Mandan e-Messenger

May 1, 2024

Candidates for June 11 election announced

The following candidates are running for office in the Tuesday, June 11 election:

James (Jim) Froelich is running unopposed for mayor, and Thomas Jackson is running unopposed for municipal court judge.

City Commission. Two seats are up for election.

Herb Kringen
Joseph (Joe) Camisa, Jr. (incumbent)
Michael Braun (incumbent)
Ryan Heinsohn
Craig Sjoberg

Park Board. Two seats are up for election. Incumbents Jennifer Froehlich and Wade Meschke are running unopposed.

School Board. Four seats are up for election.

At-Large (1 seat, 1-year term)

Tim Rector (incumbent, filling vacancy)
Jake Schmidt
Julie Cronin Skaret
Victoria Vayda-Hammond

At-Large (2 seats, 3-year terms)

Rick Horn (incumbent)
Caroline Kozojed (incumbent)
Amy Schanandore
Maureen Wanner

Rural (1 seat, 3-year term)

Sheldon Wolf (incumbent)

County Commissioner. Three seats are up for election. Candidates for county seats will advance to the Nov. 6 election.

Nathan Boehm (incumbent)
Raymond Morrell (incumbent)

Mandan will also have two measures included on the ballot regarding a citizen-initiated half-cent sales tax increase and the publishing of City Commission meeting minutes in the Mandan News for the next four years.

The League of Women Voters recently held debates with candidates in contested races (City Commission and School Board). The debates will be replayed on Government Access cable channels 2 and 602 HD and can be viewed on freetv.org leading up to the election.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information on the June 11 election, visit cityofmandan.com/elections.

Dog Park reminders

Mandan’s Dog Park is located south of the Heart River on Highway 1806 next to Sitting Bull Park. This fun area allows your pet to roam and run in an enclosed area from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mandan Park District has established rules and regulations for the area to provide a safe environment for all to enjoy:

Use the Dog Park at your own risk. Owners are legally responsible for their dogs and any injuries caused by them.
Dogs are allowed off leash in dog park areas only (Mandan City Ordinance 6-2-2). Owners must carry a leash at all times. Dogs should be leashed before entering and prior to leaving the dog park.
Dogs must wear a collar, carry ID tags, be properly licensed and vaccinated, be parasite free and in healthy condition.
Owners must remain in the dog park with their dogs at all times.
Dogs must be leashed when maintenance crews are working in the dog park.
Children under the age of 12 must be under the supervision of an adult when at the dog park.
Owners must pick up and dispose of dog feces.
No more than two dogs per handler at any time.
Female dogs in heat and dogs less than four months of age are prohibited from entering the dog park.
Dogs must be removed from the dog park at the first sign of aggression or excessive barking.
Violators of these rules will be subject to removal from the dog park and suspension of dog park privileges.
All users need to abide by City and Park Ordinances.
Keep all gates closed.
No smoking.
No alcohol.
No bicycles, skateboards, or motorized allowed inside the fence.

Learn More

Eco Sanitation assigned household garbage collection contract

In April, Eco Sanitation merged with Armstrong Sanitation. Through this merger, the City Commission considered and approved assigning the residential trash collection agreement to Eco Sanitation LLC, a locally owned business.

The current contract goes through Oct. 2027, with a five-year option to renew. Eco Sanitation commits to:

Keep pricing the same as the current contract.
Operate out of the Mandan location at 1800 Memorial Hwy.
Use the same trucks for the Mandan route.
Keep the same contact phone number (701-663-8219).
There will be no change to the collection dates and times.
Collection bins will remain the same.
All Armstrong Sanitation employees will remain at Eco Sanitation, LLC.

Take the Community Calendar survey

The Mandan Tomorrow Leadership Pride and Image (LPI) Committee is seeking community feedback on the annual community calendar. Please complete the survey at surveymonkey.com/r/24communitycalendar by June 9.

As a reminder, Mandan and Morton County public and private entities have partnered together for the past four years on a collaborative community calendar. The calendar is typically mailed to all Morton County addresses in December, and a digital version of the calendar is available at mylocalevents.org/. The calendar provides residents, businesses and visitors with important dates and resource information such as recycling and garbage schedules, major events and contacts.

The seven question survey will take less than three minutes to complete.

Take the Survey

BEK Communications Cooperative sponsors 2024 Mandan Flowers

Thank you BEK Communications Cooperative for sponsoring the hanging flower baskets and planters along Main Street again this year!

City staff plan on hanging the flower baskets by the end of May or beginning of June.

