CSi Weather…

.TONIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows zero to 5 above. West winds 5 to
10 mph.

.WEDNESDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 20s. Southwest
winds 5 to 10 mph.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Increasing clouds.  A 20 percent chance of light
snow after midnight in the Valley City area. Lows around 15. South winds
around 5 mph.

.THURSDAY…Decreasing clouds. A 30 percent chance of snow.
Patchy blowing and drifting snow. Highs in the upper 20s. North
winds 10 to 15 mph increasing to northwest 20 to 25 mph in the
afternoon.

.THURSDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Patchy blowing and drifting snow
through the night. Lows 5 to 10 above. Northwest winds 15 to
25 mph.

.FRIDAY…Sunny. Patchy blowing and drifting snow. Highs around
20.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Patchy blowing and drifting snow in
the evening. Lows zero to 5 above.

.SATURDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 20s.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Increasing clouds. Lows 10 to 15.

.SUNDAY…Cloudy. Chance of snow in the morning, then snow likely
in the afternoon. Highs around 30. Chance of snow 60 percent.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow. Lows
around 20.

.MONDAY…Mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of snow in the
morning. Highs in the lower 30s.

.MONDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows around 15.

.TUESDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 30s.

 

A Pacific weather system will be  progressing over the northern Rockies

Saturday night and through the northern Plains Sunday, with

accumulating snow possible across western and central ND.

 

Valley City  (CSi)  The Valley City Commission met in Regular session Tuesday at City Hall.  All members were present.

RECOGNITION OF MAYOR FOR A DAY

Students Students Tessa Anderson and Nora Wolhart  read the City Government Week Proclamation. read the City Government Week Proclamation.

 

APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS INCLUDED:

Monthly Reports from the Fire Chief, Building Inspector, Auditor, Municipal Judge and Public Works Accountant.

Monthly Bills for the City and Public Works in the Amount of $2,646,288.49.

Blocking  off the Street Request for Valley City Public Schools on May 9, 2018 on 2nd Ave NW from 4th Street NW to 5th Street NW

A Raffle Permit for Valley City Area Chamber of Commerce

 

PUBLIC COMMENTS  No One spoke

NEW BUSINESS

The Commission approved financial support of the South Central Seniors Transportation.

 

Pat Hansen explained that last year in Barnes County 59,868 rides were provided, noting that 60 percent of riders are non-senior citizens.

The recent fund raising total was $36,689 with the city contributing $20,000 toward the goal of $80,000.

She noted significant state funding cuts due to the decrease in oil tax revenue.

Donations can be brought to the Senior Center, or call 845-4300.

 

Visitors Committee Chairman Bobby Koepplin requested $7,500 from the Reserved Streetscape Project Funds for Chamber of Commerce for one-time construction marketing, which was approved by Commissioners.

The City Commission approved a Food & Beverage Grant Request for Chamber of Commerce in the amount of $32,000.  Bobby Koepplin said the funds go to improvements and signage at the Rosebud Visitors Center. Other matching dollars are in place.

Bobby Koepplin requested an Image Enhancement Grant from Mobility Plus Rehabilitation, Ltd. in the amount of $1,000, for opening a business in Valley City, with the grant specifically for signage.

Approved  awarding bid for planting of trees for the ND Forest Service grant. Bobby Koepplin explained the areas to be planted.

Valley City Fire Department Annual Report was presented by Fire Chief Retterath, who noted the number of calls in 2017 decreased by 10 from the year before.

Approved VCFD part-time staff for pre-planning buildings, presented by Fire Chief Retterath.  The plans indicate such items as gas shutoffs, and other items vital to fire fighting efforts.

Approved a Gaming Site Authorization for Edgar A. Fisher Post 60 of the American Legion.

Approved an NDDOT Cost Participation, Construction & Maintenance Agreement for UGP-SU-2-990(055)059, 3rd Avenue SE from 4th St SE to Main Street.  KLJ explained that the funding is from an Urban Grant from NDDOT, and federal dollars approval. The project cost is $1.15 million  with the local cost shared $452,000.

