Jamestown  (CSi)  The Jamestown City Council’s Finance & Legal Committee, Building, Planning & Zoning Committee  and Civic Center & Promotion Committee met Tuesday evening at City Hall.

Council Member Phillips was not present.

FINANCE & LEGAL COMMITTEE

Considered was  recommending approval of maintaining the stop loss coverage at $20,000 per member and establishing the monthly premium rates for the City of Jamestown Employee Group Health Plan for the fiscal year September 1, 2019, through August 31, 2020, as follows:

City Share Employee Share Total Single Plan $673.14 -0- $673.14

Single Plus Dependent $827.80 $322.20 $1,150.00

Family Plan $981.76 $703.12 $1,684.88

The committee recommends approving, pending reviewing the figures as indicated and varified.

Considered was the request from JSDC for 2020 South Central Dakota Regional Council  Dues from Economic Development Funds, in the amount of $36,458.00, with the City Share to be $22,969.00 and paid from the City Sales Tax Fund, to be requested in January from the city and county.

The committee recommends, approving the request.

The committee considered the recommendation from JSDC for Economic Development Funds for Train ND, in the amount of $45,000, with the City Share to be $36,000 and paid from the City Sales Tax Fund. JSDC CEO, Connie Ova said, the dollars will go to a paid position, to train workers for another one year period and then reviewed.  The past year 400 workers were trained. The training is held in Jamestown.

The committee recommends approval.

The committee then  considered authorizing the City Administrator and staff to work with John Shockley, Ohnstad Twitchell, the City’s representative, to draft a project specific plan for the upper four floors, and schedule a public hearing regarding the request from EPIC Companies to form a tax increment finance  (TIF) district for the upper four floors of UJ student housing, only, at the proposed mixed-use facility on the University of Jamestown campus.   The building will be owned by EPIC, and with retail space on the first floor, taxable.  The land is owned by UJ and not taxed.  The building is being appraised at $20 million dollars, with and estimated annual income of $30,000.

The five story building is being constructed with site work, now in progress, across from Harold Newman Arena on the UJ campus, to help address the growing student population while also bringing business an opportunity to northeast Jamestown.  Weather permitting the building is anticipated to be finished by August of 2020.

Plans for the mixed-use building include local businesses having the opportunity to open a second location on the main level of the building to expand, with businesses serving the community and UJ students. It will have over 13,000 square feet of commercial space and house 112 student beds.  At the end of five years, the university plans to buy the building.

At Tuesday’s meeting the committee recommended, proceeding with the authorization.

The committee recommended approving the request from Stutsman Harley Davidson to conduct a dance in the dealership parking lot on September 7, 2019.

The committee recommends recognizing Ryker’s Run for Little Hearts as an other public spirited organization and authorize the issuance of a raffle permit.

 

The committee recommends holding a first reading of an ordinance to amend and re-enact Section 25.5 to increase the City Sales Tax by one-half percent from two percent (2%) to two and one-half percent (2.5%) effective January 1, 2020.  It will be allocated from one fund.

At the recent city budget meeting, Mayor Dwaine Heinrich said $2-million dollars needs to be in the 2020 budget to meet the balance and have a proper amount in the reserve fund.

He said rather than raise property taxes, he proposes to take the Civic Center out of the General Fund budget, increase the sales tax by a half percent, and half of that, or a quarter percent be used to fund the city’s share of specials assessments.  He added that a half percent would generate $600,000 to the city annually.  The current seven percent city sales tax generates $1.2 million.

City Attorney Leo Ryan says an increase in the sales tax does not have to go to a public vote.

It takes three months from city approval for the sales tax increase to be implemented.

Also at Tuesday’s committee meeting:

The committee recommends the city enter into an agency access agreement with the State of North Dakota to access programs utilized in complying with Marsy’s law. The request was made by the City Attorney’s Office request.

 

BUILDING, PLANNING & ZONING COMMITTEE

A PUBLIC HEARING was held concerning the notice of floodway encroachment at 916 2nd Avenue  Northwest, specifically a deck on the property. City Building Inspector, Jamison Veil said one deck has been removed and other remains.  He said minimum regulations need to be in force, as part of the city participating in the flood district program.

City Attorney Leo Ryan said if the deck is not removed, the city can remove it at the cost of the property owner, Rodney and Shari Pettys.

At the meeting Rodney Pettys, the property owner presented photos of his deck, and compared it to other decks that could be in violation.  He indicated that he will tear out his deck.

Following the Public Hearing, Mayor Heinrich said a policy needs to be developed.

The committee recommends tabling until the August Building, Planning and Zoning Committee meeting.

INFORMATIONAL: Appointment applications received to serve as members of the Planning Commission to fill three open positions with three year terms to August 2022 will be held at the August 5, 2019, City Council meeting.

CIVIC CENTER AND PROMOTION COMMITTEE

Considered was a  bid received for the Jamestown Civic Center Roofing Removal and Replacement Area “A” Project.

The committee considered bids received for the Jamestown Civic Center Expansion Joint Removal and Replacement Project.

The bids will be reconsidered at the City Council meeting, pending review of the bids and some irregularities.

 

The meeting was shown live on CSi Cable 67, followed by replays.