OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Bismarck City Commission Meeting - June 23, 2026: Humanitarian Awards, Zoning, Sales Tax, and Commissioner Farewells

City Commission — Tuesday, June 23, 2026
BodyBismarck, North Dakota
SessionCity Commission
DateTuesday, June 23, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:02:29

Transcript — Verbatim
0:10

This is June 23rd, 2026.

0:14

We are in the Tom Baker meeting hall, and this is the Board of City Commissioners.

0:20

We are going to go ahead and start with Chaplin Holhalter.

0:26

Can you double check for me?

0:29

There he is.

0:30

Thank you.

0:31

With prayer and pledge.

0:34

That's pretty good.

0:47

And I think that the honor we have to do that.

1:48

All right, we will go ahead and call roll.

1:54

Commissioner Wish.

1:55

Here.

1:56

Commissioner Zanker?

1:57

Here.

1:57

Commissioner Connolly?

1:59

Here.

1:59

Mayor Schmitz.

2:01

Here.

2:01

Commissioner Cleary.

2:03

Here.

2:04

All right.

2:04

Before we go on to public comment, we have the humanitarian award presentations that I believe Sargiana, Tia, and Katie are going to come present.

2:19

Good evening, Commissioners and members of our community.

2:22

My name is Katie Hoole, Chair of Bismarck Human Relations Committee.

2:26

Joining me this evening are fellow committee members, Sargiana Witzki and Tia Jorgensen.

2:31

We're honored to be here tonight to present the 2025 Humanitarian Awards.

2:35

The Bismarck Human Relations Committee was established to celebrate the value of a diverse and compassionate community.

2:41

Each year, the committee presents humanitarian awards to individuals and organizations who embody that mission.

2:47

People and groups who stand up for others, treat every person with dignity, and make our community a more welcoming place for all.

2:55

This year we received nominations that moved us very deeply.

2:59

They reminded us of something important that the work of building a more welcoming and compassionate community does not happen in grand gestures or headline moments.

3:07

It happens in quiet, consistent acts of courage, kindness, and service.

3:11

It happens in schools, in recovery houses, in after school programs, and in one-on-one conversations that never make the news.

3:37

This year's recipient is Levi Englstad, a young man from Bismarck who was nominated by Rhonda Styles Roadie.

3:44

Rhonda has known Levi since he was young and has watched him grow from an eager small child who wanted to help in any way he could into a thoughtful, dependable young leader.

3:53

Levi has spent his teenage years putting his values into action.

3:57

He's now in his fourth year of the Avid program that builds skills and critical thinking, leadership, cross-cultural understanding, and community engagement.

4:05

Beyond the classroom, Levi has volunteered consistently across the community, serving as a junior group leader at St.

4:10

Mary's Faith Formation, supporting Roosevelt Elementary Title I events, volunteering with Ministry on the Margins, and leading activity stations at community family nights.

4:20

What makes Levi stand out is not just the list of activities of the ways that he's involved, but the spirit he brings to them.

4:26

He created welcome kits for new students at his school, ensuring that every peer, regardless of the back of their background or circumstance, feel supported from the very first day.

4:36

He helped create Mayday cards for classmates, staff, and community members who might be struggling or feeling overlooked.

4:43

These are the kind of gestures that cost little but mean everything to the people that receive them.

4:48

Rhonda captured it this way.

4:50

Levi's leadership is rooted in compassion, humility, and a genuine desire to make life better for others.

4:55

He leads not by authority, but by example, through kindness, reliability, and a steady commitment to human dignity and Cuban service.

5:03

Levi, on behalf of the Bismarck Human Relations Committee, it is our honor to present you with the 2025 Youth Humanitarian Award.

6:09

This year's recipient is Megan Frankel Mann, director of Hope Manor, nominated by Sally.

6:16

Megan's story is one that begins inside the very organization she now leads.

6:21

She first walked through Hope Manor's doors as a participant in 2014.

6:26

She became instructor in 2023.

