Um Certainly maintained. OK.

01:40:21,030	So then The other question is the treasurer. You know, if you guys are, are, uh. Appoint a treasurer. Then he’s just your employee. Um So if we were to be able to elect our own treasurer. I think there’s got to be some accountability there.

01:40:48,370	I mean, I guess it just feels like some of our powers being taken away and you are getting more. And I guess I’m a little bit concerned concerned about concerned that concerned concerned about that. There is zero power. In the auditor’s office.

01:41:11,200	Well, we have a power, the power to elect them, and I know you’re going I, I, I’m So it’s a little bit of an insult because, OK, you guys have. There’s a whole big charade and you guys tell your side. Anybody who’s a good citizen calls and talks to the auditor and gets his side. And there’s really nothing really concrete telling us who’s right and who’s wrong here.

01:41:31,770	I really, I, I don’t, I think maybe a lot of people agree with me. I, I was kind of hoping that the whole investigation thing was going to happen, because I kind of want to know who’s telling the truth and who’s not. If he’s guilty, then yeah, he should go. If he’s innocent, then Who’s making up? Stuff.

01:41:53,870	And so it’s kind of frustrating for, I think a lot of us to sit here and watch the bickering back and forth, and you say, he say blah blah blah.

01:42:10,100	He says he didn’t, he didn’t lose a bunch of money, you say he doesn’t lose a bunch of money and And we’re caught in the middle trying to figure out who’s telling the truth. And so now when you’re trying to gut the position a little bit here. And, and I agree with Josie a little bit too. I worked elections. I thought they went well. Elections are really, really important to me. I want them to run well.

01:42:33,400	And If you, if you got the auditor’s position or you don’t, I don’t know what you’re gonna pay if you split. But if you don’t pay people well, we’re not going to get good people.

01:42:47,430	So if you do this, I don’t want the auditor to get less money because I want a good, I want good people to run and I want them to take their job seriously. Because I want our elections to be well run, secure, and taken seriously. So I hope you don’t decrease whatever you’re gonna pay the auditor if you guys decide to split this, and I would really like To have an opportunity to elect our treasurer also.

01:43:11,430	I just think that that is fair for the the people of Burley County to elect people who are in charge of our money. And um And whether you you think we did a bad job last time. I don’t think the other gal was any better. She didn’t present herself professionally at all.

01:43:29,500	I didn’t think so. I couldn’t vote for her. But anyway, it’s just, it’s a little bit frustrating for us out here to see. It seems like some of our election are elected us being able to elect people being taken away. We got thrown under the bus by our state this this year. With the CO2 pipeline.

01:43:50,300	They even took power away from the townships this time. So we’re just, we’re seeing power grabs is what we’re seeing out here and I really hope you guys really think about this. We’re watching. And I hope you really think about what you’re doing. Um, we elected this auditor.

01:44:10,070	He has a little more time to run here if you want to change things up, do it at, at the next time and let him do his job. We have to pay him anyway. I think he’s probably learned a lot. I don’t know that he’s redone any um mistakes. Um, twice. He’s new.

01:44:27,630	I’m sure you guys didn’t know what you were all doing when you first got elected either and you made some mistakes too. And so I would just like you to please consider. A lot before you do this and um please don’t take. The power of the people away. Thank you. Charles, I live on Roster Street.

01:45:04,070	Man, I just, I just, it’s just amazes me how the personal attacks, there’s no call for it. It’s just so unbelievable. You guys spent $194,580 a year to rent this building. You approved $17 million for this other building that you bought for 7 million. He’ll take you 99 years to break even.

01:45:28,670	That’s how money managers you guys are. No, no, the auditor is the manager. I, I’m, I’m just saying, this is, this is unbelievable. I watched you guys pass $17 million worth of uh bids and didn’t even have a way of that at that time, how it was gonna be financed.

01:45:46,170	Didn’t even talk about going to the Bank of North Dakota. Where are you gonna, well, we have the money. He’s not on top. It’s not your money. It’s like Davy Crockett. Listen, listen, um, we’re in a, we’re in a public hearing regarding this, um, this plan.

01:46:04,330	You guys, you guys are sitting here telling this how bad this auditor is, and you’ve been defaming him from day one, you guys should all be sued for liable, and you’re, you’re destroying any confidence that the, the county electorate have cause you’re calling the county electorate, stupid. That’s what you’re doing and you’ve been doing that.

01:46:27,270	Totally disregarding all the public hearings, people coming up here. And the reality is we can change all of this with a petition, and that’s what we’re gonna have to do. You want so many different routes to try and get rid of Mark. When this started in 2013. It wasn’t about Mark.

01:46:44,270	We got a, a city attorney that hired a criminal, Liz Brocker, who destroyed all the Waste’s emails and then hid that person from the investigation of the adjacent Do, the BCI in Montana dubbed her as suspect #2.

01:47:04,230	Let me remind you that we have is a public hearing Charles that we have is a public hearing Charles fraudulent that we have is a public hearing Charles and should not and should not be Charles. The and should not subject and should not and should not be Charles. The subject and should not is this preliminary plan you’re deviating is competence. Well you guys are out here. slamming Mark constantly. His job is not to Charles’s.

01:47:20,230	You were attacking everybody here and you’re complaining. I’m letting you know. I have, I haven’t, but I am now when, when he sat there and said he lost millions of dollars. There’s no foundation for that, no. Yes, yes, there is, we have the attorney the general didn’t agree with you. You don’t need to argue with me.

01:47:36,800	We, we operate on facts here, Charles you’re talking about. You’re talking about potential income. You’re not talking about lost money. This is not I’m not gonna argue with Pete Kelly. I’m sorry. You’re not going to sit and argue with us. I’m not arguing with you. I’m, I’m fat. We have documentation.

01:48:00,700	All the way down the line, Charles Charles investments on what you could have made. That’s not his responsibility. Yes Yes it is, where was his description? I’ve heard you guys read the description and nowhere was there in the description that he’s an investment banker. He’s the chief.

01:48:21,400	He’s the This position at the current time is the chief financial officer of Burley County, there’s a the money that you have competence. They have a they have a fiduciary responsibility as does the school lands Trust, all of those, keep the principle not to invest money and you got this weasel that you’ve used every meeting.

01:48:40,130	Come up here and try and find things on Mark and it hasn’t been successful. Haven’t you guys woke up hasn’t worked, so now you wanna strip this office of everything because everything you’ve tried, everything you’ve thrown at this hasn’t worked, has it? You’re not listening to the voters. You’re not. Get anything else that. Thanks, Kelly.

01:49:10,200	But Steven Schneidly, resident of Burley County, um, I apologize if I missed some of the earlier. I was a little bit late, so. You can move that mic up. We can, we can’t hear you. There you go. Sorry. I apologize if something’s been discussed already.

01:49:24,430	I, I might have missed something, but I just caught the end of talking about whether or not you’re going to hire additional employees and all that, um, and, and maybe be true you don’t have the intention of hiring additional employees, but I think I heard you say that each Each new department now that’s all under the current auditor position. would need a new director of that department.

01:49:43,800	No? No. OK. So no, they’re they’re currently they’re they’re currently is they’re right there currently is a director of like say the tax equalization department. OK. So you, you, they all have their own head of departments currently. Yep. OK. So. No change. OK. That was the only question I had. OK. Thank you.

01:50:07,200	Um, my name is Curtis Junt, um, first thing I wanted to mention here, it’s a little. Uh, I know we’ve talked about this before, but Maybe at some point could this board Um, have a discussion whether we need to keep spending $750,000 on garrison version.

01:50:29,070	It’s a little sidebar, but I wonder what the benefit is. It is off topic, but I wonder what the benefit is to Burle County. I don’t see one. Yeah, well, they, we, we did $50,000 they did $50,000 for our ball diamond they, for the new floor. I just throw that out. But anyway, OK, let, let’s topic.

01:50:49,400	When I read the packet for today, I went all the way down and it looks like there was Some emails that came from different uh department heads on, you know, if we do split this, how many staff we’re gonna need and I went all the way down and I, I’ve attended enough meetings. To hear um finance Director Lee Jacobs talk about.

01:51:05,930	How You know, running and doing the job efficiently. Um, we actually won’t need any staff. We might even be able to save staff. So I think if you keep reading down, I think there is that email in the packet. From, uh, finance Director Lee Jacobs.

01:51:26,330	Um, You know I have no reason to ever stand up here and talk about this. I’m not trying to validate myself like some of the other people here who keep running for offices. I never plan on running for office. I will not run for office. Number of people that get up here to try to validate themselves, they keep running for offices.

01:51:39,570	That’s not why I’ve been up here on this topic. I’m up here because In my 43 year career and having my own companies and having hired a CFO and controller.

01:51:59,800	And having different companies, I’m sick and tired of self-dealers and our politicians, he stood up in Stirling and said when he chose to be a politician. And that’s the problem. I didn’t view this job at 102,000 a year starting as an entry level on the job training. If anyone here that there’s a lot of business owners here.

01:52:19,600	I wonder how many of you have an entry level on the job training, no formal education whatsoever beyond the GED. No experience about finance, economics, business, investments, and you’re going to hire someone and pay them starting out at 102,000 year plus benefits which by the way he now gave himself a $9000 a year raise. So now he’s at 111,000, 166,000 burden to the county.

01:52:38,800	OK, now, he gets on the radio and he keeps talking about the problem is you guys. I hear these guys get up and the problem is you guys, but you know what, he may just be the reason. I mean, I didn’t get involved in this. We didn’t get involved in this until December.

01:52:55,330	Cause I listened to the bad publicity about Burleigh County too, and you know, we did a hell of a job battling the monster CO2, um, you know, it might have been in vain. But You know, this, this to me when I look at property taxes going up.

01:53:15,170	And where we live, And I see And, and I, we’ve been to the meeting. Some of you probably. Haven’t been reading all the the attending all the meetings. These guys have meetings every 2 weeks. There’s never been an auditor treasurer, public, you know, meeting that we can attend to hear what the auditor treasurer is doing is there.

01:53:33,300	That’s the accountability that we have for U5. You have meetings every 2 weeks, at least, and we get to stream in and listen. We get to attend the meetings. That’s how we hold all 5 of you accountable. So this position Unfortunately he had a high enough salary that somebody with zero qualifications, 0.

01:53:55,700	chose to run for it. I voted for him. Comm Bittner voted for him. You, yep, OK, is, you know, that’s on us because like I’ve said before, I don’t, I can’t imagine anyone in their right mind that would choose to run for a job to get a big paycheck.

01:54:13,870	Because I stand up, I’m good looking. I wear a cross. I got you all believing in me. That’s a politician for you. And then you get, OK, I’ve got a 4-year degree. I’m an engineer. Oh, I’m gonna run for an elect let’s say they elect the the administrator of Sanford.

01:54:32,630	You think I’m going to run for that? No, because I’m going to fall flat on my face and fail. So there’s been enough published by this commission, by the finance department over the last year that shows all of the money. It’s not all could have, would have, should have. There were CDs that came to that were left to sit idle at 0.

01:54:54,930	4% for 34 months. That’s not their fault. That, that, and then I hear him stand up, uh, a month or two months ago and talk about how he keeps all the investments in a folder paper.

01:55:11,530	Well, this is the age of computers and that, that’s what the finance department’s doing, so I, I don’t, I don’t, uh, is there one person they’re business owners here you find me one company. That has, I don’t care if it’s $1 million budget.

01:55:33,400	I don’t care if they invest $500,000 in funds that will hire this Guy with zero qualifications to manage their money, let alone $78 million budget,,,, $100 million in funds see it’s OK for all these people to be defending this *** because it’s not their direct money. But when it’s their money, find me one person, one company, you’re business owners. I see them all out here.

01:55:51,070	I want one of you to come forth and say yup, I have a Million dollar corporation and yep, I would hire him. If so, I would like to propose that the county pay his salary and let him go work there because the bottom line is, You, you all are being blamed to be the problem, but I

01:56:06,530	think it’s quite obvious where the reason is, and it’s been nothing but a distraction from bigger things. He’s got all his friends and family, his young Republicans showing up here which are very, in my opinion, very ethically. Uh, operating uh challenged. They are.

