Public Comment Meeting #1 Proposed Ordinances
10/28/2025, 7:00 PM
Chairman Reis called the Public Hearing to order at 7 pm.
Chairman Reis stated that comments would be taken in order of the document.
Anyone wishing to comment must sign in at the podium and speak from the podium.
The Final Reading of the ACT Comprehensive Plan
Terry Woehl from the Zoning Board highlighted the changes made in response to comments received following the initial reading.
The Comprehensive Plan will not be adopted until the Proposed Zoning Ordinances have been finalized.
Comments on the Proposed Zoning Ordinances
Article 7.2.2 Animal Nuisances
Jamie Vetsch - overly restrictive, very invasive, too restrictive, issues with animals on the roads, would like the ordinance to say animals need to be kept confined in some way.
Ida Erickson - All as written is vague, no measurable standards, need to be more defined, odor, compost hay piles, write more clearly
Alvin Braun - can't farm with this ordinance, has a working farm
Lori Reis - does not apply to farms.
Katie Aitchson - Section 3 - wants to know who the designers are. Township Supervisors or whoever.
John Perkins - Who is the board's designee? The board can't handle everything, people shouldn't have to hire an attorney.
Allan Vogel - wanted everyone to know that the Mees Addition has an architectural board meeting, they are meeting.
Melissa Carson - submitted her comments in writing. Wants to know if the township commissioned or reviewed any studies showing the need for the proposed ordinances. Have there been issues within the township. Wants a copy of the Affidavit of Publication. How will the public input be taken and how will it be responded to. Will the comments be documented.
Robert Field - wants to be worse than Bismarck, recklessly adding ordinances, these could be a problem, ignores ordinances, abbreviate them down to nothing, and then throw them away.
Burt Heaton - Guineahens are his, they do get hit on the road, he raises them to sell, they eat bugs and ticks. Sells exotic animals. The hens wander but come back at night to eat.
Floyd Krein - Wants the speed limit lowered on 93rd St. Likes the guineahens, they eat all of the ticks and mosquitoes. Nuisance rules will turn people against each other.
Art Tendrek - Rules are a bunch of crap - doesn't want people telling us what to do.
Andrew Nagel - in general needs to be more specific and does not support.
DeAnn Steckler - Moved to the country 40 years ago, enjoy the smells, dogs in a kennel and wanted the country life.
Buck Olson - Sometimes horses stink, too vague, puts neighbor against neighbor. There is a wording issue, there are true nuisances and they need to be addressed, like dog barks for 3 days straight, that's a nuisance. Need better wording.
Cody Sible - Secure Rights, people are complaining.
Marilou Voegele - Enjoy living in the country, how will you police this, if you need to do something, just don't police the old people. Charging people, how will the board do that?
Jameson Seim - no one is in favor of 7.2.2, people who are not here don't care about the township.
Article 8 - Shipping Containers
Ida Erickson - needs definition for visually acceptable, what containers look like, need separation of power for enforcement.
Brian Masseet - where does it end - house colors, fruit trees. The mess is inside the containers. Containers - should they be painted to match.
Allan Voegele - Treat containers with a building permit. 15 containers is a nuisance. If it's tucked way in the corner, that is ok.
Art Tendrek - has a container, no rodents, no hail damage, has 16 tons of crushed rock under it.
Pat Leingenfield - having a container delivered next week, they should be properly maintained, they are a structure, appears to outlaw anything you don't need a building permit for. Too restrictive, prohibitive.
Nathan Jensen - has 4 20ft containers, they are solid, clean and organized. Has used them for 5 years. Better than stuff sitting in yards. Containers are nice and clean.
John Schmidt - has shipping containers on concrete, plans to build a steel fence. When he put them on, they were legal.
Jamie Vetsch - Why are we concerned with using them as housing? We have residential standards.
Katie Aitchison - Is it retroactive? Would it be a cost to the homeowner to remove?
Lloyd Krein - If anyone opposes, please speak.
David Rittmiller - they are exceedingly pleasing, neighbor has them and he spent alot of money to put them in.
Article 9 - Short Term Rentals
Robert Field - Bismarck tried not to allow it, but it got shot down
Jamie Vetsch - doesn't define what a short-term rental is.
Pat Leigendfield - when young, it was common to use part of the house for rental. You should be able to build a house and rent it out. This takes away the right to own a home. You should be able to rent a part of what you own for whatever terms you negotiate.
Article 10 - PUDs
no comments
Article 11 - Burn Barrels
Jamie Wetsch - would you rather have me burn in a hole in the ground, have boxes and burn those in a barrel
Allan Voegele - His burn barrel is on concrete and has a screen over it.
Lori Holveson - neighbors are burning household kitchen garbage. It's different if you burn twigs, leaves, or boxes, but kitchen garbage is gross to smell.
