June 27, 2024

The deadline to participate in the 2024 Safety & Wellness Committee Walking Challenge has been extended to July 1. Please email Amy Berger by 5 p.m. on Monday, July 1 to participate.

As of July 1, newly elected officials will begin their terms in office. The City of Mandan will have a new mayor, commissioner and municipal court judge.

Mayor James “Jim” Froelich, Municipal Judge Thomas Jackson, and City Commissioner Craig Sjoberg are all new faces joining the City of Mandan elected leaders.

Commissioner Mike Braun was reelected for a fourth term. 

During the June 18 City Commission meeting, Mayor Helbling recognized Commissioner Joe Camisa for his four-year term on the Mandan City Commission.

Camisa's last day in office will be June 30.

Thanks for your service, Commissioner Camisa!

Upon commission approval in September 2023, the Health Insurance Committee was formed to collaborate, prepare, and determine strategic ways to decrease the city’s rapidly growing renewal rates of the health insurance plan. This was started with the understanding that funding for the 2024 plan is not sustainable long term and changes needed to be made to the plan design. The committee first met in October 2023 and has held six meetings since. Working closely with Brown and Brown, NDPHIT’s consultant, these meetings have been spent evaluating plan design options to determine a strategy for the upcoming renewal period.

In July, a recommendation from the committee will be presented to the commission for the 2025 plan year. More information will be communicated to City employees as this recommendation is made. 

Battalion Fire Chief Shane Weltikol recently spoke to attendees at the Summit on Behavioral Health in Energy Country in Dickinson on the necessity for behavioral health options for first responders alongside panelists from Billings County EMS and the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office.

Nationwide, more than 30% of all first responders report some type of mental health struggle such as anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The summit allowed the panel to collaborate with various health and counseling organizations from across the state in an effort to work toward decreasing the mental health strain on firefighters, police officers, and EMA personnel. The conference was organized by Vision West ND. 

In April, Communications Specialist Kari Schmidt was invited to be a part of a panel in Fargo for the North Dakota Professional Communicators annual conference. Her panel topic was prioritizing communications with a lean team. Schmidt shared Mandan's success in collaborating as a team to get information out to the public and also in engaging with youth in the community.

Individuals interested in the Chamber’s Leadership Bismarck Mandan program may apply via an online application by Aug. 1. Participants will gain an inside look at the inner workings of our community and develop a better understanding of future challenges. The program consists of 13 different “Issue Days” which are half-day sessions on topics relevant to Bismarck-Mandan and its future. Participants will select a leadership project to complete as a group at the end of the program.

By going through this program, you’ll strengthen your leadership skills, broaden your understanding of local issues, connect with community resources and contacts, and build mentoring relationships with current leaders.

Click here to learn more about the Leadership program or to apply. Questions? Contact Kari Schmidt.

Complete assigned training by Sept. 1

Annual LMS Training has been uploaded for all employees: Drug & Alcohol Awareness, and Preventing Workplace Harassment. These two courses will be assigned in the Saba Cloud LMS system we utilize through WSI. Employees should have received an email with further information and details on how to access your account.

Questions? E-mail hr@cityofmandan.com

Years of Service Awards (Second Quarter, 2024)

At the June 18 City Commission meeting, employees with 3, 5, 10, 15+ years of employment in the second quarter of 2024 were recognized. Those eligible for recognition were:



3 Years

• Andrew Stromme, City Planner
• Samuel Hay, Part-time Firefighter
• Carter Kilen, Part-time Firefighter
• Landen Veil, Part-time Firefighter
• Ethan Eckholm, MMPL Public Service Coordinator

5 Years

• Mersiha Arapovic, Firefighter
• Kylan Williams, Firefighter

10 Years

• Sam Buckley, Public Works Seasonal Laborer
• Bel Neibel, MMPL Outreach Service Driver

20 Years

• DeNae Kautzmann, Municipal Judge

30 Years

• Steve Kilen, Fire Captain

Thank you for your service to the City of Mandan.

Johnathan Mathisen has been with the Finance Department as Payroll & Benefits Specialist since Feb. 2019.

Fun Fact about you: I own a Resin 3d printer and utilize it in my hobbies.

What do you do in your role?  I process payroll and communicate this information to both the Payroll Provider (UKG) and accounting systems. I add, maintain and update employee information. I Interact with the various benefit providers, arrange payments and update information. I also work with the finance department’s Accounts Payable process and check payments.

What do you love most about your job? Payroll is usually not a very visible process. When everything runs smoothly it’s disappears into the background. However, when I submit the payroll each period I know that I played a small part in having that payroll get to employees. That they can just expect it to be there. I feel pride in that.