01:56:26,330	No, you guys, you stand up here and you bash everything and you pull your shenanigans with your crap ads, but I, I think it’s time that we started an old Republicans and maybe some of us baby boomers can teach you young Republicans some ethics and that’s all I have. OK. Please stay on top.

01:56:50,900	Yeah, that, uh, uh stay on topic, uh Comm Woodcox is asking that folks stay on topic, so OK, so Cody for the county resident. I want to go back to We said accountability, lots of times and we said, who is gonna hold you guys accountable when um I don’t remember who came up here and asked this, but it wasn’t what he holds you accountable.

01:57:13,730	That’s not what we’re saying. We hold him accountable, which we’re supposed to do. We’re supposed to be able to hold you guys accountable, but that hasn’t happened because like you said, there’s a lot of people that have come to so many of these meetings and said, stop.

01:57:31,470	And that hasn’t been heard, so what’s the, what’s the checks and balances you guys are talking about because it sounds like There’s a word that’s coming up all the time and it’s control. It’s not checks and balances that you want. You want control. And here’s the other thing I would tell you, when you split this many departments, you guys.

01:57:45,230	In the military, you can’t have that many departments without having a hub or meetings regularly. Having this all under one department right now allows continuity, communication, and Having the finance department underneath there, they’re all talking. They’re holding each other accountable. That’s, that’s what this is important too, and these should stay elected.

01:58:08,300	And she’s right. Every time that you take some power from us. This has happened since for you guys. Anytime the government takes power from us, you never give it back. You never give it back. This is inappropriate.

01:58:27,000	It is a complete power grab, and I’m asking again, the other thing is, is I love your lip service, Brian, but it’s not, it’s lip service. When you tell me you’re not gonna add more people, but in paper, you’re adding more people. We started the special meeting and Julie had a whole bunch of different people that were going to get elected. There were 3 CPAs. There was another director.

01:58:40,230	There is a list of, of people being added. We sat there going, I wonder how much money that’s gonna cost us on those salaries. We heard it and I get you’re telling me you’re not gonna add anybody but it’s in the paper we’re paper we’re telling you paper we’re that we’re not adding staff.

01:58:56,900	Yes, but you’ve also told us that you’re not going to attack somebody. And you’ve also told us that you’ve taken an oath. To the Constitution that holds our rights. You’re supposed to protect our rights. You’re not supposed to take them away from us. This whole thing is taking away our rights.

01:59:12,330	How so? Because you’re taking our elected official and turning it into an appointed a position, no, we’re, we’re converting. Those are the duties Those are the Mr. Chair. Yeah, treasurer is being appointed, but the treasurer right now is elected, correct? No. Let me, let me make a quick point. Yeah.

01:59:32,000	We went to these public hearings, a lot of you people probably there for Well, the 21 of the two things that was emphasized, they want to keep the auditor elected. They want to keep the auditor elected. This is, let, let me finish. We’re still going to have the auditor elected.

01:59:49,070	It’s just gonna be powers are going to be changed. The treasury is not elected, will not be elected, he’s appointed. But like they said, you’re converting, you’re taking all the power away from our elected official. See the elected what we wanted to see was the whole, the whole thing.

02:00:08,430	There, there is no power in that auditor’s office, but there is because it’s our personal strings. It’s our tax money. Yeah, that’s why we’re doing this. But that’s Yeah, that’s why we’re doing this. But that’s our power Yeah, that’s why we’re doing this. But that’s.

02:00:19,900	You see there’s no power in it, but then why do you want it so bad? Why do you want to control you’re, you’re making accusations here. I’m not accusations. I’m asking you no power in it. Then why do you want it? We don’t want it. But you’re asking to appoint individual that knows what they’re doing.

02:00:42,470	We need competent financial management for Burley County, OK? That’s not what we have right now. OK, so there was an earlier question that said if there’s all these accusations, had there been things that he has still not done. Or has he come around and made things right. You know, I hear there are, but I.

02:01:02,230	It goes on and on and on and on. Yeah, it, it just, it just won’t you see, the problem is it’s, it’s just a continual Train wreck with this. Is it a train wreck or is it just The lack of how you wanted the train to go. It’s a different track.

02:01:20,970	Cause you’re you’re you’re still not answering, I can tell you, you know, I’ve I’ve been, I’ve owned my own company for what I think 38 years. And um I have certain expectations for money management. And we’re going to have Burleig County finances well managed. We have to. But what makes you guys, what? Educated in this.

02:01:47,130	Cause you keep saying that he’s not educated guess, um, I know for a fact. That at least for sure, 4 of the commissioners at this table are business owners or have been. So am I. That doesn’t mean that I’m gonna go run. Do you have a, do you hire a CPA to do your taxes? Yeah. Why? Because I’m a chiropractor.

02:02:10,070	Because that’s not my subject matter expertise, however, does he also lean on somebody to do that part of the job. Cause it sounds like he does. That’s why I’m asking you because you’re telling me that we need to separate these all out. And you’re, you’re not allowing for continuity. At all.

02:02:31,470	There’s not going to be continuity when you spread this out. This allows a lot of a lot of different a lot of directors a lot of, I appreciate your comments, but I don’t think you understand what we’re doing. We’re, we’re you’re not answering me. Well, we’re fixing the problem. You’re fixing the problem that you think exists as electors.

02:02:51,100	And I’ve asked you again, what, what has he corrected? We’re not I don’t, I don’t know, um, I don’t know how to answer your questions there. Then I don’t know why we’re wasting this amount of money, time, and tax dollars doing this.

02:03:09,330	You know this Guy has caused the last go ahead, Comm don’t you feel 4 or $5 million lost to the taxpayers is important. I feel like the same thing that Charles said, where we rent this building at a pretty significant, awesome amount. What was the change to change that money and realistically, if we’re going to talk about let’s stay on topic.

02:03:28,530	I am let’s stay on topic. I am staying on topic let’s stay on topic. I am you’re asking me about $5 million of an investment, but you’re OK investing money in a building. Purchasing a building that’s, is it necessary? Yeah, it is. How we already own the building. We own the building free and clear.

02:03:43,100	And so, I’m just saying when you tell me $5 that’s a subjective amount cause even Curtis said, you know, it’s an investment, and yes there were CDs that lapsed, but there was other priorities that were being handled in his office.

02:04:02,730	Yeah, what, what can you, can you give me an example of what priorities? Mark, no, you’re the one that you’re basically you’re just repeating his comments. I’m not you know we have documentation. Listen, we got a lot of documentation, OK you’re acting like he sat there twiddling his thumbs like there wasn’t anything else being done other than delinquency on investing money and not seeing these CDs.

02:04:24,600	I guarantee when he, there was a lot of garbage like we said, there was a person who was in the office prior to, and you guys have said it too. There’s a lot of things to fix in that office.

02:04:35,970	And so when you come into an office, when you come into a new job, you have to triage that job. As to what needs to be done first, and I’m sorry, knowing what I know about CDs and there’s a risk, there’s, there’s wins, there’s losses, there’s profit, all those things. Those things wouldn’t have been the top priority on my list either.

02:04:53,400	I’m sorry, but I triage things, I think they would have been on your list if you were supposed to be the chief financial officer of the county. It was your money, your money, I get what you guys are saying. It’s very funny that you don’t think I understand money loss. I, I do. And so do the rest of our people.

02:05:08,400	I’m just simply asking these hard pressed questions where I’m saying, what has he not come to do. You keep coming up with that one thing. And I get that you think $5 million is a lot, but what was, what, what did we just say our, I’ll give you another, for instance, that is particularly troubling, in addition to the

02:05:26,000	approximately 5 million. Today Burleig County is not able to reconcile their books. Our books are in such disarray. Under this auditor that we can’t, even with CPAs on the job, we cannot reconcile our books, which means, um, the accounts in the books don’t match the cash balances from

02:05:50,630	banks and such. And I can tell you that bothers me badly. So this is just like every yep. So the audits that we’ve done on the public school systems that can’t match up. There are tons of government, different organizations you guys have budget Burleys.

02:06:11,030	Listen, I’m responsible for Burley County and Burley County books are going to are going to reconcile. Um, the last I recall was just prior to The deputy Auditor treasurer leaving. So it’s been in the last Um, the last 5 months or so. has been an absolute Irreconcilable problem. Now I have to take action.

02:06:40,300	OK, that’s all there is to it but you’re Right When were those books right? What That’s what that’s Brian, I, I, I don’t handle the books in my, I don’t even do accounting. I hire people that are qualified to do that. But you’re telling me it’s fault. But you can’t tell me the start of it happened when he got elected.

02:07:09,070	It we have a, we have an understanding of of what it actually started. Um And I think we’ve made that clear. When was that? Well, once the long-time auditor in the long-time finance directors decided to retire. That’s when things started. And that was, I think, a 2-year period with uh another auditor.

02:07:33,230	And then he was, uh, I think, elected to fill an unexpired term, and when that came time for him to run or not, he chose not to run again. And so we started to see the issues then. And it has just gotten worse.

02:07:56,000	And both of those were elected auditor treasurers, and It took us a while, um, and I really got to thank the finance department. For bringing all this to light because if it, if it wouldn’t have been for that. Burleigh County could be in some, uh, Serious financial difficulties right now.

02:08:15,770	And we just, we’re just not going to allow that, Cody. My question is, it sounds like it was a domino effect that started before Mark and then you said, Mark, wave your what magic wand and fix this. And when he couldn’t fix it within the months that you told them to.

02:08:30,800	I’m sorry, I’m, I’m totally not, that’s not a fair that’s not a fair statement there. We didn’t ask him to wave a magic wand. We didn’t ask him to, matter of fact, you see what we had an expectation of somebody qualified. Like if I needed my back adjustment, I’d probably go to a chiropractor. I sure wouldn’t go to an accountant.

02:08:50,500	For my back. In this case, we simply have to have Burleigh County finances in order. We have to be able to. Lord knows what the state audit is going to show us this year. Our guys worked really hard to make corrections and whatnot, and we’re just holding our breath on the state audit now.

02:09:11,270	So we know that our books do not reconcile. And that is not a position for this board or this county to be in. I get what you’re saying. I, right, but it’s not. This this has been a long time.

02:09:33,130	This particular auditor does not have a skill set necessary to do this job, OK? That’s just simply it doesn’t have training, doesn’t have experience, doesn’t have any sort of any thing that applies. But I’ve asked you, what has he fallen short on? What is he correctively done, I can’t find. I can’t find any, yeah Commission. This is very sad.

02:09:58,800	OK, so I just have a question really quick and then I can be done, but it’s an elected position and like they said, you pretty much called us all stupid because we elected a man, and here’s the other thing you guys, and I know that this doesn’t maybe sit well called you stupid. Hang on, back up. I think you’ve heard somebody else say, I voted for him.

02:10:16,400	But you told us that don’t saying that we’re nobody is calling anybody stupid, Cody. I voted for him. OK, so if we go back to what it was, it was, I guess we did a terrible job with that one. That’s how you said I don’t think I use the word terrible. Either way, it doesn’t matter.

02:10:36,200	I’m just simply saying like this is an elected position. And so the people elected this man one thing that you guys are. For forgetting is this is a position that absolutely requires honesty and trustworthiness. That’s the yeah, you’re right, it, it does.

02:10:59,600	And there is no trust within Burley County for this auditor right now. But there is because that’s why I’m here. So when you tell me that there’s no trust, that’s not true because I have trust. Yeah, well, you keep on believing that, OK, Mr. Chair. Comm Woodcox couple quick things that have nothing to do with finances.

02:11:16,800	We run elections and somebody was up here said they run and their election worker, and we thank you for the election workers. Well, 3 things, but I don’t want to go on forever. Our election the last time we had was a major one.

02:11:32,200	When you have presidential, we’ve got everything going and there’s lots of people are going to vote, not a primary, but they’re gonna be a lot of people. About 10 days before our election, our election coordinator who was hired to do that, quit. Because they couldn’t get along with the auditor. They quit.

