County looks at buying home

The Stutsman County Commission considered Tuesday the purchase of a property near the county courthouse.

“As we sit now, the courthouse is landlocked,” pointed out Tracey Trapp, Law Enforcement Center administrator. “(There’s) no room for expansion of any kind.”

Purchasing the property located just south of the Stutsman County Courthouse’s east parking lot at 606 Third Ave. SE would square off the property the county already owns. The house is currently advertised as for sale, Trapp said.

The house would likely be removed from the land, possibly using inmate labor, but its garage might be usable for storage.

Alternately, the property could be used in the future for parking, offices, garages or even a minimum-security facility.

Commissioners opted to seek more information about the property — and how its purchase would be funded — before making a decision about whether to purchase it.

In other news Tuesday, the commission:

* accepted a bid of $138,540 for the replacement of the LEC’s roof from A&R Roofing. Initial bids for the project came back too high, so cost reductions were made by leaving existing elements in place, removing high-density fiberboard over tapered insulation, eliminating concrete pavers and replacing them with less-expensive versions and eliminating the payment and performance bond.

* received a wage and benefit proposal from the Stutsman County Wage and Benefit Committee. The group requested the county continue to absorb increases in health care premiums and retirement fund contributions, continue to grant step increases based on satisfactory performance and grant a 2 percent cost of living adjustment to reflect the increased costs of daily living.

* approved $13,000 in funding for a new drain in the Four Corners area, near Kensal. The drain will be gated so flow can be adjusted, and it will send water into the James River — hopefully preventing the county from having to spend $1 million to raise road grades, said Dave Schwartz, commissioner.

* approved a Flex PACE Interest buy-down of approximately $17,000 for the Super 8 Motel in Jamestown. The money is used to reduce interest rates on business loans, and funds are repaid to the city at the end of the term of the loan.

* received an update on the flooding situation from Jerry Bergquist, Stutsman County emergency manager.

Bergquist reported the Jamestown Reservoir had decreased to 1,448.1 feet and the Pipestem Reservoir to 1485.2 feet — leaving at least 18.1 feet to go down at the Jamestown and 42.7 feet at the Pipestem.

* approved paying county highway bills for road raising and rip-rap and for the Gavilon grain road.

* discussed a possible purchase of a dump truck and a shower and bathroom facility at Pelican Point while convening as the Stutsman County Park Board.

* elected Mark Klose as chairman of the Joint Logan/Stutsman County Commission.

Sun reporter Kari Lucin can be reached at 701-952-8453 or by email at klucin@ jamestownsun.com

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