Minot’s downtown Facade Improvement Program has two new deadlines that ultimately will bring the program to a conclusion by the end of 2027.

The Minot City Council on Monday, Jan. 5, approved changes proposed by council member Mike Blessum that keep the current program in effect for new applicants until June 30, after which time benefits will be reduced for future applicants as the program heads into a final stretch.

Currently, property owners are eligible for a $100,000 forgivable loan to improve a single facade or $180,000 for a corner facade. After June 30, the amounts drop to $30,000 and $50,000. Other aspects of the program remain the same, including what typically is a one-year deadline to complete a project.

“I don’t know that reducing the amount and reducing it that drastically is what is the best way to run this program,” said council member Lisa Olson. “We’ve also seen success with the program with the amounts that we’ve been giving. We’ve seen the values of those properties going up, which then has, in turn, brought in more property tax.”

Council member Paul Pitner opposed the proposal due to work by the Renaissance Committee into its suggested changes to the program and potential expansion into different neighborhoods. He suggested an in-depth discussion of all the changes at a future council meeting. However, he also pointed out the benefit of having a Facade Improvement Program for projects that otherwise aren’t financially achievable.

“Providing these tools is important. We’ve seen the impact within our community,” Pitner said.

Council member Scott Samuelson said his preference would be to end the program on June 30.

“This is adding cost to the taxpayer, no matter how you look at it,” he said. “It’s taking money out of their pocket and putting it in someone else’s pocket. Our program is very lucrative. There’s nobody that comes close to this Facade Improvement Program that we have. What Alderman Blessum is proposing is closer to what other cities that have them are at.”

The changes were approved on a 4-3 vote, with Blessum, Samuelson, Rob Fuller and Mike Hayes in support and Olson, Pitner and Mayor Mark Jantzer dissenting.

The council also looked at recommendations submitted some time ago by its Economic Development Plan Review Committee, chaired by Blessum. Jantzer noted the council already has been moving in the direction of some of the recommendations.

Committee member Jordan Nelson spoke to the council about the positives associated with the city’s participation with MAGIC Fund sales tax dollars in local matches that enable businesses to obtain PACE and Flex PACE funds through the state.

“To be able to have an avenue for those funds, I think, is extremely important,” he said.

Blessum asked the council to continue prioritizing those funds and encouraged continual refreshment of the Renaissance Zones, with different blocks and areas of the city benefitting. The committee also recommended continuing existing property tax exemptions to encourage development and new homes.

“We’ve offered a lot of great incentives and lot of great ways to use public funds to better businesses, to better buildings, to do all of those things, and I do feel that there is a role that the council has to play in holding that accountable and making sure that it’s being done in the right way,” Blessum said. He added he will continue to counter what he considers too much pull toward spending public money on development incentives.

Blessum also read remarks from committee member Beth Feldner, who was unable to be present.

“So far, it hasn’t been clear how this process improves economic outcomes for Minot. What has been clear is that it adds uncertainty for partners and organizations that depend on stability to do their work. Communities that compete well for jobs and investment tend to offer clear expectations, stable funding and predictable governance. Uncertainty, even when well intended, can slow progress,” she wrote. “I’d encourage the council to focus less on whether certain tools or partnerships align with personal philosophies and more on whether they deliver real results for the community.”