Dear Minot:
We’re nearing the end of another year at the City of Minot, and as an organization, we’ve made positive strides in 2024 that I’m confident will continue in 2025 and beyond.
Like any great organization, the City of Minot is only successful because of its employees; in our case, we have at least 426 reasons for our collective success.
Our employees are spread across multiple departments, perform a dizzying array of duties, and bear a tremendous amount of responsibility. Everyone has a role to play in the day-to-day operations of the City, and everyone serves the public in their own way, depending on their job description and responsibilities.
Members of the public are certainly familiar with the most outward-facing departments at the City – our Police Department and Fire Department are perhaps the most visible employees who interact with the public on a daily basis. They are dedicated to protecting and serving our community and its residents.
But they are far from the only first responders employed by the City.
Public Works is our largest department, and its employees are spread among many groups that ensure the basic necessities are taken care of – streets, storm sewer, water treatment plant, water distribution, wastewater treatment, Rosehill Cemetery, vehicle maintenance, transit, property maintenance, and solid waste management all fall under the Public Works umbrella.
First responders? Yeah, you can add virtually everyone in Public Works to that list.
These are the men and women you regularly see working to keep streets maintained in the summer and clear of snow in the winter. The crews repairing a water break in July or January. The crews working around-the-clock after significant winter snow events. The employees who staff the Minot Water Treatment plant 365 days a year to ensure water is being treated and distributed. Those who keep an enormous fleet of equipment and vehicles, large and small, operating. The ones who keep our City buses running on a regular schedule. The men and women who maintain the multiple buildings and properties owned by the City. The crews who pick up your garbage and recycling, and ensure its proper disposal.
And, behind the scenes in all of those departments, there are Public Works office staff members who constantly answer questions from the public and help maintain order among the various departments and their employees. Only through the combined efforts of all its employees does the Public Works Department succeed.
Some departments, including assessors, city clerk, public information, inspections, planning, engineering, municipal court, and the library, among others, have regular contact with members of the public as well as working with multiple other City departments on a regular basis. Permits don’t get created and approved by themselves. Social media posts and website updates aren’t automatic. Street projects don’t design themselves. Building permits and inspections are done by real people. Municipal court and the library both take multiple people to properly serve the public.
Other departments, including finance, human resources, airport, information technology, and city attorney, may not be as outwardly visible, but provide services vital to the everyday operation of the City. All the legal issues that a municipal government deals with? Thank the city attorney’s office for that. Does anyone think the City budget just miraculously appears every year? No, there are endless hours of work behind to scenes by the entire team in the finance department to make it reality. New employee hiring and training doesn’t just happen – HR employees make it happen. Think all the City’s technology – computers, phones, software, etc. – takes care of itself? No, that’s the job of our IT department. The Minot International Airport doesn’t run on autopilot – there are employees behind the scenes who make sure the runways are cleared, the buildings are maintained, and the entire operation runs smoothly to serve the traveling public no matter the weather.
My point is this: Our City employees are so much more than a number. Our employees are members of our community. They’re your family members. They’re your friends. They’re your neighbors. They’re folks you see in the grocery store, in church, or at a T-ball game. The 426 employees of the City represent a cross-section of our entire community. They are real men and women who take great pride in their work, and are dedicated to serving their community.
Are we perfect? No, but we’re no different than any other organization. We’re doing the best job we can with the number of employees, the pieces of equipment, and budget we’re given every year.
I’m proud of the City of Minot staff, and the work they do every day to make Minot a better community. Our staff is dedicated to serving the public to the best of their collective ability, and I believe that commitment shows in both the small things our staff does and the big picture items we work on every day.
I’m proud to be an elected official representing the City and all of its employees. As 2024 nears an end, I want to thank every one of our staff members for their continued dedication and focus on customer service. You are appreciated, and the City of Minot would not be a successful organization without you.
You can find more about what’s happening at the City of Minot at minotnd.org, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. We’d also encourage you to sign up for our monthly electronic newsletter on our website.