With this year's municipal election, Lincoln will begin the process of reducing the size of its city council from seven members to five.

Mayor Glenn Christmann and council members Kathy Schneibel, Robert Johnston and Pete Hoerner are up for re-election, according to auditor Melanie Chaska.

Of the candidates elected to the council (not including the mayor) the top two vote-getters will receive four-year terms while the council member getting the third highest total gets a two-year term.

If there are not sufficient candidates for the council seats, the two-year term will not be filled, according to Chaska. If a council member whose term expires in 2010 should vacate that seat before that time the position(s) will not be filled before the 2010 regular election, unless the size of the council is reduced to less than four. The election is June 10.

On a separate note, council member Andrew Horning is being deployed by the National Guard and could be gone up to a year. At Thursday's regular meeting, the council will take up the matter of finding an interim replacement as allowed by the state's Century Code.

New city numbers

If you've tried to call the city of Bismarck recently using the "old" numbers you've gotten a message indicating they are no longer in service along with the "new" number.

The city installed a new phone system and this resulted in the phone number changes, according to public information officer Gloria David.

Nearly all the new numbers have a 355- prefix with the exception of the police department which remains 223-1212 and Combined Communications and Emergency Management which is 222-6727.

All the new numbers can be found on the city's Web site at http://www.bismarck.org. The new DEX, Qwest Directory also has all the new numbers.

Tree pruning

The city of Bismarck will begin its regular pruning cycle in January and is targeting those street trees west of Washington Street between Burleigh Avenue and Bismarck Expressway for clearance.

The goal of the pruning program, according to city forester Jackson Bird, is to:

- Improve the health and structural integrity of the trees;

- eliminate low branches over streets and sidewalks;

- ensure adequate lighting from streetlights;

- provide clear sight distance at intersections and visibility of traffic control devices;

n and, remove dead or broken branches that are 1-inch in diameter or larger.

The city is asking that residents remove all Christmas lights and other objects from boulevard trees before the pruning begins. Also, any vehicles should be moved off the street when the forestry department is in the area doing the work.

Meetings

There's a full schedule of meetings for next week.

On Monday, the Burleigh County Water Resource District board meets at 8 a.m. and the Burleigh County Commission at 5 p.m. The Burleigh County Park Board also meets as part of the commission schedule.

Tuesday, the Morton County Commission meets at 10 a.m., the Bismarck City Commission at 5:15 p.m., and the Mandan City Commission at 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, the Lincoln City Council convenes at 7 p.m.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 701-250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)