00:00:02,320	S1:
City. Current. Produced by Dakota media access. In-depth discussion with Bismarck and Mandan city officials. Watch on government access channel 602 HD or tune in to radio Access 102.5 FM. Always local, always current.

00:00:25,000	S2:
Coming up on this March 25th edition of city Current recap the Bismarck City Commission meeting a couple hot topics last night. We'll talk about the half cent sales tax extension for roadways, the Oakview Group management contract that deals with the Bismarck Event Center, and a community recreation feasibility study. Thanks for joining us. I'm Tom Gerhardt from Dakota media access, joined by Jason Tamana, city administrator for Bismarck. Good morning. Hi.

00:00:52,920	S3:
How are you?

00:00:53,440	S2:
I'm well and a pretty efficient meeting last night, but some really good topics that we want to go over.

00:00:59,960	S3:
Depth discussions?

00:01:01,040	S2:
Yeah. For sure. I wanted to start out though. There was a Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month proclamation last night. I just wanted to throw some attention at that group and bring up a good cause.

00:01:13,760	S3:
Families flourish, and Dee requested a proclamation recognizing child abuse prevention and proclamations. We do these occasionally. Oftentimes, we like to find a local connection to a proclamation. We'll we'll get proclamations from national organizations. And our first ask of ourselves is, have we done this before? And what are their ties to Bismarck? And if there isn't a significant local connection, oftentimes we'll decline. But in a case like this where we've got a network of support throughout the Bismarck Mandan area, throughout the region. Absolutely. This one's this one's easy to support and say yes to.

00:01:52,600	S2:
Well, our next agenda items have been in the works for quite some time. That might be an understatement, but let's start with a half cent sales tax for roadways. And I know getting the language right for a ballot has been the work of late. So tell us about last night and where we landed.

00:02:12,950	S3:
Lots of discussion on draft ballot language. And for the voters. You want to be able to provide the information for them to be able to make an informed decision, but at the same time, the length of that information on a ballot can become overwhelming. And I think the general consensus is if you if the voter is confused, there's a tendency to vote no. And so rather than throw in, you know, potential language that might confuse the issue. I think the commission discussed very well last night the idea of really getting succinct with the information. And primarily there was some cleanup language that was suggested as a result of the the voter approved sales tax from November of 2024. In that situation, there is no sunset. And so there was some additional language that was proposed to clarify that for that particular amendment in the Home Rule Charter. Right now there are three amendments relating to sales tax in the Home Rule Charter. The first one is from, I believe, 2000, and it deals with snow gates. And so there's a very prescribed means to collect sales tax and then turn around and use that for snow removal. Snow gates. The Second Amendment was the initial half cent sales tax that was voted on back in 2018 for the roadway projects, and so that that's the portion of the Home Rule charter that is being looked at today as an amendment. And what the amendment is essentially is another ten years beyond the initial ten year sunset. And in addition to the ten year additional ten years, there is a project list of about 22 roadway segments throughout the community that could be improved as part of this half cent sales tax collections and the initial amendment back in 2018, 2019 really addressed arterial streets. And I know we've talked about this before, but I like to remind folks that South Bismarck at South Washington Street in Burleigh Avenue was recently done through the half cent sales tax. East Central Avenue was the most recent project in 2025, but the one, I think, for people that are in the north part of Bismarck, see and recognize the most, is 43rd Avenue in Ash Coulee. That east west corridor that across the State Street crosses Washington Street prior to the half cent sales tax. That was what we were referred to as a rural ditch section. It was a two lane road, no curb and gutter, no sidewalks, no street lights, not a lot of safety. It was it was a road from the original days of when it became a section line road. Well, given the development around there, the commercial growth, all the activity in the area, that road needed to be improved through the house and sales tax approval from 2018. No special assessments. The entire roadway project was covered through sales tax collections. And so the ask of the voters in June will be. Do you wish to continue the existing half cent sales tax for an additional ten years to address these 22 roadway segments throughout the community? And its I'm not going to rattle them all off here.

00:05:18,140	S4:
Right.

