News
Bottineau’s aldermen hold July meeting
Scott Wagar
07/15/2014
The Bottineau City Council held its July meeting on the seventh of this month and discussed issues on development, rezoning and appointed a new councilman.
Deanna DeFoe, Bottineau’s EDC director, requested a grant for $2,500 per year for three years for a small business development center in Bottineau, which the council unanimously approved.
DeFoe also discussed the newly open day care center located at Dakota College at Bottineau and being operated by Lindsey Guss as the Building Blocks Day Care Center. DeFoe said that 31 children are currently in the day care for the summer with the number increasing to 43 kids. She added that the day care center can accommodate 65 children.
DeFoe stated that she is also focusing on acquiring day care for low income families through grants she is working on.
Matt Johnson of Wold Engineering discussed a number of development projects with the aldermen, which included the following and what is taking place with the projects:
● The 2013 Sewer Expansion Project – The project has been completed and the final billing has been submitted for payment in August
● The Water Line Loop Phase II – The project will begin in August
● The West Sewer Life Upgrade Project – The project will begin when the materials arrive, which is expected to be in August
● The Water Line Loop Project Phase III and Lagoon Expansion Project – Energy Impact grants were award at $200,000 for each project
● The Preserve Development’s Paving Project – Roger Riley, developer of the Preserve on the west end of town, has been informed that until he has cleaned up several issues concerning the Preserve, the city will not allow him to pave his development, or move forward to the next phase of his development
From city developments, the council members held Gene and Clyde Kersten’s protest hearing to rezone their new addition on the east end of Bottineau, Kersten 11th Addition. No protests were filed against the new development and the council approved the rezoning request.
Bids were open during the meeting for the construction of a storage building to place the city’s caterpillar. The bids were as follows:
● Merle Allard - $6,543
● Sawmill Lumber - $7,454.53
● Krings Construction - $8,970
The aldermen granted Allard the contract being the lowest bidder.
The contract to clean and inspect the above ground water tank north of Bottineau (the blue tank) has expired, but the city signed a contract with MaGuire Iron to conduct the cleanings and inspections of the tank at a cost of $3,850 each time they care for the water tank. The contract is for 12 years with the tank being serviced every three years. MaGuire Iron held the prior contract to service the water tank.
The council has decided to raise water rates in Bottineau, which will go into effect after the final paper work is completed between the city of Bottineau and All Seasons Water Users Service’s Territory Contract.
“The new rate will be zero to 1,000 gallons with a minimum charge of $15.05. After the minimum it will be .47 cents per 100 gallons of water or $4.70 per thousand gallons used,” said Penny Nostdahl, city auditor of Bottineau.
“There will be some areas on the east side of town that will be affected by the All Seasons Territory Contract. These areas will have an additional fee for water over and above the city’s fee. There will be an additional $1.89 per thousand gallons of water or $3.78 per thousand gallons used depending on the location. Some of these areas are yet to be developed and some not,” she continued.
“The entities affected by the All Season’s Territory Contract will be notified,” Nostdahl added. “Then once a year, the city will have to submit these additional fees collected to All Season’s.”
The final order of business was to appoint Launee Hamnes as a city council member to finish out Fred Kainz’s term which still has two years remaining in the term.
As for a four year term council seat that was left open after the last city election, the city continues its search for an individual to fill that position.