The Jamestown City Council on Monday voted 4-1 to indefinitely table a request for $500 to help fund shipping the Bohl Ironworks creation, "Freedom Lies Within" to President George Bush.
Councilman Ken Schulz requested the item, which had been recommended for approval 3-2 in the Finance and Legal Committee, be taken out of the city's consent agenda for separate consideration. The consent agenda contains items agreed upon by the committee.
Schulz and Councilman John Grabinger voted against spending the money in committee on Sept. 28. Grabinger said he was opposed to spending the money because the gift was going to the president and because an ordinance recently passed by the council didn't permit contributing money to ship it.
Councilman Dwaine Heinrich said after Monday's council meeting that part of that same ordinance referring to the general welfare of the city could be interpreted to include promoting the city through the wording on the plaque.
A plaque is attached to the artwork listing those who contributed $1,000 or more toward shipping. The Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce agreed to contribute $500 toward the last $1,000 needed, and suggested the City Council be contacted for the other half, with the inscription on the plaque to read, "From the people of Jamestown," for their combined donation.
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When Mayor Charlie Kourajian brought up the issue, Heinrich moved to table the issue indefinitely, seconded by Councilwoman Pam Phillips. Only Grabinger voted against tabling it.
"It isn't Bohl Ironworks or the statue," Grabinger said in a later telephone interview. "We just passed an ordinance to prevent things like this."
Grabinger said he wouldn't have any problem if the request would have been made to promotion or tourism officials.
"This was a cop-out by the council tonight," Grabinger said. "This thing is wrong. We collect taxes to provide services to the community.
"We should have nipped this thing in the bud tonight."
Heinrich, who serves as president of the council, said in a later interview he wanted to take the politics out of the issue of donating the money.
"The reason I did it (tabled it) was, this was not so much about the money as it was the city buying into ... the sacrifice of our military," Heinrich said. "It was never intended to be something to be politicized. Since Councilman Grabinger decided to politicize something that should not be politicized, I tabled it to prevent embarrassment to the Bohl family and the community."
The sculpture was created last year by brothers Brad and Corey Bohl.
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"When a gift is presented to the city, it is given to the mayor," Heinrich said. "When a gift is presented to the state, it is given to the governor. When a gift is presented to a country, it is given to the president."
Heinrich added, "If the Chamber of Commerce is willing to go forward with this, I will pass the hat."
Acting city engineer Leslie Horgan was named city engineer by the City Council. Waide Kritsky, former city engineer, resigned earlier this year to take a similar position in Minot, where he began his career as an engineer.
Horgan has been with the city since May 2000, starting as assistant city engineer. He was recommended for the position by City Administrator Jeff Fuchs.
Horgan will receive a salary of $4,403 a month. The position of assistant city engineer will remain vacant and an engineering technician I position will be established Jan. 1.
Horgan attended the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, where he obtained both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree. He and his wife, Gina, have four children, Rebekah, Rachel, John and Katherine.
Errors in painted parking lanes on the newly reopened Third Street Southeast will have to be redone by the contractor, Border States Paving. Kourajian said there apparently was some miscommunication concerning no-parking areas and parallel versus diagonal parking.
City Council members also tabled a second reading of a zoning change for the Back Nine Second subdivision, near the Country Club property. The plat update hasn't been completed.
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In other business, the City Council unanimously approved:
- a policy to not allow tax exemptions for improvements to residential property.
- to reject bids from Brent Fuerstenberg and Wayne Schutt for a piece of property and to acquire the property from Stutsman County and put the property up for sale. The county owns the property on the river because on nonpayment of taxes.
- a request from the Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp. for $2,000 to do a survey on business retention and expansion. The city's share of $1,600 comes from the city sales tax fund.
- Coca-Cola as the exclusive soft drink vendor and soft drink advertiser at the Civic Center.
Sun staff reporter David Maack can be reached at (701) 252-3120 or by e-mail at js@jamestownsun.com
