State Agencies Holding Infrastructure Development Meetings

| 1/20/2012

Several state agencies will be meeting with county and city officials next week to discuss infrastructure plans for western North Dakota. Governor Jack Dalrymple directed state agencies to begin a series of working meetings with the goal of creating a greater understanding of the region`s oil impacts, coordinating local and state responses and to provide updates on state efforts to help meet the region`s needs.

Local officials and representatives from the North Dakota Department of Commerce, Housing and Finance Agency, Department of Transportation, Department of Trust Lands, State Water Commission, State Health Department, Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute and Highway Patrol will participate in the working sessions.

The public is welcome to attend and will have an opportunity to meet with public officials at the conclusion of the working meetings.

Commerce Commissioner Al Anderson said northwestern North Dakota`s oil-producing counties are experiencing challenges in infrastructure relating to the significant growth in jobs, industry, population and wages in their communities. "The growth in western North Dakota`s oil and gas industry has created great benefits and opportunities for our state, but this growth brings its own challenges," he said. "The state has been and will continue to partner with local governments to assist in developing infrastructure development plans and to address other current and future challenges."

The meeting schedule is as follows:

January 23

New Town
4 Bears Casino & Lodge
8:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Watford City
Outlaws Bar & Grill
12:30 - 3:00 p.m.

Killdeer
Buckskin Bar & Grill
4:00 - 6:00 p.m. (MST)

January 24

Dickinson
Dickinson State University STROM Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
8:00 - 10:30 a.m. (MST)

New England
Memorial Hall
12:00 - 2:00 p.m. (MST)

Bowman
Bowman County Courthouse
4:00 - 6:00 p.m. (MST)

The state has appropriated $1.2 billion to rebuild and repair roads in oil country; to support the development of residential housing; to enhance emergency medical services and to address other oil impacts.

COMMENT ON THIS STORY

BACK TO NEWS | BACK TO REGIONAL STORIES