Minot City Council met for the final time Monday, June 3rd before next Tuesday’s Primary elections, where 3 seats are up for election. The Council would approve the release of recordings from executive sessions regarding the City of Minot’s negotiations for the purchase of the Nok Back Tavern.
First, following the standard reports from the Mayor, City Attorney, and City Manager, the council would approve the following 12 Consent Line Items:
To view these consent items in full visit: https://minotnd.portal.civicclerk.com/event/81/files/agenda/3022
City Council had a single Action Item on the meeting’s agenda determining to either release or not release the recordings from the April 15 and May 6 executive sessions related to the purchase of the Nok Back Tavern building on 3rd St. NE, along with the parking lot adjacent from it on 1st Ave NE. The building was purchased recently by the City of Minot to accommodate the next phase of the flood control project, with plans to eventually demolish the site. These recordings are typically not publicly released due to the confidential nature of the City’s Real estate negotiating tactics.
Former City Councilman Josh Wolsky submitted the request along with seeking an opinion from the State Attorney General. He would say, “First...if the stated agenda and the actions of the Council on that day (May 6) were essentially in concurrence. The stated agenda listed a potential real estate purchase or something along those lines, and the very specific motions of that were very different from what was listed on the agenda. The second part of the request to the Attorney General is to consider whether the actions potentially on April 15th ... is that a portion of that meeting may very well have been about the decision whether to negotiate for the real estate or not. As I see it a real estate negotiation comes with two parts: do you want to purchase it... the second part is what should we purchase it for?”
Wolsky also stated what he wanted the Attorney General's opinion on, “The question I’ve asked the Attorney General to consider is whether that first part is indeed protected by executive session or not.”
Wolsky has requested the State Attorney General's office to clarify if a City Council can have meetings with generic agenda titles where more specific items are discussed. Further, he sought if the city should be able to discuss the intent to purchase real estate through an executive session.
Minot City Council questioned whether the city should release the meetings ahead of the opinion from the Attorney General’s office due to the potential harm of disclosing the City’s tactics in negotiating for real estate.
Councilman Mark Jantzer said, “The Attorney General is going to rule on whether what was done was appropriate or not, I guess why wouldn't we just wait to find out what the opinion is?”
City Councilwoman Carrie Evans voiced support for the motion, who said: “...I support releasing them because I do not believe releasing them will have an adverse effect on the City of Minot.”
The City Council voted in favor of the release of the executive session recordings 4-3. Mayor Ross and Councilmembers Evans, Pitner, and Pordygula voted in favor and Councilmembers Burlingame, Jantzer, and Olson voted against.
The meeting received reports from the Minot Commission on Aging, the First District Health unit, Minot Area Chamber EDC, and the Souris Basin Planning Commission before adjourning for the evening.
View this week’s meeting here: Minot City Council Meeting 6/3/24