00:05:18,620	S3:
Certainly the the focus is also again on on large roadways. But also the shift is this time making connections. There are gaps in our roadway network that are significant that will improve connectivity east and west and north and south. And I think one that stands out in my mind is Calgary Avenue, right. Calgary Avenue in northeast Bismarck is interrupted a couple of different times, first by the Canadian Pacific Railway that runs north and south along the eastern edge of Bismarck, and then again over closer to Centennial Avenue, right near Legacy High School. And I think anybody that's been in and around legacy would appreciate this. Another opportunity to get east out of the school. Uh, another north south corridor that's on the list is 19th Street. This is the road that would be, uh, north of 43rd Avenue. So essentially behind the North Walmart in that corridor, taking 19th and connecting it all the way up to potentially 57th Avenue and then 71st Avenue. Those would be the next mile, those next section line roads having a 19th Street corridor. That parallel State Street provides a lot of connectivity, but it also provides options to maybe not get on the highway system and stay more on a local road. People are maybe more inclined to drive a 2535 miles an hour than they are 4045 on State Street, where you've got three lanes, lots of traffic. So the the discussion last night was to remove some of the language and then clarify some of the other language. Commissioner Risch had noted the very last portion of the question talked about as published in the Bismarck Tribune. Of course, that's been identified as the local newspaper, the Paper of Record. Commissioner Risch noted, well, what if you don't get the Tribune? That might confuse the voter to think, well, gosh, was there a different version in the Tribune than what I see here today? And so, um, some clarifying language in there, as well as outlined above and as published in the Bismarck Tribune, was the consensus there? And all in all, I think there was general consensus move this forward. So we'll see this in June, on the June 9th election, uh, between here and there, city staff will have quite a bit of work to do to educate. We can't lobby one way or the other, but we can certainly provide information. And so we're identifying some ways where we can get out into the community. Um, one of them local service clubs, uh, certainly the Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC is going to be a support system in this. We're having some conversations with Bismarck Public Schools about ways that we could potentially engage with them as well, because as anybody that's paid attention to the recent school board meetings, we'll know that the school board is discussing coming forward with a ballot referendum. I think it's a $127 million and 25 sites within their holdings within their district, and so that's a pretty significant ask as well. But if if the school district is going to be educating people, maybe the city can partner with that. And now we can kind of cross-pollinate. We can share a lot of public information. That way maybe we can tap into an audience that we might not otherwise capture by hosting our own open house type event. So certainly as those come forward, as those dates become identified for the public, we'll bring those forward here, talk about them, we'll message them on our social media, we'll do press releases, all of that good stuff. So for people that have questions about half cent sales tax extensions, the roadways, how does this work? What does this mean? Please stay tuned. Come to these events. Ask all the questions you want. If you if you're impatient.

00:09:01,370	S4:
And.

00:09:01,650	S3:
You want to know more now, I would encourage you to reach out to City Engineer Gabe Schell by contacting our engineering department. Gabe's been invested in this for a long time and understands all the dynamics, all the facets, and hopefully we'll have answers to anybody's questions going forward. If there is a question that we've not heard or considered in the past. I'd love to think about that too, because we want to know that this potential program will continue and continue to be effective.

00:09:30,490	S2:
And I always think, as a resident here in Bismarck, a plus side on the plus side of the half cent sales taxes, and you've mentioned this a few times, people visiting here are helping. You know, make our city a better place.

00:09:43,530	S4:
That's right.

00:09:44,050	S3:
Yeah. When we're capturing sales tax it's it's anybody buying taxable goods. So typically not food items from a grocery store. But any retail goods definitely their sales tax tied to that. So it's everybody contributes to the roadway network in some way shape or form if they're purchasing goods in Bismarck.

00:10:03,680	S2:
And you mentioned that 22 or so projects. Again, that wouldn't mean that all 22 of those would be done right. I just wanted to go back to that for a second.

00:10:13,160	S3:
Yes. Thank you for mentioning that. It would be a tall order for us to accomplish.

00:10:17,080	S4:
22 roadway.

00:10:18,400	S3:
Projects in ten years. It to to be honest and and transparent, there are projects from the the current list that have not yet been addressed. And so those carry over into this, uh, extensive list. But this current list broadens beyond the traditional arterial roadways that were primarily part of the initial ten year plan. This gets into more of those collector roadways, those secondary streets that are making connections between the arterial streets.

