Harold Stewart II, former city manager in Warrensburg, Missouri, assumed the city manager position Dec. 28 following a candidate search that drew 50 qualified applicants and resulted in interviews with three in November.

Stewart had been with Warrensburg since 2015. He previously served as city manager in Knoxville, Iowa, and Ogallala, Nebraska, and was assistant to the administrator/neighborhood services director in Yuma, Arizona, where he also had worked as interim human resources director. He has 15 years of experience in city and county government and holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kansas, Lawrence.

He spent part of his childhood in Minot when his father was stationed at Minot Air Force Base and was a finalist in the city manager search in 2016.

Stewart replaced former city manager Tom Barry, who was fired at a hastily called council meeting April 20 to discuss the results of an investigation into a hostile work environment in the city. At a special meeting in March, the council had debated for nearly an hour regarding the hiring of an independent investigator.

File Photo Minot’s new police chief, John Klug, receives new insignia from his wife, Maggie, in a pinning ceremony during Minot’s City Council meeting Feb. 3.

Through investigator findings and council member admissions, it was determined most council members had some knowledge that employees had concerns. However, the issue didn’t come to a head until Minot blogger Rob Port wrote about city employee concerns with Barry’s management style.

“The findings of the independent outside counsel are damning in my view,” council member Stephan Podrygula said after receiving the final investigation report. “There clearly was a hostile work environment with harassment of several employees. Finding number two: there were efforts to conceal this.”

The report from the special counsel, Fargo attorney Patricia Monson, recommended removal of the city manager as the only solution to resolve workplace tension.

Barry had joined the city in December 2016 and his contract was amended in 2018 and again in December 2019. The latest amendment provided for a five-year contract extension and stated Barry would be paid a full year’s salary in event of early termination. His 2020 salary was $181,627.

To settle pending litigation, city council members voted 4-3 in October to approve an agreement to pay Barry $140,510.55, plus up to $5,000 in attorney fees. Barry was hired in Minnesota in October as Beltrami County administrator.

File Photo Harold Stewart speaks to the Minot City Council during an interview for the city manager position Nov. 5. The council selected Stewart from three finalists to become city manager, effective Dec. 28.

The city also hired a new police chief in John Klug, formerly a captain in the department. He had been employed with the Minot Police Department for nearly 25 years before assuming the new role Feb. 1.

In November, the council voted 5-2 to proceed with the $2.6 million purchase of the former Wells Fargo building for a new city hall. The next step was phase two of an environmental study. Once the city takes possession of the building early in the new year, the council will seek consultants to design the renovation. That design process is estimated to take eight months. A contractor would come on board potentially at the end of 2021 or early 2022.

The city has $7.75 million in National Disaster Resilience dollars to spend on renovating a downtown building for a new city hall.

The funds available for a city hall were increased by a shift of some of the dollars originally allocated to a downtown gathering space. The council voted to scrap the gathering space project in April. The council determined much of the support for a gathering space was lost when efforts to acquire the top two of the three possible sites both fell through.

Opposition to purchasing the Wells Fargo building came from the council’s two newest council members. Council member Tom Ross voiced frustration that the council wasn’t looking at expansion of the existing City Hall. Council member Carrie Evans also asked for an assessment to determine whether the purchase makes financial sense during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although the outlook regarding financial impact from COVID-19 improved over the course of the year, the council voted to reject bids on the proposed Northwest Fire Station and cancel the contract still to be signed for the City Hall retaining wall reconstruction out of concern of shrinking funding. Partial funding for both was added back into the 2021 budget. No tax increase was proposed in the $143.5 million city budget adopted by the council..

Ross and Evans were elected in June, replacing council members Shannon Straight and Josh Wolsky, who did not seek re-election. Minot psychologist Stephan Podrygula, who already was serving by appointment, also was elected.

As a member of Minot’s LGBTQ+ community, Evans was targeted for criticism in September from some in the community who pushed back after Mayor Shaun Sipma approved the flying of the Rainbow flag in front of City Hall. Area residents with strong feelings about flags and the LGBTQ+ community aired their displeasure with the flag. Supporters of the LGBTQ+ community followed up to offer their side as the debate lingered and gained Minot statewide as well as national attention.

The council voted for a moratorium until a policy could be developed regarding flags being flown beneath the U.S. and North Dakota flags in front of City Hall.

Also in September, the MAGIC Fund Screening Committee and city council approved using $800,000 in MAGIC Fund dollars to buy a Trinity Health building for a Center for Technical Education in Minot. Combined with $3.45 million recently authorized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from Minot’s National Disaster Resilience program, the MAGIC Fund money will help launch programs to provide specialized career-oriented training programs for Minot residents. A CTE had been included in Minot’s National Disaster Resilience program for $1.5 million, but about $2 million was shifted from the abandoned plan for a downtown gathering space.

Construction started this summer on Blu on Broadway, a commercial and low-income residential development of EPIC Companies, that is receiving $4 million through the affordable housing portion of the city’s resilience program. It also is part of Minot’s first Tax Increment Financing District, which will provide a five-year tax abatement on site improvements in exchange for EPIC Companies’ street development on the back side of the project.

There will be 42 units in the affordable housing market for the next 20 years once the project is completed next summer. The five-story building at 1629 S. Broadway will include retail, dining and office space on the ground level. The property will include amenities such as underground parking and outdoor recreation space.

Meanwhile, planning has been underway on a family homeless shelter called The Broadway Circle at 1901 S. Broadway. It will include 17 affordable housing units, a six-unit emergency shelter for families, the Lord’s Cupboard Food Pantry, the Welcome Table Cafe, a community garden and commercial space for project operator Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota and other businesses.

The city has earmarked $3 million in resilience funds for the project. The vacant hotel structure on the property was demolished in November.

Volunteers assisted with site cleanup in May and architectural plans are being developed.