6:28

That arc, from resident to leader, shapes everything about how she does this work.

6:34

People in recovery are the most easily overlooked members of our community.

6:38

They're often turned away from housing, employment, and face insurmountable stigma.

6:44

Megan has built her life's work around the steady, quiet insistence that they are full human beings with dignity and worth.

6:52

As our nominator Sally wrote, she doesn't talk about the people Home Manor serves as a recipients of help.

6:58

She talks about them as colleagues in recovery, neighbors, future alumni, and future leaders.

7:05

That stance shows up in small, repeated acts of dignity.

7:10

Sally writes character references.

7:12

Megan writes character reference letters for residents headed to court.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████████████████████33%
Community Engagement████████████████████20%
Procedural███████████████████19%
Personnel Matters██████████10%
Arts And Culture████████8%
Mental Health Awareness███3%
Fiscal Sustainability███3%
Disability Rights██2%
Parks and Recreation██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Bismarck City Commission Meeting - June 23, 2026

The Bismarck Board of City Commissioners met on June 23, 2026, at the Tom Baker meeting hall. The meeting included the presentation of the 2025 Humanitarian Awards, public hearings on zoning and easement matters, a discussion on the prioritization methodology for the recently voter-approved half-cent sales tax for roadways, an update on the second annual Red, White & Boom July 4th celebration, and farewell remarks for outgoing Commissioners Greg Zanker and Emily Cleary.

Humanitarian Awards

  • The Bismarck Human Relations Committee presented the 2025 Humanitarian Awards. Recipients included:
    • Levi Englstad (Youth Award) – recognized for volunteerism, peer support (welcome kits, Mayday cards), and leadership with compassion.
    • Megan Frankel Mann (Adult Award) – director of Hope Manor, honored for her work in addiction recovery, including creating a recovery ecosystem (men's program, women's sober living, a community coffee shop/hub) and providing long-term, compassionate support to individuals and families.
    • Century High School Peer-to-Peer Program (Group Award) – recognized for fostering inclusion for students with disabilities, including organizing the Neurodiversity Palooza.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • One member of the public thanked Commissioners Zanker and Cleary for their service to the disability community and transit, and praised the Peer-to-Peer program.
  • No other public comments were offered during the three calls.

Discussion Items

  • Consent Calendar – Approved unanimously.
  • Public Hearing: Temporary Turnaround Easement Release (Paradise Drive) – The landowner requested release of a non-platted temporary turnaround easement, made unnecessary by a newly approved special assessment district extending Paradise Drive. No public testimony. Approved unanimously.
  • Public Hearing: Zoning Map Amendment & Final Plat – Boulder Ridge 8th Edition (Ordinance 6670) – Request to rezone 13.6 acres from Agricultural to R-10 Residential and Public, and approve a 19-lot, 4-block subdivision north of Bismarck. The Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval. The applicant noted it would fill an infrastructure gap and provide a park. Approved unanimously.
  • Public Hearing: Zoning Map Amendment & Final Plat – Clear Sky 2nd Edition (Ordinance 6671) – Request to rezone 19.18 acres from R-5 Residential and Agricultural to R-5 Residential, and approve a 7-lot subdivision east of Bismarck. Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval with conditions (off-site stormwater easements and a lot width waiver). No public testimony. Approved unanimously.
  • Half-Cent Sales Tax Prioritization – Staff presented a draft evaluation framework to prioritize projects for the voter-approved half-cent sales tax extension. The proposed criteria include connectivity, traffic operations, safety, pedestrian/bicycle/transit connectivity, existing infrastructure deficiency, implementation feasibility, and community benefit. A weighted scoring rubric (1-5) was suggested. Commissioners expressed consensus on the proposed methodology. Staff will return in July with a prioritized project list and a discussion of special assessments for roadways, water, and sewer.
  • Red, White & Boom 4th of July Celebration Update – Will Sattler of FNATIC Events presented plans for the second annual event on July 4, 2026, at the MDU Resources Community Bowl (BSC campus). Highlights: gates open 6 PM, drone light show, fireworks, Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra, local music, family activities, over 14 food/drink vendors, complimentary water, and improved traffic control. Last year's attendance exceeded 8,000. No action required.
  • Commission Farewell – City Administrator Jason Tomanek recognized outgoing Commissioners Greg Zanker (8 years) and Emily Cleary (4 years) for their service, highlighting accomplishments including the half-cent sales tax, roundabouts, riverfront development, land development code rewrite, and more. Both commissioners thanked staff, fellow commissioners, and their families.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent calendar approved unanimously.
  • Temporary turnaround easement release approved unanimously.
  • Ordinance 6670 (Boulder Ridge rezoning and final plat) approved unanimously.
  • Ordinance 6671 (Clear Sky rezoning and final plat) approved unanimously.
  • Consensus reached on using the presented criteria and rubric to prioritize half-cent sales tax projects; staff directed to return in July with a prioritized list.
  • No further business; meeting adjourned.