00:10:46,720	S2:
Well, let's move on and talk about the management contract with Oakview Group. Again, this is something that's been in the works for well, I think you said over 900 days. Essentially, I mean, there's been a lot of work done. Let's just say that to get to this point where you're ironing out the details.

00:11:06,000	S3:
It has been and we we thank the consultants that have helped us along this journey. Jones Lang LaSalle. Often we just refer to them as JLL. Um, they embarked on this project with us going back to November of 2024. And so how did we get started? We, the city, were looking for consulting services to help us draft an RFP, to get to a management company to manage and operate the event center on the city's behalf. And so JLL helped us. It took six months to develop the the request for proposals Stakeholder engagement. Part of this was developing key performance indicators, metrics that can be used to measure the effectiveness of the management company. So it's not just handing them the keys and closing our eyes and hoping for the best. In addition to this, there is a Bismarck event center, authority board, and so much like many of our other advisory and authority boards in the in the community, we have volunteers that are actively engaged. We started meeting as the authority board in January of this year. This group is a dynamic representation of our community. The mayor and I hold positions as because of the positions we have in the organization. The Future administrator, Future Events Center portfolio holder would be on the authority board, but we also have representation from the hospitality industry, which is Chad Walker, Chad's and owner of a couple of local restaurants and a developer and family ties back to the early days of Bismarck. We have representation from the non-profits, essentially the Bismarck Mandan Symphony Orchestra, one of our best tenants at the Belle Mayhew Auditorium. Mike Garden, the executive director, is part of the Authority Board. Of course, the Convention and Visitors Bureau is a huge component of travel and tourism and activating the event center. And so Sheri Grossman, the executive director of the CVB, brings her expertise to the table. A good friend of ours, a great neighbor to the south is Kirkwood Mall, and we have Jen Wilson, the general manager of Kirkwood Mall, also part of the authority board, because when there are events at the event center, the mall knows it as well. Retail sales go up, activity is there. It generates some of that sales tax.

00:13:25,790	S4:
We've been talking about. Yeah.

00:13:27,350	S3:
And the the last individual on the on the group, but certainly not least brings a perspective from the membership of the downtown ERS but also the financial lending side of things. And that's Joel Costello with First International Bank and trust and a member of the downtown ERS. So the seven of us have been very much engaged in this contract negotiation, with the help of JLL, back and forth with Oakview Group and their attorneys and their staff and the leadership that will be managing our facility, our city attorney. I can't give her enough praise. Julie Meese, she really earned her stripes on this one. Um, there were no days off with this contract. Negotiation nights, weekends. And I'm not complaining. I'm just sharing the amount of time and energy and input it took to get this nearly 100 page document over the finish line. Uh, we're proud to be able to bring this forward last night with a favorable recommendation from the authority board. Did we get everything we wanted? No, but neither did Oak View Group. So this is a true compromise where both sides left with a little bit of everything that they need to move forward. And and I guess. So what what is this? What is the contract? It is a 20 year term, and initially Oakview Group had proposed a five year term with a five year extension. So a ten year, we negotiated that to a 20 year term. But in addition to that, we were able to convince Oakview Group that through a longer contract, having a meaningful financial investment into the facility would be in their best interest. And what do I really mean by that? Over the span of I want to say it's ten years. Oakview Group will be will be investing over $5 million into the building. So initially a $2.5 million investment on January 1st, 2027. And that will go towards the construction of a full service kitchen. The kitchen is important because it is the anchor for the food and beverage program to be able to bring catering in-house, be able to control meal costs, production quality, all of the experience that goes along with hosting a conference. The second installment will come two years after that, January 29th. It would be a half million dollars. And then the final installment of another $2 million would come in January of 2035, where the second and second and third installments of cash will be dedicated to be determined. But just to know that OVO Group will be investing $5 million of their own revenue right into this building and its improvements warrants the contract for 20 years there. It deserves their return on the investment as well. And so negotiating through that was one part of it. But more importantly for us, the employee protection plan, this was something that we came forward with day one. And we're adamant that the staff, the full time staff there today will have a job offer on day one when the contract begins. And that was a I don't want to say a contentious component of the negotiation, but it was certainly a very important feature for us. We were not going to flex on that. I'm not going to imply that, you know, they were playing hardball, but we definitely had a lot of back and forth on that topic. And I'm pleased to say that where we landed is where we wanted to be, where we started. And that was the pledge to the employees that on day one, you will have a job offer that is equal or better to your compensation with the city today. So that that I think is a, you know, a major takeaway for us between the governance and oversight with the authority board. We have a dedicated general manager that will be in the building, on site, available to our resources at all times. It's important to mention the event center will continue to be a City of Bismarck facility. We are simply paying a third party to manage and operate it on a regular basis for us. The revenue, the income, all the money generated is still city money. Are we paying Oakview Group a fee? Absolutely. We're paying them at $200,000 management fee annually, with a 3% adjustment year over year. There are also incentives, so the more they perform, the more they're able to activate that facility and generate ancillary revenue for the restaurants, the retailers, the hotels around it, that's part of their key performance metrics, part of their indicators. Are they entitled to an incentive fee for performing in such a capacity? And the answer is I sure hope so. We want them to be successful because that means we to the city of Bismarck are successful, and all the cast of characters that come with it around the restaurants, hotels, retail. It all works together. When it works well, everybody wins. And it is our hope that Oakview Group is going to help us reimagine what the Event Center is capable of doing as far as economic development and a driver of activities. It's not just conferences and conventions. I understand the residents. I live here too. We want to have fun in the building. So what else can happen with Oakview Group managing the Alaris Center. We are now in very close proximity to their routing, and so there's a high propensity for talent that could come to Grand Forks to also be in.

