News
Nelson appointed to the city council
Scott Wagar
08/14/2012
During the August 6 Bottineau City Council meeting Roger Nelson was appointed to the city council to fill Ben Aufforth’s council seat after he was elected mayor of Bottineau in June.
Mayor Aufforth made the appointment of Nelson to the council, which the aldermen voted unanimously to accept. Nelson has lived in Bottineau since 1974 and sat on the council once before 15 years ago for two and half years.
Nelson said that he accepted the position because he wants to assist the community through his past experiences.
“I enjoy the work,” said Nelson in a post council interview. “And, I can bring some knowledge to the position.”
Jim Dahle was also asked if he would accept the position of building inspector for the city, which Dahle agreed to.
In other city news, the council focused on city development.
The council first looked at getting the 2011 street paving project completed and asked Matt Johnson of Wold Engineering how the process was coming along. Johnson stated that he was still waiting for the concrete work and rip-rap by the storm sewers to be completed. Johnson also explained that he has been in discussion with those involved in getting the project finished. Until the work is completed, the city is holding $77,000 from the contractor.
After the street project discussion was completed, the council members turned its attention to the Preserve Addition and the utilities that will go into the development. Plans were presented for the Preserve’s lift station with a cost estimate of $133,820. The station will be installed by the city, but the fees will be accessed back to the lot owners of the development. It was decided by the council to advertise for bids concerning the lift station, which will be opened on August 29 and voted upon by the council in the September city council meeting. The council voted in favor of the advertising bid.
Alderman Greg Bernstein made a motion to install electrical wiring to provide power for a generator in case of an emergency, at a cost of $1,500, which the councilmen passed.
One issue that has not yet been settled is how to assess the hook-up fees associated with the lift station, which will be discussed by the utility and finance committees.
The next issue for the Preserve Addition came from the developer himself, Roger Riley, who requested that the city pay for the waterline which will run from the south end of Nelson Street to the start of the development. The waterline will run 230 feet at a cost of $6,670. Councilman Tim Sanderson made the motion to approve the project and cost and on a roll call Steve Brandt, Sanderson, Fred Kainz, Harley Getzlaff and Bernstein voted yes while Jeff Hall and Troy Marsden voted no, with the motion passing 5-2.
From the Preserve Addition, Al Wondrasek, representative for the Bottineau County Veterans Memorial Building, requested from the aldermen that the city share the cost with Bottineau County to place a culvert, with gravel, at its future site north of town. Wondrasek’s request was sent to the finance committee to discuss.
Next on the agenda for development was the protest hearing for the State Bank of Bottineau to rezone the property north of the bank’s edifice on the highway from an “R-1” to a “B-2” for future expansion of its business. With no protest filed, the council voted to approve the rezoning request.
In committee reports, the planning commission gave the recommendation to have a hearing to annex the land in between Pamida and the Airport Road so a Cobblestone Inn and Suites can be constructed in that area. The council approved the planning commission’s request.
After the aldermen annexed the property into city limits, the planning committee made the next request of taking the annexed property and rezoning it from an agricultural district to a “B-2.” The council also approved that request.
Wold Engineering has agreed to work on Cobblestone Hotels Inc. written developer agreement with the city, and will focus on such items as easements for future sewer expansion, frontage road, platting, lift or grinder station and waterlines.
The final discussion of the evening was the work being completed on the kiddy pool. Bernstein stated that the pool committee has seen some scheduling conflicts with the pool’s contractors and that the filtration system for the kiddy pool will not be completed before the pool closes this summer, which will shut-its door the end of August.
However, the ADA lift will be installed before the pool closes.
The next monthly meeting will be Sept. 3 at the Bottineau City Armory starting at 7 p.m.