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Minot council approves police RFQ, budget amendments and amends traffic ordinance on first reading
Summary
City council unanimously approved a police station RFQ, a $132,000 police budget amendment, a storm-sewer fee waiver, a transit-bus transmission replacement and moved a 2025 criminal and traffic ordinance forward on first reading with an amendment keeping insurance fines at $300/$600.
Minot City Council on Nov. 3 approved a slate of consent and action items, unanimously passing procurement and budget measures and advancing an updated criminal and traffic ordinance on first reading after an amendment to preserve higher penalties for driving without liability insurance.
On the consent agenda the council approved a request for qualifications (RFQ) for architecture and engineering services to remodel the police department (item 6.11). City staff described a phased consultant selection process with check-in points and preliminary engineering before proceeding to subsequent phases. The council also approved a budget amendment (item 6.12) related to police department contract overages; staff said the $132,000 represents the estimated total contract cost for 2025.
Among action items, the council approved a waiver of storm sewer maintenance fees for specified properties (item 7.1) and a budget amendment to replace a transit bus transmission (item 7.3). All those motions passed unanimously.
Item 7.2, an updated 2025 criminal and traffic ordinance, drew extended discussion. Alderman Samuelson proposed an amendment to retain the fines for driving without liability insurance at $300 for a first offense and $600 for a second offense, arguing those levels provide deterrence and citing personal examples of victims who were uninsured. Other council members, including Alderman Fuller, expressed concern that higher fines can make it harder for low-income drivers to afford insurance and noted limitations in state law about doubling fines for certain moving violations. The council voted to adopt Samuelson’s amendment and then approved the ordinance on first reading as amended; both votes were unanimous.
City clerk confirmed motions and the council moved on to later agenda items. The council also voted unanimously to form a joint city–county committee to explore shared services and the two-mile boundary and directed follow-up outreach to the Ward County Commission.
Votes at a glance: case 2025-34 (planning commission recommendation) — approved (motion to close hearing and approve staff recommendation); RFQ police department (6.11) — approved; PD budget amendment $132,000 (6.12) — approved; waiver of storm sewer fees (7.1) — approved; 2025 criminal and traffic ordinance first reading (7.2) — approved as amended (insurance-fines amendment kept at $300/$600); transit bus transmission replacement (7.3) — approved; joint city–county committee (9.1) — approved.
The council adjourned at the end of the meeting.