00:18:47,850	S4:
Business here.

00:18:48,770	S3:
And that just increases our buying.

00:18:50,970	S4:
Power.

00:18:51,370	S2:
Well, I wanted to mention and you've said it before, but if someone's hearing this for the first time, Oakview Group, this isn't like their first rodeo. I mean, that's right.

00:18:59,330	S3:
Over 300 buildings managed internationally between the United States and Canada, predominantly along the I-29 corridor, is where you'll see a lot of their facilities, and it has to do with routing. Another thing I should mention, Oakview Group is unique in this market where they are not just managers of facilities, but they also in some cases own their own facilities. So they bring a unique perspective to the to the conversation to realize there have to be capital improvements into this facility. And we, the city have identified projects that we will be tackling over the next five years, and then we will create a list for the five years beyond that. But these things take a lot of money to manage and operate and to keep running efficiently. And so we're pledging to do that to make sure the building is in good shape and they can manage the manage it to the best of their abilities. And I believe we're off to a very good start. And I'm very anxious to to.

00:19:54,290	S4:
Prove.

00:19:55,050	S3:
That we have chosen the right group and that they can make a difference for Bismarck.

00:19:59,890	S2:
What's the timeline now? Jason, the contract is 91% done. So the hope is there'll be signs this will be signed and they'll move forward shortly.

00:20:10,530	S3:
May 1st is the agreed upon date where they will take possession and be on site. We would anticipate between now, the end of March and May 1st, that we will see more and more of them as the days get closer to May, but attorneys have to just go back and do a.

00:20:24,530	S4:
Fresh.

00:20:25,290	S3:
Fresh edit. No substantial changes, no significant additions or subtractions, just making sure that the details are there. The table of contents is accurate throughout the pages. There was a note last night. It appeared to be an oversight in the contract, where it was referencing some box seats or premium seats. Commissioner Zenker had noted that. So we'll make sure those details get taken out. But I think anybody that's been a part of a project for a period of time, you tend to get tunnel vision and you start to focus on some of the very particular details, and then you lose sight of some of the bigger things. So having a few days to just maybe take a step back, put it down, come back and read it again with a fresh set of eyes. I think we might find a couple of other little minor things, but again, no significant changes intended or anticipated. If there were, we would have to go back to the authority Board, back to the City Commission. We as staff don't have the authority to be augmenting or supplanting anything in the in the contract itself.

00:21:26,280	S2:
And the idea of this authority board is, you know, as a buffer and to hold them accountable. Just wanted to mention that we started carrying those meetings so everybody can go back and watch them or view them monthly, right here on Dakota media access.