What’s a hobby you have outside of work? One of my hobbies is that I paint miniatures. I also play a few different tabletop games using those miniatures.

What’s one item you can’t live without? It would be a little trite, but I would have to say my computer. I run almost my entire life through it. I use it when talking with family and friends, scheduling get togethers, and everything else.

What’s your favorite thing to do in Mandan? One of my favorite things to do in Mandan is attending Buggies and Blues each year. Just spending an afternoon walking through the cars and vendors in the park is a great way to spend time. I also enjoy the 4^th of July celebrations as well.

What’s your favorite restaurant/business in Mandan? Butcher Block Meats is likely the business that I go to the most. It is the rare week when I don’t go over at least once for lunch.

Some of the miniatures that Jonathan paints.

The Finance Department is led by Director Greg Welch. Greg has been with the City of Mandan for over 30 years.

What are the main responsibilities of your department? The mission of the finance department is to provide accurate and timely budget, accounting and financial reporting information to citizens, city commission and departments in accordance with City policies, state laws and federal regulations. The finance department is responsible for maintaining a city-wide financial system to support operations and provides the following services: cash and treasury management; accounts receivable and utility billing; business licenses and permits; special assessment payments and balances; accounts payable and payroll; capital assets and debt management; budgeting, accounting and financial reporting; and finance records management.

What is the structure of your department? The department consists of 5 full-time employees:

• Finance Director Greg Welch (represents the department as it relates to City Commission and City Administration and leads all aspects of the department with special focus on budgeting, financial reports, audit, cash and debt management and leadership to the Assessing Department)
• Assistant Finance Director Justin Schulz (aids the director in day-to-day operations and supports budgeting, financial reporting, audit and cash and debt management)
• Accountant Dayne Anderson (works with the Assistant Finance Director on a number of daily, weekly and monthly accounting and cash management functions; oversees the financial management of Special Assessments)
• Senior Accounting Technician Lisa Schobinger (primary focus is on utility billing and payment receipts, helps with other day-to-day functions)
• Payroll & Benefits Specialist Jonathan Mathisen (responsible for payroll and benefits along with accounts payable, assists with an assortment of accounting functions)

How can your fellow co-workers help your department? The more communication the better. We are here to assist all departments, so please don't hesitate to reach out.

What’s your favorite thing about your department? We get to work with every department within the City of Mandan.

APRIL

Daniel Walters, Public Works Seasonal Laborer

Lance Sheid, Public Works Utility Operator I

Jerad Johnson, Public Works Seasonal Laborer

Timothy Klatte, Police Officer

Riley McAdoo-Roesler, Assistant City Engineer

Caleb Schmidt, Code Enforcement Officer

MAY

Atlantis Herba, Police Officer

Larry Gross, Public Works Seasonal Laborer

Noah Olson, Public Works Seasonal Laborer

Karla Schulz, GIS Coordinator

James Mullin, Police Officer

Emily Adams, Firefighter

Grayson Erling, Real Property Appraiser Assistant

Justin Boles, Public Works Seasonal Laborer

Lydia Schmidt, Public Works Seasonal Laborer

Carter Svobodny, Engineering Intern

JUNE

Kelsey Kreidt, Public Works Seasonal Laborer

Kristen Lee, Police Officer

Levi Sparby, Public Works Equipment Operator I

Jackson Mills, Engineering Tech

Brittany Kaiser, Part-time Firefighter

Clay Roberts, Part-time Firefighter

Ethan Falcon, Part-time Firefighter

Beth Sunday, Police Department Records Tech

Municipal Judge DeNae Kautzmann is retiring on June 30 after 20 years with the City of Mandan. Kautzmann was first elected in 2004 and served consecutive terms since. She heard many criminal and non-criminal violations of Mandan City Ordinance during her tenure and will be missed. 

On June 18, the City Commission recognized Kautzmann for her time in office. Thank you, DeNae, for your service to Mandan! 

Morton Mandan Public Library (MMPL) Outreach Service Driver Bel Neibel is set to retire in August after 10 years. Neibel has been driving the bookmobile, also known as “Morti” for many of those years.

On June 18, Library Director Sandstrom presented Neibel with a plaque commemorating her years of service. 

“We are grateful for everything you have done to make Morti come alive with materials, activities, laughter and spunk especially during traveling times of winter and wind,” says Sandstrom, “By helping bridge the gap between the bookmobile and the library building, you have touched lives and made a difference.” 



Thank you Bel for your service to Mandan and Morton County!

We all have hidden talents and or are working towards goals either personally or professionally. We want to share those accomplishments in this quarterly newsletter. Don't be shy! Share your story or something you find interesting about a co-worker to be considered in future employee newsletters with Communications Specialist Kari Schmidt.