Mandan City Commission Meeting - November 18, 2025: Beautification, Infrastructure, Development
Mandan City Commission Meeting - November 18, 2025
The Mandan City Commission met on November 18, 2025, at 5:30 PM in the Bosch Frelec Meeting Room of Mandan City Hall. Mayor Frelick presided, with Commissioners Roar, Hilberg, Hein Sean, and Braun present. The meeting included beautification awards, construction updates, approval of a preliminary plat and zone change for Meadowlands Third Edition, consent agenda items, and creation of a street improvement district.
Consent Calendar
- The agenda for November 18, 2025, was approved unanimously (motion by Commissioner Rohr, second by Commissioner Schoberg, all yes).
- The minutes from the November 4, 2025, Board of City Commission meeting were approved unanimously (motion by Commissioner Schoberg, second by Commissioner Heinshaw, all yes).
- The consent agenda was approved except item #2 (which was pulled for discussion); motion by Commissioner Rohr, second by Commissioner Braun, all yes.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public offered comments during the open comment period.
Discussion Items
Beautification Recognition Program
Lane Mutter from the Mandan Park Board presented certificates of achievement. Residential winners were Kathy and Laura Baliet, nominated by Ruth McDonald, recognized for their well-maintained 1916 home. Business winners were Chelsea and Toby Seaverson, owners of Buck and Bean, nominated by Michaela Rancet. Mutter encouraged residents to nominate homes and businesses for Christmas lights via a form on the city website.
Construction Updates
Jerek provided updates on three projects:
- Memorial Highway Project: The intersection of Memorial Highway and 40th Avenue has been realigned to a right angle, with 40th opening on Friday, November 14. Street lights at that intersection will be operational this week. The southbound off-ramp at 46th was closed for concrete work. A winter shutdown will feature temporary concrete lanes with a 7-foot asphalt extension, and snow removal will occur before 8 AM. Major work will end by November 26.
- Collins Avenue Reservoir: Leak tests and site backfilling are ongoing. The new reservoir should be online later this month, with demolition of the old reservoir beginning in December and exterior finishes in spring.
- 2025 Street Reconstruction: All paving and concrete work is paused until 2026. Pressure relief valve installed; landscape restoration and site cleanup are active. Spring work will include mill and overlay, chip seal, and concrete repairs.
Commissioner Roar asked about sidewalk elevation issues and high back curbs for handicap accessibility; Jerek confirmed high back curbs would be used.
Grand Lighting and Santa's Arrival
Matt announced the annual Grand Lighting at Dykeshorn Park on Friday, November 28 at 6 PM. Main Street will be closed in the 300 and 400 blocks, with a stage, music, and Santa and Mrs. Claus arrival. Two new displays: a yellow-and-black tractor from Farmers Union Insurance and a 25-foot RGB military tribute tree (funded by multiple sponsors, a three-year project). Last year's attendance was ~3,200 people. Fire pits, patio heaters, and hot chocolate will be available. A second event, Mingle with the Kringles, will be held Saturday, November 29 from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Morton Mandan Public Library.
Small Business Saturday
Mayor Frelick encouraged shopping local on November 29, both on Memorial Highway and downtown.
Public Hearing: Preliminary Plat and Zone Change for Meadowlands Third Edition
Rachel Lockway (interim planner) presented the proposal for lots on both sides of 18th Avenue South, creating 43 total manufactured home lots (38 east, 5 west). The zone change is from RH (residential mobile home park) to RMH (residential mobile home subdivision). Private streets with 34-foot easements, no-parking fire lanes, and a planned connection to Memorial Highway were discussed. Staff recommended approval with conditions, including resolution of the Frontier Trail connection to Gateway Mobile Home Park (currently gated, intended as secondary emergency access). The applicant’s engineer, Abe Omer, stated the developer is strongly opposed to making that connection a public through street.
Commissioner Roar noted he had visited the area, spoke with residents, and identified 11 points that need resolution before final plat. He expressed confidence they could be resolved amicably. The public hearing was opened and closed with no additional comments. A motion to approve the preliminary plat and zone change as presented, with staff comments to be addressed before final plat, passed unanimously (motion by Commissioner Heinschan, second by Commissioner Rohr, all yes).
