Finally, after a long, cold winter, it’s spring. And while we perhaps haven’t quite completely thawed from February’s bone-chilling temperatures, at the City of Minot, spring means it’s time for cleaning and construction.

As the weather continues to warm and the last reminders of winter finally disappear, the sounds of construction are again filling the air in Minot. Ah, yes, the pounding, the hammering, the digging, and the scraping. We’ve become all too familiar with those sounds in recent years, yet we welcome them for one simple reason: They are the sounds of progress.

As usual, there will be many projects, large and small, happening throughout the city this spring and summer. As far as major projects this year, work has already started again on the storm water pump station adjacent to the new Broadway Bridge. That site will be humming with activity until the snow flies later this year as crews work to complete what will be one of the largest storm water pump stations in North Dakota. Much of the work to this point has been on the underground portions of the station, but the site will soon look very different as vertical walls are constructed and the station that is a vital part of the city’s overall flood protection takes shape.

More flood protection work continues at numerous sites around the city. Drive through neighborhoods in southwest Minot and you’ll likely see earth-moving equipment building new dikes and flood levees as well as a new storm water pump station to replace the Perkett Pump Station. Along the Souris River’s winding path through Minot, there are crews creating new levees to help protect our community from future flooding. In other parts of the city, neighborhoods continue to be reshaped as structures are cleared as part of future flood protection plans. Residents can also keep up to date on flood protection work in the basin by visiting www.mouseriverplan.com or by viewing time-lapse photos from construction cameras at https://app.oxblue.com/open/MREFPPPhase1 and

https://public.workzonecam.com/ projects/wagner/minotmrefpp/ workzonecam2/archive?archiveId=Home.

The expansion project at the Minot Water Treatment Plant has continued throughout the winter months, but outdoor work will kick into high gear again soon. As with the pump station, much of the work at the WTP so far has been underground, but that will no doubt change this summer as the project progresses. It’s a massive undertaking, and the end result will be a state-of-the-art water treatment plant more than capable of handling the City’s water needs as well as the needs of area communities that will eventually be served by the Northwest Area Water Supply Project.

Warmer weather also means it’s time for the City of Minot to help the community do a little spring cleaning. The dates have been set for the 2019 spring and fall cleanup weeks, spring household hazardous waste and electronic waste event, and the week in July of free dumping at the landfill with a water bill. The Spring Cleanup Week is set for May 13-17, with the Spring HHW/E-waste collection set for May 17-18. There will be a free week of dumping at the landfill on July 15-20, and the Fall Cleanup Week is scheduled for Oct. 7-11. All of these dates provide opportunities for residents to get rid of some items they may not need or want anymore. Check the City of Minot website at minotnd.org to find more information, including the specific day when our crews will be in your neighborhood collecting unwanted items. Just set your items on the curb, and we’ll take care of the rest.

Yes, it will be a busy spring and summer in our community, as we work diligently to protect ourselves from future flooding while striving to maintain the overall beauty and aesthetics of our great city.

Minot is once again living proof that indeed, hope springs eternal.

Sincerely, City Hall

You can find more about what’s happening at the City of Minot at minotnd.org, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. We’d also encourage you to sign up for our monthly electronic newsletter on our website.