Business Brief - Dec. 1, 2022

Prizes Offered for Winter Decorating & Snow Shoveling

Shoveling sidewalks outside merchant doorways and looking festive for the holidays is good for business. In Mandan, businesses have a chance to win prizes. Winners in each category will receive traveling awards along with $500 cash prizes. Runners-up will receive $250 cash prizes.

The City of Mandan is paying forward to the business community a prize from its Main Street Initiative award for overall excellence. The North Dakota Department of Commerce is providing $1,500 for a small project to increase community vibrancy during the winter season.

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Snow Removal Reminders

Property owners must clear sidewalks on or along lots or parcels of land of snow and ice within 24 hours after accumulation (not during a snow storm).
Where sidewalks run to alleys or other public ways, owners are responsible to clear snow and ice half the distance across the alley or public way, or to street’s gutter line. Please help keep corner sidewalks, ramps and curb extensions walkable, too.
For properties in the downtown core with buildings constructed lot line to lot line, snow from sidewalks may be placed in the adjacent parking lane for the City to haul out, generally 1-2 days after a snowfall of 4 inches or more.
Failure keep walkways free of snow and ice can result in the City hiring a contractor for the job and billing the cost to the property owner. The minimum fee is $50 per occurrence plus the cost of services ($15 plus an additional $1 per foot beyond distances of 50 feet).
Concerns may be submitted online or by calling the City of Mandan code enforcement officer, 701-667-3250.

For details, see municipal code chapter 16-2-1.

Update on Memorial Highway Reconstruction

The Memorial Highway reconstruction project is in the final design phase with a shift in the project schedule. An off-highway improvement, namely construction of storm sewer piping, was anticipated to occur in 2022. The City of Mandan, North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) and consultant firm HDR Engineering, Inc. are working on stormwater drainage challenges. The start of construction has been pushed back to address these challenges.

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Business Reps Needed

on Parking & Architectural Review Boards

Volunteers are still needed to fill positions and seats on the Mandan Parking Authority, responsible for guidance regarding on-street parking and city-owned lots in the downtown area, and the Mandan Architectural Review Commission, which looks at site and exterior building plans for commercial new construction, remodels and additions.

Apply Online

INCENTIVE FOCUS

Interest Buydown Most Common Form of Assistance

Rising interest rates make the Bank of North Dakota's interest buydown programs more important than ever to new and expanding businesses seeking a commercial loan for the construction or remodel of a building, leasehold improvements and equipment.

With a participatory lending arrangement in which the lead lender asks BND to provide half the loan amount, the state-owned bank provides funding to reduce interest costs by up to 5% to a rate as low as 1%. The buydown must be matched by the community at a 35% participation level.

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2023 Community Calendar Coming Soon

Thank you to the many businesses supporting the Morton Mandan community calendar with sponsorships and advertising. It will soon be mailed to nearly 16,500 households and businesses throughout the county. Meanwhile, you can find a PDF version at this link.

Jan. 26 Deadline to Enter Pitch Challenge

Mandan’s 5th Annual Business Pitch Challenge is for prospective and start-up businesses to assist them in fine-tuning their ideas toward securing investment and financing to advance from concept to launch, from early stage to profitability. The goal is to inspire and support a local culture of entrepreneurism. The deadline to enter is Jan. 26, 2023. Four finalists will present their business plans to a panel of judges on March 23. The event will be held at the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, 3201 Nygren Dr NW. The program begins at 5:30 p.m. and is open to the public. Spectators will have an opportunity to vote for the People's Choice Award. Sign up to attend at this link .

Contest Prizes & Overview