News

City Council holds November meeting

By Scott Wagar

11/13/2012

The Bottineau City Council met on Nov. 5 and looked at a number of items, which included the police contract, the EDC Gateway Committee and the resignation of an alderman due to health issues.

In the 2013 police contract between the city and county, the councilmen passed the contract with the city agreeing to pay $256,250 for their share the city-county contract. The county signed the contract agreeing to pay $623,914, for a total between the two entities of $880,164.

Within the county’s agreement of the police contract, it agreed to increase the entire sheriff’s department (sheriff, deputies, dispatchers, etc…) salaries by 17 percent compared to the 2012 contract. The county’s increase comes in hopes of retaining the members of its police force.

With the police contract signed, the city turned its attention to the EDC Gateway Fund Committee. Alderman Tim Sanderson made the recommendation that the committee either be abolished or change the members of the committee and change how they do their business when it comes to the Gateway Fund. Sanderson added that the city established this committee for the EDC and that it had the legal right to do what they wish with the committee.

The current manner that is set-up for Gateway request is that the EDC board first looks at any request. If approved it goes to the EDC Gateway Committee. If passed by the EDC Gateway committee it goes to the city council for approval.

Certain councilmen feel that the EDC Gateway committee is just an unnecessary middle man considering the EDC board approved the Gateway request firsthand.

Sanderson added that the current committee members (made up of Troy Marsden, Brent Moum, Tony Johnson, Matt Johnson, Rick Gustafson and two empty seats) are too intertwined in the work of the city to be voting on the requests due to their leadership positions in the community.

Sanderson also stated, along with a number of other councilmen, that the manner this committee uses in the Gateway form they fill out to request a loan or grant or how they prepare an informational package about each project that comes to the council’s table should be done in a more professional method. Councilman Harley Getzlaff added that when requests come to the aldermen’s table they know very little about each project they are voting on because little information is placed before them prior to the council meeting.

Council member Troy Marsden stated that they are having the same difficulty when request for funding comes to them. Sanderson replied back that this wasn’t the city’s fault and should the EDC Gateway Committee take care of this matter before bringing it to the city council. Marsden voiced back that it shouldn’t be up to their committee to be responsible for this matter, but that EDC director Diane Olson should be responsible for creating a better informational package for all parties involved.

With that, Alderman Roger Nelson made the motion to abolish the EDC Gateway Committee, which was seconded by Sanderson. On a roll call Jeff Hall, Nelson, Sanderson, Jeff Kainz and Steve Brandt voted to disband the group, while Marsden and Getzlaff voted no along with Greg Bernstein who stated that he was voting against it because he felt there should be more time to study and discuss the motion before voting on it.

With the EDC Gateway Committee disbanded, Kainz stated that he had met with Roland Township board about sharing a building inspector with the city, which he stated the township was interested in. Further discussion will take place.

The city also spoke about an issue from the Health Committee. Sanderson stated that he has received a number of calls about what is being done about the bowling alley which was burned due to arson. He added that a house (owned by Ross Olson) was moved unto bowling alley property, which he has also received a number of complaints about.

Concerning the bowling alley it was decided to write its owner, Tom Kessler, a letter requesting his intention with the building. Marsden brought out that he had spoken with Kessler about the issue, which he was informed that Kessler was waiting on the insurance company, which should be settled in a short matter of time. However, the council decided to go forward with the letter to learn as much as they can about his future purpose with the building.

As for Olson’s building on Kessler’s property, the city learned that Olson asked to place the structure there for one week while he waited for the new owners to prepare the site where the building will be moved to. But, at least two weeks have passed without the structure being moved. The city made the decision to send Olson a letter stating that he has until Dec. 1 to have the edifice removed from the property.

At the end of the council meeting, Nelson stated that his health has been failing due to an undiagnosed issues with his right leg, which was causing a great deal of difficulty for him. He added that he had been to a variety of physicians but to date they have been unable to discover what is ailing his leg. With his health issues, and making attempts to find out what is causing his health to decline, he said that he would not be able to continue as a city council member and that he regrettably had to resign his position on the council. The council accepted Nelson’s resignation and declared a vacancy on the council.