July 1, 2025

The Mandan Fire Department will soon enhance its emergency response capabilities with the purchase of a rescue boat, thanks to grant funding and community support. At the May 20 City Commission meeting, Fire Chief Mitch Bitz presented an agreement with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department for funding through the 2025 National Recreational Boat Safety (RBS) Program. The grant covers 50% of the $76,000 project cost, with the remaining funds raised through donations and City reserves.

The need for a dedicated rescue boat was first identified in 2024 to better respond to water emergencies in the Mandan area. The department received approval to apply for the RBS grant in August 2024 and began fundraising. By spring 2025, it had received $39,000 in donations from 11 local organizations—exceeding the required match of $35,874.50.

The rescue boat will be housed at Lakewood Station 2 and must be purchased, delivered, and paid for by Sept. 30. Training is being developed to ensure staff can operate safely and effectively.

City officials approved the agreement and purchase, recognizing the importance of improved water rescue capabilities for the safety of the community. The Fire Department will officially recognize those who made contributions at a later date. 

Improvements are scheduled for the City of Mandan water distribution pipelines as part of the Collins Ave Water Reservoir Replacement Project. Users from Main Street to Division Street between Seventh Ave NW to Fourth Ave NE may notice a temporary reduction in water pressure today (Tuesday, July 1) while the work is completed. There should not be an interruption in their water service. The reduction in water pressure is anticipated for up to 12 hours. If the work is unable to be completed on Tuesday, the backup plan is Wednesday, July 2. 

Please report any water outages during this time to Allie Fleck with AE2S at 701-591-6882.

Art Alley project expands with Visitor Committee funding

A public art initiative—the Mandan Art Alley—is coming to downtown Mandan. Set to take shape yet this summer, the project will be in the alley behind the 200 block of West Main Street, between First and Second Avenue NW.

First proposed in the 2018 Downtown Plan, the idea resurfaced in 2024 by a group of engaged local business owners, event planners and arts advocates.

Funding for the project includes:

• Northern Plains Heritage Foundation $35,000
• Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation $5,000
• North Dakota Council on the Arts $2,000
• Bismarck Professional Women Public Art Fund via Dakota West Arts Council: $2,500

The City Commission recently approved providing up to $35,000 in additional funding through the Mandan Visitors Fund to support the effort. The Mandan Visitors Fund is generated from the 1% restaurant and lodging tax and must be used for capital improvements that attract visitors to the community.

Mandan has an app and it’s ready to download! The Mandan app, powered by Living Local, is an app for the towns that thrive on connection. With the app, you can find all Mandan’s crucial community information all in one place.

Key features include alerts and updates, community calendars, school information, community groups, utility bill pay, report a concern, and more!

Search City of Mandan in the Google Play or Apple Store to download today!

Be sure to have notifications turned on with the app, to receive important alerts and updates! 

Our community is beautiful. Connect with it.

The Mandan Rodeo Days Celebration is July 2-4. Events include three action packed professional rodeo performances. For a complete schedule of events, visit mandanrodeo.com.

Art in the Park will take place in downtown Mandan on Thursday, July 3 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday, July 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fourth of July fun will begin at 8 a.m. with the 5k road race. The Independence Day Parade will kick off with a classic car parade at 10 a.m. followed by grand marshals leading the way at 10:10 a.m.

For more information on Art in the Park and the 144^th Annual Independence Day Parade visit visitmandan.com. 

Due to current phases of the North Dakota Department of Transportation’s Memorial Highway Reconstruction Project, changes are being implemented for the staging and spectator viewing areas for the Mandan Independence Day Parade.

Beginning this year, parade staging will take place along West Memorial Highway from Third St SE to Mandan Ave. As a result, there will be no public viewing of the parade along Memorial Highway in 2025. Spectators are encouraged to find viewing spots along Main Street and surrounding areas designated for public access.

To accommodate the revised parade staging, West Memorial Highway from Third St SE to Mandan Ave will close at 6 a.m. on Friday, July 4 and remain closed for the duration of the parade. Access to businesses will remain open. Parade spectators and Mandan Rodeo Days attendees are encouraged to plan ahead and anticipate slower traffic when entering Mandan from Memorial Highway. Alternate routes into Mandan are strongly encouraged to ensure timely arrival for the day’s festivities.

“As we prepare for another unforgettable Independence Day celebration, I want to thank our residents, businesses and visitors for their flexibility and understanding as we navigate changes brought on by the Memorial Highway reconstruction project,” says Mayor Jim Froelich. “While this year’s parade staging shift may temporarily impact some traditions, it’s important to remember the spirit of the 4th of July in Mandan remains as strong as ever. We’re proud to continue to host one of the state’s largest Independence Day celebrations, and I encourage everyone to plan ahead and join us for a safe and festive day.” 

For updates about parade logistics, parking, and Mandan Rodeo Days events, stay tuned to visitmandan.com.

Construction continues to move forward along Memorial Highway, with the following updates:

• Utility work is ongoing, including construction of the 40th Avenue SE lift station.
• Memorial Highway traffic will transition to the newly constructed temporary roadway surface.
• 21st Street SE is expected to reopen to traffic around mid-July. 

Please note that weather conditions and ongoing construction activity may cause schedule changes. Thank you for your patience as work continues. 

Upcoming work. Ongoing construction activities on mainline Memorial Highway include removal of existing surfacing, roadway grading activities, underground utility installation, and construction of temporary surfacing.

Learn more about the project at cityofmandan.com/mhp. Questions? Call 701-667-1033 or fill out the contact form.

The Mandan Progress Organization recently launched a Memorial Highway Gift Card Program, where individuals can purchase digital gift cards from local participating businesses directly at VisitMandan.com. Each card is delivered as a digital wallet file that appears on your phone just like a regular credit card. You can use the card to shop online or pay in person, with tap to pay coming soon. As part of the program the City of Madan is contributing a 25% match that is automatically issues as a separate bonus card at no additional cost.

New & Aspiring Business Owners Encouraged to Apply by Aug. 18

Entries are open for Mandan’s sixth Business Pitch Challenge scheduled for Oct. 15, 2025. Prizes include the chance to be eligible for up to a $10,000 forgivable loan from the Mandan Growth Fund plus other cash awards, services and merchandise useful to new businesses.

New this year, the business concept coming in second place will receive $3,000 and third place will receive $2,000 from the Mandan Growth Fund. The competition overview, prize list and application are available at cityofmandan.com/businesspitch.

The Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC and City of Mandan Business Development & Communications Department are coordinating and hosting the challenge to assist prospective and start-up businesses in fine-tuning ideas and plans to secure investment, financing and other support needed to advance businesses from concept to launch, from early stage to success and profitability. The North Dakota Small Business Development Center is also helping with the challenge.

Organizers hope to help inspire and support a culture of entrepreneurism

The City of Mandan Engineering Department is offering residents another opportunity to submit requests for repairs to their sidewalk or driveway aprons via the annual municipal concrete contract. The work will be done by the City’s contractor and the cost can be assessed to the parcel over a five-year assessment period.

If you are interested in having the City of Mandan’s sidewalk contractor do your concrete work in the street right-of-way, please fill out the form at cityofmandan.com/sidewalkproject by Aug. 1, 2025. These will be additional requests to those sought in 2025 for the bid, and will be awarded on a first come, first served basis. The repairs will be completed yet this year.

Please contact the Engineering Department at 701-667-3225 or email engineering@cityofmandan.com with questions. 

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