The Minot City Council, at its meeting tonight, heard a series of recommendations from City Manager Harold Stewart regarding the future of the Minot Police Department and Central Dispatch.

The council unanimously approved the following recommendations from the city manager:

1. City Management and John Klug have mutually agreed that Klug will not return to the position of Police Chief for the Minot Police Department.

2. Recommend the City of Minot pursue hiring an external interim police chief who will serve for a period of 6 to 12 months. When ready, a nationwide search will be conducted for the permanent appointment of a new police chief.

3. The City of Minot will temporarily delegate the oversight responsibilities of Central Dispatch to a management team led by Fire Chief Kelli Kronschnabel, Assistant City Manager Tom Joyce, and a Minot Police Department representative(s). The team will review the findings and recommendations of the independent investigation as it pertained to Dispatch and provide recommendations to the City Manager on any necessary changes or restructuring at Central Dispatch. This will allow the city manager and the Police Department to focus on its needs, while also providing needed assistance to Dispatch.

Klug was a member of the Minot Police Department for nearly 30 years, serving as police chief since Feb. 1, 2020.

See the full story in Tuesday’s edition of The Minot Daily News.