Meeting Transcript

This is June 23rd, 2026. We are in the Tom Baker meeting hall, and this is the Board of City Commissioners. We are going to go ahead and start with Chaplin Holhalter. Can you double check for me? There he is. Thank you. With prayer and pledge. That's pretty good. And I think that the honor we have to do that. All right, we will go ahead and call roll. Commissioner Wish. Here. Commissioner Zanker? Here. Commissioner Connolly? Here. Mayor Schmitz. Here. Commissioner Cleary. Here. All right. Before we go on to public comment, we have the humanitarian award presentations that I believe Sargiana, Tia, and Katie are going to come present. Good evening, Commissioners and members of our community. My name is Katie Hoole, Chair of Bismarck Human Relations Committee. Joining me this evening are fellow committee members, Sargiana Witzki and Tia Jorgensen. We're honored to be here tonight to present the 2025 Humanitarian Awards. The Bismarck Human Relations Committee was established to celebrate the value of a diverse and compassionate community. Each year, the committee presents humanitarian awards to individuals and organizations who embody that mission. People and groups who stand up for others, treat every person with dignity, and make our community a more welcoming place for all. This year we received nominations that moved us very deeply. They reminded us of something important that the work of building a more welcoming and compassionate community does not happen in grand gestures or headline moments. It happens in quiet, consistent acts of courage, kindness, and service. It happens in schools, in recovery houses, in after school programs, and in one-on-one conversations that never make the news. This year's recipient is Levi Englstad, a young man from Bismarck who was nominated by Rhonda Styles Roadie. Rhonda has known Levi since he was young and has watched him grow from an eager small child who wanted to help in any way he could into a thoughtful, dependable young leader. Levi has spent his teenage years putting his values into action. He's now in his fourth year of the Avid program that builds skills and critical thinking, leadership, cross-cultural understanding, and community engagement. Beyond the classroom, Levi has volunteered consistently across the community, serving as a junior group leader at St. Mary's Faith Formation, supporting Roosevelt Elementary Title I events, volunteering with Ministry on the Margins, and leading activity stations at community family nights. What makes Levi stand out is not just the list of activities of the ways that he's involved, but the spirit he brings to them. He created welcome kits for new students at his school, ensuring that every peer, regardless of the back of their background or circumstance, feel supported from the very first day. He helped create Mayday cards for classmates, staff, and community members who might be struggling or feeling overlooked. These are the kind of gestures that cost little but mean everything to the people that receive them. Rhonda captured it this way. Levi's leadership is rooted in compassion, humility, and a genuine desire to make life better for others. He leads not by authority, but by example, through kindness, reliability, and a steady commitment to human dignity and Cuban service. Levi, on behalf of the Bismarck Human Relations Committee, it is our honor to present you with the 2025 Youth Humanitarian Award. This year's recipient is Megan Frankel Mann, director of Hope Manor, nominated by Sally. Megan's story is one that begins inside the very organization she now leads. She first walked through Hope Manor's doors as a participant in 2014.

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