Sept. 1, 2022

Mandan Public Works fourth annual “Free Fall Landfill Week” provides residents the opportunity to dispose of debris free of charge at the City landfill. The landfill will be open Monday, Sept. 19 to Saturday, Sept. 24 from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Here’s how the special week works:

• Items will not be collected curbside with residential garbage. The landfill will accept items from Mandan residents, including furniture and appliances, free of charge.
• Residents dumping at the landfill will be required to show identification with proof of city address.
• Appliances must be cleaned of all food and other debris before they will be accepted.
• There is a $3 charge per car or pickup tire. Larger tires, such as those from tractors, semi-trailers or heavy equipment, are charged at regularly listed prices.
• No hazardous waste such as pesticides, insecticides or harsh cleaning supplies may be disposed of at the landfill.
• All paint must be in solid form with the lid off.
• Residents are reminded to tie down or tarp all loads to prevent littering along the roadway. All unsecured loads are subject to a $20 fee.

The landfill is located at 4103 Co Rd 82, approximately three miles west of Mandan on Business Loop-94, old Highway 10. Travel south a half mile and then west one mile.

The City Commission preliminary approved a 2023 budget proposal during its Aug. 2 meeting. The proposed budget maintains the city levy at 64 mills. However, expenses for all funds combined are $986,000 higher than the 2022 budget. Rising costs of providing the same, basic City services is visible throughout the budget, including in the form of employee compensation, equipment, projects, operations and maintenance.  

Mandan’s average residential property valuation increase was 9.6% in 2022. This coupled with the mill levy, equates to a $27 increase per $100,000 of true and full value for a residential property. This excludes any special assessments.

Residents will notice a $1.39 per month increase for utility charges, totaling about $17 for the year. This increase includes a water usage increase of $0.10 per unit (748 gallons) of water and contractual increases with both Armstrong Sanitation for residential garbage services and Waste Management for recycling services.

Business education and outreach activities continue this fall with the fifth annual Downtown Tour and 10^th annual Business Start-Up 101 workshop. Sessions are hosted by the Mandan Tomorrow – Economic Opportunity and Prosperity Committee with assistance from Mandan’s Business Development office and Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC.

Downtown Tour. Mandan’s downtown walking tour and networking social will be held Thursday, Sept. 22 with tours beginning at 4 p.m. A networking social will follow. Anyone interested in taking a closer look at downtown places and spaces is welcome to attend.

Business Start-Up 101 workshop will be Thursday, Oct. 20 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at First Community Credit Union in the community meeting room. This is a workshop for anyone exploring the idea of opening a business. The audience will drive discussion with members of a resource partners panel and local entrepreneurs experienced in starting and growing various types of businesses in Mandan.

Both events are free and open to the public. Registration is requested in advance at cityofmandan.com/register or by calling 701-667-3478. Stay tuned to cityofmandan.com/news for additional information. 

The City of Mandan and Community Beautification Committee in partnership with AARP of North Dakota, will soon incorporate local art into the public realm by wrapping utility boxes along Main Street through the Art on a Box program.

The call for artists, approved at the Aug. 16 City Commission meeting, is open to professional and novice artists of all ages. The theme for the program is “Life West of the Missouri” with sub-categories related to the people, history, landscape and culture of Mandan and Morton County.

Art must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16. A selection committee made up of community members will choose 10 designs and three alternate pieces. A City Commissioner and the City Planner will serve as liaisons for the selection committee. The selection committee will consider if submissions involve a broad range of people/communities; value art and the artistic process; and adaptable to a range of box sizes and shapes. 

Sunset Drive corridor study public input opportunity

The Bismarck-Mandan Metropolitan Planning Organization along with the City of Mandan are studying Sunset Drive in Mandan for potential traffic and safety improvements.

The corridor serves as a major route to schools, restaurants, hotels, shopping, and other businesses, and is vital to the growth and expansion of the City of Mandan. To meet the safety and transportation needs of area residents and businesses, the public is invited to provide input and share your thoughts to help guide potential improvement options along Sunset Drive.

The area being studied extends along Sunset Drive from Division Street (Brave Center) to 38^th Street (past Mandan Middle School).

Input Opportunities Include:

• Public Open House on Wednesday, Sept. 21, from 5-7 p.m. at Mandan Middle School Cafetorium (2901 12^th Ave NW, Mandan)
• Project Website: bit.ly/SunsetCorridor

The meeting is open to the public and will provide an opportunity to discuss and share ideas and feedback on issues throughout the study areas.

Encourage others to sign up for e-Messenger for a chance to win Mandan Bucks

As more residents use e-billing services to pay water bills, City officials still want to get them information. To encourage sign-ups, the City of Mandan Business Development and Communications Department is offering a chance to win Mandan Bucks.

Since you're already signed up to receive the e-Messenger, we need your help! If we get 500 new people signed up by Sept. 30, one of the five $100 winners will come from those of you already receiving the newsletter. So be sure to share this with your friends and family! 

They can sign up to receive the monthly e-newsletter at cityofmandan.com/messenger. 

We’ll keep track of every new sign-up between now and the deadline and will draw for winners on Oct. 3. Winners will be notified by e-mail and prizes will be sent in the mail.

Mandan Bucks are gift certificates redeemable for products and services at most Mandan businesses. 

The Mandan Fire Department will promote fire prevention and safety during Fire Prevention Week in October. The Fire Department will host a fire truck parade and open house on Tuesday, Oct. 11. The parade begins at 6:30 p.m. and the open house will follow at Mandan Fire Station No. 1, 110 Collins Ave, from 7 to 9 p.m.

Other fire prevention activities will consist of firefighters visiting classrooms in the community to teach children about fire prevention and safety during the last week of September. Additional information is available at cityofmandan.com/fireopenhouse.  

Local businesses featured in 'On the Town with Taylen'

Recently Taylen Thomas visited with Boba & Beyond and the Rice Bowl co-owner Sherry Zhuang for a new episode of On the Town with Taylen. View the interview on YouTube or cityofmandan.com/business. 

On the Town with Taylen is intended to help acquaint area residents with the people behind Mandan's shops, restaurants and other businesses.

New interviews with Mandan business owners are being released periodically. If your business is interested in being featured, contact City of Mandan Communications & Community Services Coordinator Kari Schmidt.