The Minot City Council voted Dec. 1 to adopt the North Dakota building code. Council members discussed that adopting the state code is an opportunity to align local permitting practices and eliminate unnecessary local layers where appropriate.

City staff recommended adopting the state model codes to streamline approvals and better match state requirements that contractors and builders use elsewhere. Council members emphasized reviewing any additional local requirements developed after the flooding response to ensure they remain appropriate.

Why it matters: Adoption is intended to simplify permitting and inspection alignment with state standards, potentially easing development and reconstruction efforts.

What’s next: Staff will review local regulations for redundancies and bring recommended adjustments to council where state alignment makes sense.