City presents $888 million five-year CIP; residents raise concerns about a cemetery sidewalk and flood-control costs

The City of Minot’s engineering director presented a five-year capital improvement plan that lists roughly $888,000,000 in infrastructure needs, led primarily by the city’s flood-control project. The plan aggregates federal and state grants, dedicated sales tax revenue for flood control and reserve funds for water and sewer work.

Lance Meyer summarized the CIP at a high level, explaining that approximately 68% of the five-year total is tied to flood-control project phases and that several planned projects are included for planning purposes only and may not be funded in the near term. Meyer also said ongoing annual maintenance costs for utilities and streets remain budgeted separately.

During the public hearing, one resident questioned a CIP line item estimating more than $1,000,000 to install a sidewalk along the north side of Rose Hill Cemetery, saying the area is not a high-pedestrian corridor and arguing the money could better fund projects such as the Third Street bridge. Another commenter focused on the flood-control portion, urging caution that past projects had run 30–40% over architectural estimates and warning the listed $660 million could increase substantially in later phases.

Council members and staff reiterated that inclusion in the CIP does not guarantee funding and that the budget process determines final appropriations. Alderman Olsen noted the CIP is a planning document; President Blessum and Mayer said budget prioritization and further public input would shape which projects are funded in upcoming budgets.

The council closed the public hearing and approved the CIP as presented for planning purposes; staff said additional information will be returned during the budget process, and that specific projects will be prioritized for funding in upcoming appropriations.