00:21:39,880	S3:
Those are public meetings. They meet the first Wednesday of every month at 11:00 in the Tom Baker room. Now, it is fair to say we've had a number of special meetings in the last couple of weeks. And special meeting, they're not on their regular cadence, they're not on the normal schedule. But in most cases, we also had an executive session tied into those special meetings. So really what we were doing at that point was getting in to the granular details of the contract, and we are able to close the door and keep those conversations private because they are important negotiation strategies. We would hate to be negotiating with our client in the room, or being able to consume the meeting at a later date, because some of these things need to be held private. And we're thankful that the North Dakota Century Code enables us and other municipal governments to have those types of discussions. But by and large, going forward, these discussions will be public. They'll be regular first Wednesday of every month. And because they're in the Tom Baker room, we welcome anybody to attend.

00:22:42,360	S2:
Finally, last night, let's talk about the community recreation feasibility study. We talked about this a couple of weeks ago. You attended the Park district meeting last week, I believe, and then approached the commission last night. Looks like we've got an agreement moving forward to to have another study done.

00:23:01,640	S3:
That is that is our plan. That is our hope. Uh, first and foremost, I want to say thanks to the Park district for their willingness to partner with us. I've said this to others. We kind of pushed our way into the front seat a little bit, and by no means do we don't want to imply that the Park district is not capable on its own to do this. Certainly. Talented staff, wonderful leadership, and a good board of elected decision makers. But this study is very interesting to the city of Bismarck from an economic development perspective, from a growth perspective. And I mentioned this at the Park board meeting on the 19th of March. The hope is that with this study, it is different than the previous one. Number one, it will recognize what's different today than we knew six years ago. 2019 2020 when the last study was done. Things have changed. There are new opportunities, new offerings in the community. There are some emerging things on the sports fields that are coming, becoming available. But for us as the city, the thing that's most important to this study, where it's different than the last, we are hoping to identify a location where is the most opportune place to put a sports complex. Before we can decide that, we need to know what's going to go in the complex. And so that's really where the park district is likely most interested, because it will help discern, do we need more pickleball? Do we need more hockey? Do we need more basketball? Do we need more turf space? Do we need more community meeting rooms, fitness centers? Walking track? All of that will be part of the part of the study. Engaging with stakeholders, understanding what the community is looking for is going to be a key driver of this type of results. But along those lines, once it is determined okay, these are the parts and pieces to this sports complex. Now we'll know a size and shape. We'll know acreage. We'll know okay. What does it need for parking. What does it need for ancillary? If it's a facility that supports sports tournaments, you'll likely want to see hotels in close proximity or restaurants and retail opportunities. And so this this drives a lot of things going forward. And that's where the city has an interest. And gratefully, at the Park district meeting, there was a unanimous decision to support a a code study. Essentially the city and the parks working in tandem. The message that I carried back to our commissioners on Tuesday was the park district was in for 50 to $75,000 if the city would match that. So essentially what we're looking for is maybe 100 to $150,000 study that will take place over nine months, 8 to 9 months. In the end, it'll come back with here's a list of things the community is looking for as far as sports and recreation. And oh, by the way, here's a location of where it could and likely should be placed.

00:25:49,990	S2:
And you said last night maybe this kicks off around June, and then 8 or 9 months down the road is when that study would be finished.

00:25:57,710	S3:
Right. And probably should note, uh, Executive Director Kevin Clip fell from Bismarck Parks and Recreation District has announced his plans to retire in June. They're again grateful to the Park district for allowing us to be a part of this, because I believe we can help kind of bridge that gap for Kevin's replacement for that person. There's a very steep learning curve to understand how that organization functions. All the community partners they have, all the facilities, the staff, it would allow that person to focus on those more higher priorities, as opposed to kind of getting lost in the middle of a study that got started before they were here. And and again, thanks to the Park district for having the vision and the willingness to move this forward. Now, an answer could have been, yeah, we'd love to do that. We would love to do that. But let's let our director get.

00:26:47,140	S2:
It down the road a little.