1806 Chip Seal Urban Regional Program Application for 2030 (Item pulled from consent agenda)
Jerek explained the NDDOT approached the city about a chip seal project on Highway 1806, estimated at $100,000 with a 10% city share ($10,000). The project area is north of Starrian, near the tennis center, through the roundabout, and east on Old Red Trail. Commissioner Roar clarified this is separate from a previously delayed chip seal on 1806 South (now scheduled for mill and overlay in 2027). The motion to authorize submission of the grant application passed unanimously (motion by Commissioner Schoberg, second by Commissioner Heinschan, all yes).
New Business: Street Improvement District 241 (2026 Reconstruction)
Jerek presented plans for the 2026 street reconstruction project area (Project Area 3A). A public input meeting on October 28 at Red Trail Elementary had ~40 attendees. Total cost estimate is $4.3 million, with property assessments ranging from $1,000 (network benefits) to ~$15,000 (full reconstruction). If approved tonight, a second meeting will be held December 4 at 5:30 PM at Red Trail Elementary. Commissioner Roar praised the early engagement process, noting short-term resident concerns were addressed within a week by the street department. The resolutions to create the district were approved unanimously (motion by Commissioner Schoberg, second by Commissioner Heinschan, all yes).
Engineering Service Agreement for Shores at Lakewood Phase Two (SID 240)
Jerek requested approval of a $67,500 contract with Mountain Plains for construction oversight of street improvements for Shores at Lakewood phases 2–4. The costs will be assessed back to benefiting properties. Commissioner Roar noted a typo in the contract (referring to City Commission as “owner” instead of “client”); Amy confirmed it could be corrected by crossing out “owner” and initialing. The motion to approve the agreement passed unanimously (motion by Commissioner Heinschan, second by Commissioner Braun, all yes).
Resolution Establishing Cemetery Rates for 2026
Shane O’Keefe proposed a $50 increase to grave rates and a $50 increase to opening and closing fees, part of the long-term financial plan. Commissioner Roar asked about half-graves (typically for cremations). The last rate adjustment was in May 2025. The resolution was approved unanimously (motion by Commissioner Schoberg, second by Commissioner Heinschan, all yes).
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Preliminary plat and zone change for Meadowlands Third Edition (unanimous).
- Approved: Submission of 1806 Chip Seal UR Program application (unanimous).
- Approved: Creation of Street Improvement District 241 (unanimous).
- Approved: Engineering service agreement for Shores at Lakewood Phase Two SID 240 (unanimous).
- Approved: 2026 cemetery rate increases (unanimous).
- Future meetings: December 2 and 16, 2025 at 5:30 PM; January 6, 2026 at 5:30 PM.
Mayor Frelick closed the meeting with a reminder to be kind and wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, good evening and welcome. Today is November 18th. It is 2025. It's 5 30 p.m. and we are in the uh Bosch Frelec meeting room of Mandan City Hall. Mr. Neubauer, could you please take the roll call for the starting lineup for tonight? Yes. Commissioners Roar. Here Hilberg. Here. Hein Sean. Here. Braun. Yes. Mayor Frelick. Here. And now we will have Lane Mutter from uh the Mandan Park Board. Commissioner Lane Mutter lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Please stand. Please stand and remove any headgear. Remove any headgear, please. Thank you. I lose to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. Thank you, Lane. And now we will uh move into announcements. Beautification recognition program. Winners announced. Lane. Good evening, Mayor and Commissioners. I'm uh kind of proud of announced this committee is is uh very aggressive about showing people how how nice our community is and our neighbors and our businesses and and uh I would like to present um a certificate of achievement for a couple people and the first one is a residential and it's already up online. There it is. And this is for Kathy and Laura Baliet, did I say that right? Close enough. Um would you like to come up and you guys can say a few words? Come on over. Tell us how you do it. That's right. Oh we can't tell you how we do it, then everyone would do it. Um I do the I do the lawnmowing and Kathy does the decorating. So um no, it's it's an honor to be considered and uh nominated and to receive this. Um we do take a lot of pride in the our house and the yard and really enjoy the old neighborhood and uh kind of trying to keep things true to the the age of the 1916 house. So thank you. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. The property was nominated by Ruth McDonald. Um and she's part of the of the committee for us, so I appreciate that.
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