The Jamestown Sun
The Stutsman County Commission met in executive session Tuesday and agreed to settle civil litigation in a case involving damage to a county road.
The session was closed to the public.
The commission authorized the state's attorney to make a proposal to settle for $9,500 in the case of Stutsman County vs. Donald Hofmann and Brent Kleven, said Noel Johnson, county chief operating officer.
The county is alleging that Hofmann, Kleven or both are responsible for damages caused by agricultural equipment along Highway 30 north of Medina, said State Attorney Fritz Fremgen. The damages to the road occurred around June 2005 and were valued at $12,683.25, according to the complaint filed in Southeast District Court.
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Fremgen said he did not know when he would receive a response from the defense.
In other business, Warren Tobin, veterans service officer for Stutsman County, reported on a conference about veterans benefits. Stutsman County had 1,770 veterans as of September 2006 who received $5,817,000 in benefits that included compensation, pension, medical care, education and vocational rehabilitation.
The commission also opened bids for a remodeling project to restrooms in the basement of the Stutsman County Memorial Building. The restrooms are being remodeled so they meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Johnson said.
"We have people using the restrooms there that need those facilities," he said.
The Stutsman County Memorial Building, built in 1954, is home to the Vets Club.
The lowest bid for the project was $95,000, Johnson said, although the commission won't make a decision until its Aug. 7 meeting. A Community Development Block Grant will pay for $80,000 and the Vets Club will pay $20,000. Architect and asbestos removal costs will be paid for by Stutsman County and those costs are expected to amount to about $10,000, Johnson said.
This project includes changing the layout of the room, tearing out the walls and floors and new plumbing, lighting and exhaust fans, said Jim Fettig, maintenance engineer for the county.
An elevator was installed about three years ago and heating and cooling components were updated last year, Fettig said. These renovations finalize bringing the building to code, he said.
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Construction is expected to begin by September and be completed Nov. 1. Restrooms on the first level will be open during construction.
