Today, the Bismarck Tribune is reporting that Bismarck Mayor Mike Seminary intends to exert pressure on the North Dakota Department of Commerce in order to nullify the Burleigh County Commission's pro-taxpayer decision to not renew the City of Bismarck's Renaissance Zone program.
On March 29, the Bismarck City Commission approved extension of the program, but state Commerce Department guidelines require letters of support from the county and the Bismarck School District in submitting the application for state approval. Bismarck’s Renaissance Zone is scheduled to end May 1.
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Rikki Roehrich, program administrator for the Renaissance Zone with the state Commerce Department, said Tuesday that the letter of support from the county and the school district weigh heavily into the agency’s decision on whether a program continues.
“It has been a requirement since the program’s inception. It would not be considered a viable extension plan without the letter of support and would automatically be denied,” said Roehrich, adding that this is the first time the issue has come up as not many cities have seen their 15-year Renaissance zones expire.
Despite this fact that it has ALWAYS been a requirement to have the County's support, and that it would be automatically declined, Mayor Mike Seminary says he will put pressure (perhaps undue?) on the state to treat Bismarck differently than it has other cities in the past:
Regardless, the city will proceed with the extension request, according to Mayor Mike Seminary.
“Our interpretation is the city has to reach out to the political subdivisions. We’ll see what the state does,” said Seminary, adding there has been significant property improvements with “hundreds of jobs created and millions of dollars invested in properties” that might not have happened without a Renaissance Zone.
City Commissioner Josh Askvig is backing Mayor Seminary's plan to pressure the state to accept the city's incomplete renewal application:
Commissioner Josh Askvig said he was disappointed by the county’s refusal to support the Renaissance Zone.
“Our plan is to continue to create a vibrant downtown. We’ll finish what we submitted to the state and see what happens,” said Askvig, emphasizing that there are no plans to extend the Renaissance Zone borders.
Commission Askvig's comment about not having any plans to expand the Renaissance Zone defies the facts that the sub-committee he is a member of is already looking to do just that.
In the map below, the blocks outlined in Red are the current blocks in the Renaissance Zone - the blocks outlined in other colors are being considered as part of the expansion (which requires renewal to happen.)