The Mayor of Williston Howard Klug may be the busiest man in the Bakken right now.
“Just got done with a two-hour meeting with the National Guard Emergency Management and statewide radio, the days just keep going,” Mayor Klug said. “The day started with a county liaison meeting and unfortunately the Senior Center ‘s cook quit so I’m the back up cook so I had to do Meals On Wheels.”
This is exactly the type of day the Mayor of Williston is having these days. Safety meetings with the National Guard, logistics with the locals and stepping up with the spatula when workforce issues hit the Senior Center.
The population of the Williston micropolitan statistical area, which includes Williston and the surrounding Williams County, exploded in population during the “Bakken Boom”. Between the 2010 Census and the 2020 Census, there were 22,398 people in 2010 and 40,950 in 2020 – an increase of 83%.
Current construction projects are keeping many workers in the city busy, while the airport is still showing terrific flight trends. The Williston Basin International Airport (XWA) replaced the Sloulin Field International Airport (ISN) after serving Williston for nearly three-quarters of a century and demonstrated to the world it was unique and an airport of importance.
The Williston Basin International Airport is a greenfield facility that requires a significant amount of land for runways and terminals, something that is very difficult to come by in most urban areas, plus there needs to be support from surrounding communities that would be impacted by new flight patterns. Lots of red tape and kite strings for airports to consider.
St. George Regional Airport (SGU) in Utah was the last new facility in the U.S. when it opened in January 2011. Prior to that, the list is short: Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) on the Florida Panhandle opened in 2010, Branson (BBG) in Missouri opened in 2009, Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) opened in 1998, and Denver International Airport opened in 1995.
The interview also discusses the oil and gas industry and what companies are currently keeping busy as well as what is happening with several empty building around the area.
“We’ve added cells to our landfill paid for by oilfield waste and those kinds of things, so now we are good there for another 60-70 years,” Klug said. “Same thing with our Public Works Building, we consolidated everything downtown, I’m a big fan of keeping government together.”
Interviews are sponsored in part by TrainND Northwest – It’s a competitive world. Train for it.
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Award winning interviewer and broadcast journalist Jason Spiess and Content Correspondents engage with the industry’s best thinkers, writers, politicians, business leaders, scientists, entertainers, community leaders, cafe owners and other newsmakers in one-on-one interviews and round table discussions.
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Award winning interviewer and broadcast journalist Jason Spiess and Content Correspondents engage with the industry’s best thinkers, writers, politicians, business leaders, scientists, entertainers, community leaders, cafe owners and other newsmakers in one-on-one interviews and round table discussions.
The Crude Life has been broadcasting on radio stations since 2012 and posts all updates and interviews on The Crude Life Social Media Network.
Everyday your story is being told by someone. Who is telling your story? Who are you telling your story to?
#thecrudelife promotes a culture of inclusion and respect through interviews, content creation, live events and partnerships that educate, enrich, and empower people to create a positive social environment for all, regardless of age, race, religion, sexual orientation, or physical or intellectual ability.
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