02:11:48,670	Now, another second, when as soon as we got into the financial end of this, our deputy, his, his deputy quit. And, and left us hanging, left you hanging with nobody of any experience running it. So thank God or during the elections, our, our, uh, uh, assessing department director had a lot of knowledge, been here a long time, and he stepped up and did the election, really did a wonderful job.

02:12:07,470	We thank God we got through that because elections are, are, are so important to everybody else, but those two things right there, they’re not financial but there are things that he should have been done right, they were not done right. Did we ask why those individuals quit other than personal.

02:12:21,900	Pardon me? Did we ask why those individuals quit other than personal? They just couldn’t get along. Oh, sure, we got to exit, exit interviews, yes. So, did, was it that Mark was unqualified or was Mark asking them to do something or to hold them accountable and they didn’t want to do it.

02:12:38,400	We don’t want to get into just know you brought it up that they quit. And I’m simply saying if I come to a position and I know what I’m doing and somebody tells me to do something in another way, and it’s not the right way or it’s not. It’s questionable. The person that’s wrong is usually the one that quits.

02:12:56,530	Well, all I know these two were very qualified. They were, they, and, and they both quit and then there’s gotta be a reason for that. It’s not because of, of payment or what they’re paid or who it’s people who do their supervisor. It was a supervisor.

02:13:10,930	It makes me sad that we want to argue about that, our human resource, I don’t know how much information you can release.

02:13:21,730	But if you want to look, if, if, if you’re legally allowed to look at their eggs in interviews, I’d like to see you do it. I would. I would like to see that it’s sad to me too that qualifications, I see. College graduates. Come all the time, you guys. Their qualifications are amazing. I wouldn’t hire them. Wouldn’t hire them because of their qualifications. They have questionable ethics that don’t align with mine.

02:13:41,930	And so if you’re asking me if I elected an individual because of qualifications or because they actually coincide with my beliefs, values, and I know that when they’re making a vote and they’re making a decision, they’re representative of my votes, my values. That’s the importance of elected position. OK. Thanks for sharing that with us.

02:14:13,470	Anybody else wish to speak on. No. Anybody else wish to speak? This is a public hearing. Anybody else supposed to speak? All commissioners Um, I just want to clarify a few things I heard. I was actually at home and I heard the meeting, so I wanted to come back.

02:14:34,900	Um, the tax equalization director has been appointed by this county Comm for, I would guess since they made a tax director position in 1980s. I’ve been appointed to this position as the tax director and will continue to be appointed to this tax as the tax director by this county commission until they no longer see the need for me to serve as their tax

02:14:50,270	director or I get to retire. Um, that position is not changing. No staff is being added in our office, and there’s no staff necessities added in any of the other departments whether the change happens or it stays elected.

02:15:07,430	I just want to clarify that there is no staff being added, and this position has always been an appointed official by the county commission. Thank you. Thanks, Al. OK, now you wanted to, you wanted to speak again or somebody else coming up? Comes, Travis No, we got a collision. Pardon me. We got a collision coming. You go ahead.

02:15:35,130	How hard would it be to put qualifications on an elected physician. It’s, it’s real difficult. We have to get, we have to get the law changed and I, I tried that this year and it’s just legislature has to do with legislature. Yeah, I know So that’s, that’s the problem with that. I just, one funny remark, I guess I couldn’t handle it.

02:15:52,200	You guys have said about 5 times today, stay on topic. Right. You go, you kind of went off topic on her real bad there for a while, so stay on topic. I don’t know what you’re referring to. I’m very often. I wasn’t even gonna speak on this topic tonight, guys, but.

02:16:13,470	I’ve sat up here and said before, we need somebody to voice a reason. The, the water is muddy. We have such bigger issues right now in the county. That will actually Benefit the county. I get it, guys, we talked about transparency, we talked about accountability, we’ve talked about qualifications. We’ve talked about trust and confidence. We have issues. Right now that aren’t being discussed.

02:16:40,900	That encapsulate all those. We have ETA discussion that we need you guys focused on. We have public health. That we need you guys focused on. And you keep going back to this. Your mind is already made up. Split the office Gutted And let the people at the ballot box and the petitions decide where we’re going to go.

02:17:05,670	Quit this nonsense. quit coming back to it, twisting it, turning it. Quit giving people in the audience to feel like you’re listening, because guys, you’re not. You have your minds made up. So let’s get on with it. Do what you’re gonna do. Quit dividing the people.

02:17:25,770	Because you know something, I came tonight to talk about. The parks. I came to talk about public health. And I wanted to be heard about public comment. This issue’s dead. You guys are gonna do what you want to do. I hope though that after you went headhunting for this man. You also use those qualities that you’ve listed.

02:17:47,200	In other departments. Hopeful I’ll get to speak later on that. Uh OK, we’re getting to the point where people are, are coming up and saying multiple, uh, comments. I just we’re we’re going to ask a quick question earlier, but I have a couple more as, um, other comments were made.

02:18:20,070	Um, so just trying to understand that I haven’t worked in a government office, so I don’t understand, but I’ve worked in other businesses where, um, it’s oftentimes the case where the manager of the department doesn’t understand The nuances of the job and oftentimes has never worked in the software, etc. etc.

02:18:47,300	um, because they’re hired for their, their qualifications per se, not their experience in the job. So just trying to understand. You know, Mark, I’m assuming has staff. That has qualifications that are CPA or etc. or, or has accounting experience or knowledge. Um, I’m assuming that’s the case, correct? There’s not a CPA in the auditor’s office.

02:19:14,000	We, we have a CPA working under us as the finance director, but it’s a separate um separate entity, and so there are a number of employees in that department.

02:19:32,700	I don’t have their qualifications on me, but I do know they have accounting backgrounds, but I’m not aware of any CPAs but I mean since you can’t control whether the qualifications of the elected position are when it makes sense that you, uh, can control The qualifications of the staff in that office.

02:19:54,100	And therefore, I think that’s what we’re doing, right? And so when it makes sense to have a CPA on staff, if that’s what you’re worried about is the qualifications or the experience of the individual. Well, we have, we have a CPA on the auditor’s office. I mean, you’re sitting here saying that there there’s not enough experience, knowledge, and qualifications. But you have the ability to control the qualifications of the staff, correct? Yeah, and we do, we actually do believe that the staff is properly qualified. OK.

02:20:18,070	So Mr. Chair, Mr. Woodcock. Did you, did you realize that in the time that since he’s been audited the entire staff of his office has changed over, have quit, and we got new ones in there. No. Did you know that? No, I don’t.

02:20:33,000	What do you think causes that? It’s not, not experience. I don’t know all the details because that’s I have a full time. That’s a detailed too. So, I can’t do your job and do my job. So, no, I don’t know every detail what’s going on.

02:20:49,530	Partly because you guys keep saying that you’re gonna provide this packet of information of all the things that are happening and it never comes out. It is out. So. It’s. It is out. It’s available. Um, it is available on the Burley County website. OK, so it’s hundreds packet that you say. Yeah, yeah. OK.

02:21:06,130	And I think there was also all the information that got sent to the Attorney General. I think it was 476 pages on that thing, so that that’s available now? Yep. Always has, has been for a long time. Well, I wouldn’t, yeah, I wouldn’t say always, but, yeah. Yeah. But anyway, the point being is, is I, I guess like That I’m trying to understand too.

02:21:23,830	I don’t, I don’t know everything about. You know, how an elected position interacts with Uh, salaried or employed positions, right? So I’m just trying to understand, you know, how much, how much does the elected position lean on the staff means that the elected position may not have qualifications. To do the job.

02:21:51,000	Um, and, and is that not kind of the norm in, in a government job. Um, so, so just take your, your, you know, uh. Your senator that’s You know, you’re federally elected senator, do they have qualifications? No, they, they lean on their staff a lot or the staff that’s provided to them, right? So is that not

02:22:14,570	kind of normal, I guess that’s what I’m asking. But Mr. Chair, he did lean on his staff, and they all quit. So there you go. OK, so he has no staff in his office. They were rehired. We, we had replaced each one. Yeah.

02:22:33,170	And, you know, in a, in a good part of what we have moving forward is that we’re concerned we’re going to lose more. Staff because um people are are getting tired of going back and fixing the problems and fixing and fixing. It it’s just wearing everybody out. And we think the reason we’re confident That we won’t be adding staff as we think once.

02:22:55,000	They, they can stop going back and fixing problems that are being created. That they are actually going to free up more time. We think we, we may be able to. Um, get by with less staff when we get the right policies and procedures and whatnot in place. OK.

02:23:17,070	So, so, are you saying that that Mark himself is the one that’s actually like making journal entries and, and stuff, or is that likely his staff? I don’t know if he’s, I don’t, I hope he’s not doing the journal entries.

02:23:35,630	OK, so that’s what I’m saying like, so if he’s not the one that’s doing the, the actual busy work where the mistakes coming from then, it would have to be partly at least the staff, correct, that are actually doing the entries. Um Again, I’m just trying to blame when the management doesn’t know what they’re doing. I’m not blaming we’re not blaming the staff. I think the staff is doing their best. I’m not trying to blame anybody.

02:23:55,900	I’m trying to understand the differences of Like Man versus The employees, right? And again, Like I said, I’ve worked in many positions where the, the manager doesn’t know Jack. The, the staff is the one doing the work.

02:24:17,270	They’re, they’re more just directing the workflow, right? And so is that, is that what the elected position is there to do is there is the elected position there to to do the daily work of making journal entries and so on.

02:24:36,200	Well, I think the safest way to answer that is that The person in charge needs to know what the job is, because otherwise you don’t know if it’s getting done or not. Well, sure, in a, in a general sense, but like, like I’m saying, like, You know, do you In a normal business environment, you might use QuickBooks or whatever, right? Does the manager know how to run QuickBooks. In and out. Probably not. Their staff does that.

02:25:00,570	Right? But he’s the chief financial officer. It’s his responsibility. No, that’s not the way it works. Yeah, it is. That’s the way it is. Oh, in a real business world, that’s not the way it works. Oh, yeah. The, the manager does not intuitively, you, if the manager comes in, they don’t intuitively know the ins and outs of the software.

02:25:20,270	Right? Yeah Yeah, they do. No, no, they don’t. I’ve worked in many big corporations, right? And so the manager does not understand the ins and outs of the software I’m not going to be able to help you understand that. Here we have a situation where they can.

02:25:42,130	I’m saying I’m not, I’m just saying there’s a lot of instances where they don’t, and I’m just trying to understand is, is the, the role of the elected physician. To do the, the day to day work or to manage the staff that is doing the work. That’s my question. That’s what I’m trying to get to.

02:25:57,800	OK, I don’t have an answer for you. OK. All right. Thank you. Anybody else wish to speak? This is a public hearing. One more time. This is a public hearing. Does anybody else wish to speak? Hello, commissioners. Uh, my name is Brandon Pritchard. Uh, I was a former member of the state House of Representatives.

02:26:36,730	Appreciate, uh, your service to the county. Um, you know, there’s been a lot of back and forth. I, I haven’t spoken on this issue at all in the public commons, you know, I guess I’ll start with one question, uh, maybe we’ll start with the Chair if you’ll entertain the question, but would you Name one thing in

02:26:55,270	working with Mark Sponskowski that auditor, treasurer, one thing that you’ve appreciated about the auditor. Treasurer or is it all negative? I’ve only heard negative in your, I mean, for 6 months, I’ve only heard negative. Do you have one positive thing to say about the audit treasurer is all attacks. I’ll have to think about that.

02:27:17,230	I don’t. Nothing comes to mind. I, I can honestly answer when, when I ask or when I call his office. He’s about the most pleasant person I’ve yet to talk on the phone. I appreciate that.

02:27:38,630	Chair have anything? No, no, nothing comes to mind real quick, you know, I Appreciate it. Comm, I have to say in the last couple of months, I think his attitude has changed. I think he’s trying to help us out. I’ve called several times on little things that, that I need to have done or, or, uh, questioned about this or that, and he’s been very good.

