In case you missed it in The Sun the week of May 15, 2023

The following stories from this week appeared on www.jamestownsun.com and in The Jamestown Sun.

The Jamestown City Council approved a resolution on Monday, May 15, affirming and extending an emergency declaration issued by the mayor related to a failed stormwater pipe near Applebee’s. The vote was unanimous (4-0); Councilman David Schloegel was not at the meeting.

Mayor Dwaine Heinrich said the emergency declaration that he issued on Monday would only last for seven days and the problem will take longer than that to resolve. The council’s action extends that time until the stormwater system is repaired and the risk to others abated, the resolution says.

Stormwater runoff and flooding resulted in the failure of a 96-inch stormwater pipe located south of 25th Street Southwest, east of 8th Avenue Southwest, the resolution says.

The sinkhole at the site is about 12 to 14 feet deep. Barricade safety fencing has been placed around it.

Jamestown has already surpassed the average monthly precipitation totals for May .

Jamestown has received almost 4 inches of rain this month as of Friday, May 19, according to precipitation measurements taken at the North Dakota State Hospital. The average monthly precipitation for May is 3.26 inches.

Stutsman County is currently extremely wet, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor map. The current conditions are wetter than 95% to 98% of past conditions.

After the additional rainfall last weekend, combined releases from Jamestown and Pipestem reservoirs were increased to 1,600 cubic feet per second by Wednesday, May 17.

By Wednesday, releases from Jamestown Reservoir were increased to 1,100 cfs.

Releases from Pipestem Reservoir were increased from 400 cfs to 500 cfs on Monday.

Drift Prairie Brewing Co. in Jamestown will be open to the general public on Monday, May 22.

The brewery will have capacity for 12 brews in the tap lines and expects to have at least three staple brews of its own, along with nonalcoholic root beer, and eight seasonal or other brews created in-house or from regional breweries. Wine from in-state wineries, mocktails (drinks with no alcohol) and pop will also be available.

Drift Prairie Brewing Co. will also serve food, including hot and cold sandwiches, lavash, charcuterie plates, Jonny B’s Frozen Pizza and other items.

Drift Prairie Brewing Co. is located at 121 3rd St. NW, in the former Jamestown Sun building, which was purchased in August 2022. Jamestown Sun offices continue to be located on the west side of the building.

The brewery has a seating capacity of 170 inside the building and 50 on the designated patio behind the building. The brewery has 8,000 square feet of space; the outside seating space is 3,000 square feet.

The Stutsman County Commission unanimously approved on Tuesday, May 16, reviewing the amended joint powers agreement for the use of the law enforcement center between the county and the city of Jamestown.

Commissioner Jerry Bergquist said the joint powers agreement for the use of the Stutsman County Law Enforcement Center was signed Jan. 4, 2005, and hasn’t been reviewed since.

Bergquist said the agreement needs to be rewritten rather than revised. He said many things in the agreement are not being followed and the joint powers agreement needs to be current.

Jessica Alonge, Stutsman County auditor/chief operating officer, said many side agreements via email or other communications related to fees have been made.

“We know there are financial pieces that the way the (joint powers agreement) is written is not how we are operating right now,” she said.

City workers picked up 166 tons of material during the citywide residential curbside cleanup week May 8-12 and the sanitation department saw an increase in residents hauling items to the baler and landfill as well, according to Shawn O’Neill, sanitation foreman.

O’Neill said the city collected 42.3 tons of construction and demolition debris in the southeast section, 44.5 tons in the southwest, 26.4 tons in the northwest and 52.8 tons in the northeast.

The city collected 213 tons of material in 2022, he said.

With extended hours only during cleanup week, 40 vehicles dropped off materials after 3:30 p.m. at the city baler and landfill. O’Neill said a total of around 15 vehicles dropped off materials last year after 3:30 p.m.