Cliff Hovda, a retired educator, is seeking his fifth four-year term on the board. Chelsey Kirkhammer and Deven Mantz also are running to capture seats.

Kirkhammer, a long-time Minot resident, was employed by the Minot Area Community Foundation before leaving the workforce to dedicate more time to family. She and her husband have been engaged in various business endeavors in the community. She is currently president of the Magic City Figure Skating Club Board.

Mantz, a Minot native, is a union worker with The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division.

The candidates responded to questions about their interests related to the Minot Park District.

Deven Mantz

Why are you interested in serving on the park board?

Hovde: Serving on the park board has been a privilege! As a park board member, I am proud of the decisions and planning we utilize to make our park system better each year. I would like to continue bringing my experience in long term planning, budgeting, and implementation to the Park District. My background as a former school administrator, guidance counselor and teacher has given me skills in collaboration, supervision, community relation and decision-making, which have all served me well as a commissioner. I would very much like to continue serving the citizens of Minot.

Kirkhammer: I became interested in serving on the park board after my tenure with the Minot Area Community Foundation. During my time there, I developed a strong attachment to our community and a genuine commitment to preserving the quality of life for its residents. Minot Parks plays a vital role in enhancing the quality of life by offering abundant recreational opportunities to Minot and the surrounding areas. My husband and I have three children and we are all frequent users of Minot Parks facilities. Witnessing firsthand the impact these parks have on families like mine, I am motivated to contribute to the maintenance and expansion of these amenities for future generations. I commend the current park board for their achievements and aspire to play a role in shaping the future of Minot Parks. I have a great love for Minot and the residents of this community. It is a natural fit for me to have a desire to serve in this capacity.

Mantz: I chose to run for park board because over the last 15 years I was telling others to vote, volunteer, and run for office. I knew that one day I would need to quit pushing others to run and step up myself. Now is that time. I chose to run for park board because parks are fun. You get to be a part of building and making the community a better place. The parks aren’t too divisive. We love our parks! Lastly, I would like to be a part of and show my children that they need to get involved and help make their communities a better place. It seems like everywhere we look now, there are criticisms of our elected officials. Some of it is definitely needed and long overdue. Most, I would say, is not getting the whole picture. I would like to get the whole picture. I’d also like to inform our community of the whole picture as well.

Would you support a half percent sales tax to support park projects?

Mantz: Certainly not right now. Working people have enough to pay for right now without adding an extra sales tax onto our citizens. I am not opposed to having sales tax money go towards the parks, but it would need to be done in a way that doesn’t add to the citizens’ struggles. I believe that an investment into our parks would be great and would pay off in the long run, but this is not the time for that in my opinion.

Hovda: Supporting a half percent sales tax would depend entirely on the project and community support. The projects would need to be well researched, planned and financially evaluated. A half percent sales tax could potentially lower property taxes. The Park District has made many additions and improvements in my time as a commissioner. Through taxes AND the generosity of many public and private partnerships, major individual donations, corporate donations, grant money, The Zoo Crew, Hockey Boosters, Junior Golf, Minot Area Community Foundation, Magic City Fast Pitch, Baseball Boosters, and user fees, we have been able to maximize our dollars. We have planned for and completed many substantial long-term investments while staying within our budget and being fiscally responsible.

Kirkhammer: I understand the idea of implementing a half percent sales tax to fund park projects has been discussed previously, particularly considering the wide-reaching benefits of park facilities that extend beyond Minot city limits. These attractions often draw visitors from outside our area, contributing to additional sales tax revenue that bolsters our local economy. While I am generally cautious about increasing taxes, I would be open to supporting an initiative that redirects funding for Minot Parks from sales tax revenue if it could lead to a reduction in the parks’ reliance on property taxes. It remains very important to continue to explore support for park projects from other sources that do not burden taxpayers. I believe there are opportunities in our community to garner support through public and private partnerships and sponsorships. It’s crucial to pursue these avenues to ensure sustainable and diversified funding for our parks’ future development.

What would you like the Minot Park District to look like in 10 years and how might the park board shape those programs and infrastructure?

