Minot 'man camp' to be moved after complaints

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MINOT, N.D. (AP) — A large campsite for temporary laborers working for a national flood cleanup company will be moved from its current location in Minot due to problems with area residents.

The “man camp,” as some people refer to it, houses workers from ServPro, a Gallatin, Tenn., company working in the Souris River Valley performing restoration and cleanup services, The Minot Daily News reported Thursday.

Minot City Alderman Chuck Barney said the camp was established about 10 days ago in a residential area just north of Fourth Avenue and 27th Street Northwest, east of the U.S. Highway 83 Bypass, and houses at least 150 workers.

“It's just massive,” Barney said.

Airhorns are used to wake the workers in the morning, which aggravates the neighbors, and one person out for a morning walk reported a man urinating in plain sight.

“There have been some complaints in that area about the camp that's there,” said Minot Police Chief Jeff Balentine.

Some city and county officials says they worry about a criminal element among some of the workers because the site is close to the Bel Air Elementary playground.

The property is owned by Mark Mattson, who said Wednesday he provided the land free of charge in an attempt to help the community.

Mattson said he prefers to refer to the property as a “command center,” which is what he was informed was being placed on that site, and has no desire to make trouble for anyone.

“I just want everybody to be able to work together,” he said. “This is supposed to help the community.”

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