Mandan Union Cemetery Reminders

The City’s grounds maintenance staff works diligently to keep Mandan Union Cemetery looking nice, but would like to share some reminders for residents:

Floral items may be placed on graves no earlier than seven days prior to the following holidays: Independence Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and Memorial Day. Staff will dispose of remaining items within 14 days after the holiday.
Floral and commemorative items attached to headstones and placed in a way that allows for unobstructed mowing and trimming can be placed anytime, but will be removed when they become unsightly or faded.
Fresh flowers may be placed on gravesites at any time, but no wrapping, plastic or glass containers are allowed.
Ground level planting of annuals is permitted on the east side of headstones. The maximum planting area is the length of the headstone and no wider than 8 inches.
Borders or rocks are not permitted.
Planting of trees, shrubs or any permanent plantings is not permitted on gravesites.

Permanent plantings not allowed. Permanent plantings are not permitted on gravesites because memorials become compromised or damaged as plantings grow. Those who have planted trees or shrubs in the cemetery are asked to remove them. For removal questions, please contact the Grounds Maintenance Division of Public Works at 701-667-3240.

Mandan Union Cemetery graciously accepts trees for donation, however the donated tree planting must be coordinated with staff to ensure proper placement. In addition, the Mandan Union Memorial Fund, created to accept donations in memory of loved ones, uses monetary donations for beautification and upkeep of the cemetery. To donate, please contact Jodi Jangula at 701-667-3240.

In mid-April, many Mandan utility customers received a letter with instructions to determine the material their water service pipe is made of (the pipe coming from outside that provides water to their home or business). This is one of many steps the City is taking to develop an inventory of any lead materials in our water system.

If you received a letter and survey, please complete it by the deadline provided. We need your help to accomplish this important task!

Learn More

May is Litter Clean-Up Month

Volunteers will be cleaning routes in the city of Mandan during the month of May for Community Litter Clean-Up Month. Those cleaning routes in May will be eligible for door prizes. Thank you to our volunteers:

Deb Hopfauf & Friends
American Family Insurance
Sara Hertz Family
Dennis Friesz Family
David Leingang Family
Justin Belohavek Family
Annette Kary
Sharon Johnson
Delphine Marshall
HDR Inc.
Dave Berger & Family
John Brashears & Family
Kaylee Barbie & Friends
ABRA Mandan
Gate City Bank
Brian Dehnert & Family
AE2S
Comfort Inn & Suites
Mandan Walmart
Mandan High School Staff
Cub Scout Pack 153
Willing Workers 4-H Club
North Dakota GeoCaching Association
Centre Inc.

One route remains to be claimed! Learn more or sign-up to volunteer at cityofmandan.com/littercleanup.

City welcomes new employees

Visitors of Mandan City Hall may notice a couple new faces: Human Resources Director Amy Berger and Senior Accounting Technician Lisa Schobinger.

HR Director Amy Berger will lead, develop and implement all HR functions within the City. She was born and raised in Mandan and is excited to start her new role in the place she is proud to call home. Berger was previously an HR Manager with Benedictine Living Community in Bismarck and has a bachelor’s degree in human resource management and business administration from Dickinson State University.

Senior Accounting Technician Lisa Schobinger is responsible for many duties within the utility billing department. She has 30 years of experience in customer service and a combined 20 years of experience in book keeping, billing, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll and administrative support. She holds an associate’s degree in business administration from Bismarck State College and previously worked as an account technician for Burleigh County.

Touch a Truck coming to Main Street May 18

The annual Touch a Truck event is taking place Saturday, May 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Main Street in downtown Mandan. A quiet time with no horns or sirens is planned from 10-10:30 a.m.

Admission is free, but attendees are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to the Aid Incorporated food pantry.

Learn More

Reminder to Trim Boulevard Trees

Mandan Municipal Code Sec. 115-4-7 requires trees or shrubs that overhang sidewalks, streets or other public places in a way that interferes with traffic or travel to be trimmed by the owner of the abutting property or the property on which the tree or shrub grows. This includes trees and shrubs in boulevards and city right-of-way and any that hang within 14-feet of a street or 10-feet of a sidewalk as measured vertically.

Trimming overhanging branches is important to allow staff to perform proper street maintenance, such as snow plowing or sweeping all the way to the curb line, without causing damage to City owned equipment like street sweepers, snow plows, firetrucks, etc. Overhanging branches may also damage garbage trucks, school buses and parcel delivery vehicles.

Learn more at cityofmandan.com/trees or contact Public Works at 701-667-3240 with questions or concerns.

Discover Exoplanets this summer at MMPL

Morton Mandan Public Library (MMPL) was selected as one of nine libraries across the nation to display Discover Exoplanets! MMPL is the host site from June 6 through Aug. 31.

The national traveling exhibit explores space and astronomy, while hitting on topics such as how NASA scientists are investigating the possibility of other habitable worlds beyond Earth. This exhibit features hands-on, multimedia activities for visitors to interact with as they gain insight into the most recent NASA discoveries.

For more information contact MMPL at 701-667-5365.