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Legislature hearings could deliver housing grants and new state office building for Minot
Summary
Legislative staff flagged two bills that could direct roughly $2 million a year in HOME grants to Minot and provide $4.9 million to build a state office facility on DOT land in Ward County; hearings are scheduled next week and local testimony was recommended.
State legislative staff and local officials discussed two pending measures this week that could send state housing aid and a new office building to Minot, officials said.
David, a legislative staff member, told the group that Senate Bill 2,323—on which he testified last week—would provide impact grant funding that the staff estimated would amount to about $2,000,000 per year to Minot, or about $4,000,000 for the two-year biennium. The panel also tracked Senate Bill 2,225, which would provide $50,000,000 from the CIF Fund to the Department of Commerce for the HOME (Housing, Opportunity, Mobility, and Empowerment) grant program and is scheduled for a committee hearing next week.
Why it matters: The combined proposals would increase state housing dollars flowing to Minot and the surrounding area and could help pay debt or projects tied to oil-related growth, officials said. Staff recommended having a local representative available to testify at the appropriations hearing if senators raise questions.
Details: Participants noted that SB 2,323 already passed a policy committee and is moving to appropriations; the committee hearing was scheduled for Monday at 3:15 p.m. Staff advised reworking testimony used the prior week to reflect questions raised in Williston and Dickinson presentations.
Separately, House Bill 14-87 would authorize the Department of Transportation to transfer about 1.25 acres of DOT land in Ward County to the Office of Management and Budget, exempt that transfer from some state property-transfer statutes, and appropriate $4,900,000 from the general fund for construction of a new state office building to be leased to other state agencies. That bill was scheduled for hearing Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.
What was not decided: Neither bill has been enacted; the meeting recorded only staff estimates, committee hearing dates and informal plans for local testimony. No floor votes or final outcomes were reported.
Ending: Staff asked that a local official or staffer attend hearings early next week to answer questions from Senator Probst and the appropriations committee if needed.
