1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,010 My name is Bradon Bochenski worked for 2 00:00:02,010 --> 00:00:04,185 the city of Grand Forks as the Mayor. 3 00:00:04,185 --> 00:00:06,720 My connections with UND are quite strong. 4 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:09,330 I had two different stints here as a student. 5 00:00:09,330 --> 00:00:12,690 One is a student athletes and lots of fond memories. 6 00:00:12,690 --> 00:00:15,150 You became mayor. 7 00:00:15,150 --> 00:00:19,080 Just as the likely impact of 8 00:00:19,080 --> 00:00:24,780 COVID was being was being felt was being anticipated. 9 00:00:24,780 --> 00:00:27,660 You remember the first time it 10 00:00:27,660 --> 00:00:30,675 occurred to you that this could be serious? 11 00:00:30,675 --> 00:00:32,490 Well, coming into office there, 12 00:00:32,490 --> 00:00:34,380 there was definitely a lot of unknowns. 13 00:00:34,380 --> 00:00:36,690 We had seen the outbreak at Ellenbrook and 14 00:00:36,690 --> 00:00:40,050 actually a death resulting from that outbreak. 15 00:00:40,050 --> 00:00:41,280 Um, so we knew it was coming, 16 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:43,565 but I think in North Dakota, 17 00:00:43,565 --> 00:00:45,980 looking back at that time, we had that saying, 18 00:00:45,980 --> 00:00:49,430 practicing social distancing since 1889. 19 00:00:49,430 --> 00:00:51,365 So we could feel it. 20 00:00:51,365 --> 00:00:52,460 We knew it was out there. 21 00:00:52,460 --> 00:00:54,920 It felt distant, but we knew was coming. 22 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:56,900 It wasn't a matter of if it was a matter of 23 00:00:56,900 --> 00:01:02,390 when how did work with the university go, 24 00:01:02,390 --> 00:01:04,325 what was the relationship? 25 00:01:04,325 --> 00:01:05,945 When I got into office, 26 00:01:05,945 --> 00:01:08,420 I believe I took office after it constantly. 27 00:01:08,420 --> 00:01:10,325 So it really Tuesday was the first day. 28 00:01:10,325 --> 00:01:11,660 By Wednesday, I had my 29 00:01:11,660 --> 00:01:13,310 first institutional partners meeting. 30 00:01:13,310 --> 00:01:17,270 So right away I was thrown into that preparation, 31 00:01:17,270 --> 00:01:20,240 that precautionary meetings and getting set up. 32 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:22,910 So I mean, it was probably a little bit nerve-racking. 33 00:01:22,910 --> 00:01:24,080 A new position, trying 34 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:25,190 to trying to figure everything out, 35 00:01:25,190 --> 00:01:26,690 trying to make the right decisions, 36 00:01:26,690 --> 00:01:28,505 but throwing from, 37 00:01:28,505 --> 00:01:31,280 really from that first week already connected with UND 38 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:32,810 and President Armacost 39 00:01:32,810 --> 00:01:34,595 and finding that path for it. 40 00:01:34,595 --> 00:01:37,355 And how was the collaboration? 41 00:01:37,355 --> 00:01:39,290 I think a lot of people got to see that 42 00:01:39,290 --> 00:01:41,450 the collaboration with UND, 43 00:01:41,450 --> 00:01:43,250 really stepping up for testing at 44 00:01:43,250 --> 00:01:46,310 the Fritz Pollard center, 45 00:01:46,310 --> 00:01:49,460 formula high-performance center with helping 46 00:01:49,460 --> 00:01:52,580 out with vaccines with student nurses. 47 00:01:52,580 --> 00:01:54,350 I put a lot of it was behind the scenes. 48 00:01:54,350 --> 00:01:57,710 It was conversations and text messages directly 49 00:01:57,710 --> 00:02:01,430 between myself and the President. It was a tough time. 50 00:02:01,430 --> 00:02:02,690 There's so much unknown and it's 51 00:02:02,690 --> 00:02:05,150 probably something you'll hear it a lot. 52 00:02:05,150 --> 00:02:06,230 But we're trying to work 53 00:02:06,230 --> 00:02:07,160 through it and I'm trying to do the 54 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:08,930 best for both of our organizations. 55 00:02:08,930 --> 00:02:11,165 And I'd say usually, usually a matched up, 56 00:02:11,165 --> 00:02:13,925 not always and we had to find the best solution. 57 00:02:13,925 --> 00:02:17,210 There was some disagreement difference 58 00:02:17,210 --> 00:02:19,115 of opinion regarding masking. 59 00:02:19,115 --> 00:02:21,950 Yeah, I think we had we had 60 00:02:21,950 --> 00:02:23,900 some differences on 61 00:02:23,900 --> 00:02:27,005 that front and we tried to define the best path for that. 62 00:02:27,005 --> 00:02:29,285 The university went to masking very early. 63 00:02:29,285 --> 00:02:31,970 We had a populace that was split on that. 64 00:02:31,970 --> 00:02:34,160 And you can see that from the council. 