GF Department heads and sewage improvements planned

A plan to move all department heads from classified to contract status got the boot from the Grand Forks City Council last night (Monday).

The council voted 4-3 against the plan floated by Mayor Brandon Bochenski. Supporters say it would give the city more flexibility in hiring and make positions more accountable.

Critics say being a classified employee offers some protections and helps to eliminate the pressure of politics. Mayor Brandon Bochenski  responded by saying by saying “people need to keep in mind those are elected officials and they are who the people are choosing to make those decisions.”

In other council news….members received a report on the city’s wastewater system and the potential for $45 million dollars in improvements between now and 2027. Aging infrastructure and increased capacity needs are prompting the upgrades.
The city is readying a facility plan to be submitted to the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality for review. The goal is to attract state and federal dollars to help pay for the project.