Mandan Minute

Jan. 7, 2026

The Mandan Minute is an internal, quarterly newsletter for City of Mandan employees - including Police, Fire, Morton Mandan Public Library, Mandan Regional Airport, Water Treatment, Waste Water Treatment, Public Works, and City Hall employees. This newsletter is intended to keep all employees in the know with all things City of Mandan. The newsletter features news and announcements, employee achievements, information to help you get to know our City Commissioners, departments, and more!

Past issues of the newsletter are available under the "Employee Information & Forms" section of cityofmandan.com/hr.

Updated Vision and Dental Coverage for 2026

For employees enrolled in Vision or Dental during open enrollment, please review the reminders below.

Vision Coverage:

Effective Jan. 1, 2026, we have transitioned to MetLife VSP. VSP Choice does not issue physical ID cards. Your provider will verify coverage using your name and Social Security Number.

Find a Vision Provider:

www.metlife.com/vision

Select Find Vision Provider→VSP Choice→Search by location

Dental Coverage:

Dental benefits will transition to Equitable Dental, which partners with several national provider networks, including United Concordia Advantage Plus, Careington Maximum Care, Dentemax, HealthSmart, Maverest, Total Dental Administrators, PPO USA Connection Dental, and Dental Benefit Providers.

Dental ID cards were mailed on Dec. 8, 2025 and should arrive soon. Cards come in a white, unmarked envelope, so please watch your mail. Instructions on how to create an account online for your dental plan and details can be found at this link: Equitable Dental Registration

Find a Dental Provider:

www.equitable.com/finddentist

Important provider search tips:

Some in-network dentists may not appear directly in Equitable's search tool because they participate through partner networks such as United Concordia Advantage Plus.

Not all dentists are listed under a clinic name. Many appear individually by provider name.

When searching, try using the dentist's name or the clinic address rather than only the practice name.

It is always best to call your dental office directly to confirm in-network status.

If you have any questions after reviewing the provider list and speaking with your dentist, please reach out to HR!

Commission Makes Changes to Retirement Plan

On Tuesday, Sept. 16, the Mandan City Commission considered updates to the TruStage retirement plan to give employees more flexibility and options for saving. These additional options are now available to employees.

Summary of Changes:

New Roth Option: You are able to make Roth (post-tax) contributions, in addition to the traditional pre-tax option.
Eligibility Age: The minimum age to start participating was lowered.
Rollovers: You are able to roll over Roth accounts from other plans into the City's TruStage 457(b).
Transfers: You have the ability to move money from your traditional account into a Roth within the plan.

These changes are expected to positively impact plan participation, employee financial wellness, and overall retirement readiness.

Questions? Contact the HR Department at hr@cityofmandan.com or 701-667-3293.

Q4 Years of Service Recognition

At the Sept. 16 City Commission meeting, employees with 3, 5, and 25 years of employment in the fourth quarter of 2025 were recognized. Those being recognized were:

3 YEARS

Jarek Wigness, City Engineer

Justin Keller, Building and Grounds Maintenance

Sara Anderson, Records Technician (Police Dept.)

5 YEARS:

Jacob Valleroy, Detective (Police Dept.)

25 YEARS:

Jamie Rath, Assistant Superintendent (Water Treatment Plant)

Pictured bottom row L to R: Jarek Wigness, Sara Anderson, Mayor Froelich, Jamie Rath, & Amy Berger. Top row L to R Commissioners Ryan Heinsohn, Dennis Rohr, Craig Sjoberg, & Mike Braun.

Brad Glass Named Operator of the Year

The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality has named Brad Glass, City of Mandan Utility Superintendent, as its 2025 Operator of the Year.

This prestigious award recognized Glass's exceptional leadership and commitment to excellence in water and wastewater management. His selection was based on several key achievements:

Consistently thorough field and inspection reports

Strong compliance with state environmental regulations

Active participation in the North Dakota Operator Training & Certification Program

Ongoing involvement in professional organizations, including the ND Water and Pollution Control Conference (NDWPCC), American Public Works Association (APWA), North Dakota Water Environment Association (NWEA), and American Water Works Association (AWWA).

Glass leads the City's Utility Division within the Public Works Department, overseeing water and wastewater operations, maintenance, and system improvements.

The City of Mandan congratulates Brad and the entire Public Works Utility team on this well-deserved honor.

Sign Up for Hyper-Reach Emergency Alerts

Morton County has launched Hyper-Reach, a new emergency notification system designed to keep residents informed about severe weather, road closures, and other local emergencies.

Residents are encouraged to register to receive timely alerts and choose how they are notified, including text message, phone call, or email.

If you previously signed up for CodeRED, you will need to register again for Hyper-Reach.

For more information, visit mortonnd.gov/hyperreach.

Medallus Urgent Care & Walk-In Clinic is open!

Don't forget about Medallus Clinic, a medical walk-in urgent care and primary care clinic located at 2705 Sunset Dr, Mandan. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday-Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There's a $0 copay for NDPHIT Members to utilize this clinic!

Quite a few employees have used the clinic and shared that it is clean, has very short wait times, and they received exceptional care!

Click here for more info.

Safety & Wellness Committee Updates

View Safety & Wellness Committee safety topics and more at cityofmandan.com/swc, or click the links below to view the safety messages.