65 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:35,390 You can see that for myself. 66 00:02:35,390 --> 00:02:37,820 And eventually when we read the case has 67 00:02:37,820 --> 00:02:40,550 got bad and the hospital was really filled up. 68 00:02:40,550 --> 00:02:42,185 We went to that option and 69 00:02:42,185 --> 00:02:44,630 we took a lot of heat on both sides, 70 00:02:44,630 --> 00:02:45,770 both as a mayor, 71 00:02:45,770 --> 00:02:48,020 as an administrator, as a council. 72 00:02:48,020 --> 00:02:50,990 So we had to carry that burden and we felt that 73 00:02:50,990 --> 00:02:54,320 we felt the inks that people have, the struggles, 74 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:55,820 that people had, people that we're 75 00:02:55,820 --> 00:02:57,320 dealing with this and then the other 76 00:02:57,320 --> 00:02:59,690 side that people thought that their freedoms are being 77 00:02:59,690 --> 00:03:02,210 infringed down and they were very vocal as well. 78 00:03:02,210 --> 00:03:03,710 So it was a challenging time 79 00:03:03,710 --> 00:03:06,080 and we had some differences of opinions. 80 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:07,130 But at the end of the day, 81 00:03:07,130 --> 00:03:08,630 we all wanted the best for 82 00:03:08,630 --> 00:03:11,615 the citizens of the city and the people at UND. 83 00:03:11,615 --> 00:03:15,705 Anything you'd do differently in with the hindsight. 84 00:03:15,705 --> 00:03:17,290 Looking back, I don't I think we 85 00:03:17,290 --> 00:03:20,440 made the best decisions with the information we had. 86 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,935 And quite frankly, even with having more information now, 87 00:03:23,935 --> 00:03:25,150 I don t think it 88 00:03:25,150 --> 00:03:26,740 really is going to play out any differently. 89 00:03:26,740 --> 00:03:28,645 A lot of places have tried 90 00:03:28,645 --> 00:03:32,710 so many different ways to beat this and to mitigate this. 91 00:03:32,710 --> 00:03:35,050 And it's really been mixed success. 92 00:03:35,050 --> 00:03:36,820 I don't know if there is a perfect answer, 93 00:03:36,820 --> 00:03:38,560 a perfect way to do this. 94 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:41,710 Any lessons learned that that might be 95 00:03:41,710 --> 00:03:45,100 applied to another event? 96 00:03:45,100 --> 00:03:46,870 Well, I think it's certainly 97 00:03:46,870 --> 00:03:48,490 hardens you so that you're ready and 98 00:03:48,490 --> 00:03:51,875 that those moments of We really gotta be dialed in. 99 00:03:51,875 --> 00:03:54,595 You got to make tough decisions, to be ready. 100 00:03:54,595 --> 00:03:56,755 Communication was something that, 101 00:03:56,755 --> 00:03:59,120 you know, I learned 102 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:00,590 even better, you know, coming from a team. 103 00:04:00,590 --> 00:04:03,410 I'd always been very good at communication, 104 00:04:03,410 --> 00:04:04,640 but this was a whole new level when you 105 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:07,070 had at times life or death decisions. 106 00:04:07,070 --> 00:04:10,100 And you need to have great contacts back-and-forth, 107 00:04:10,100 --> 00:04:11,840 not just with the university, 108 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:12,650 with the hospital, with 109 00:04:12,650 --> 00:04:14,270 the County of the school district, 110 00:04:14,270 --> 00:04:17,765 and getting everybody together in one room. 111 00:04:17,765 --> 00:04:20,810 All the decision-makers, that was really crucial. 112 00:04:20,810 --> 00:04:22,700 And I think that's a group that will keep. 113 00:04:22,700 --> 00:04:24,500 So it's something that I think we've all learned in 114 00:04:24,500 --> 00:04:25,730 that we're going to continue 115 00:04:25,730 --> 00:04:27,220 to meet going into the future. 116 00:04:27,220 --> 00:04:29,990 It will be successful on big, 117 00:04:29,990 --> 00:04:31,340 big scary things like this, 118 00:04:31,340 --> 00:04:33,260 but also small things and 119 00:04:33,260 --> 00:04:36,155 celebrating little victories together too. 120 00:04:36,155 --> 00:04:40,505 Ok, Be honest. Was there a day when you thought, 121 00:04:40,505 --> 00:04:43,340 why did I take this job? 122 00:04:43,340 --> 00:04:45,875 So there was I would say 123 00:04:45,875 --> 00:04:48,275 there was one day but I was reassured by the end of it. 124 00:04:48,275 --> 00:04:50,570 I always tried to go to work and have 125 00:04:50,570 --> 00:04:53,210 a smile on my face every day and do the best. 126 00:04:53,210 --> 00:04:55,535 There was one day we came in on a Monday. I'll remember. 127 00:04:55,535 --> 00:04:56,570 I don't remember the date, but I 128 00:04:56,570 --> 00:04:57,890 remember it was a Monday and 129 00:04:57,890 --> 00:05:00,290 we got two phone calls to voicemails on a Sunday. 