Jamestown  (CSi)  The Jamestown City Council met in Regular Session Monday evening at City Hall.  All members were present.

PUBLIC HEARING FROM THE AUDIENCE: No one spoke…

 

(Individuals may address the City Council about any item not contained on the agenda. A maximum of 15 minutes is allotted for the hearing. If the full 15 minutes are not needed, the City Council will continue with the agenda. The City Council will take no official action on items discussed at the hearing, with the exception of referral to staff or Committee.)

 

NO CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS WERE DISCUSSED SEPARATLY

(To provide more time to discuss controversial or disputed issues, the Council will consider the items on the consent agenda together at the beginning of the public meeting. These items are considered to be routine and will be enacted by one motion. If a member of the City Council or public requests to be heard on one of these items, the Council will remove the item from the consent agenda and consider that item individually. )

 

REGULAR AGENDA

 

RESOLUTIONS:

  • Approved was the draft letter in support of the James River Valley Library System’s future plans.
  • The City Council approved extending the temporary moratorium through February 5, 2021, for another month, on the enforcement of the City of Jamestown Municipal Code Section 5-3 pertaining to the sale and possession of alcohol on a public right-of-way at the location of an on-sale license holder with a City permit, to include extending the temporary moratorium on off-sale liquor sold with food by on-sale liquor license holders.

 

ORDINANCES:

  • The FIRST READING: An ordinance to annex property located at 2806 8th Ave SW, Jamestown, ND, legally described as LOWRY’S SUB DIV, BLOCK 12, LOT 1 – 2, ACRES 1, & THE EAST 7.7′ OF LOT 3, & 1/2 OF THE VACATED ALLEY ADJACENT TO THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE SAID LOTS 1, 2, & EAST 7.7′ OF LOT 3 (CERTIFICATE OF SURVEY #0230635), within the SE1/4 of Section 2, T139N, R64W, Woodbury Township, Stutsman County, North Dakota.

APPOINTMENTS:

  • Appointed was Tim Nill to serve as a member of the Board of Adjustment for a three year term to expire January 2024.

 

  • Appointed Kevin Gebhart to serve as a member of the Civil Service Commission for a five year term to expire January 2026.

 

  • Appointed David Barnack   to serve as the city resident member and  Brian Kamlitz to serve as the city council representative of the County Weed Board for a four year term to expire December 2024.
  • Appointed Trnt Hillerud to serve as a member of the Fire Code Board of Appeals for a three year term to expire November 2023.

 

  • Appointed David Steele to serve as the city council representative of the Law Enforcement Center Governing Board for a four year term to expire December 2024.

HIGHLIGHTING THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER’S REPORT:

Council Member Buchanan thanked the Jamestown Shriners for the Mill Hill (Shriners Hill) Christmas tree lightings.

Council Member Steele commended the street department on their efficient  snow removal from street last week.

Mayor Heinrich said he also heard positive comments on timeliness with the recent snow removal.

He praised the community at large and first responders and healthcare workers on cooperating in the mitigation of COVID-19.

He noted coming in 2021 is the Greenhouse project at the SEPA Energy Park.

 

OTHER BUSINESS:

  • Considered approving the environmental assessment by Terracon of 211, 213 and 217 Second Ave SW, Jamestown, formerly the Eagles building, (Eagle Flats) as reviewed by the City Engineer and the City Building Inspector, and authorizing the Mayor to sign the environmental assessment on behalf of the City. Mayor Heinrich says other issues in the process of being resolved is parking lot spaces being sub-let from the nearby Posthouse.
  • City Building Inspector, Tom Blackmore explained the over 100 page assessment was reviewed by himself and other city officials. He recommends approving the modified document, which was approved by the City Council.
  • The City Council approved the City publication of a Combined Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact and Notice of Intent to Request Release of Funds for the Commonwealth Development Corporation’s Eagle Flats project at 217 Second Ave SW, Jamestown.
  • Approved by the City Council was Exhibit 2 to the Parking Sublease and Agreement as requested by Commonwealth Development Corporation pertaining to the Eagle Flats project at 211, 213 and 217 Second Ave SW, which is adjacent to the city-owned parking lot located at 116 3rd St SW Jamestown, ND, and authorized the Mayor, as the certifying officer, to sign said Exhibit 2 (City‘s Consent) of the agreement on behalf of the City.

 

  • The City Council discussed extending COVID leave for city employees into 2021 similar to the federal mandate for 2020 to provide up to 80 hours of paid sick and family leave under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Emergency Family Medical Leave provisions under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The City Council was made aware of options in the leave plan, as the previous plan expired on December 31, 2020.
  • City Administrator Sarah Helleckson recommends extending the leave plan through the end of June this year. Mayor Heinrich said if an employee refuses to be vaccinated, and contracts the virus that they not be given the city leave, unless they have medical documentation of not be able to receive the vaccine.
  • The City Council voted to extend the leave from January 1, 2021, to June 30, 2021. Mayor Heinrich said the City Council may need to readdress the issue in the future.
  • Considered was approving and participating in the North Dakota Rapid Antigen Test Program to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Jamestown.
  • Mayor Dwaine Heinrich said the North Dakota National Guard is encouraging the city to participate in conjunction with the State Health Department, to conduct the testing, in the community in addition to Central Valley Health District’s testing, to include businesses, and schools.
  • The program enables about 8-10 volunteers to conduct more COVID-19 testing, to be trained by the National Guard. Mayor Heinrich pointed out that Jamestown Public Schools, and the University of Jamestown and some businesses are looking at conducting their own testing. He said
  • The Council acted on approving, which died for the lack of a second.

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