02:27:53,670	Last, but there’s only been the last couple months. So now, There are, that’s, I think you’d have to agree. I come in here every day, walk through and visit with whoever might be available and, and, uh, I think the attitude has changed his attitude has changed.

02:28:09,730	Would you say that that’s a quality of him adapting to what needs to be done. Well, he hasn’t done it in the last 2.5 years. I mean, he didn’t adapt to the last few months. In the last couple months, I think, is, it’s changed. OK. The last question I have for you folks. I’m wondering in terms of public perception.

02:28:26,830	I mean, we had several people come up here this evening who in their projection in their opinion, I think it’s a very reasonable pain. In fact, I think it’s one of the only reasonable opinions on this whole thing is that the commission is attempting to gut this office.

02:28:45,200	I mean, is there no care about the public perception on this matter. I mean, I feel the same way. I’ll be honest, I think that this is a clear illustration of the county trying to gut it, but maybe you have a different motive.

02:28:56,330	I don’t know, but I think that most people I talk to don’t. I, I can address that one for you. The motive is to protect Burleigh County citizens from losing money. We are, we are, we’re not joking about this millions of dollars. Now, I don’t, I don’t know how much money you want to throw away. But we take the finances of the county very seriously.

02:29:21,530	So it’s We’ve had enough We need um we need. qualifications. In the financial dealings for Burleigh County and its citizens, and we don’t have that in this auditor, so You know, um, I I don’t know about your attitude about gutting it and whatnot, but the simple fact is we have to take the

02:29:46,600	steps that are available to us to protect Burleigh County citizens. And their money. Comm Bakke and as a former legislator, you know the constraints that are placed upon municipalities when it comes to having Qualifications for those positions so you know, is it right? Is it wrong? No, but that’s what the century code affords, and that’s it, is

02:30:12,400	it the path that I would choose? No, but that’s what’s left for municipalities, and you know that as a former legislator’s bill as anyone.

02:30:27,730	Well, that’s, that’s the, that’s what you’ve set up to look like and appear, and I, and I actually in in terms of and and I hope you won’t take this as an insult in terms of political theater. It’s incredible because the the the thesis that you had at the beginning.

02:30:42,670	And I mean, I know that the opinions of a number of you has always been to separate those offices or get rid of the electability of the otitor, but the thesis of it at the beginning of Oter Swanskowski’s term was that the auditor position was elected and the treasurer auditor was one office. The antithesis was that you came up with a number of things that I believe are unwarranted.

02:30:57,670	I mean, take for instance the lawsuit, which by the way, is now the law of the land in North Dakota, HB 1165 passed, so the the the law that Mark sued on is Actually, now a lot, he was vindicated completely. And so, I mean, you’ve never apologized for that. Wait a minute, wait a minute. Yeah, that’s, that’s irrelevant.

02:31:15,000	At the time he filed that lawsuit, He was wrong. Well, yeah, but he’s right now ruling came out. Before they change things. So he did not follow state law. Well, he was, I think you’re missing the point of what a lawsuit is intended for you’re trying to twist here, but I just want to correct you that.

02:31:35,530	That at the time that he was, that he was suing. He was wrong because that was the law. Now you are saying, well, see, he was right. They changed the law. That isn’t the way it works. That’s, that’s all I’m trying to tell you.

02:31:56,930	You need to understand that at that time, what the law was Laws change, OK? Sure, I get your opinion. I, my, my opinion was that there was a legitimate legal question that he had raised, and then I’ll get off on this topic, but there was a legitimate legal claim that he was bringing. OK, that’s not, that’s not what we’re here to discuss.

02:32:14,530	We’re here to discuss this resolution that, that’s all old news. I had a gentleman that’s all old news. I had a gentleman just about 15 minutes ago called myself and my organization for a number of things which were not true, which you did not stop him for, but now you’re saying that my argument is illegitimate because I’m

02:32:29,470	bringing up the means, the, the, the reasons that you’re trying to separate these offices and I guess my point was the antithesis doesn’t have anything to do with that lawsuit. That was just one thing among many that you don’t so much documentation on this. I mean, it’s, it’s hundreds and hundreds of pages, you know, Mr.

02:32:54,000	Chair, uh, if, if you’ll allow me to say one more thing on that. You know, I used to be a member of, of forensics debate. One of the things that we used to do when we were losing an argument was give hundreds of pages for the opposition to read through.

02:33:09,770	Well, thanks, I think that that’s what you’re doing to create an antithesis and the solution is the middle ground to which you have created. The middle ground is separating those offices out. I don’t know if you ever intended to make the auditor position elected.

02:33:24,030	I’m sure that’s what you would have wanted, but what you have ended up with is your solution that you have to find, which I don’t agree with. I don’t think the majority of people in this room, and I bet the majority of people in the county wouldn’t agree with it. I, my, my simple question to you is, what are you going to do to address that perspective.

02:33:35,700	I don’t think that you even respect that that. A perspective of a large population of people. I think that’s a perspective of yours. And I don’t know that.

02:33:52,300	Um The people that I hear from, and I hear from a lot of people have a difference of opinion with you. Yeah. So I’ve learned that echo chamber, it’s easy enough to say that. However, We’re doing, I mean, I, I think that this Commission is actually listened to the citizens by proposing a plan that keeps the auditor elected and appoints a treasurer that addresses the financial concerns of the

02:34:18,070	county. I think it’s a win-win for everybody. So you’re welcome to have your opinion, my thanks, thank you for this. Anybody else wish to speak on this item. Anybody else wish to speak. 3rd call. Anybody else wish to speak? Realize I’m not going to do that again. I had to get rid of the baby.

02:34:46,170	Sorry, uh, Jasmine Schneily Burley County resident. I know that you guys are probably going to do whatever you’re gonna do, and that’s really not the point of my only comment here. But I would have to tell you that I am thoroughly disappointed by the lack of integrity I have seen in all of this.

02:35:01,130	The name calling and particularly the tearing down of Mark’s character. I just want you to know it was really disappointing to watch, and you should all be ashamed of yourselves. OK, thanks. Anybody else wish to speak. Mm My name is Kathleen Lee. I am also a Burleigh County resident.

02:35:36,330	Um, I just wanted to be maybe the only one in the room that says, I absolutely understand the need to have A person who understands financial management, who understands investment management and all the things that you are saying that you’re looking for in the treasurer position.

02:36:08,400	Because we can’t mandate different um Qualifications for elected officials. I think you guys are doing the only thing that you can do to do what’s right for the county. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. OK, I’m gonna close the public hearing, um. Mr. Chair Comm Munsen. Now that the public hearing is, is closed.

02:36:39,870	I, I wanted to read a few items uh out of. The AG’s opinion. When he sent back his letter to us letting us know that He wouldn’t recommend. Prosecuting or or sending the asking the governor to prosecute the auditor for his uh for for our concerns, and I want to just state out a few things out of this letter.

02:37:04,500	There were 11 allegations with a number of documents that were provided. He is very specific in the fact that the allegations raised concern about Mr. Sposkowski’s administration of his office. Information security practices, accounting practices and handling of payments to And from his office circumventing circumvent the.

02:37:36,530	his big and I’m gonna get to this stuff to file the lawsuit and other troubling matters of Burley County through the documentation process. So he is, he’s concerned that the information provided to him. It is a big concern for the residents of Burleigh County. He gets down into the letter.

02:37:59,330	And he talks about the fact that while thoroughly and well prepared materials compiled for this matter illuminate troubling allegations. And and a parent professional performance lapses. The Foley evaluation of the facts, the gravity of removing of an elected official is not the right place to go. He does go on here to say that the process was well documented.

02:38:23,870	And for you residents that are concerned about the stack of papers that have been talked about. The Attorney General Came out and said that the state’s attorney of Burleigh County Did the appropriate thing by filing the documents. To the, to the Attorney General for their opinion.

02:38:45,800	The bottom part of his letter pretty much comes out and says if auditor Sposkowski chooses to run again for re-election. It is the residents. Decision to elect or not elect him. So He is telling us that there’s a lot of concern here. For you residents to pay attention to. In the next election. Oh Thanks for sharing that.

02:39:18,530	Anybody else have anything else to add? Well, Commissioners, I guess The next thing would be um a decision on the resolution in the plan. With your wishes. Mr. Chair, there was a conversation you and I had a while ago about the date of effectiveness. Yes.

02:40:09,670	Have we do have a clarification of that? That’s a real good point. State’s Attorney, lawyer, you had given us an opinion. on the date that we could assign to this. Correct, when I was drafted, um, the new preliminary resolution. I just left the date in as it was. Prior? Yeah, it’s on.

02:40:33,130	I just left the dated as that was prior for you to discuss, um, since you’re reorganizing the office and not changing, um, any term of office or how um the office is uh made by election, um, the change of dates, the effective date can be at any time because you’re just, you’re just changing the job duties. You’re not changing the term of office or the salary of the office.

02:40:54,630	So then we could say, Effective July 8th, 2025. You could. And then it’s a 30 day. No, nothing happens. The citizens have the opportunity to um um Gather signatures and make a petition and what have you, and I, I don’t know why because uh.

02:41:26,030	I mean, they could do whatever they want, but you know, we’re, we’re listening, we, we’re leaving the auditor’s office under under this plan. We’re leaving the auditor’s office and the elected office, which is what everybody wanted, or most people wanted, and we would be appointing the treasurer because we have to have those qualifications, so. I think it’s kind of a win for everybody. Like I said earlier.

02:41:46,270	Especially for the citizens of Broca. Comm question then is, Shuffling of those duties depending on when they’re Taking place Then what’s the timeline for hiring a treasurer. I, I think that we’d have to have additional discussions on that. I would advise that we, we do an interim appointment.

02:42:17,870	Um And I, and I think the most, the most appropriate person would be the current finance director because he is a CPA. Um, and I have, I, I don’t think that we’d want to make that permanent.

02:42:40,730	I think that there’s policies and procedures that can be developed, um, there’s been a pretty good working relationship with staff in that office, the way I understand and um. And I think that we’d want to separate, we want to keep the finance department separate for the same reason that it’s separate now. You know, so I think for a an interim. But we also don’t want to be without a treasure.

02:42:58,370	Right. And so I think we would appoint, there’s, I think there was a resolution. Um, there’s not, yeah, there’s, there’s not a resolution concerning that, but I think one of the things we should do. would be to appoint somebody to that position if we make that date effective essentially now.

02:43:24,000	And I did have a discussion with finance Director and, and he’s comfortable with, um, being willing to help set up the policies policies and procedures and make the improvements that He’s been talking about for the last. Long time. So to answer your question that the date can be.

02:43:46,430	whatever. A German, if my, if I may, only simply because of the, uh, timing of the decision with the budget. duties be moving over to this new position as well. Good question. Um, that is a good question.

02:44:15,730	I haven’t really discussed that with like HR or anybody, um, anybody have a an opinion on that? Whether it’s Lee or Pam. What are your thoughts, Lee? Chair and Commissioners, we are, we are ready to take on the budget. We’ve been working on the budget, um, we’ve been essentially drafting a budget. There were some uh excuse me.

02:44:42,470	Some items in the in the preliminary budget from the county auditor that are simply not Factual. So there’s, I would not advise using the current draft of the budget. Um, so we’re like I said, we’re ready to do it and we’re ready to step in immediately. OK. Thank you.

02:45:16,670	So I guess as far as I’m concerned, Motion to approve it with the effective date of I guess today it would be OK with me. July 7th, 2025. Be in order. So the motion would be to split. No, no. The motion would be to adopt the resolution.

02:45:46,000	The preliminary resolution that would make it a final resolution with the date change and the plan with the date change. OK, I move to do so. So the motion is to approve the preliminary resolution that we’ve already submitted. We just make it a final. With the resolution. With the date change. With the date of July, 7th, 7th 7th today. Yeah. I’ll second. Motion the second.

02:46:12,230	A further discussion. Mr. Chair, Mr. Winson, and I’ve made this statement several times. Throughout uh these public hearings, um. I’m going to vote no simply because I think they should both be appointed. I know that doesn’t work well with some residents. Um But I’m I really think they should both be appointed.

