A proposed five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for the City of Minot includes nearly $613 million in infrastructure projects.

City Engineer Lance Meyer presented the 2025-29 CIP for the Minot City Council’s review Monday, noting the plan reflects an increase in spending of about $174 million from the current CIP. Much of the additional spending is tied to the flood control project, which accounts for $92 million of the increase, Meyer said.

Flood control accounts for 45% of the city’s total CIP over the next five years, costing $278 million.

“About 60% of this plan is funded with state and federal dollars,” Meyer said. Sales tax and revenue bonds for utility projects also are major funding sources, with special assessments accounting for a small share, he said

The proposed CIP includes $100.7 million in sanitary sewer projects, of which $94.5 million is a proposed mechanical wastewater treatment plant. Meyer said the wastewater plant has been included in the CIP due to pressure from the state to manage wastewater with population growth. However, that pressure has eased, and it is possible the treatment plant expense could be removed from the CIP, he said.

The proposed CIP includes projects related to streets, sewer, storm sewer, watermain replacements and airport. There is $398,000 for wayfinding signage in 2025 and several million dollars for the historical Anne Street Bridge if the council decides to keep or replace the downtown pedestrian bridge over the Souris River. The plan includes Eastwood Park Bridge rehabilitation, site improvements at the old city hall and reconstruction of both South Broadway and a portion of 16th Street Southwest.

Meyer said certain items listed in the CIP remain subject to funding availability and council approval, which will be determining factors in which projects go forward in the next five years.

In other business, the council:

-approved a project completion date extension for Big M Minot, LLC, related to a 10-year forgivable loan for rehabilitation of the Big M Building. The extension from Jan. 20, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2024, is to accommodate longer wait times for delivery of building materials and account for interior demolition and removal of asbestos that took longer than expected.

-approved artwork within the painted bumpouts at the E. Central Avenue and First Street E. intersection near Prairie Sky Breads. Prairie Sky Breads will fund the art installation, approved by the council in March 2023 but never implemented.

-approved an ordinance on first reading that sets a 15 mph speed limit for all alleys in the city and clarifies a 25 mph speed limit on streets unless signage establishes otherwise.

-agreed to spend $4,271 to assist the Minot Area Bomb Squad in upgrading its aging remote-controlled robot platform, used in observing, managing and mitigating hazardous situations The squad received a State Homeland Security Grant Program award of $220,000, but the low bid was $224,271, prompting the need for city assistance.

-approved a contract amendment with Mattson Construction to extend the substantial completion date of the Broadway Circle Project from July 1, 2023, to Oct. 24, 2024. The project includes a family homeless shelter and 17 rental units for low- to moderate-income households.

MHA seeks to fill vacancies

The Minot Housing Authority is looking to fill vacancies now that renovation is complete at the Milton Young Towers.

Executive Director Tom Alexander gave a presentation to the Minot City Council Monday on the work completed with assistance from the city’s National Disaster Resilience Program.

Alexander said the housing authority held off on filling vacancies while construction was in progress, leading to 114 units becoming vacant at one point. The high vacancy rate lowered the housing authority’s performance rating with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, prompting the need to put a recovery plan in place, he said.

“Right now, we have 33 vacancies, which is about a 15-16% vacancy rate,” Alexander said. “If we continue at our current pace, we should be at 90% occupancy by the end of the year. That’s our goal.”

Council member Carrie Evans commended the housing authority for opening Milton Young Towers to youth with past criminal infractions who have been unable to obtain housing in the past.

HUD also recently announced an award of $679,011 to Minot Housing Authority to support public housing.

– Jill Schramm