Minot, Ward County approve joint committee to study merging city and county libraries

City and Ward County officials voted to form a joint committee to study a possible merger of the Minot Public Library and the Ward County Library. The City Council motion, initiated by City Council Member Mike Blessum and seconded by Rob Fuller, passed on a roll call that showed Lisa Olson voting no while six other council members voted yes. The committee was described as consisting of two City Council members, two Ward County Commissioners, one member of the Minot Public Library Board, one member of the Ward County Library Board and one at-large member chosen jointly by the chairman and the mayor.

Kerrianne Boetcher, Ward County Library Director, appeared to summarize past merger discussions and urged that any final decision be made by voters: "the decision to merge must be brought to a vote of the people." City Council members subsequently moved to add a six-month deadline for the committee to pursue placing any measure on the November election ballot; that timeline motion carried with the same council roll-call pattern (Lisa Olson recorded as the sole city nay). The Ward County Commission adopted the City Council’s motions on the library committee and the six-month ballot timeline with unanimous county votes recorded for those specific motions (see meeting minutes). The committee will be formed and the selection process for its members will proceed as described in the minutes.