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Commerce updates: Development Fund conflict form changes, 23 tourism grants awarded; board to consider banning related‑party transactions
Summary
The Department of Commerce updated Development Fund conflict forms and will ask the board in January 2026 to consider prohibiting related‑party transactions; the department also reported 23 Tourism Destination Development grants were selected from 106 applicants.
Chris Schilken, Commissioner of the Department of Commerce, told the Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee the Development Fund's conflict‑of‑interest forms were revised to differentiate perceived conflicts from direct financial ownership and that the board will consider formally prohibiting related‑party transactions at its January 2026 meeting. Schilken said the department could not comment on active litigation involving the North Dakota Wonder Fund.
Sara Otte Coleman, director of Tourism and Marketing, reported the Tourism Destination Development Grant Program selected 23 projects from 106 applications using a competitive point‑scoring system. Committee members asked about geographic distribution and scoring; Schilken said rural grocery store sustainability grants were awarded through a competitive process that did not factor applicant location.
Public comment included concerns about the Motion Picture Grant Program procurement process raised by Matt Fern.
The committee accepted the department briefings as part of the reports reviewed at the Dec. 9 meeting.
