City committee follows commission’s lead on SCDRC

Talk about it

The Jamestown Finance and Legal Committee recommended following the Stutsman County Commission’s lead Tuesday concerning membership in the South Central Dakota Regional Council.

The local membership to the SCDRC belongs to Stutsman County although Jamestown pays 67 percent of the $32,000 annual dues. Whether to continue membership has been discussed by the Board of Directors of the Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp., the Stutsman County Commission and the Jamestown City Council.

The County Commission approved funding for membership for the first quarter of the 2013 fiscal year during its meeting Tuesday morning. This would include the months April, May and June, 2013.

“My thought is we follow suit,” said Ramone Gumke, chairman of the Finance and Legal Committee, during its meeting Tuesday afternoon. “We should approve funding for just the first quarter at that time.”

Councilman Charlie Kourajian said the city should take the lead in maintaining the membership.

“The county has been a member for years so they should know what SCDRC does,” he said. “We should show support for South Central (Dakota Regional Council).”

Mayor Katie Andersen said the city had to act on the same proposal as the county or the issue would go back to the county for them to review the city’s actions.

“You risk moving backwards if that happens,” she said.

Deb Kantrud, SCDRC executive director, gave the committee a rundown on the projects the council has helped fund in the past year including several in Stutsman County.

“I ask what the County Commission could do to fund water and sewer projects in Medina and Buchanan?” asked Dan Buchanan, committee member.

Gumke said the concern by the County Commission was whether SCDRC was giving enough benefits for its cost.

“The concerns were as the landscape is changing for grants, is this the best use of the funds?” he said.

The motion to fund the city share of the first quarter of the 2013 fiscal year passed on a 4-1 vote with Kourajian dissenting.

In other news, committee voted unanimously to recommend the City Council enter into a continuing resolution with Buffalo City Tourism Foundation to maintain its operations at least through the end of March while the contract between the city and BCTF is finalized.

A draft copy of the contract was presented to the committee members and BCTF at the meeting with several points within the agreement still under negotiation.

The committee also forwarded the nomination of Bill Kennedy to serve on the Library Board to the January City Council meeting. Andersen had appointed Kennedy to the position but left the meeting early and was not available to comment on his appointment.

Sun reporter Keith Norman can be reached at 701-952-8452 or by email at knorman@jamestownsun.com

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