TRAFFIC TROUBLE Creating an ordinance to restrict heavy trucks from driving on residential streets makes sense in a city where even new streets are taking a beating, but such an ordinance brings with it other issues. How would such an ordinance be enforced year round instead of only in the spring as it is now? If the driver of a heavy truck is stopped in a residential neighborhood, how does the law enforcement officer know what the "most direct route" for the driver should be? It would certainly be open to interpretation, especially if a driver simply says, "Sorry, I took a wrong turn." Then what? Certainly getting heavy construction vehicles and other such traffic off residential streets as much as possible in a bustling city like Minot would be welcomed by those living in most neighborhoods, but is it feasible? With the amount of construction around Minot, which brings with it additional truck and equipment traffic, and with crews working for months repairing roads like 21st Avenue in northwest Minot, which creates detours through residential areas, we wonder whether such an ordinance, while well-intentioned, is realistic at this time.
FLOOD DEBRIS We know we're not the only ones wondering why flood debris is still floating around some Souris River loops throughout the city of Minot. A contract awarded this spring fell through, after the company awarded the bid ultimately decided it could not perform the work. The National Resources Conservation Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is helping Minot with the debris cleanup, has awarded the contract to a new company, and the work is expected to be completed this fall. That's good news, considering there are still all sorts of things floating in the river after the flood of 2011, including decks, storage sheds, toys, trees and a host of other nasty-looking stuff. It will be good to get that debris cleaned up.