Council adopts administrative and infrastructure items and creates land-development partnership committee

The Minot City Council took several noncontroversial administrative and infrastructure actions and created a new committee to pursue land-development incentives.

Key approvals - Updated capital asset policy (item 7.3): Council adopted an updated capital-asset policy unanimously. - Water service upsizing for Exceptional Health Care (item 7.5): Council approved a developer-requested upsize of a water main; staff told council the pipe upsizing would better fit longer-term half-mile loop plans and that the developer would pay the incremental costs tied to upsizing. - Landfill permit budget amendment (item 7.6): Council approved an appropriation to update landfill permit requirements.

Land-development partnership committee (miscellaneous) Council directed staff to work with Alderman Pittner to stand up a land-development incentive partnership committee. Pittner proposed a committee of roughly 11 voting members (two council members, a builder/developer representative, two lenders, two local real-estate agents, a member at-large and representatives from overlapping taxing entities) with city staff in a support role (engineer, planner, attorney, manager). The council approved the direction unanimously and asked staff to return with membership recommendations and a scope of work.

Why it matters Staff told council that an assembled, cross-sector committee could identify regulatory bottlenecks, match landowners and builders, and more quickly produce shovel-ready lots. Councilors said Minot’s housing shortage and tight lot supply make this a pressing priority.

Ending Staff will work with Alderman Pittner to draft a membership list, scope and schedule for the committee and return to council for approval; the capital policy and infrastructure items are adopted and will be implemented through the appropriate departments.