Minot council approves six-month lease and two emergency animal‑service contracts to expand pound capacity

The Minot City Council on Feb. 20 approved a six‑month lease with Ward County and two emergency service agreements intended to increase the city’s capacity to house stray and sheltered animals while officials prepare a longer-term procurement process.

The council voted to accept a county-owned facility on a zero-dollar lease that runs through Aug. 31, with the city responsible for restoring the building to its prior condition at the end of the term. Police leadership told the council the city expects some initial facility work — including re‑epoxying floors — and modest equipment and security costs. “The agreement is for 6 months… It’ll end Aug. 31,” the Police Chief said, adding the city expects a roughly $5,000 cost for floor restoration and about $1,100 for security cameras.

Alongside the lease, council members approved two separate service contracts. One agreement covers cat care with a private provider described in the meeting as Hairball/Hairball Haven; staff said that vendor would house up to 15 cats at a time (rotating to a maximum of 35) and that per‑animal and administrative fees vary with volume. City staff provided an example calculation that a slow month of 15 cats would generate an invoice of about $4,498.50.

The second contract funds staffing and day‑to‑day operations with a nonprofit organization identified in the transcript as the Bridal Empowerment League. Under that agreement the city will pay an upfront monthly staffing fee of $13,083.33 and a separate flat per‑day dog fee of $49.95 (assessed at month end); the contract also includes a $2 per‑day fee for small/pocket animals. The Police Chief said the nonprofit and other community partners will handle daily care and that transfers of animals and administrative business will be staged at the police department rather than allowing public access to the leased building. “There will be no public access to that building… All transfers of animals, admin … will take place at the police department for safety,” the Police Chief said.

Council members requested details on total costs and capacity. Finance Director Lakefield said the city paid $176,673.75 in 2025 under the prior contract and cautioned that the emergency arrangements are likely to be more expensive in the near term because veterinary, re‑homing and existing staff costs are not fully included in the new contracts’ baseline. Several aldermen noted the combined short‑term monthly cost across the two new agreements could reach roughly $20,000 depending on utilization.

Council discussion also focused on contingency planning if demand exceeds the temporary capacity. The Ward County agreement limits the county building to 12 dog kennels; city staff said partners, foster networks and rotation plans would be used to prevent sustained overcrowding. Aldermen pressed staff on whether the city would effectively become a permanent pound operator; the Police Chief and others repeatedly described the plan as a six‑month stabilizing step while the city issues a competitive RFP to identify a sustainable, long‑term vendor and business case.

Votes at a glance: the council approved the six‑month Ward County lease (motion carried on roll call), approved the cat services agreement, and approved the staffing/services agreement with the Bridal Empowerment League. Roll‑call votes were recorded as affirmative across the council for each motion.

Next steps: staff will implement the temporary arrangements, finalize veterinary contracting as needed, and proceed with a formal RFP and competition for a long‑term animal‑control services contract. The temporary county lease and emergency service contracts are intended to remain in place through the planned RFP process ending this summer, with the lease expiring Aug. 31 unless the council takes further action.