02:46:49,000	Well, I appreciate I appreciate you being candid. Yeah, that’s, there’s there’s nothing wrong with being resolution, in my opinion, was the right resolution, yeah. And we changed it to, we had changed to split it because of the residents that came and spoke, we changed the resolution. My personal opinion is I don’t think that’s the right path.

02:47:11,470	The point’s well taken. Any other comments? Col rule. Comm Mosen. No. Comm Bakken. Yes. Comm Schwab. Yes. Comm Woodcock? Yes. Chaner? Yes. Motion carries. There were a number of other Resolutions that kind of Um Need to be dealt with. Page 53. I Mr. Chair, since we have voted in that motion is passed.

02:48:04,730	I will move that we appoint. Uh, Le Lee Jacobs says the in treasurer until we can go through the process with HR to hire a a treasurer. Second, motion of the 2nd and a 3rd. Any further discussion? K Uh, Comm Barkan. Yes. Comm Schwab? Yes. Comm Woodcock. Yes. Comm Munsen, Chairmanner.

02:48:30,970	Yes, motion carries. OK, on page 53, there’s a number of other. Um Where it says resolved, I think you could probably make that all one motion. Um But it’s up to you, Comm. What do you want to do with that? The, the date of the 8th. Tomorrow.

02:48:55,130	OK, we’ll change it to the uh. I would recommend changing that to the 7th. That could have been a type of Yeah, and the second result, it’s the 7th, so. Yeah. If I may, Comm, I, I believe that they put July 8th at 12 p.m.

02:49:14,030	because that’s physically moving office, and that would just give time for that physical move to take place. Oh Thanks. OK. That, that actually makes sense. OK. That makes sense. Mr. Chair, Mr. Woo cycle from the bottom says effective the elected auditor is removed as a signatory on all county banking and investment accounts. We need two people to do that.

02:49:48,430	Yeah. And who will they be? Uh, it says in the next, it says in the next one. Who that is. Oh, OK. I’m sorry. Yep. I read it and then I didn’t read it, so. OK. Yeah, that’s, that’s in order to um To maintain the checks and balances.

02:50:22,100	So you want to do them all at one time or one at a time or what do you want to do, Comm Schwab, I would say that this entire page of 53 should be approved. That that would be the motion. OK. And it’s covered. OK. Thank. motion that page 53. Be approved. Any further discussion.

02:50:47,130	Chair, if I may, as well, um, since you did separate the offices, I note that on the last resolution, it says resolved that effective July 7, 2025, County treasurer, Finance Director, deputy finance Director, and deputy auditor slash treasurer. Obviously with that reorganization, that job would be different. We wouldn’t have a combined deputy auditor treasurer, so you might want to clarify that. OK. Good catch.

02:51:15,400	So would, would just moving the word from What would be the fix on that? Just auditor. I think the person would be the deputy treasurer, correct. So scratch in your motion, Comm, would you scratch the word auditor from between deputy auditor slash treasurer in the last line. Yep.

02:51:39,870	So I’ll do that. OK. Any other discussion. Paul. Um. With the change. Oh, OK. Motion, OK. I think Any other discussion. Col Comm Bakken. Yes. Mr. Schwab? Yes. Comm Woodcocks. Yes. Comm Munsen. Yes. Sebiner. Yes Motion carries.

02:52:17,370	Anything else on that item, gentlemen, that, that we need to hammer out, right? Now or Obviously, we’re looking at policies and procedures and things that are going to be, become. going to come before us soon. Mr. Chair, who is Comm Woodcock with him moving from one office to another. Who’s going to be in charge of those auditor positions, all the, the auditors employees, that, that’ll be the appointed.

02:52:44,470	Treasurer under this interim appointed. Does that mean he will move back over to here. OK. And it, and it actually It kills two birds with one stone, so to speak, um, we need to move out staff out of the Provident building to start the remodel, right? And so that

02:53:02,800	gets That, that helps with that process as well. So we’re going to move them down here where they can, they can do the most good on working with the, um, working with the staff in the office. They’re gonna have, they’re gonna have to be like working very tightly together to to straighten out this mess.

02:53:20,900	Go ahead. Also when that move is taking in all the reorganization going on, I’d like to give you, uh, since it’s your portfolio, discretion to do little things, they, uh, just so you don’t have to come back to the regular commission. for little things. I mean, you.

02:53:39,530	Whether you’ve already got that authority and I think you probably do, but I want to reemphasize that there’s going to be some discretionary things that are gonna happen that, uh, we don’t want to have to come back to the board and, and, uh, spend time and waste money and and time. That Consensus would be fine or ignore it, I guess.

02:53:58,800	No, I didn’t. I, I don’t, uh, It’s hard to know what, what would come up on a regular basis and, and I tell you, I, you know, me, I’m always as open with the board on everything that’s going on anyway, um, if there’s a a flash decision, I’ll make sure that um You know, I’ll, I’ll

02:54:21,870	check with at least one other Comm. How’s that? You know, before I would Do anything drast well, I’m not doing anything drastic anyway, so. Have a pretty good understanding of the construction business and and whatnot. We do have a We do have a construction meeting scheduled.

02:54:39,970	I don’t have the date in front of me, but it’s coming up pretty soon, so. Anything else? On that. If not, we’re going to move forward. Coney planning Director Flanagan. Thanks for your patience. Especial use permit.

02:55:09,300	Good evening, Chair, Comm, uh, I’m here in the packet, um, on page 55 is the, uh, there is uh was an application last month that was a public hearing for the Planning Commission for Jean Louise, uh, Jean and Catherine Leise to move a 1700 square foot building. Onto their property from uh out on Highway 10 from 10,750 Rushmore Road. Anytime you want to move a building within Burleigh County’s jurisdiction, you have to get a special use permit.

02:55:32,770	And so this, this qualified for it, um, the, uh, went out, we sent out the notifications of this public hearing. There was no opposition to it. The at the at the June 11th commission meeting there was voted 8 to 0 to recommend approval. Move to prove. So, motion a second to approve any further discussion.

02:55:55,730	I was just going to clarify that last I, last I heard there was nobody has been offered any opposition to this in our office we haven’t in our office we haven’t heard and then everything’s coordinated with the highway department as far as moving a building of that size and Yeah, it’s a large

02:56:12,230	building, but he’s got uh I don’t know who the movers were, but he’s already got them lined up. It’s, it’s a nice building, so it’s, it’s going to be on the do do we have to put out some notifications that highway, a portion of Highway 10, there’s some of the travel route’s gonna be altered for a

02:56:29,400	little bit or My office doesn’t. We don’t do that. OK. Um, Markers probably. June. Do you manage that, Marcus, or? How does that work with a large structure cause this could take some time, so as far as diversions with Highway Commissioners as part of the process, there’ll be a, a, a moving permit that will be, um,

02:56:52,300	um, first filed and then we’ll review that and then it’ll be, uh, um, granted at some point. So we’ll work all those details out. Public notice. It’s like half hour roads. Whatever it needs to take. Anything else on that? The mover is also responsible for that, uh, consideration, so. Yeah. Paul Comm Woodcox.

02:57:16,330	Comm Munsen, Comm Bakke. Comm Schwab. Yeah. Yes. Thank you. Thank you, Mitch. Next is Brendan Nagle, Bismarck Mandan Chamber, EDC presentation, Brenda, welcome. Good evening. Give me just a second here. Yeah This spring No. Well, a little breath of fresh air there. It’s a spring. Well, you know.

02:58:18,200	I guess it was warm for a few weeks, wasn’t it Good evening, Mr. Chair, Commissioners, um, thank you for having the patience to get through everything that you’ve just gone through to listen to my update that is probably, um, spring and, and heading into summer, um, sort of update, but I’ll try to keep it brief, but yet, um, be informative so that

02:58:36,330	you know what we are So as you are very well aware of, um, we have spent a fair amount of our time and energy working on workforce. Um, it’s critical to uh economic uh efforts because we don’t have workforce to keep the, the motors turning, so to say, um, then we’re not making money, um, in the community.

02:59:05,900	And so a lot of things have gone on in workforce development. I’ve narrowed it down to, to just a few things that I think are are real critical for you to hear about.

02:59:23,330	Um, internship network is one of the things that we um gave a try last year and received incredible, um, positive response about and what that means is we in um Bismarck in Burleigh County, um, have a lot of young people who come to our community to do interns from outside of the state of North Dakota.

02:59:48,330	Um, they are interning at Bobcat at MDU at Basin Electric, at Uh, NISC all over the place, um, and they come from universities, um, some in North Dakota, but a lot of them, quite frankly from outside of the state of North Dakota.

03:00:08,270	And so what we have realized in, in implementing this internship network is that if, if we don’t really get our arms around these young folks and help them understand the beautiful community in which we live, um, it’s, we have reasons for living here, um, in Bismarck in Burleigh County. We want to make sure that they understand that when they go back to their college or university and walk across the stage and get their diploma in the next year that they can’t fathom.

03:00:26,930	not coming back. To work in and live in this community. Um, and so we have to do some work in order to help them understand why they should live here.

03:00:47,200	And so we’ve created the internship network, which is, um, an opportunity for them to be connected to different people outside of just where they’re going to work, um, for their internship job. Um, we find that A lot of them will just stay, um. Connected to maybe the engineers that they’re working with, um, but they don’t really get to meet any other people.

03:01:08,530	The internship network, um, activities allow them to connect to all of those interns across the community, um, and do some understanding of what are you doing in Bismarck. Uh, why, why would you consider living in Bismarck. We bring people who have made the decision to move to our community to talk to them while we’re creating that networking opportunity for for them.

03:01:28,900	Um, we held our kickoff session in June. We will hold another um session here this week, um, we’ll take them on the river boat so that they can experience the Missouri River, um, in all of its beauty.

03:01:46,900	Hopefully we won’t have bad weather um during that time, um, but it again will have an opportunity to hold them as a collective captive audience, so to say, they can’t get off the boat once we’re on the boat, and we’ll talk to them what it’s like to live in in Bismarck, um, and to be a citizen. um, in this beautiful space, um, and encourage them to come back.

03:02:05,730	Um, we did a lot of um We did some surveys with the students from last year and even the students um that are um staying connected with us and as you can see they’re um 94% of them felt that they learned more about the community, um, and they’ve become more connected with us, um, through these events.

03:02:23,870	In fact, they stayed connected with us, um, after they went back to their college or university, um, last year and are still continuing to stay in connection with us. We want them to come back and, and fill those um those positions.

03:02:43,530	The welcome initiative was another item, um, that we kicked off earlier on this year, actually in the spring, um, and for lack of saying it’s like the welcome wagon of the old days. Um, it is a little bit like that, um, we’ve often said that we are North Dakota nice.

03:03:00,630	I don’t know that we’re always super nice to people that aren’t like us, um, and, and that’s a big statement coming from somebody who’s lived here. Uh, my whole life. Uh, you know, we get busy, we go home, we go in our, um, driveway in our garage and we open the door, we close the door and then we do our things.

03:03:17,200	Um, but the welcome initiative is really about, um, reaching out and extending uh uh an invitation to our neighbors, to the people around us, and saying, would you like to have a, a, a family picnic in our neighborhood, um, and, and getting to know who they are and where they come from and why do they live here in this community to make them feel

03:03:33,730	welcome. Um, so that they stay here, that they don’t just come for a year or two, make a little bit of money and then go somewhere else. We want them to feel welcome.

03:03:48,330	And so offering up some opportunities for them, um, to, um, meet people in a, in a different kind of avenue, um, but also creating a website through the um Chamber EDC, um, that allows them to see what’s going on, what kinds of, um, committees can they get involved in? Are they interested in activities like softball, um, all the different things that go on, whether them

03:04:07,400	personally or their family members getting involved um with, with their church, um, so that they can again be connected to this beautiful community, so they feel like staying. So that welcome initiative, um, just on the Facebook page alone has had um nearly 24,000 views and connections, and we continue to see that grow.

03:04:34,600	Um, workforce programs that we have um implemented um over the past few years and have continued to really drive home. The educator experience just took place last, uh, not last week, last week was 4th of July, the week before. What we do is we connect with teachers.

