On Thursday, the City of Bismarck experienced a widespread email outage that left many municipal offices unable to send or receive messages. The disruption affected a range of departments, from public works to the mayor’s office, and left residents waiting for replies to inquiries and service requests.
City officials explain the issue
Assistant City Administrator Doug Wiles addressed the problem in a brief statement. “Today we’ve been receiving most of our emails, but we do anticipate that some of our employees will have quite a bit of work to do to catch up and be timely with our responses,” Wiles said. He added that the city’s IT team has been working around the clock to restore full functionality.
Impact on residents and businesses
During the outage, citizens who relied on email for permits, service requests, or general questions reported delayed answers. Local businesses that depend on timely communication with city departments also felt the effects, especially those awaiting approvals for construction or licensing.
While the outage was limited to electronic messaging, phone lines and in‑person services remained operational. City staff encouraged anyone who had not received a response to call the appropriate office directly.
Restoration timeline
The city’s IT department reports that the majority of email traffic has resumed. However, they caution that some back‑log may persist as staff work through the missed messages. The expectation is that normal operations will be fully restored by Monday, giving employees the weekend to clear any remaining backlog.
What residents can do now
For those still awaiting a reply, the City of Bismarck recommends calling the relevant department. Phone numbers are listed on the city’s official website, and staff are prepared to handle urgent matters over the phone while they finish processing the delayed emails.
City officials also reminded residents that many services, such as trash collection schedules, water billing, and permit applications, can be accessed through the city’s online portal, which was not affected by the email issue.
Looking ahead
The outage serves as a reminder of the importance of robust digital infrastructure for municipal operations. While the city has not announced any specific upgrades, officials indicated that they will review the incident to identify ways to prevent similar disruptions in the future.
In the meantime, Bismarck’s city staff remain committed to providing prompt service and encourage anyone with unanswered questions to reach out by phone.
Original reporting: KFYR-TV Bismarck (news) — read the source article.
