Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
The airport will likely see some action this summer, but it doesn’t involve construction of a new hangar. The NRABC requested permission from the City Commission Monday to use the airport for drag racing the weekend of July 31 - Aug. 1, 2021. The group that approached the local organization also coordinates an annual event in Jamestown and Minot.
Jamestown’s event was estimated to have boosted the city’s economy by $300,000 in past years, according to President Stu Richter, who also serves on the NRABC’s board of directors.
“It’s gonna be something that draws people to town.” Richter noted. He explained that the NRABC would cover the $2,500 administration fee, and in turn would receive all the proceeds from admission, if the proposal were accepted.
“I’d be concerned about liability,” replied Commissioner Jim Belquist. Richter responded that the NRABC would also purchase an appropriate liability insurance policy for the event. Jamestown reportedly brings in $10-$15,000 per year more than they spend in administration, advertising and insurance.
Harvey held drag races at their airport several years ago, per Commissioner Ryan Hager. “It brought a lot of racers and a lot of fans over two days,” he recalled. The commissioners unanimously approved the use.
A proposal from the Airport Authority, on the other hand, was a bit more controversial. Prior to the discussion about drag racing, commissioners rejected a contract from Interstate Engineering to provide technical assistance for the construction of a new 4-plane hangar at the airport.
The $80,000 price tag had city leaders on edge. Commissioner Kelly McKnight said she still hadn’t gotten an answer to her question about how much the airport is actually used by city residents who pay taxes.
“There’s nothing there, so not at all at this time,” Richter replied. He was referring to the fact that there has not been a structure at the airport since the July 8, 2018 severe storm destroyed the hangar. The commission approved the construction of a new hangar last fall, then learned that they must hire an engineer to oversee the project, as the cost was above the $250,000 threshold.
The Airport Authority would seek grant funds from the N.D. Aeronautics Commission to cover some of the cost of the engineering work, Richter said, a max of $47,000. Therefore, at minimum the city’s financial exposure for the contract would be $33,000.
Richter sought to convince other commissioners that the airport had a future that was worth building. “We’ve got some good things rolling,” he said. Officials at Camp Grafton South have expressed willingness to help with dirt work at the construction site, and spray pilots will use the airport if the infrastructure is there, he surmised.
The motion failed in a roll call vote, with Ystaas, Hager and McKnight all dissenting.
City Attorney Travis Peterson presented a draft fireworks ordinance for review and comment by the commission. Peterson explained that he had drafted the ordinance in a manner that is consistent with state law as it stands, yet tailored for local use.
He sought to clarify several items in the existing ordinance and outlined potential language that would allow the sale and discharge of fireworks at year’s end, upon request from local citizen and fireworks retailer Joe Lies. To that effect, the proposed ordinance does include provisions for both the sale and discharge or use of fireworks from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, in addition to the June 27 to July 5 time frame during which fireworks sales have been allowed in the past.
About 90 people responded to an informal poll conducted by the Transcript last month, and 80% of respondents said they were in favor of allowing the sale and use of fireworks at year’s end. Those who disagreed cited a few different concerns, including late-night discharge by some that interrupts the sleep of others and the impact fireworks have on anxious or scared pets.
Discussion was held on proposed language to require retailers to obtain a city permit before selling fireworks. “I think a city permit is the way to go,” Auditor George Ritzke offered. He added that it would be helpful for city officials to know who is selling fireworks in the city and said the application should require any person applying for a city permit to present a state permit.
The revised ordinance also prescribes penalties for violators. Anyone violating the ordinance could be issued an infraction, carrying a maximum $1,000 fine. Any violator would have the right to appear in court to appeal an infraction, Peterson added. The proposed language in 4.06.08 also gives law enforcement and other officials the authority to seize fireworks from violators.
A copy of the proposed ordinance is posted on our website as a courtesy to readers. Action on the revisions was tabled until the February meeting, to give commissioners time to review the document.
Personnel matters were on the table that evening as well. Most notably the part-time maintenance position at the Brown Memorial has been eliminated, effective March 1. Ystaas and Belquist, the commissioners tasked with evaluating personnel and recommending wages for 2021, made the recommendation based on usage of the downtown auditorium. After a similar discussion during last year’s personnel evaluations, Commissioner Kelly McKnight said she conducted a time study of hours the current staff member put in at the auditorium. She concluded that other public works staff could absorb the duties of the position, resulting in a cost savings of $18,000 per year for the city. Ystaas and Belquist agreed that with usage down and estimated to decrease further, the prudent action was to eliminate the position. Public Works Superintendent Bruce Hirchert will prepare a daily, weekly, biweekly and monthly duty schedule patterned after the one he created for the water plant, to ensure that the facility is managed and maintained.
Also per the proposal, all the full-time employees received a 2.5% or 3% raise based on performance, and the librarian’s rate was increased to $15 per hour. In addition, Hirchert was recognized with a $2,000 bonus for his work on the water infrastructure and Hwy. 281 projects over the past year.
Upon a request from Hirchert, the commission approved a $6,000 proposal from Electric Pump of Fargo to update the main lift station’s controller from a float to a transducer probe. The backup will remain a float.Per Hirchert, floats must be replaced every year or two, while the lifespan of a probe is 9 to 12 years. Even though the cost of the upgrade was not budgeted, the commission agreed that the potential for long-term cost savings outweighed the short-term impact to the budget. The upgrade will be completed in April or May, Hirchert said.
With costs to maintain the landfill increasing, and limited space for disposal, Hirchert presented a proposal to raise fees for accepting loads of waste at the landfill. Rates were last adjusted in 2015, according to Ritzke. No action was taken. Commissioners asked that Ritzke share some data he collected about rates in neighboring communities for them to review before making a decision.
Other than a list of 12 minor items that need to be addressed, the water main replacement project is complete. Wade Senger of Interstate Engineering presented a change order that actually resulted in a $118,007 cost savings on the overall project, effectively reducing the final sticker price to $5,443,993.
Senger said they will hold back $25,000 in retainage to ensure that the items are addressed by BEK Consulting, which includes asphalt patches in a few areas, filling in trenches where excess settlement occurred, and replacement of damaged signage.
The next regular meeting is set for Monday, March 1 at 7 p.m.