03:04:53,370	Um, in the Bismarck public school system, as well as the Mod Da public school system. We take 24 educators who have influence over our young people who are being educated here in our community.

03:05:15,730	And we help those teachers understand what jobs are available so that when those students are looking towards their teacher for guidance and advice on what classes they should register for as a freshman, um, a, a sophomore, a junior, um, those teachers can speak from. Experience, they can say, I went to an engineering firm and I learned this.

03:05:33,470	This is what’s available, um, I went to this particular place and I learned this, um, because our educators are very good at what they do at educating the things that they’re teaching, the math, the science, and all of those things, we have to keep them current on what’s going on in the community so that they can help our young people understand what those available jobs are, um, we received

03:05:51,030	incredible feedback. From the employers that these educators visited as well as the educators who went through the program. This was an entire week, um, that they spent, um, almost 8 hours a day for 5 days, going to different um employers around the community, um, gaining a better understanding.

03:06:11,300	Leadership Bismarck man Dan, um, just wrapped up and had, um, graduates walk across the stage, um, in, in May. Um, leadership Bismarck Mandan is a program that’s been in existence for well over 30 years. Um, that is a program that people apply, um, to be accepted.

03:06:33,130	We get, um, close to 50 applicants, um, and we only accept 15 to 17 people in that program. It is intended to help those folks, um, better understand what their community is. How did they get involved? Why should they care about coming to a county commission meeting. Um, I know, um, Chair.

03:06:53,400	Bittner, you’ve participated, um, in a, in a round table discussion with that particular group of people, and I know others, um, at the table have have also done that. They need to know that they can interact, um, in a civil way, um, with their commissioners, with their elected officials, and it’s about teaching them how to again be an active citizen, um

03:07:13,200	in the community in which they um work in. Um, leadership Bismarck Man and when it concludes or as it’s wrapping up, they break into three groups and they do projects that have an impact on their community.

03:07:31,330	Um, this year, uh, 3 of the projects were really pretty focused on um the Bismarck community. The rewind is a podcast, um, that is focused on engaging um the, the younger retiree population. I don’t know how else to say that, um, because there are people retire. in their late 50s to early 60s that quite frankly, they still have a lot to give.

03:07:50,700	They’re just not going to work at the jobs that they were um working at. And so how do we engage with that retiree population, um, to help mentor people who are going into different positions, um, maybe they want to sit on a board, um, or run for public office, um, but this podcast is intended to

03:08:12,400	really engage with that local retired community um tap into their um their expertise and their, their wisdom. Um, welcome to Bismarck sign, um, those welcome to Bismarck signs are old, um, and falling apart and they’re not, I mean, they’re not even in the boundaries or their and they’re

03:08:32,430	way in the boundary, they’re almost inside the middle of the city of Bismarck these days, um, and, and we’ve stretched out as you are very well aware, and so a group um on this leadership Bismarck Mandan, uh, cohort, um, put a proposal together um to make news. s um, uh, and, and get those going.

03:08:55,070	Paw Patrol was um a group who obtained, um, is working to help obtain a therapy Kine for the Bismarck Police Department to help community members and their relationship with law enforcement.

03:09:11,130	And so many times they do these projects and they don’t cost the city or the county any money, um, they end up finding people, um, whether they’re grants or people to help pay for things, but again, they are investing their time and their energy in the community. And the more they get involved, the more likely they are to stay and be a productive member of the, of the community.

03:09:27,170	And then our student leadership network, I truly cannot talk about our young people enough in the most positive way possible. Um, I think so many times we hear about young people getting in trouble and causing all kinds of shenanigans and whatnot, but by and large, we have a lot of really good young people in

03:09:45,270	this community, um, good high school students who we want to hang on to them, um, and we want to make sure that they too understand what job opportunities are here.

03:10:02,470	And so we expose them to different things, um, in the community, um, and help them understand how to, how to be engaged, um, as a citizen. Go get your education, even if it’s a certificate, um, we’re not talking to these students about just going to get a 4-year degree.

03:10:22,670	We need students who want to um swing a hammer, um, and want to be an electrician, who want to be an HVAC, um, We, there’s all sorts of opportunities in Bismarck at BSE at University of Mary, and we want these people to know, uh, what those opportunities are so that they can potentially stay here and, and again be a productive citizen of our community.

03:10:44,600	Business attraction and development because economic development is certainly um incredibly important to all of the things that we do, um, the economic development team, um, attended the Epic um conference. It’s the Energy Progress and innovation Conference because everything has to have an acronym.

03:11:01,600	Um, I actually asked them to put that there because who can remember what all the acronyms are, um, but this was an important one. we were able to connect with over 1000 attendees and over 200 exhibitors and what does that mean? That doesn’t mean we just shook their hand and got their business card.

03:11:18,730	We actually now have their email addresses and we can do marketing to them, with them, we can send them additional information, um, and stay in contact with them to let them know um what we have available in the form of bringing their business, um, moving their business to Bismarck. Um, we want it to be here. Uh, we want it to be in our community.

03:11:36,430	Um, and we do that with marketing efforts, um, using LinkedIn matter or otherwise. known as Facebook, um, website traffic, trade shows, and email. We stay in constant contact with these folks, letting them know what’s going on, um, in the community so that um they can um consider us as their um place of choice. And then business boot camp is listed there.

03:11:57,670	We’ve heard from numerous small businesses, um, over the last few years, let’s say, listen, we know that the big businesses have lots of employees and they know how to do all that stuff. They know what it takes.

03:12:13,730	run a business, but I’m a small business, and how do I, you know, do I hire an accountant? Do I become an accountant? We’ve had a lot of conversations about accountants in the last several months here, uh, at this table. But as a small business, we’re talking about some people who have 2 employees. How, how do they do that? How do they make that work? The Chamber EDC is a small business.

03:12:30,200	I, I’m the president and CEO. I bleed the compressor once a month to make sure that it still works, um, I, I, I just blow the snow off the. Um, front step, um, if it’s not over 1 inch because the shoveler isn’t gonna come. Uh, my staff does all the things. We water the flowers in the front yard.

03:12:50,000	Small business people do a lot of different things, but how do we how do we wrap our arms as a community around a small business owner and help them be the most successful as they can. The heart. And the heartbeat of a community that is, uh, that is successful is small business.

03:13:08,300	And so we need to help them, um, make sure that they are successful. I would have to say that, um, Comm Woodcock, you have, you have a small business, you’re not, you don’t own that business anymore, but it was here for a very long time.

03:13:25,400	Um, I would guess that you stumbled along the way to say, what should I do? Um, Comm Munsen, you are a small business owner, um, Comm. Bittner, you are the same. This stuff doesn’t just come across.

03:13:46,000	I mean, we don’t just figure this stuff out in, in 2 seconds, um, and so anything we can do as a chamber EDC, um, to help people better understand and grow their business and be successful helps us in this community. And so what we’re working on as additional efforts, some things that happened during the legislature and we’ll continue um to focus on and work on affordable housing. I’ve said it before, what’s affordable to me is probably not affordable to you or is it completely different definition.

03:14:07,570	Um, I don’t know that any of us know the definition of affordable housing, but we know we have a problem, um, and we know that we have young people who are struggle to try to get into a house and they don’t want to be apartment dwellers for the rest

03:14:22,000	of their. life. And so how do we, how do we work on that? We did work with, um, with some folks um through the Bank of North Dakota, um, and the Commerce Department, um, we testified in, um, In support of a bill that was in front of it

03:14:37,800	was, it was to be a part of the commerce budget. It got swhacked off, um, at the, at the very end, um, it was removed from the commerce budget. Um, it was intended to help um allow um communities to apply for funding, um, to help put some money towards affordable housing.

03:14:58,070	Um, we’ll continue to keep working on that. We don’t take no for an answer very easily, um, so we’ll continue to work with those people and see if we can come. back with some different opportunities.

03:15:17,400	Childcare policy, we were successful, um, in working with legislature this year and getting some additional tax credits for employers who are helping their employees, um, with, with doing some things with paying for childcare, um, because they see the, the value of having the working mom, the working dad, um, in the workforce, but they also need to make sure that they’ve got a good place to take the kids, um, and in affordable childcare.

03:15:35,670	So continue to work on childcare policies so that we can keep people at work. And then recruitment resources for local businesses, um, we were the recipient of a grant, um, a, a while back, um, and so we utilize that grant um to help build some video resources that we can give to local employers

03:15:56,330	that they can use these videos to show what does it look like and feel like to live in Bismarckanan, um, we’re, we’ve shown Case the river, we’ve showcased, um, different employers, um, different things in the winter, yes, we have to tell people that we have winter here.

03:16:16,670	Um, we can’t make a video and say it’s always 97 degrees and sunny in Bismarck. We want to be realistic and so we did create a video um resource, um, that we are giving to employers, um, in our community to use in their recruitment efforts, um, if they’re not able to find the people here.

03:16:39,070	They oftentimes will recruit outside of the state of North Dakota, and we want to be honest about what it, what it looks like, um, to be here. So we’re offering those resources up um to those employers. Um, that is my short but sweet, um, update, I would stand for questions, as always, and you know that the coffee’s always on at the Chamber EDC.

03:16:55,600	I welcome you to stop by, um, and visit with our team at any point in time and, and with me as well. Any questions? Commissioners, any questions? Mrs. Schwab. Uh, and your quest for bringing in business. Yes, sir.

03:17:18,330	Are you aware of 300 and some acre data center trying to get into town here. Um, I’d like to say, I’m Comm Schwab, that I’m aware of it. I’m aware of it because I come to the question is you support it? I don’t know enough about that particular group to say that I support it or not. They’ve not reached out to us to ask for our assistance.

03:17:36,200	Boy, you’re going a long way around the barn here not to answer a question. I don’t know the people who are I I don’t, I’m not aware of that particular data center just on a side note, I thought they were supposed to be on the agenda for tonight, but, uh, As a continuation was for more informational purposes,

03:17:55,930	but. The reason I ask that is I got a call from, Guy in Underwood. So don’t do anything until you drive by up here. It’s terrible. The people that are close to it can’t sell their property and stuff, uh, then I got a call from a person that Lincoln that has visited one up in Williston, same

03:18:22,070	problem. It didn’t take me long to develop an opinion of, of what you should support him and I’m surprised you guys didn’t. I mean, You’re going to drop your property values. It’s going to sound like an airplane coming through all the time. Hey, and you use more electricity because you can’t open your windows in summertime.

03:18:41,270	You got to use the air conditioner so you can sleep. With all due respect, Comm Schwab, we do support data centers if they’re done right. Um, I think some of them give your guidelines and I’m sorry.

03:18:57,730	Could you give us guidelines on how to do one of them right? Uh, we attempted to do that during the planning, um, and zoning portion where we gave feedback um about the ordinance that, that you have accepted. OK, hang, hang on. This young lady jumped up, like she’s got something that needs to add to this.

03:19:17,570	That’s why I came tonight was to talk about the data center. OK, we’ll get to that then. OK. OK. Um, I, I think there’s a big difference if I might, um, Chair Bittner, I think there’s a difference between um crypto mining and data centers, and there are data centers that are done horribly wrong in Williston, um, and there, there were some

03:19:37,030	things that went horribly wrong and we tried to say let’s not do any of that I’m getting you to say, are you, would you push something like this. And hell with the consequences just to bring a business in. I would think you wouldn’t, right? No, we would weigh it out with, um, in concert with the commission.

03:19:57,770	No, I’m, I’m, I’m a big girl Comm. I’m handled that really well, by the way, and, and, you know, that’s one of the things that we’re cognizant of. I know the city is as well as the, the county commission is, what are the right fits for business coming into a community.

03:20:16,900	Are they located in the right, that’s why we go through, uh, the permitting process and planning and zoning extensively and change things as needed. We did that with, uh, um, summit coming through the community or potentially coming through the community. Uh, we address those things. ongoingly. So, um, yeah, because a business.