00:26:48,100	S3:
Bit. Wait a year. So I think it's going to be an important conversation going forward. Obviously, I'm sure there's people out there listening and wondering, well, how are we going to pay for this? That should be discerned as well. Previously it was looked at as a sales tax. I don't know that that's the only answer this time. I think we've got to be a little more intentional about finding other revenue streams, and maybe that's private sector, maybe that's fee based. I don't know if I knew the answers. We wouldn't need a consultant, but I just know that we'll have a lot of questions, and we're definitely looking forward to getting involved with this one and and working our way through.

00:27:22,780	S2:
Yeah, exciting to think about what's possible and glad the city and the Park district are looking into it. Uh, hey, let's talk about the Citizens Academy and winding down, uh, another week or so from today, March 25th. But, uh, they had a neat experience. You said, uh, within this last week, last week.

00:27:42,580	S3:
So a week, 11 of 12, it's typically reserved for the fire department. And because of the wonderful weather that we've been having, this, uh, seasonal weather we've been having in March, for the first time in five years, the group actually migrated outside of station four, which is typically where we've been hosting Citizen Academy. The unique thing about station four in Northeast Bismarck, it also has a fire training facility. And so our firefighters and regional firefighters can get in this facility, do active fires, work on rope and rappelling, and different simulation training opportunities. The cadets and the Citizen Academy got a firsthand look at that. And so for those on the screen, they can see the images. The top right corner is the group standing outside the we call it the burn building. And it was a great way to just expose people to something that no other group had had the opportunity to see. But looking towards this week, it is the last regular week of Citizen Academy, and we always round out the group with the police department, and we do that intentionally because of course we also have a citizen police academy. So if you want to learn more about the PD, you can apply for that program. It's earlier in the year so it would be coming up I believe I'm sorry. It's it's later in the year. So watch for that. But thanks to this year's group of cadets, thanks to all the staff. Thanks to everybody that participated in this. It's a it's a time commitment. No doubt about it. 12 weeks, three hours a night. Um, so a minimum of 36 likely closer to 40 hours. And, uh, Exposure to somewhere close to 100 city staff, all 17 departments. It's it's a lot of work, but it's a lot of fun. It's it's really rewarding.

00:29:28,090	S2:
Immersive but educational experience.

00:29:30,450	S3:
I've referred to it as a a master's degree in municipal government. It's like night school.

00:29:36,810	S2:
I wanted to also bring up this is a bit down the road. Tuesday, April 21st at 530 there will be another community conversation on homelessness. This one will take place at the Dream Center here in Bismarck.

00:29:49,250	S3:
Right. And this is a the second topic or the second time the Human Relations Committee will be focusing on homelessness. Clearly, this is a top of line topic for a lot of people in our community. And thanks to the Dream Center for their willingness to host. Typically we've been at the library, so this will be one of those service providers in the community that's there. Fill in the gaps where there are a lot of our residents that rely on the services of the Dream Center offers.

00:30:16,010	S2:
So and this is driven by the Human Relations Committee.

00:30:19,290	S3:
The city's human relations committee, which meets monthly. Those meetings are open to the public as well. Those are not in the Tom Baker room. Those are up in the mayor's conference room on the fourth floor of the city county building.

00:30:30,210	S2:
We talked about some of the great projects that have sent sales taxes done in the past, and I happen to have a photo of the Burley Avenue, South Washington Street. But I just wanted to let everybody know, as we're getting into this time of year, if you want to follow projects that are going on in Bismarck, you can go to Bismarck gov for all the latest info.

00:30:50,610	S3:
That's where you'll find them.

00:30:51,730	S2:
And that kind of wraps things up. If you want to watch this on your time or any of the government meetings in Bismarck or Burleigh County, Mandan or Morton County, you can download the CMA app. You can go to our website, Dakota media access, and find them. We'll also invite you to check out Radio Access, where you can find a number of locally produced programs. Music. podcast conversations to enjoy. Until next time for Jason Tonic. I'm Tom Gearhart.

00:31:23,000	Have a great day! S1:
For more information on what was discussed in this episode of City Current, visit Bismarck, N.D. or call (701) 355-1300.

00:31:32,880	S1:
If you have suggestions, comments, or issues you would like to address in future episodes, contact us at Info at Free TV. This program airs on Government Access channel two and 602 in HD or on Radio Access 102.5 FM. It's also available as a podcast, on radio access and as a video viewing link at free TV. Thanks for tuning in to this edition of City Current.