130 00:05:00,290 --> 00:05:03,365 So somebody had a couple of constituents that called in. 131 00:05:03,365 --> 00:05:06,005 The first condition was was very angry. 132 00:05:06,005 --> 00:05:08,315 You need to lock the city down. 133 00:05:08,315 --> 00:05:10,775 We need to go into a month-long lock down. 134 00:05:10,775 --> 00:05:13,220 You'd have much more Mitigation. 135 00:05:13,220 --> 00:05:15,710 Very angry, said that we had 136 00:05:15,710 --> 00:05:18,305 blood on her hands and that we needed to act. 137 00:05:18,305 --> 00:05:20,315 The very next message said, 138 00:05:20,315 --> 00:05:22,340 How dare you close the bars down early? 139 00:05:22,340 --> 00:05:24,665 I can't believe you did infringe on our freedoms. 140 00:05:24,665 --> 00:05:26,390 This is unconstitutional. 141 00:05:26,390 --> 00:05:28,040 We're going to come, we're going 142 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,740 to take you out of office all this to have 143 00:05:30,740 --> 00:05:32,750 a two calls that were so at 144 00:05:32,750 --> 00:05:35,960 polar opposites at the same time, it was tough, 145 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:37,175 but at the same time we kinda 146 00:05:37,175 --> 00:05:38,660 rebounded off that and said, Well, 147 00:05:38,660 --> 00:05:41,030 maybe we're threading the needle and we're doing okay if 148 00:05:41,030 --> 00:05:42,500 if we're hearing it from both sides 149 00:05:42,500 --> 00:05:44,180 so that there was a tough one, 150 00:05:44,180 --> 00:05:46,190 but it ended up being one where we 151 00:05:46,190 --> 00:05:49,430 thought maybe we're doing the best we can. 152 00:05:49,430 --> 00:05:51,230 Your former students, do you 153 00:05:51,230 --> 00:05:53,630 have any sense of how students have 154 00:05:53,630 --> 00:05:56,420 responded to the pandemic 155 00:05:56,420 --> 00:06:00,200 and the universities and the city's responses to it. 156 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:03,500 I think the students, they've been made the most of it, 157 00:06:03,500 --> 00:06:04,760 they're going to find their ways to relieve 158 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:05,915 stress one way or another. 159 00:06:05,915 --> 00:06:08,330 So I think it's been hard on them, 160 00:06:08,330 --> 00:06:10,020 but I think no, 161 00:06:10,020 --> 00:06:11,150 I think the more the 162 00:06:11,150 --> 00:06:12,725 younger we are, the more resilient we are. 163 00:06:12,725 --> 00:06:13,850 Maybe we need to learn to be more 164 00:06:13,850 --> 00:06:15,305 resilient as we get older. 165 00:06:15,305 --> 00:06:18,455 But it was a challenge and I think the students, 166 00:06:18,455 --> 00:06:22,220 they took the probably the technology side of it, 167 00:06:22,220 --> 00:06:25,475 the Zoom meetings, the distance, that type of stuff. 168 00:06:25,475 --> 00:06:26,950 And it's just kinda more on their in 169 00:06:26,950 --> 00:06:28,400 their wheelhouse with social media and 170 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:31,940 other things were probably my generation and older, 171 00:06:31,940 --> 00:06:34,970 took a little longer time to adopt to that. 172 00:06:34,970 --> 00:06:38,030 I just probably just Ivanka university 173 00:06:38,030 --> 00:06:40,040 for the collaboration. 174 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:41,870 Like I said, we didn't always agree, 175 00:06:41,870 --> 00:06:45,050 but that that communication made that 176 00:06:45,050 --> 00:06:46,670 the best results in the end 177 00:06:46,670 --> 00:06:50,090 and got through it and we're still getting through it. 178 00:06:50,090 --> 00:06:53,270 But I got faith will get through it and find a path. 179 00:06:53,270 --> 00:06:55,310 Well, I think it brought everybody closer 180 00:06:55,310 --> 00:06:57,200 together at this time. 181 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:58,790 Let's not forget we made 182 00:06:58,790 --> 00:07:01,145 a big investment in the Nisstler building. 183 00:07:01,145 --> 00:07:04,550 It gave me a chance to probably expedite 184 00:07:04,550 --> 00:07:06,365 my relationship with the President because 185 00:07:06,365 --> 00:07:08,660 you had to you had to have that relationship immediately. 186 00:07:08,660 --> 00:07:10,700 So I think it really brought people 187 00:07:10,700 --> 00:07:12,800 closer together and even if they didn't always agree, 188 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:14,960 it's still brought em together and we brought it and they were 189 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:18,600 talking regardless of what perspective they had.