03:20:40,370	Potential business is looking at coming to the community, you know, is it the right fit? Is it not the right fit? Where does it belong? Those are all concerns that we address here at the table and I’m sure the Chamber EDC, uh, does the same thing when, um, they show up to give us input on some of our zoning changes

03:20:55,730	and some of our ordinances and how it fits in with the, the business community here because I don’t think anybody here is going to say that we’re not pro-business. Uh, we are, but it’s got to be the right fit.

03:21:09,700	the right place and what’s in the best interest for our residents, so. Um-hum, and that is true, Comm Bakke. Thank you know businesses that aren’t here. You back summit carbon solution. I’m dead serious. Because you’re not here and they’re not here. It doesn’t matter. Don’t worry about it Don’t Don’t worry about Don’t Don’t worry about Don’t it Don’t.

03:21:36,030	Um, uh, hang on a second, Comm. I got a quick question. Do you work, we, uh, support the, the Northern Plains. Northern Plains Commerce Center. Absolutely. And, and you do, do you work with them all the time? We do. Northern plain development. They’re all northern plains Heritage. Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were talking about the, the commerce center.

03:21:59,530	I misspoke the northern plains. Heritage area. There’s a northern plains Heritage Foundation. That’s not the one that’s taking up though. Never mind. I’ll think of it I’ll I’ll think I’ll I’ll think of it the mural Yeah, entirely, OK. If you think of it, Comm Woodcox, give me a call and I’ll.

03:22:19,600	They do development of housing in, in the Bismarck man at 5. Coy area. Lewis and Clark Clark now you’re Throw me enough bread crumbs and I can figure it out. We, we’ll get it figured out. Yeah. As long as they’re not tight. So do you work with them is what I’m. We do. Yes, we do. OK, great.

03:22:37,870	And, uh, you know, we would, we would help to bring a viable project to this table if we felt it was in the best interest of the business community, um, and, and the community of Bismarck and Burley County, uh, but we would vet that out.

03:22:54,430	We don’t, we don’t just take a call from somebody and say, well, this sounds like a great idea. Let’s get that in front of the commissioners. Uh, we have a lot of conversations first, um, with a company who is interested in coming, um, and we talk about what is the process that you have to go through.

03:23:09,870	How do you go through planning and zoning. What sorts of preliminary things do you need to consider prior to, um, considering coming here. And for the record, we do have a data center that works very, very well, um, on 43rd in Bismarck.

03:23:27,470	It’s called Dakota Carrier Network, and I’ve personally sat in their parking lot. Trying to hear any noise coming out of there, and all I hear is the cars driving by, um, and some birds tweeting, um, but they’re very quiet and that is in my humble opinion, a data center that is done well and done right, and I think there’s

03:23:44,730	a happy medium, Comm Schwab, that we can figure out what’s the right thing to do. OK. 300 acres. I, I don’t know that that’s the right location either. Yeah, thank you. Any other questions? See you tomorrow morning. I, I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Yes. Thank, thank you very much for your time.

03:24:07,530	I appreciate you the information. Um, now, I don’t have you on the agenda. Did were you thinking that you were going to be on the agenda, I was just going to stand up for. I actually, I actually came tonight because I thought we were going to be discussing the data center. OK.

03:24:22,630	If, if you want to, if you want to hold on until other business, got a couple of items to kind of get through real quick and then, you know, we’ll qualify for? Yeah, I think if you want to provide information, there won’t be any decision on it because it’s not an agenda item.

03:24:35,800	Um But I, I think I’d be interested in hearing more information, um just to note, I did reach out to Mr. White, which you talked to, um, at the last meeting, and he said he did not have uh the information ready yet to be an agenda item for this meeting. That’s why it’s not on the agenda. OK.

03:24:56,630	Fine. Bismarck Burley, Public Health Director, Renee Mock Request for Burleig County opioid Settlement funds. Well, thank you, um, Chair Bittner and Commissioners, um, I’m here tonight to request funds from the, uh, Burleigh County Opioid Settlement dollars.

03:25:23,270	If you recall last fall in October, um, you had made the decision, um, to keep the funds locally versus sending it to the North Dakota, um. Settlement dollars fund, and so as of um This memo that I had submitted, um, the amount that um is already collected for Burleig County is, um, almost close to $200,000. None of those funds have been, been spent at this point.

03:25:43,630	Um, also wanted to mention that um there has been no allocation plan submitted, um, that was part of the requirement um for the legislation that was passed is before any funds are spent on that allocation plan has to be submitted, um, outlining.

03:26:02,830	Uh, what the funds would be used for, and so Just to mention that, um, as part of my request, um, I’m looking to ask for $50,000 from Burleigh County’s opioid settlement dollars to support technical assistance for the development of a community triage center plan, um, just to note this is not for uh construction or operations of a facility.

03:26:26,570	It would be specifically for technical assistance to look at plans and development, um, to come up with a financial stability plan, um, a governance structure and Um, some of the, uh, components that, um, you obviously most likely have questions about and our city commission has questions about as well. Um, so we’re looking um for funding to support the effort.

03:26:48,270	Um, we have been through the request for proposals process. We were ready to offer a vendor a contract and then we’re notified that our federal funding, um, that was to support that, um, had been pulled back. Um, also just wanted to mention we did apply.

03:27:08,530	For the state opioid settlement dollars, um, there were a total of 59 applications for $8 million at the state level and they gave out 18 awards. Um, we were not selected to receive that award, so I’m here to ask for funding, um, we’re looking for a total of 100,000 with a 50/50 cost share.

03:27:27,700	Um, tomorrow night I’m on the agenda to ask the city commission for 50,000, so, um, thank you, but before we go any further, um, State’s Attorney lawyer, it says here in the century code. That There has to be an allocation plan. prior to Prior to allocating the funds, and I don’t know that you’ve come up with a plan at this point.

03:27:51,270	So before there’s any additional conversation or Movement on that question. We need to know something about an allocation plan that we don’t have, so I can speak to that. Um, I did submit the one for Bismarck, um, the city of Bismarck, um, the initial plan for them was to have the Better Bismarck campaign go for um addressing the root causes of homelessness,

03:28:10,400	and then that was used as a match, um, from public donations, and so it’s basically just typing up a report saying what the funds are going to be used for. If this is something that you guys would approve tonight, what I could do to follow um.

03:28:28,130	To follow that would be um a type up report and just submitting that online is all that it takes. I did it for the city and I can, I’d be willing to do that on the county’s behalf as well.

03:28:44,530	No, we’re not, we’re not gonna put the cart before the horse, in any case I read this thing and it looks the beginning of a immense Undertaking And I can’t get a straight answer, somebody ever comes up to your to the health department and uses my home address if you’re going to treat them. So I can’t support it.

03:29:06,100	Well, I, I don’t see any way that we can, we, we can’t, yeah, there, there’s a lot, you know, so it’s, you know, you put the cart before the horse, go ahead, Comm I’m gonna, I’m gonna take some responsibility here in this world because this is my portfolio. We talked about this last year, keeping the settlement here.

03:29:25,600	I have not done my job to work with Renee to really, initially we were, we were talking with the, the sheriff about using some of the money for a screener, uh, and so I didn’t really move forward until that. Well, don’t be so hard on yourself, Comm, because I think an allocation plan is not specific to public health. Correct, you know, I think, I think counties need for those dollars goes beyond public health.

03:29:50,230	It’s, you know, like the sheriff’s department, law enforcement, state’s attorney, I mean, there’s a lot of things that are impacted by the opioid epidemic. Yeah. In addition to, I mean, it’s not just this one department.

03:30:09,700	She just happens to be getting ahead of it with the request, but I, I think we need to have a lot more conversation about that, Comm Bakke. so would it be within your scope, Comm Munsen, to Sit down with your portfolio and Build that out and. Yeah. Possibly bring it back for next. Bring it back up next meeting. Yeah, I would, I would, I’ll, I would include a lot.

03:30:29,330	There’s a lot more to it than just public health, you know, can you get it in 2 weeks or? with me being on vacation this week, it ain’t going to happen till next. OK, maybe, A month. A month? Yeah. OK. Well, when, when you’re, when you’re kind of get it nailed together a little bit, um.

03:30:46,270	And look for an agenda item. Comm Can we hear from the sheriff as far as allocation of these funds because we’ve had them for almost a year and we haven’t done anything with them, and I don’t know of any other projects we’re looking at.

03:31:01,230	And I also wanted to mention that it is a requirement of the legislation that it has to be collaboration with public health, so you might not like that, but we are, you’re required to work with us no matter what it, what it happens to be, and we are working very well with the sheriff’s department and a lot of the behavioral health issues and the police department so.

03:31:15,670	You’re well aware of what pointing that out. Back Mr. Chair, Commissioners, um, Comm Munsen’s right. We had looked at that, uh, initial body scan machine. The technology is not there. Uh, we made a decision not to use that money for that.

03:31:41,430	So, it kind of, uh, came to a standstill and then we came back before the board and, and updated the board that the money was going to be sitting there. Um, I have spoke with Renee on this, and ultimately, this board will have to make that decision.

03:32:00,470	There is, you know, some good value in a triage center, in the fact that anything that happens at that type of a facility would impact us in a good way at the detention center, uh, because one thing we find is sometimes when there’s no place else for somebody to go, they put them in the jail, um, you know, especially, you know, these low level offenses, um, you know, alcohol and drug addiction and

03:32:22,670	withdrawal issues. So I, I think ultimately there is some merit to it. There is programs that we could do on the sheriff’s side out at the detention center, um, a couple concerns I have is one, right now, if we were to implement more programming on our staff and we’ve got some good

03:32:43,130	programming out there. If we put more on our staff. I don’t know how much more they can take. We’re struggling, you know, to keep staff there. That’s kind of a constant theme. I’ve talked to you about. So, some of the programs that we would like to see.

03:33:00,370	Um, we just can’t get them done right now until, hopefully, the staffing keeps getting better. Um, the other concern I have is initially, I think when we had the discussion on this fund. It was like 150,000 and Mark or Lee can correct me, but, um, I don’t know if there’s a definitive timeline of when these payments come in.

03:33:21,730	So, again, my concern of starting this, and, and unfortunately, maybe even with Renee’s request is, I’m afraid if we implement a program and then all of a sudden we use up the money and then, you know, now we’re looking at, OK, how do we get this other money to sustain this program.

03:33:43,100	And so, I think that’s something that’ll have to be addressed even with this program. So kind of a long conversation, but, um, basically, I think there’s merit, um, you know, and at this point, I can’t think of U doing anything in the near future here.

03:34:03,400	Um, and if we did all of a sudden solve our staffing issues, um, and wanted to do like a medication assisted treatment program, more in depth than what we’re doing now. I would probably be looking at going to the Department of Health. Anyways, um, and trying to get some of their funding for that.

03:34:22,530	I think they have a little bit deeper pockets with their program to where we could sustain that and they have spoke with us in the past. Hopefully that answers some of the questions. Thank you. Maybe Comm Munsen part of the conversation with Renee includes the sheriff, Sheriff and state attorney, I think it’s real important, Comm with that kind of a Unusual question.

03:34:49,670	Halfway down the second page. It says warm hands off. What in the world is that? Warm hands, warm would be um providing information. So if I’m handing, if he, if I’m handing off some a client to law enforcement, we would provide them with information and background information about that individual we wouldn’t just

03:35:10,400	drop them at their doorstep, um, like a cold handoff would be dropping them at their doorstep without any information. So there would be that information today. Yes. OK. Well, thanks. I OK, Commission continued items. There’s a public meeting or a commission meeting, public comment policy on page 84 and 85.

03:35:54,870	We, what are your thoughts? Is there anybody out there? Mr. Mr. Chair Mr. Mr. Chair of the I’m here one of the questions I had was on timing, uh, the, how long can you allow a person to Expound on whether they want to expound on, and then we’d get another one that says the same thing, leaves a lot of

03:36:16,870	discretion up to the Chair, which I think is perfect because we’ve got to have some kind of uh rules, but yet we’ve got to have a little flexibility too, but, um, I don’t think we need to put a 10 minute time limit or a 5 minute time limit in there, but that concerns me that we have, like

03:36:34,530	we’ve had in our public hearings, they can get away from you and, and we end up wasting their time and our time. Yeah.

