On September 23, 2025, at 5:15 PM in the Tom Baker Room of the City County Building, the Bismarck Board of City Commissioners convened. The meeting featured special recognitions, public comment on a fire station location, updates on the Land Development Code, annexations, and zoning changes, and extensive discussions on a proposed street utility fee and extension of the half-cent sales tax for roads. Commissioners also received an update on the draft 2025 strategic plan and approved routine items.
Good evening. It's the 23rd of September, it's 515. And we're in the Tom Baker room of the City County Building. This will be the Board of City Commissioners. But before we get started, we would I'd like to ask Chaplin Wolfgram to come forward for the Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation, please. Thank you for the opportunity. I'm back. I keep coming back. Greg Carr was supposed to be here. He is serving our firefighters tonight, so we're grateful to Greg Porter for serving in that capacity. Let us pray. Last week you showered us with rain to replenish the earth. And today these first days of fall, you give us the beautiful sunshine and warmth. We are grateful for the many blessings you give to us in our community. Today we are grateful for our media for them, keeping us informed about all of the activities around here. We thank you for the devotion and dedication of Monica as she looks to retire. Thank you for her time spent here and pray your care and blessing for her in her retirement in the next chapter of her life. We pray your care and blessing also for our city, for those who serve in emergency services. Be with these leaders, with mayor and with the uh commissioners as they uh deliberate and consider things before them. That your good and gracious moment we accomplished to serve our community. Again, we are grateful to you for who you are, for who you have made us. Grant us your peace this night. We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands on nation under God. Liberty and justice are all. Thank you, sir. If we can call roll to call the meeting to order, please. Commissioner Rish. Here. Commissioner Zenker. Here. Commissioner Connolly? Here. Commissioner Cleary, here. Mayor Smith. Here. So first we have a couple of special events tonight. Um the first one is we're kicking something off new. Um it's my honor to do that, try to have a new tradition for for the city of Bismarck and City Commission meetings moving forward. Um I I truly believe community engagement is important, and certainly when we have members of our community who have done a lot of things to help with that engagement in multiple ways. So today we're is the first of this, and we're going to recognize a couple of individuals tonight. Um I will be presenting the initial inaugural certificates of achievement to two individuals, Susan Lundberg and Stephanie Delmore of Sleepy Hollow Theater Park Arts and Park. Sleepy Hollow began of all places on a family road trip they were on as the Lundbergs traveled and conversed about what it might be that could be important to Bismarck. A powerful question. What does Bismarck need? The family had deep roots in the arts, and they believe the answer was clear. More opportunities for youth to get involved, to participate, to learn, and to create, and to feel a sense of belonging through the arts. So drawing on their childhood summers near Reagan, where Susan and Stephanie built a playhouse and stage productions, the idea for Sleepy Hollow Theater and Arts Park began to take shape. Classes and performances followed.