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Minot adapting to smaller city council

City of Minot

Minot’s mayor believes the city's transition to a smaller city council is going well.

Minot voters okayed a change from a 14 member council, elected in wards, to a six member council, with the members elected at large.

Minot Mayor Chuck Barney said the Council is looking at making a few modifications. One is the committee structure.

"For the full Council to meet on Tuesdays and Wednesdays as a full Council, but in the form of a 'Commitee of the Whole,' and then on Monday night following having all the same members meeting again seems to be redundant," Barney said.

Barney has floated another idea -- having the committees meet Tuesdays and Wednesdays before teh full Council meeting, have three members of the council on each one, and fill the committees with two at-large members from teh community that want to be involved in city government.

"That way, you have five members of each committee," Barney said. "You also have community people providing input that right now they don;t have a voice to do."

Barney thinks most people in Minot seem to be happy with the new council structure – but a few have expressed some displeasure with the elimination of the wards.

"I think we need to give it a fair shake," Barney said. "We need to see if it is working before making other changes."

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