We're happy the Minot City Council has begun to award grants to community projects with funds collected from portions of the city sales tax.
The council last week awarded about $3.5 million to a variety of projects. Grants were awarded to:
- Dakota Territory Air Museum ($500,000) to a building expansion, ramp and taxiway.
- Minot Recreation Commission ($287,440) to build a new outdoor ice skating rink at Perkett Elementary, replacing a flood-damaged rink at Longfellow Elementary.
- Minot Park District ($1.7 million) for flood recovery and restoration of parks, playgrounds, golf courses, pools and trails.
- Minot State University ($1 million) for a building at Herb Parker Stadium for concessions, restrooms, ticketing, media boxes, coaches suites, meeting and merchandise areas. Minot State also requested $1 million in each of the next three years, but the council made no promises regarding that request.
The sales tax money is being collected in part to use toward "community projects," and while the MSU request garnered some criticism, we believe all approved projects were worthy of receiving funding. But we're also glad the council did not fully commit to any longterm requests for funding.