CITY ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

David Schelkoph said he has had phone call about areas of slippery streets in town.  He said those calls should go to Public Works at 845-0380, or Dispatch 845-8181.

He said North Dakota congressional delegation joined with FEMA to find a legal resolution to keeping a permanent flood control wall in place.

He reminded residents that Main Street will remain closed for the permanent flood control project.

CITY UPDATES & COMMISSION REPORTS

City Assessor Hanson said the Annual Board of Equalization is Tuesday April 10th at 4-p.m. at City Hall.

Fire Chief Retterath said 340 invitations have been sent for this summer’s State Fire Convention to be held in Valley City.

Mayor Carlsrud thanked the staff, and parents and the schools for participating in Mayor For a Day.

The meeting was shown live on CSi Cable 68 followed by replays.

 

 

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Newspaper industry officials say a bill that would allow North Dakota county governments to publish meeting minutes on their websites rather than in official local newspapers raises concerns about government transparency.

The officials spoke out Monday at a meeting of the Legislature’s interim Judiciary Committee, The Bismarck Tribune reported .

Jack McDonald, legal counsel for the North Dakota Newspaper Association, said publishing minutes exclusively on websites could make it harder for the public to keep tabs on what’s happening.

“No matter how you turn out on this bill and what the final result is, the end result is that you’re making it harder for people to find out what went on,” McDonald said.

Steve Andrist, the association’s executive director, argued that residents prefer to see public notices in their local newspaper.

“In general, newspapers are more effective and a more useful medium than government websites to provide this information to the general public,” said Andrist.

But state Sen. Diane Larson, a Bismarck Republican, said publishing on websites might save governments millions of dollars.

“I think that as we’re looking at state budgets and redundancies, that’s really what this comes down to,” Larson said. “Do we want to continue to dedicate over $3 million a biennium to support local newspapers when it might be cheaper to the state budget to allow local entities to put it on their websites?”

The committee ultimately will decide whether the proposal moves forward to the 2019 Legislature.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A man stabbed in the throat at a Bismarck motel told police he has no idea who attacked him. The 40-year-old victim was treated Monday at a hospital where he said he was beaten and stabbed in the throat with a drywall saw at his motel room. The man told police he had been drinking with two men and a woman in his room and asked them to leave.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The superintendent of a North Dakota high school where an alleged hazing incident occurred says he’ll resign at the end of the school year. The attorney for Richland 44 Superintendent Tim Godfrey said Godfrey wants “to extricate himself from a dysfunctional environment and to pursue other professional opportunities.” Authorities in mid-February referred five boys to juvenile court for alleged locker room misconduct involving felonious restraint, terrorizing, hazing and sexual assault.

 

In world and national news…

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma’s largest school districts are closing for a third day in anticipation of a continued walkout by teachers demanding more funding for classrooms. School districts in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Norman said Tuesday they will cancel classes for Wednesday as teachers travel to the state Capitol and press their demands. Oklahoma’s largest teacher’s union hasn’t said when demonstrations will end.UNDATED (AP) — For the first time, the U.S. government is publicly acknowledging the existence in Washington of what appear to be rogue eavesdropping devices that foreign spies and criminals could be using to track individual cellphones and intercept calls and messages. The devices are known as cellphone-site simulators.WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he wants to use the military to secure the U.S.-Mexico border until his promised wall is built. Trump says during a lunch with Baltic leaders that he’s spoken with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis about the idea. He says, “We’re going to be doing things militarily until we can have a wall and proper security.” He’s calling it a “big step.” Trump grudgingly signed a spending bill last month that provided far less money for the wall than he wanted.WASHINGTON (AP) — A Dutch attorney who lied to federal agents investigating former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been sentenced to 30 days in prison and fined $20,000. A federal judge in Washington sentenced Alex van der Zwaan on Tuesday. He’s the first person to be sentenced in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe.WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is offering support for Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, but declining to publicly reiterate his private praise for the embattled Cabinet member. Pruitt is at the center of swirling ethics questions over his travel spending and ties to Washington lobbyists. Two administration officials say that in a Monday phone call, Trump told Pruitt that “we’ve got your back” and urged him to “keep his head up” and “keep fighting.”