Bismarck City Commission Meeting Summary 2025-10-28
Bismarck City Commission Meeting Summary 2025-10-28
The Bismarck Board of City Commissioners convened on October 28, 2025, to address a range of administrative, zoning, and policy items. Key discussions included the reacquisition of a historic 1926 fire truck, the transfer of Class D alcohol licenses involving charitable gambling entities, and significant revisions to short-term rental ordinances and utility capital charge policies. The meeting concluded with a farewell tribute to the outgoing Director of Finance, Dimitri.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the majority of the consent agenda, excluding an update on Item D6.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Kevin Sheby: Expressed strong opposition to the transfer of Class D alcohol licenses to Map Pack Properties LLC. He stated that charitable gambling revenue (citing $1.2 billion) should not be used by wealthy individuals to buy bars or nonprofits, arguing that the money should instead fund community needs like shelters or charities. He questioned the legality of the arrangement and the eligibility of organizations owning multiple entities.
- Jason Hubert (Map Pack Board President): Clarified that Map Pack Properties LLC is a separate entity from the nonprofit and that the purchase of liquor licenses is funded through non-gaming sources (tournament winnings and registrations), not charitable trust funds. He maintained that the transaction is legal and compliant with state regulations.
Discussion Items
- Historic Fire Truck (Item D6): Commissioner Rish requested a discussion on the reacquisition of a 1926 Seagrave fire truck. Fire Department staff explained the vehicle served for nearly four decades before being sold in 1988 and purchased by the Beck family, who kept it in storage. The truck, celebrating its 100th birthday next year, will be restored and temporarily stored at Fire Station 2 for community display.
- Short-Term Rentals (Item D): Staff presented a proposal to allow short-term rentals in residential properties via Ordinance 6643. Commissioner Rish noted that while affordable housing is a concern, the ordinance aims to create a baseline regulation. Commissioner Conway supported the measure, citing past success of short-term rentals in helping homeowners maintain residences during economic downturns.
- Utility Capital Charges (Item F): A presentation was given on proposed revisions to Utility Capital Charges (UCCs), including changes to collection timing, a 10-year vesting period for current parcels, and the creation of a public-facing GIS map. Commissioners discussed the impact on developers and property owners, with Commissioner Rish inquiring about rate increases in light of inflation; staff indicated rates would remain unchanged pending future master plan updates.
- Citizen Academy & Board Appointments: The 2026 Citizen Academy program (the fifth season) was announced, accepting 20 applicants to learn about city operations. Additionally, applications for upcoming terms for ten boards and commissions were opened.
- Director Farewell: Commissioner Rish and the board expressed gratitude to Director of Finance Dimitri for his six years of service, highlighting his mentorship and leadership.
Key Outcomes
- Unanimous Approval: Passed the motion to approve the reacquisition of the 1926 Seagrave fire truck (Item D6) after it was pulled from consent.
- Unanimous Approval: Approved the transfer of Class D alcohol licenses from TBM Group LLC and Main Bar & Package Store to Map Pack Properties LLC (Items A and B).
- Unanimous Approval: Approved the zoning map amendment revisions for Silver Ranch 5th Edition (Item C).
- Unanimous Approval: Approved Ordinance 6643 allowing short-term rentals on residential properties within city limits and extraterritorial areas (Item D).
- Unanimous Approval: Approved the zoning map amendment for the Silver Ranch 3rd Edition subdivision (Item E).
- Approval: Commission directed staff to draft revised Utility Capital Charge policy with an implementation date of January 1, 2026, to be brought back for final adoption (Item F).
- Next Steps: Citizen Academy applications open November 1, 2025; Board of Adjustment and other board applications open in November 2025.
Meeting Transcript
All right, it is 5 15, so I'm gonna go ahead and call the Board of City Commissioners together, and we will start with invocation and pledge with Chaplin Hare. Heavenly Father, thank you for this day, and thank you again for the beauty of it and the sunshine. Thank you for the cool of the air, which declares the change of the seasons. And Lord, it shows us once again your power and your might. And it proves to us that we are not in control, but that there is one who does control every element and aspect of this world, including the seasons of which we have no control. And so Lord, we thank you that we can come to you in prayer, and we ask that uh this evening as these commissioners meet, as they debate and discuss and as uh uh things are brought before them, Father. We pray that you would grant wisdom, that you would grant insight, that you would grant clarity of communication and conversation back and forth, um, that people are understood one to another as uh points are brought up and things are are discussed and uh even as decisions are made. Lord, we thank you that you've given us a beautiful city to live in. We thank you for our leadership. We thank you for these commissioners. We thank you for those uh who are uh serving us, and we specifically thank of our first responders who are available to help and to rescue and to keep us from and keep us safe from from peril and tragedy. And so, Lord, would you bless them today? Would you watch over and protect them? Um thank you for the service that they do. And uh might we as the citizens of this uh great city might might we be thankful and and uh and mention it to them, grateful for their service that they give. Uh Lord, now in these moments together, um we uh say thank you again for being our for being God and for giving us uh the opportunity to gather together and to to govern ourselves and we pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, your son our Savior. Amen. 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 to for all. All right, we will go ahead and call roll. Commissioner Rush. Here commissioner Zinker. Here, Commissioner Connolly, here Schmitz, here Chair Cleary. Here all right, first on the agenda is public comment. Um, just a reminder public comment is restricted to items on the consent agenda, regular agenda or the prior city commission agenda, excluding any public hearing items. Um I do ask that you please write down your name and address when you um come up to the podium and state the item um that you will be speaking on. First call for public comment. Second call for public comment. Third and final call for public comment. Public comment period is now closed. Item number two is the consent agenda. Uh Commissioners, what are the wishes of the consent agenda? Madam Chair. Yes, go ahead. Yeah, Commissioner Rish here. I'd like to pull item six off the agenda and um discuss it just briefly. I think it's great news and uh the public should hear about it. That's the fire truck is okay. That is item B D6 D 6. Okay, so we will go ahead and pull D six for discussion. Anything else? I'd move to approve the rest of the consent agenda excluding item D6, and we'll come back to that. Second. There's a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Okay, go ahead and call roll. Commissioner Zinker. Yes. Commissioner Conley. Yes. Mayor Schmitz.
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