03:36:50,030	Did I, did I make my point? Did I have a point to make? Yeah, no, I, I, I think you were agreeing with the thing of, of, you know, no matter who’s the chair, I think that the chair should have the discretion of allowing, you know, something to continue or not.

03:37:05,570	See, sometimes, you know, you give somebody 3 minutes and they might have 30 minutes’ worth of really good information I don’t know what that would be, but, you know, there are some. Uh, things that go longer than 3 minutes or 5 minutes and and some things you wish were over. Right away, right? Anybody else have a Mr. Chair, Fisher Munsen.

03:37:25,130	We’re still talking about having a period at the beginning or end of all of our meetings that anybody can come up and visit about whatever they want. Anything. Right. Um, we’ve also made the statement that we haven’t decided if it’s at the beginning or the end. Yeah. I think at the end under other similar to other business. You know, is, is. That way they’ve had a chance to agenda items is.

03:37:43,800	Other business. Yeah. Mr. Chair. Because we’ve gone through everything that’s on the agenda at that point. No, the, the restriction says must be pertinent to Burnie County, but then a couple up above says restricted to Bernie County residents.

03:38:01,930	Do those go hand in hand or? Do we need both of them or do we want to restrict it to Burnley County residents only. Um You know, we worked for Burleigh County, so I, I guess. I think that falls under the discretion. What if, what if, uh, pipeline company shows up, are they allowed to speak? They should be on the agenda. They should be on the agenda on the agenda.

03:38:20,100	This is, you know, people, people need to understand that we have an agenda for a reason. You know, so that commissioners have the ability to research if need be or to go and visit something, see something, get more details. I, I.

03:38:42,100	I would caution people about reading too much into that public comment thing because you need to have an orderly decent meeting, you need to have an agenda that you follow. That’s why we do it. Mr. Chair, I think that the Crescent Manor is a great example from today. They approached us. They wanted to visit about it if we had a time at the beginning of the meeting.

03:38:56,600	They could have come up at that time. brought it to our attention rather than us putting it into the agenda like we did. If we have that time scheduled for anybody to come out and talk. Great example of the chair having discretion to give that to the. Yep. Um, you know, it’s it’s in there.

03:39:17,570	You know, it, it works pretty well at today’s meeting to take what, what could have come up under other business, but to move it up to where we could hear it and whatnot.

03:39:31,530	I hesitate to put it at the beginning of the meeting, because if you’re not going to plan ahead, And get on the agenda. I don’t think it’s fair to everybody that’s on the agenda to wait, to wait. Either, you know, I mean, you gotta try to have some balance and and fairness, I, I think and that’s a valid point.

03:39:47,100	And then they’ve had a chance to hear our entire meeting, you know. To come up and address because who knows, you might come across it, you know, like, um, when, when Travis, you know, he, he had, uh, he wanted to talk about the park thing and you had, you had

03:40:02,530	already, um, told me that you were gonna, you know, you, you were already addressing it and so we had a little exchange on, on text, but um there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just that we were already, you know, doing it anyway. But it was great to hear from Travis at that point.

03:40:18,130	And that was my second part of what I was going to make a point of is. As chair, you have always been very gracious to anybody that wanted to address. Something in the middle of the meeting to let him come up and talk, and I would probably still continue doing that. I’m not, I’m not so rigid. Right, right.

03:40:33,470	You know, I, I think that, um, you know, like that lady that she jumped up because that’s singing her song, OK, slow down we can that, um, but no, I, you know, we’re here for the citizens. That’s, that’s really the whole point.

03:40:52,730	So I didn’t want nothing in that should be misunderstood as being overly restrictive or anything because, quite frankly, I believe that the Chair of this board. Um, can make that call, no matter who the chair is, you know, move toro, second motion is 2nd to approve any further discussion. Col. Comm Schwab. Yes. Richard Woodcock. Yeah. Comm Munsen. Yes. Comm Markke. Yes.

03:41:16,230	Yes, motion carries. Next, uh, item 12 is auditor, treasurer Sloskowski proposed August 5th Combined city-county meeting. Mark Good evening, I, uh, good evening, Chair and Commissioners.

03:41:46,130	Uh, so, uh, that the last, uh, city county Joint Committee meeting, uh, there was discussion, uh, recommending that the full City Commission and full county commission come together and discuss the ETA as well as, uh, possibly a couple other items, but mainly the ETA discussion. And um there was some uh. Desire for uh the full cities and county commissions to meet. It was suggested that we meet at the August 5th, uh, meeting, which at 4 o’clock in the afternoon.

03:42:05,770	It’s already scheduled for that city county uh committee meeting, uh, so I was just. wanted to discuss it with the commission to see if that would be a time that would work for you. Works for me. What, what day of the week was that? Tuesday. Tuesday. Pardon me. Tuesday, Tuesday. At 4.

03:42:25,100	Well, and We This is going to start is, and it’s probably gonna run longer than what we typically run, um, It’s more of a background in the history session of what the ETA is between the county and the city.

03:42:48,170	Um, I think there’s a lot of miscommunication and um Lack of knowledge from. A commission perspective, especially on the city side, uh, to understand what we’re dealing with with the county and with the residents of the ETA are having to deal with, so.

03:43:08,500	The intent is the first one to be because we’re not gonna solve this in one meeting, um, Comm Bittner, I have worked on this in the past for. Yeah. A long time. And, uh, a lot of it comes back to staff and. Commissioners knowing what they need to know, so.

03:43:26,600	My intent is kind of the first one’s going to be more of a history lesson, knowing some of the nuances, getting rid of some of the, the misinformation is out there. Um, you know, I heard one city Comm say, well, either party can opt out, yeah, and you go to the 4 mile limit. We have an agreement that it’s 2 miles.

03:43:42,000	Um, the residents within that 2 miles are still dealing with a lot of issues. Um, you know. The jurisdiction for fireworks. There’s a lot of things that go into it. So I think it starts with an educational session and we can move forward from there, but it is something that requires the full.

03:44:02,270	I, I, and I would say full, not just a quorum of commissioners on both sides. because we need to come up with some solutions. This has been hanging out there for a long time. Residents are Getting angry. Yeah. The longer we let this thing sit out there.

03:44:21,000	And, and there needs to be a path forward because as Bismarck grows, A lot of residents within the ETA are going to wind up being city residents, um, there’s constraints on the ETA just because of Um Engineering issues and Roads and it’s it’s gonna be hard when 2.

03:44:43,930	5 acre lots are in the city, and we have to make sure that the residents that are county residents at this time have a path forward to becoming city residents, whether it’s 1020, 30 years from now, but they’re going to be protected and not put out and get assessed in a way that is going to be really troubling. I got. When a 2.

03:45:02,230	5 acre lot comes up because it’s one of the things about that, I, I, you know, I was reminded when the chiropractor. was here talking earlier because last Uh, uh, last week I Went to a chiropractor and prior to that I went to a dentist. And in both cases, their offices were located on some of these large lot.

03:45:25,600	What were large lot rural houses that they just knocked them down and built a. A real nice business on this big lot with a big parking lot and it was, it was just like it was actually pretty beautiful, you know, and so, you know, there’s, there’s things that you can do that not everybody is gonna have a problem with a large lot,

03:45:41,100	you know. Um, I have a residence a little residents will when they get assessed, so that’s yeah, and there was an example of that Down south of Burley Avenue where a someone in the TA that wound up getting sucked into the city because of a development.

03:46:00,800	Um, wound up getting assessed times 6 because the city said you have 6 lots. Yeah. They had one, and they lived in the middle of it, and they were there first. So things like that. I know I know that that’s my brother’s in-laws. But Um Now, you said it’s on the 5th.

03:46:19,070	And it’s at 4 and there’s another meeting after that. So it would I would have to, I would have to check the, the schedule of the Tom Baker room. I don’t know that counsel isn’t.

03:46:35,000	I don’t think I don’t know that they typically schedule them to be after these meetings because this, this meeting is already scheduled as far as the city county committee, but they want to make it into a full city county commissions meeting. Yeah, I’m OK with that. My concern was that it was just, you know, that short, if it was only an hour and say, you know, you weren’t done.

03:46:52,070	Katzen we’ll have time to run over a little bit and, and staffs will be able to. provide all the information, so, you know, Mitch will be part of that as well, so. Just in general, my schedule doesn’t allow for a lot of extra meetings, but we’ll make it work, but this one is important, so.

03:47:10,270	So would I be able to let them know that I have at least a quorum of county commissioners, if not all of you. I’m, I will be there. I’ll, I’ll be there. So. Far as I know So open on me. That’s the best we can do right now. OK, I’ll let him know. Thank you. Thank you, Mark. OK. Mr.

03:47:39,670	Chair, Comm Woodbeck quick, other business thing. Are we on that? Yep. Yep, OK. That’s what we’re on. Uh, last Monday, a week ago yesterday, we had a dedication ceremony of the Bismarck Municipal courtroom to Judge Severin. It went very well. We had about 100 people there and, uh, uh.

03:47:55,530	He really appreciated it and it was very well done, so I just wanted to make you aware of that. That’s now I did give him a bad time about parking tickets and the rent wasn’t paid and stuff like that, but it, it, it really went well. He was. He appreciated it.

03:48:11,600	Yeah, that’s, that was my issue, that parking ticket. Park, I’m over here for a, of meeting on expanding or or remodeling courthouse space, and the meeting went over and so I’ve got a ticket right out here. I got, I’m at a, at a courthouse meeting.

03:48:28,400	I’m getting a ticket I had exactly the same thing happened the week we were planning his ceremony, and I got a ticket out here right in front, so. Yeah. He can’t fix it for me anymore, but. Yeah. Yeah. They don’t, I guess, you know, just so everybody knows, Commissioners don’t get a, get out of jail free card. I had one, but they didn’t like it.

03:48:43,630	We didn’t like it our lady out here. Yeah, we’re going to give her a chance. a lot of tickets when I was. OK, uh, now you, you know, we wanna keep it brief, but you’re, you’re welcome to, uh OK. Your name for the record, please. Commissioners. My name is We’ll need to turn that on.

03:49:02,270	This is my first time. Um, good evening, Commissioners. My name is Kimberly Ruhr and I’m a resident of Beverly County. Um, I did come tonight thinking that we were going to be discussing the data center proposal for the 300 acres of the Missouri Valley Complex.

03:49:25,270	And uh so that I have concerns environmentally, uh, about noise pollution and air pollution and the fact that they’re asking for 300 acres tells me that it would probably be a very large complex and could impact our environment and uh then secondly, I came as a representative of Buckstop Junction and um we’re a nonprofit, historical, um,

03:49:47,800	building frontier town, and so we have a lot of history, um, And, and that’s another concern that I have for that request for that land. Great. So. All right. Thanks for thanks for taking the time to show up too. There is a point to be made here.

03:50:14,400	You know, when The person is so vague about what they want to do. They haven’t decided yet and get 300 acres, it’s pretty hard to stop them afterwards. And like I say, I’ll, I’ll be going up to Underwood to see. How that happened. But I am concerned. Well, 300 and some acres is a lot of land.

03:50:36,800	That’s a lot of a lot of fans and they don’t tell you anything. Well, it might be this, might be that. There’ll be 3000 workers, and then it’s 3:25 and then AI will take over and Transformers or whatever. So the thing about it is, you got to be very careful with this. Yeah. Yeah. Very, very careful. Mr. Chair.

03:50:56,570	Thank you, Comm. We also, we also know that right across the street from you on the North is a section of land that’s owned by the North Dakota state of North Dakota, uh, school district school land.

03:51:11,100	They’re looking at that right now, and that’s going to be up for sale, and they’re gonna make a bid on it from what we understood before. So, as far as you’re concerned, you might want to follow up on that too, but I think you can see a consensus from us that it ain’t going to happen on county property. OK. OK. Thank you very much. Thank you for your patience. Anything else under other business Commissioners.

03:51:31,800	Commission. Anybody from Summit here? All right. No. All right, we’re good. They left. OK. Uh, we’re Adjourned. Thank you. Are