News

Council hold its April meeting

By Scott Wagar

04/09/2013

The Bottineau City Council held its’ April meeting and spoke about a number of issues concerning the city, which included Gateway funding to the EDC, tax exemptions, developments, the public swimming pool and updating the city map of Bottineau.

EDC

Mayor Ben Aufforth requested that the council members consider granting the EDC a direct deposit of its portion of the one percent city sales tax, instead of the city’s office receiving the tax money and funding it to the EDC.

The EDC receives 40 percent of one percent of the city’s sale tax, which Aufforth stated belongs solely to the EDC. He added that since the funding belongs to EDC, it should go directly to that office with their board members deciding how to use the money.

Penny Nostdahl, city auditor, stated that if the sale tax would go directly to the economic development office, perhaps the EDC office could also do its own payroll.

The council made the decision to study the two requests and it will be brought up for discussion in the May City Council meeting.

TAX EXEMPTIONS

The aldermen also voted on two tax exemption requests. The first exemption was for the Family Crisis Center (FCC), which was requested in March. However, Swain Benson, states attorney for the city of Bottineau, stated that he would have to study the request to see if the FCC would qualify for a tax exemption on its property.

After studying the issue, Benson stated that the FCC does qualify, which was then approved by the councilmen.

The second tax exemption request was from Mike Foster of MGD Rentals for a new piece of property MGD Rentals are placing a structure on. The council approved to hold a protest hearing on May 6 at 7 p.m. in the city’s office.

DEVELOPMENTS   

In developments, Al Wondrasek, local veteran and director of the construction of the new Bottineau County Memorial Building and Park which will be located across from the Bottineau fairgrounds in Bottineau, requested from the aldermen that they consider one of three options concerning the land veterans are leasing from the city.

“In discussion with the Bottineau County Commissioners about ownership of the future Bottineau County Veterans Memorial Building,” Wondrasek said. “It is their consensus that if the county owns the building, than the county should own the land. Thus we have some options.”

Wondrasek stated that the options included:

•  If the county has some land that the city could use, then a swap of land can be made. In checking back, this has been done before.
•  The city could just deed the land to the county, then we would not have to execute anymore leases. To me, it should not make a difference. Right now the city gets no tax dollars on the land and they would get no tax dollars from the county.
•  The last way is the county to purchase the land.

The city will study the three options and get back to the county veterans.

REZONING

In other development news, there were no protests filed for the protest hearing concerning Fred and Lisa Kainz’s request of rezoning property they own for storage units they want to construct. The property is Lot 7 less N 4’ and all of 8, Block 1 White’s 2nd Addition. The council approved the Kainz’s request.

SEWER PROJECT

Matt Johnson of Wold Engineering spoke to the council about the sewer project, which will take place this summer on the east side of town. He stated that a CDBG grant application for the sewer project.

MAP

Wold Engineering and the council members spoke about Wold’s updating the city map through a digital aerial map. The maps would have several overlays showing such items as streets, utility lines, new developments and other significant items. The cost would be spilt between Wold Engineering and the city at a cost of $3,400 each.

Wold would provide free labor plus an additional $1,000 that would equal $3,400 and city would provide $3,400.

The discussion at the council table came up that the aerial map isn’t part of its 2013 budget. However, the aldermen voted in favor in going ahead with the project because they felt it was a worthy project that needed to be updated which was affordable.

RECREATION

The Bottineau Public Swimming Pool is in need of new pool cover, which will cost $6,500. The council approved the purchase. The expense will come out of the pool fund in the 2013 budget.     

NEXT MEETING

The next City Council meeting will be tonight (April 9) starting at 6 p.m. with the council meeting with SRF Consulting to discuss comprehensive land use with the consulting firm.