Robert Field - Some people can't have garbage pickup because their driveways are too steep. These people burn their garbage at night. Neighbors don't know each other anymore.
Janel Schwahn - Has new neighbors; the old neighbors have cleaned the rows for 20 years, but new neighbors do not. After the winds, her tree rows were full of needles. People don't take responsibility. If she can't burn the needles, she doesn't know what she will do. When she burns, she notifies and accommodates the neighbors.
Art Tendbrook - If burning stinks, close a window and open another.
Brian Masset - the fire department has parameters that should be followed, barrel should be aesthetically pleasing, doesn't want to pit neighbor against neighbor.
Jen Nehring - ordinance should be for 40 acres, 5-39 acres, and under 5 acres. Not all should be in the same category.
Pat Leingenfield - does burn in a burn barrel, goes to the dump a couple of times a year, costs about 12-18 bucks, burn barrels save money
John Schmidt - People need to visit with their neighbors, will burn boxes in a barrel or on the ground.
Article 12 - Fireworks
Nathan Jensen - he shoots off fireworks every 3-4 weeks unless there is a burn ban. He will post when he's going to shoot them off.
Jamison Seim - He's a dog trainer and uses blank cartridges. Anyone against that?
Lori Reis - Doesn't like fireworks, horses and dogs are scared of them.
Andrew Nagel - on principle everything that annoys people shouldn't have a rule.
Nathan Jenson - limiting him to 6 days a year, maybe put a time of the day.
Tonya Schmidt - everything is discretion, time of shooting fireworks, we should let the State or County make the rules and laws.
Jamie Vetsch - Fireworks doesn't bother her, she is neighbors with Nathan Jensen. People need to be considerate of neighbors, be respectful. Don't restrict to 3 days but be respectful. Kind of have a problem with how these are written.
Artcle 13 - Gun Ranges
Andrew Nagel - putting up a target on a bale is a gun range, changes can't be made to make it safer? You can stop people from shooting guns.
Christa Siferd - an avid gun person, could be found in violation of NDCC 62.1-01-03 Section 2, zoning restricts the ownership of guns, Chicago zoned to restrict where guns could be shot, went to federal court.
Jamie Vetsch - does not define gun, can't use a bb gun in her yard?
Melissa Carson - competent shooter and coach, has a gun ranch in her house, will this affect her? this is an overstep.
Pat Leingerfield - total prohibition, alterations should be allowed with a written request and consent to make changes
Jameson Siem - Been shot at at a public gun range, has been running a gun range for 10 years on over 40 acres. does this specificadlly to teach new shooters that don't want to go to an inside range. change modify is an over reach.
Robert Field - reeks of bismarck city zoning, if you are in an ETA and you are zoned residential, get your property zoning change to ag, have township supervisor come and look to see where are are shooting.
Shane Asberry - all for less government, have one inspected to make sure it is safe, come to more meetings.
Article 14 - Equine
Pat Leingenfield - this reminds him of covenants on land, and over the years, they have gone away. most horse operations are not commercial, only 1 horse it says, doesn't like the counts per acre, not considering the animal.
Jarred Hansen - wanted a place for horses, the horses per acre - limits are for year-round - they need 40 sq ft per NDSU and University of Minnesota. Doesn't know how this should be written.
Scott Renschlein - has horses on multiple lots, supplies with hay, takes them to a farm, if they were in a stable, they would be in a pen.
Burt Heaton - board finds it necessary to regulate, some may have had more horses than allowed, it's not about the number but about how you manage them, pens are cleaned and waste is hauled out, it's about management and taking care of them.
Allan Voegele - can't have a family outing with a family of 5 with one horse, people need to get involved - no one shows up until there is a problem, then the board gets the blame.
Lori Reis - goes to most of the township, Burleigh County, city of Lincoln, and school board meetings, does she have time, no, but does it. For the folks that want to give the ordinances to the county, you want to think about that, you have a hard time getting them back if you change your mind.
Nathan Jensen - telling everyone what they can and can not do, you need to deal with each case one at a time.
Moratorium 1 - Data Center
Mitch Kalloway - Why the moratorium? Dan did answer his question - we are outside of a large city and need to protect our property.
John Schmidt - the data center being built in Ellendale is in a farmer's field on a slough. Don't chase the young kids away.
Moratorium 2 - Direct Air Carbon Capture Facilities (DACC)
No comments
Moratorium 3 - Nuclear and Industrial Waste Disposal Sites
No comments
Moratorium 4 - Renewable-Energy Battery Storage Facilities
Jamison Siem - define commercial scale system
Moratorium 5 - Establishment, Construction, and Operation of Solar Farms
No comments
Moratorium 6 - Establishment, Construction, and Operation of Wind Farms
Shane Asbury - wanted to know if the board had any questions concerning wind farms.
Bert Heaton - we don't want this stuff here.
Public Hearing ended at 9:10.