Mandan City Commission Meeting Summary – August 18, 2026
Mandan City Commission Meeting Summary – August 18, 2026
The Mandan City Commission met on August 18, 2026, at 5:30 PM in the Ed Bosch Frelek meeting room at Mandan City Hall. The meeting covered construction project updates, a public hearing on the land use code rewrite, and first readings of ordinances on electric micromobility devices and sales tax reallocation. All votes were unanimous.
Construction Project Updates
- Memorial Highway (east half): Walkthroughs completed; final punch list issued, including hall road repairs. Some reconstruction will occur later in the season.
- Memorial Highway (west half): Eastbound temporary asphalt lanes installed; eastbound concrete completed from Main Street to the flood wall. A traffic shift to the south side was expected the next morning to allow north-side underground work.
- Third Street: Stormwater infrastructure installation underway, including a 72-inch stormwater pipe. Third Street to remain open.
- First Street Reconstruction: Phases 1 and 2 substantially complete; phase 3 and intersection at 4th Avenue Northwest expecting water main and storm sewer installation.
- Water & Sewer District 65 (Lewis & Clark Elementary): Substantially complete; punch list items ongoing through year-end.
- Street Improvement District 241 (Red Trail Elementary): Asphalt paving complete; chip seal and fog seal expected within the next week.
- Collins & 14th Stop Sign: After a trial of two-way stop control, the intersection will be returned to a four-way stop based on community feedback. Permanent changes require further study.
- City Hall: Sidewalk and stairway improvements ongoing on the south side.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made during the public comment period or the public hearing.
Discussion Items
- Land Use Code Revision (Public Hearing & First Reading): Rachel (consultant from Interstate Engineering) presented a comprehensive overview of the land use code rewrite project, which began in fall 2023. Key updates include modernized landscaping standards, park dedication options, access management, right-of-way widths, five new zoning districts (RR, MX, Downtown Fringe, NMU, CMU), updated use types, streamlined administrative processes, and reduced parking requirements. Data center regulations were reserved for future review. Commissioners discussed rural residential zoning, street tree requirements, and lot sizes. The public hearing was opened and closed with no comments. The first reading of Ordinance 1490 adopting sections 101 and 109 and repealing section 105 was approved unanimously (4-0).
- Electric Bikes & Micromobility Devices (Ordinance 1489): Chief Ziegler introduced the ordinance to update regulations for electric bikes, electric micromobility devices, and mini-bikes, aligning with state law. Key provisions: children under 12 cannot operate unless accompanied by an adult; helmets required under 18; speed limit of 15 mph on sidewalks; class 3 e-bikes (up to 28 mph) prohibited on multi-use paths; fines for violations; education-first approach. Cole Highlin (Mandan Park District) noted collaboration on trails and concerns about high-speed e-bikes. Commissioners discussed enforcement, downtown restrictions, and education. The first reading was approved unanimously (4-0).
- Sales Tax Reallocation (Ordinance 1491): City Attorney Oester explained the ordinance enacts the voter-approved reallocation of the 0.75% sales tax from the sports complex to a fund for fire department construction, equipment upgrades, and land for a potential station four. The first reading was approved unanimously (4-0).
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Ordinance 1490 (first reading) – Land use code sections 101 and 109, repealing section 105. Vote: 4-0.
- Approved: Ordinance 1489 (first reading) – Electric bikes, micromobility devices, and mini-bikes regulations. Vote: 4-0.
- Approved: Ordinance 1491 (first reading) – Sales tax reallocation for fire department. Vote: 4-0.
- Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously.
- Next Meetings: September 1, 2026; September 15, 2026; October 6, 2026; all at 5:30 PM. Planning and Zoning Commission: August 24, 2026, at Mandan High School auditorium.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome. Today is August 18th, 2026. We are in the Ed Bosch Frelek meeting room at Mandan City Hall. It is 5 30 p.m. Mr. Newbauer, could you please take the roll? Sure. Hein Schon. Here. Braun. Yes. Walavic. Here. Schoberg. Mayor Frailick. Here. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Pledge allegiance to the United States of America. All right, we'll start out with announcements, construction project updates. Mayor Commissioners, good evening. I've got uh updates for four projects around town today. Um heavily focused on Memorial Highway. Uh for the east half of Memorial Highway. The walkthroughs for both the above ground and below ground infrastructure were completed, and a final punch list has been um uh created, and the contractor is working through them. Um one notable punch list item is hall road repairs. May people may notice that that is happening right now. Um there are a few other areas that are set to be um reconstructed uh as a part of the Memorial Highway project that will be reconstructed later on in the season just due to timing and lay down yards and the contractor being able to get in in and out of their work area. So most of it will be done now. There is a few spots that will be uh addressed later on. For the west half of the project, um the eastbound temporary asphalt lanes are installed, and we are and we have uh eastbound concrete completed from Main Street in the street intersection to the flood wall. We're expecting a traffic shift tomorrow morning. So this will be a big change for everybody. Um it'll flop from the current uh north side to the south side so that the contractor can start working on the north side on the underground on the north side. So that's uh that's a big change coming that everybody uh everybody should be aware of. And then on uh third street, there is a lot of activity going on there related to stormwater infrastructure installation. You know, people will notice uh a crane out here and a coffer dam that's associated with the construction of an outlet structure. Um there will also be a uh 72-inch stormwater pipe uh board underneath third street, but third street should remain open the entire time. Uh another topic of conversation is the dewatering activities. Uh have pictured here uh the dew groundwater dewatering. Um this is positioned right next to an inlet. And uh what this is is just basically uh pumping groundwater into our stormwater uh conveyance system, and this is just to dry out trenches so that the contractor has a dry area to work in while they're doing some of those underground improvements. Uh next is the first street reconstruction project. The phases one and two are substantially complete. There's a few items that still need to be done in those phases, such as the colored concrete, boulevard work, and just some of those other button-up items, but people can drive down them and uh take a look. Um I drove down there this morning and here's a picture of Fifth Avenue Northwest looking north. If everybody if anybody's interested in that. Uh this week we are expecting phase three and in and the intersection at 4th Avenue Northwest. Uh we're expecting water main and storm sewer installation to occur there. And then upcoming, the contractor will be moving to phase five. So they're allowed to have two phases open at a time, and they will be three and five in the coming weeks.
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