Kirkhammer: I fully support the Minot Park District’s current 10-year facilities plan put forward in 2022. The plan to renovate and add on to both the Minot Municipal Auditorium and the Maysa Arena makes perfect sense for our community. Through outreach to various user groups, I’ve gathered feedback indicating strong community support for the addition of a fieldhouse, fourth ice rink and indoor playground space. Looking ahead, additional indoor needs could also include the expansion of Cameron Indoor Tennis Facility. This facility has become strained for time within its user groups. However, the cost associated with building indoor facilities is an issue and I can’t say with any amount of certainty that 10 years is a realistic timeline for these projects to come to fruition. I am also passionate about improving accessibility across our park facilities. Ensuring full accessibility to playgrounds and walking paths is a long-term objective I am interested in the park board pursuing. By prioritizing accessibility, we can create inclusive spaces that benefit all members of our community.

Mantz: I believe the park district is on the right path currently. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, the community outreach and involvement that the park district has done over the past 15 years is remarkable. Unfortunately, our weather here in North Dakota isn’t always the best. We do have indoor facilities that we utilize during the winter months, but these are primarily used for sports and special events. There is no argument, we have a public health crisis in the U.S. and we need to keep our kids active. For this to happen, when we see -40-degree weeks, we need space for them to run. In the future, I would love to see an indoor playground. If your kids are like mine, they have plenty of energy to burn off. This is all up in the air and not a guarantee, but I would like to see the park board pushing for this in the future. Lastly, I would love to see even more community engagement, both with utilizing the parks/facilities and getting more input from the citizens.

Hovda: Minot Park District operates on a one-year budget and a five-year plan, but the next five-year plan is always taken into consideration. The budget allocates resources to determine feasibility, costs and revenue sources. The plans are always developed with input from the public, user groups, staff, department chairs, administration, and board members. According to our polling, the highest priority of the community is to see the park district have a permanent Indoor Recreation Area. This may be possible with prudent budgeting and planning. The Family Recreation Area in northwest Minot has some permanent trails but future plans include a playground and a zip line. I would like to see the completion of that area. Also, to be considered are better soccer fields, a hockey rink, a pump track and playground near Hoeven Complex and development of the landfill area near Maysa. This would include disc golf and a cross-country course. By partnering with Hot Tots, with whom we have a 10-year contract, we would like to improve restrooms, concession area, and accessible seating at Corbett Field.

What do you enjoy most about Minot Park District? Which amenities do you and your family use?

Hovda: We enjoy how beautifully maintained our parks are – that every area, especially in the summer and fall, are vibrant with 25,000 flowers and plants. Our family has always loved and used the parks. When our kids were young we took advantage of Oak Park, swimming, baseball, tennis, and golf. Penny and I still use all of the amenities. We enjoy using the trails at Oak Park and Roosevelt Park, as well as the walking paths at the Family Recreation Area. The zoo with all the new exhibits is always great entertainment. We attend festivals and concerts at Oak Park Amphitheater, go to Hot Tot games at Corbett Field, and attend events at Maysa and games at the SCHEELS complex. I golf almost daily at Souris Valley Golf Course.

Mantz: I really love our auditorium. Admittedly, it is too small for our population that has risen so much since it was built. The “Aud” is very cool and unique. It’s one of those buildings that was built to last for many generations. I appreciate that it is part of the park district’s 10-year plan to update it. I would say my kids enjoy the actual parks probably the most. We live two blocks away from the South Hill softball fields, so the kids ride their bikes there all the time.

Kirkhammer: My family and I enjoy several amenities offered by the Minot Park District. One of our favorite things to do is go to Roosevelt Park Zoo. Our community is very blessed with such a beautiful facility. In the summer my kids love to go to Roosevelt Park Pool, especially since the addition of the updated slides! When they were smaller, we were frequent users of the splash pads. My entire family is also very frequent users of the Maysa Arena with two of our children participating in figure skating and two of them playing hockey. During the warmer months, you’ll often find us enjoying the ball diamonds and tennis courts. The Minot Park District truly excels in maintaining these facilities. They are not only beautiful but also exceptionally well-kept. I would like to commend the outstanding forestry and horticultural departments at the Minot Park District. Their dedication shines through the landscapes that enhance our parks and recreational spaces.