Bismarck Board of City Commissioners Regular Meeting - September 22, 2026

The Bismarck Board of City Commissioners held a regular meeting on September 22, 2026, at 5:15 PM in the Tom Baker Room of the City County Building. The meeting included public comments, consent agenda items, public hearings, and discussion on several key issues, notably revisions to the camping ordinance, a proposed low-barrier shelter, a historic preservation plan, and tax abatement requests. Multiple votes were taken, and several items were referred for further study.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda was approved with several items pulled for separate discussion. Items pulled included: F1 (appointment of Delaney Sheehan to the Historic Preservation Commission) and E1 (ordinance 6688 – revisions to the camping ordinance). The remaining consent items were approved unanimously.
• Minutes from the previous meeting were approved with a correction requested by Commissioner Dahl, noting that the request for city attorney review of the camping ordinance came from the Mayor, not from Commissioner Dahl.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Pastor Joe (Executive Director, Ministry on the Margins): Expressed strong opposition to the proposed camping ordinance revisions (ordinance 6688). He argued that the definition of "camper" is overly broad and would criminalize homelessness, including those with sleeping bags or blankets. He noted that the ordinance would also criminalize assistance from faith-based organizations and volunteers, including his organization's food and blanket distributions. He criticized mandatory sentencing (4 days on second violation, 7 on third, 15 on fourth) and estimated jail costs at $150/day (later corrected to $100/day by Commissioner Rish). He warned the ordinance is unconstitutional and could invite lawsuits. He urged the commission to focus on comprehensive solutions rather than criminalization.
• Daniela Aki: Supported Pastor Joe's remarks, calculating potential jail costs. She highlighted that 50 people with multiple citations could cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars, whereas housing one person costs about $25,000 per year. She questioned the moral and ethical basis for criminalizing homelessness and urged collaborative solutions.
• Ashley Johnner (Director of Advocacy, Sacred Pipe Resource Center): Stated that there have been 357 citations for "existing" in the community. She described a person with 15 camping citations who had no shoes or blanket, arguing that citations do not address root causes. She asked the commission to remove the ordinance from the consent calendar and send it to committee for revision.
• Mickey Shilley (Community Member): Shared her personal story of losing everything after a truck accident and living in a camper for nine months. She explained that citations create barriers to employment and housing, as many applications ask about misdemeanors within three years. She urged the commission to consider the long-term impact of criminalizing poverty.
• Carmen Ibrahim (Formerly Homeless): Described visiting people experiencing homelessness daily, many of whom are Native American, including individuals in wheelchairs or with amputated legs. She asked commissioners to visit the encampments and see the human side of the issue. She advocated for funding a homeless shelter instead of other projects.
• Shady Snow Pretensical (Former Homeless Youth): Shared that she was a homeless youth but received help from Youth Works, which enabled her to become a productive community member. She urged investment in people rather than jail, noting that criminalization would worsen the problem.
• Darius Grant (Peer Support Specialist): Spoke from three perspectives: as someone who provides care packages, as a peer support specialist, and as a formerly homeless person. He argued that many individuals want to change but lack resources. He described a "recovery ecosystem" he is developing and encouraged the commission to seek solutions from those with lived experience.

Discussion Items

• Camping Ordinance (Ordinance 6688): Commissioner Hall moved to pull the item from the agenda and form a stakeholder committee to review the ordinance and develop a comprehensive homelessness plan. Commissioner Dahl suggested separating the immediate ordinance revision from the broader homelessness strategy. After discussion, the motion was approved unanimously. The commission directed City Administrator Jason and City Attorney Julie Mees to form a small working group to draft revised ordinance language, while separately working on a larger homelessness task force.
• Low-Barrier Shelter: Mayor Schmidt proposed that the city begin looking for space to acquire or lease for a low-barrier shelter, and requested authorization to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for an organization to operate it. The commission approved this motion unanimously, with Commissioner Connolly noting it was a step forward in addressing homelessness.
• Historic Preservation Plan: Lauren and Domina Ingall (Chair, Historic Preservation Commission) presented the Bismarck Historic Preservation Plan, a guiding document developed with community input between 2021 and 2026. The plan includes six goals: celebrating heritage, preserving historic places, integrating preservation into economic development, advocating for preservation, educating the public, and engaging community members. The commission accepted the plan unanimously.
• Tax Abatement Request – Innova Homes LLC: The Finance Department presented four abatement applications from Innova Homes LLC seeking waiver of penalties for late property tax payments. The penalties resulted from the county not providing timely tax bills after the properties were purchased from the city. The commission agreed that the abatement process was not the proper mechanism and instead voted to deny the abatement and direct Commissioner Rish to raise the issue at the Bismarck-Burleigh Commission meeting to seek a remedy. The vote was unanimous.
• Public Hearings on Assessments and Zoning: Several public hearings were held for special assessment districts and zoning map amendments. All were approved unanimously without public testimony. Items included:
  • Approval of concrete sidewalk, curb, gutter, and private driveway assessments (SW2025).
  • Confirmation of 2026 special assessment districts.
  • Zoning map amendment from RMH to RMH with plan overlay for a manufactured home park (Governor Pierce Edition).
  • Zoning map amendment from CX to CG for a potential car dealership expansion (Centennial Park 4th Edition).
  • Zoning map amendment from R5 to RS residential suburban with plan overlay and subdivision plat for Cottage Grove Addition (13 lots, including stormwater detention pond).
  • Four land development code amendments (stormwater management, zoning references, and two zoning map updates for previously approved subdivisions) – all approved.
• Traffic Data Collection Contract: The MPO presented a contract with Gay Walt Hamilton Associates for traffic data collection and analysis. The contract value is $34,478.98 (originally $34,003.98 but corrected by $475), with 80% federal/MPO funding and 20% city match ($6,895.80). Commissioner Rish clarified the cameras will only collect traffic flow data, not license plate or facial recognition. The contract was approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Camping Ordinance (Ordinance 6688): Pulled from consent agenda and referred to a working group led by City Administrator and City Attorney to draft revised language. A separate homelessness task force will be formed for broader solutions. (Motion passed unanimously)
• Low-Barrier Shelter: Authorized city staff to explore acquisition or leasing of a site and to issue an RFP for operation. (Motion passed unanimously)
• Historic Preservation Plan: Accepted by the commission. (Unanimous)
• Tax Abatement for Innova Homes LLC: Denied; referral to Bismarck-Burleigh Commission for resolution of penalty issue. (Unanimous)
• All Public Hearings (Items C through K): Approved as presented. (Unanimous)
• Traffic Data Collection Contract: Approved with corrected amount. (Unanimous)
• Other Business: Commissioner Hall expressed concern about employee pay raise process; commissioners agreed to improve openness in future budget discussions. Commissioner Rish reminded the public about the online survey for a potential recreational center.