October - Fire Drill Checklist

November - Safe Lifting

December - Ice Safety

Halloween Fun at Nourishing Greatness

City Hall staff celebrated the Halloween season during the October Nourishing Greatness session with two pumpkin decorating contests—one for individual entries and one for team designs created during the event.

Individual Winner: Ashlee

Team Winners: Cassidy & Amy

The event showcased creative "Trick or Treat" food illusions and pumpkin designs and provided a fun opportunity to celebrate creativity, connection, and teamwork.

Mandan Elementary Schools Get Ready for the Snow!

In November, Mandan Elementary Schools partnered with the City to help prepare for the upcoming winter season by decorating snowplows with colorful, student-designed artwork. The painted plows added a touch of creativity and community pride to our streets as crews geared up for snow operations.

This idea was brought forward by Street Department Crew Chief Jim Belohlavek on a Thursday. On Monday, the plows were being painted. Big thanks to our Public Works Crew and the Mandan Public School District for allowing this to happen at the speed of light (not at the speed of the plow.)

Fire Department Staff Take on Self-Defense

On Dec. 6, the Mandan Fire Department traded the fire engine for the mats as Bismarck BJJ & MMA hosted a self-defense class. Staff practiced breaking free from holds, sharpening awareness, and even unlocking joints.

It was a fun, educational afternoon full of laughter, confidence-building, and real-world skills.

Employee Spotlight - Lindsay Gerhardt

Lindsay Gerhardt is the Manager at the Mandan Airport. Gerhardt initially began working as an assistant in September 2020, but due to the untimely passing of longtime Airport Manager Jim Lawler, she became Manager soon after beginning employment.

What do you do in your role? Accounting, billing, state and federal grant processing, construction planning and observation, equipment maintenance, grounds keeping, snow removal, building maintenance, and just generally keeping our 75+ tenants as happy as possible with their airport experience.

What do you love most about your job? I give occasional tours to kids (public school and homeschools) and young adults (Civil Air Patrol cadets) who want to learn more about being a pilot, mechanic, or possibly running an airport someday. So, I'd say seeing the fire of aviation light in a child's heart is the best part of the job because the younger generation is what will keep aviation alive.

What’s a hobby you have outside of work? I fly and I have chickens. My chickens are pets, not food.

What’s one item you can’t live without? My John Deere 644K payloader.

What’s your favorite restaurant/business in Mandan? We love the Old 10.

Department Spotlight - Airport

The Mandan Airport is Managed by Lindsay Gerhardt.

What are the main responsibilities of your department? I'd say the main responsibility is keeping the Airport safe and secure and ensuring a good experience here for the general public.

What is the structure of your department? It's just me out here.

What’s your favorite thing about your department? I enjoy having the freedom to prioritize what I need to do daily and the support I get from my board of directors.

How can your fellow co-workers help your department? 2026 will be the first year that I will have a helper out here and I'm looking forward to that individual taking some of my summer load of mowing and grounds keeping because in the summer, it never ends.

Any special talents in your department? I'm the world's okayest pilot!

Anything else you'd like your co-workers to know about your department? We have the most beautiful airport terminal ever, and we have the largest general aviation airport between Minneapolis and Seattle right here in Mandan. I would love to show any city employee around anytime they are curious about the Airport.

OCTOBER

David Glatt, Fire Fighter/EMT

McCain Kruger, Water Treatment Plant Operator I

Lynelle Boucher, Records Technician (Police Dept.)

NOVEMBER

Denise Sather, Circulation Desk Assistant (Library)

DECEMBER

Abigail Varner, Real Property Appraiser Technician (Assessing)

October

Dayne Anderson

Justin Shultz

Cassidy Buchholz

Matthew Graves

Brandon Hauck

Heather Krell

Sara Materi

David Raugust

Jordan Singer

Brittany Thomas

Kari Schmidt

Travis Tekippe

Gary Benz

December

Aaron Haverlock

Brandon Long

Jacob Valleroy

Mitchell Bitz

Erik Short

Parker Barnick

Jacob Jefferson

Herbert Mainey

Zachery Ranisate

Aric Riopelle

Elizabeth Saunders

Daniel Tripp

Steve Roe

Peter Finck

Stacy Moos

James Tomac

Lisa Schobinger

Jamie Rath

Wade Hofer

November

Jarek Wigness

Justin Keller

Karie Mischel

Jason Bier

Chris Miller

Brent Wilmeth

Cody Friesz

Milton Gietzen

Tim Meidinger

Brian Schmidt

Elizabeth Acheson

Kayla Schmidt

Larry Forderer

Thank you all for your service and dedication to the City of Mandan!

Commission Update

City Commission and staff have approved the preliminary 2026 budget. The next steps included a public hearing on the budget at the Sept. 16 meeting, with final consideration and approval at the Oct. 7 meeting. Other recent commission happenings include:

Road construction updates given at each meeting.
Approval of Flex Fund applications for future road/infrastructure projects.
Policy approvals.
Approval for request for proposals for future street reconstruction projects.
Adoption of the Waste Water Treatment Plant Master Plan.
Ordinance changes to match legislative changes that went into effect Aug. 1.
Retirement Plan changes.

Find Commission meeting information at cityofmandan.com/meetings or catch replays at freetv.org.

Download the New Mandan app!

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.

Purchase the Memorial Card Today!

In late May, the Mandan Progress Organization 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. As part of the program, the City of Mandan is contributing a 25% match that is automatically issued as a separate bonus card at no additional cost.

Share Your Stories!

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.